RegalD:
[i][/i][b][/b]Because Every Body Is A Genius I will be following all the way.
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[b]
CHAPTER EIGHT
STRANDED


The whole school was thrown into confusion as they awaited the report from the teaching staff who went to the hospital with the medical staff of the school.

Bella was punchy. She couldn't just figure it out that Miss Fiona was gone so suddenly. How possible?

Mr Tony was in Miss Fiona's office when she collapsed. He also went with the ambulance to the hospital.

Miss Fiona should not be dead, Bella thought. How come she could be dead like that? She is too nice to die prematurely.

Bella's initial thought of going to wage war of words with Miss Fiona had disappeared. Now she wished with all her heart to see her and give her a tight hug.

News later came to the school that Miss Fiona had been confirmed dead. Everyone shed tears for her. They would miss her so much. Bella had iimmediately begun to miss her.

"She couldn't be dead!" Bella kept saying to herself.

During the closing hour, Bella searched her pocket but couldn't find the #500 note Christie returned to her. She was shocked.

So, Christie still has the money, she thought. Bella was confused. That Christie of a thing is a big cheat. How did she take the money from me again after returning it? Bella pondered on. She was stuck.

Bella sat in the empty class. She was certainly not going to have someone to lend her some money since the class was already empty. Eventually, Bella thought of seeing Blossom, perhaps she could allow Murray to pick her up this time around.

Luckily, Bella met Blossom standing before Murray's car. She hurried towards them with her eyes filled with tears.

"Bella! What is the matter?" Blossom asked in shock.

"Miss Fiona is dead!" Bella said.

"Oh! I heard that too, Bella," Blossom said. "The whole school will surely miss her."

Bella kept quiet and sobbed.

"Bella, don't tell me that is the reason why you are sobbing, is that?" Blossom asked heartlessly. "Anyway, I hope you have met her to remove you from the school music club before she died."

Bella couldn't believe her ears. She just gaped and looked right inside her sisters eyes.

"Why are you staring at me that way Bella? Miss Fiona must take you out of the music club, else..."

Blossom got into the car and made to shut the door, but Bella held on to it.

"What Bella?" she asked

"I'm going home with you," Bella said.

"Why?" Blossom shouted. "Don't you have your transport fare?

"Christie took it," Bella said as she quickly told her the story of her meeting with the tomboy.

"Well...I insist you can't go with us, little sister, okay!"

"Okay could you just lend me #500? I'll return it to you..."

"No way!" Blossom shouted. "Not until you have gotten your butt off the music club."

"Please!"

Murray heard their conversation and came into the matter. He was willing to let Bella come into the car, but Blossom rejected as she forcefully yanked the door closed. Bella stood like an idiot as the car zoomed up, leaving a trail of dust behind.

Bella began to return to her classroom after staying five minutes on the same spot. She was perplexed. Blossom's attitude was totally bizarre to her.

Bella stood at the door of her classroom and looked on. She had given up. Just then, a man began to approach the class with a security officer. The man was screaming:

"What the hell is going on here? You must find my son, else I will show everyone in this school who I am! Where is my son!"

The man was bulky. A large fold of flesh rested just beneath his chin. He was a little bit bald. He was sweating.

When they saw Bella, they came close to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Hello young girl, have you seen my son?" the confused my asked as though Bella was her last hope.

"Your son? Who is he?"

"My son, John," the man replied hastily. Bella began to think.

"Hasn't he shown up?"

"Yes, he hasn't," he said. "Of course we wouldn't be looking for him if he had."

"I think I know," Bella said eventually.

"Where?" the man asked in excitement. Bella began to lead them towards Mr Tony's office. She was certain that John would still be right there, dozing, since Mr Tony hadn't returned to the school to wake him up.

They began to hear some heavy snores as soon as they got to the door.

"Here is he," Bella said, but the fat man had already pulled the door opened fiercely. He saw John comfortably sleeping at the corner of the office, just where he had been during the break period when Mr Tony was in there with Bella.

John's father pulled at the collar of his son and pulled him up.

"Wake up you sleeping pig," the man said as he pulled him along. He opened his eyes halfway into the office and smiled, "Dad, you are here!"

"Shut up you sleeping pig."

John's father was grateful to Bella.

"Thanks young girl for saving me of trouble today," he said.

"It's my pleasure sir," Bella replied.

John's father entered the car and his son sat at the back seat as he got ready to zoom off. He was winding up when Bella suddenly peeped in. The man wasn't aware that she followed them to the car park.

"Hey, young lady, any problem?"

"Yes sir, please can you give me #500 please?"

"#500? Is anything the matter?" he asked politely.

"I lost my transport fare," Bella replied. When John heard that, he grinned and said, "Bella Benson, are you a housemaid or something? I thought someone should have come to pick you up instead if you aren't a housemaid?"

"Shut up!" John's father kept his son shut. Bella felt shy. "Sorry for that, young girl. Where do you live maybe I can give you a lift?"

"Allen sir," Bella replied.

"You can come in," the man said. "Backseat, please."

"Thank you sir," Bella replied humbly. She was full of emotion.

Bella got into the backseat and laid her back on the backrest. John shifted away from her, probably because he didn't want to have anything doing with a house girl.

"I hate house girls," John whispered to the hearing of Bella alone. She sobbed.[/b]

OluwabuqqyYOLO:
Just bring it on, sir. This is enthralling. But I think the 'a accented French' should be 'an accented French.' You say?

There shouldn't be 'a' or 'an' there at all. It was a typographic error. It should be English accented French. I will correct it now. Thanks.

[b] CHAPTER SEVEN

FIONA HAS FALLEN

Bella began to make for Miss Fiona's office. She wanted to pick a great offence with her for recommending her to Mr Tony to join the music club.

It is crazy of her! she thought. Joining a club should be out of one's volition; not one ordinary teacher choosing one's destiny for one. I am sick and tired of all these. Blossom doesn't want me to disgrace myself, so she is warning me not to join the music club. I love BLOSSOM! She thought aloud.

Bella kept moving towards Miss Fiona's office. She was sure going to display how crazy she was. She hated being taken for granted, even though she was only fourteen.

The school premises had CCTV cameras all over. The consciousness of these had always made people be on their feet to do only the right things.

Bella discovered that she had been talking alone to herself the while.

"Bon Apres-midi, Madame Courtois," Bella halted to greet her French teacher, Mrs Courtois.

"Bon Apres-midi, Mademosseille, ou vas tu comme ca?"

"La Bureau de Miss Fiona," Bella replied in her English accented French.

"Salut," Mrs Courtois said.

"Salut Madame," Bella replied as she walked away from her.

Bella turned her neck to glance at the French woman again. She was such a smiling beauty. Bella wondered why she always smiled all the time.

"Maybe that's how they smile in Ivory Coast always," she thought. "I'll like to travel their someday," she thought sillily.

When Bella turned her face around again, she saw the school ambulance speeding past. Someone must be in danger right now, she thought.

Bella took her mind off the happenings around her as she continued to move towards Miss Fiona's office.

Christie approached Bella in her bold style, pocketing her hands as she walked like a gangster towards her. She was having her hair fashioned like a male's own.

"Bella, come here," Christie called. She was in S.S.S 1.

Bella melted like ice.

"I am here," she said in a scared voice.

"Like how much do you have in your pocket?"

"I swear I have no money," Bella said.

"Liar," Christie said and searched her pocket. She found #500 in it. "What is this?"

"That's my transport fare," Bella spoke in fright. Christie's eyes glowed like a splinter. "But you can take it anyway...I'll find my way home," Bella spoke with her heart in her mouth. Christie smiled.

"I heard you speaking French with Mrs Courtois."

"Y-yes," Bella stammered.

"How come you understand that nonsense language? Do you have a home lesson teacher for it?"

"N-no, I don't," Bella replied. "I don't understand French that much anyway, only a little."

"A little?" she smiled. "Maybe you could teach me that little you know, okay?"

"Okay senior Christie, I will."

"Good," Christie patted her back. "Then you can have your money back, since you'll be teaching me French," she said excitedly.

Bella was shocked. She didn't believe her eyes. She didn't believe that Christie could return the money to her. Bella had heard of how Christie had exploited many junior students, including the males in the school. She had even bullied on some of her seniors, both males and females.

"Urgh! She isn't that bad after all," Bella whispered, sighing as she was leaving.

"And who told you tthat I was ever bad?" Christie shouted. Bella was shocked that she heard her.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Bella quickly apologized in doubt of what Christie would do next. She did nothing, but only smiled and waved her right hand to say goodbye.

Bella walked into Miss Fiona's office and found it void of souls. The office was fairly large, to occupy three teachers. Miss Fiona's seat was the one right beside the door. Bella was surprised to see the office door left wide opened when nobody was in. She traipsed to Miss Fiona's seat and waited for her to come in.

She shouldn't be far away, Bella thought. It was break period, so it was certain that she wouldn't be in class at the moment.

Bella noticed a sheet of paper on the floor just beside the foot of a stool behind the table. She picked it up and glanced into it. Bella began to read the content of the paper:

Be my Romeo and let me be your Juliet.
Oh my Hero! When will your heart say To Let?
With my soul filled with Ero, I don't think I will ever regret
But how can I tell you that I LOVE YOU, FRANK.

When I fall, it is only for love
Yet I can't but stay so naive
If only I could fly into your heart like an ave
Then I won't hesitate to whisper LOVE INTO YOUR HEART, DEAR FRANK.

Bella was fascinated with the piece which was in a poetic fashion. She read it out to herself one more time and tucked the note into her pocket, smiling. She was finding it very funny.

Certainly, the handwriting was that of Miss Fiona.

"Hmm! She is in love," Bella whispered in smiles. "But to whom? Frank? Frankly speaking I know no frank."

Bella sat comfortably on Miss Fiona's seat as she expected her to come in. It was Mrs Fatima who came in five minutes later.

"Here you are young girl, waiting for your teacher I guess."

"Yes ma, where is she?" Bella asked excitedly.

"She collapsed and passed on few minutes ago. Didn't you see the ambulance whirring so loudly?"

Bella felt like a strange bullet had hit her skull when she heard the news. She almost collapsed too.[/b]

[b] CHAPTER SIX

BELLA AND MR TONY

Miss Fiona did not hesitate to report Bella to Mr. Tony the talent hunter of MBC. In MBC, it was part of the agreements signed by the parents that they must allow their children or wards perform in any extracurricular activities that the school authority had found out they had talents for.

Mr Tony was the the man mostly feared by students of the school. Many of them were always unwilling to explore their talents due to laziness, but they had no choice once Mr. Tony had discovered them.

Mr. Tony was in his early forties. He had neither beards nor teddy--always clean shaved, with a crew cut to fit. Mr Tony had a special green suit and a pair of shiny green shoes to match. He was of the opinion that everybody had something green in himself or herself, which was supposed to be the God-given talent of such person.

Despite the fact that the man in green always made himself look as simple as possible, so as to create a friendly atmosphere with the students, yet he was the most feared in the school. Many times, he did got into trouble with some spoilt students who told him to his face that they were not interested in any 'darn' talent. One of them was Christie, the tomboy who was dreaded by all teachers in the school. Christie was a shrew, spoilt by her parents, being the only child.

Mr Tony had helped many of the students to discover and develop their talents over the years. Many award-winning students had passed through him and they had forever remain grateful for passing through him.

Mr Tony had an inner perception for talents. Taking one or two looks at someone, the man would suggest the potentials such person was likely to be possessing.

Bella was busy solving a problematic arithmetic problem when Mr Tony stormed the class. The students rose to their feet to pay homage. Bella reluctantly rose too. Conspicuously, everyone was scared of the man, knowing he was their to fetch one or two persons.

Mr Tony looked round without uttering a speech. He raised a finger slowly as if to point to someone. The students froze. Being picked by Mr. Tony would mean skipping one's break periods for a space of one month to develop a talent the man had purportedly discovered.

Mr. Tony suddenly pointed at a boy standing to the right of Bella.

"John, follow me," he said.

"Myself?" the chubby boy replied with a scary face; everyone laughed.

"Yes you," Mr Tony replied. The boy in question burst into tears.

John had been known for one thing; sleeping almost all the time. He always cherished using his break periods to have a sound sleep. John wouldn't want anything to tamper with his break periods.

"Mr Tony, I don't have a talent! I don't need one!" John sobbed.

Mr Tony held his right hand and develop pulled him along. As he turned his back at the class, the students all sighed in relief. They had been holding their breaths all the while in fright.

Bella smiled.

"I thought Miss Fiona told him about me," Bella whispered. "I'm glad he hasn't come for me."

"Bella, come along too," Mr. Tony said, without turning back. "Miss Fiona told me about you."

Bella's eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell!" she mused.

Bella trembled as she knocked at the office door of Mr. Tony.

"Come in, come in," the man replied. Bella budged. She was scared out of life.

"Em...sir...you want to see me?" Bella said slowly.

"Of course Bella!" Mr. Tony said. "Could you remind me your surname once again?"

"Benson, I'm Bella Benson."

"Oh Bella Benson, please do have your seat."

Bella sat down reluctantly. A sound of someone snoring began to permeate the atmosphere.

"Not again!" Mr. Tony said as he got up from his seat and went to the inner corner of the large office. Bella needed no one to tell him that it was John sleeping in there.

Why does he always sleep? Bella pondered.

Mr. Tony returned to Bella.

"Bella Benson, so tell me something; what is your hobby?"

"My hobby, sir?"

"Yes you heard me," the man said.

"I don't have one," Bella said. "She didn't want to play along.

"Alright then Bella, I'll help you discover that, okay!"

"No!" Bella screamed. "I thought you are only here to discover talents, not hobby."

The man grinned and said, "Well...knowing your hobby is the foundation to knowing what talent you possess."

"Alright then, my hobby is eating," Bella said with a frowny face. The man laughed.

"But it isn't a laughing matter, Mr Tony," Bella said, feigning seriousness.

"Of course it's not," the man said. "Someone in there's got a worse hobby..."

"But sleeping isn't as worse as you think sir!" a voice from the inner corner interrupted the man's speech. It was John.

"Yes, Jonah. You'll be better off in a sleeping competition," Mr Tony made fun.

"Point of correction sir! My name is John, not Jonah!" John's voice came up.

"What's the difference? John, Jonah, they sound almost alike."

"But Jonah is a worse sleeper than myself, John!"

Mr. Tony was silent. He was always that way all the time he was having a chat with someone. Obviously, he was in a thoughtful mood, putting his brain to use.

"Sir...I don't know why I'm here?" Bella broke the silence.

"Of course I told you," the man said. "Miss Fiona reported your talent to me. You're joining the Music Club right away!"

"What!" Bella yelled. "I thought one can only be in a club, not two."

"Of course we are changing yours. You did terribly in your spellings, didn't you?"

"I'm going to get better...sir."

"No, little lady," Mr Tony said. "It isn't simply your talent...I mean spelling words. Mrs Fiona told of how you did very well in a music rendition in your church."

"I only got lucky!"

"Says who?"

"Blossom my sister," Bella said. "I could do worse sooner than later. I'm afraid of embarrassing myself on stage with my voice."

Mr Tony smiled and shut his eyes. He flashed it open suddenly and screamed, "Bella! Congratulation! Your talent has been discovered! You are naturally a talented singer!"

Bella laughed uneasily. Is he a magician? she thought.

"Bella, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,
not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who
are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others,” Mr Tony said without blinking an eye.

"Awesome!" Bella remarked. "Where did you get that from?"

"A book by Marianne Williamson," said Mr Tony. "Do you read books?"

"No," Bella replied immediately.

"Bella Benson, you said you are scared of singing on stage isn't it?"

"I'm not scared of singing on stage sir, but I'm actually scared of not performing to the optimum while on stage."

"Just how you are scared of missing the spellings in the EBIAG SPELLING GENIUS COMPETITION, isnt it?"

"No sir," Bella replied. "I wasn't too scared of losing out in the Spelling Genius Competition because I am certain tons of people could spell better than I do; Abdul is a genius in that. He can spell anything, everything. So I knew I wouldn't go past the first round of the competition which was actually the case eventually."

"Eureka!" Mr Tony exclaimed. "Come with me Bella! You are joining the music club right away! You will become a great singer, soon!"

"I'm scared!" Bella whispered.

"That confirms it," Mr Tony smiled as he held Bella by the wrist and led her to the door.

Bella found it crazy. Just because she was scared of singing on stage, Mr Tony opined that she would do great in it? That's really weird! she thought.

Mr Tony brought Bella to the Music Theatre of MBC.

"Here's somebody to try out, Mrs Dorcas," the man said.

"Bella Benson?" the music mistress exclaimed when she saw her.

Blossom raised her head when she heard the name of her younger sister. She frowned at her sight.

"Yeah, try her out," Mr Tony said. "She'll do fine."

"Alright then Mr Tony, I believe you," she said. "I'll do just that."

Blossom rose to her feet and cane close to Bella, hissing.

"What the hell are you doing here, Bella?" she asked in an angry whisper.

"Miss Fiona told Mr Tony I could sing. I don't want to be here! I'm sorry!"

"Impossible!" she whispered to her ears. "Better you tell her you don't wanna sing! Now!" Blossom gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as if to squeeze life out of Miss Fiona.

"Okay, okay big sister, I'll do that," Bella said shakily as she hurriedly made for the exit. She was going to locate Miss Fiona and get dirty with her for telling Mr Tony about him.[/b]

U ar all welcome

[b]

CHAPTER FIVE
DOUBLE THOUGHTS

Benjamin wanted to keep in touch with Bella. Her voice had endeared her to him such that he was fast losing sleep as he awaited the day he would meet Bella again. To his ears, Bella's voice had sounded just like his late sister's.

Benjamin had seen Bella several times in the past, but he never knew she could sing so well. Benjamin was worried that Bella didn't wait after the church service according to the announcement on the podium.

Benjamin was a young boy of sixteen. He had a punk on his head. He was the last child of his family, staying with his elder brother, who was the only one he had.

Benjamin lost his father and mother and his two female siblings all in a day. They all died in a plane crash few years back. He was then left with his elder brother who had been catering for him ever since.

Benjamin was fortunate enough that his father left enough wealth for himself and his elder brother to inherit. He was quite fortunate that his elder brother wasn't a spendthrift.

Benjamin had setbacks in his education. He became a shadow of himself after his parents and sisters' death. His academic performance was badly affected, making him to pull out of school for a session to cater for his mentality.

Benjamin and Frank were like 'five and six'. Although Frank was thirteen years older than Benjamin, yet they related with each other as mates.

Benjamin was in a pensive mood as he placed his head on the dining table. His food was just on the table, stonecold. Benjamin didn't notice when Frank came in. Unusually, he sank into the chair without saying 'hi' to his brother Benjamin who was absent-minded himself.

Frank shut his eyes tight and placed a palm over his forehead as he tilted his neck to one side of his body.

A lady came in. She was the housemaid.

"Sir, your water is don set. Please go take your bath," she said, but Frank waved her off without opening his eyes. The housemaid set her eyes at the dining table and noticed Benjamin dozing off without touching his meal.

"Wetin dey happen here?" the housemaid suddenly burst out. No one gave a reply.

Few minutes later, Benjamin opened his eyes and found his brother in such bad mood. He hadn't seen him in such mood for years.

What could have possibly gone wrong with him? Benjamin thought. He tapped his elder brother. Frank thumped up and faced his brother with sleepy eyes.

"Ben, what is it?" Frank asked.

"Em...so sorry I didn't wait for you. I was looking out for Bella Benson, that girl who sang well today?"

"Looking for her for what, Ben?" Frank demanded. "Don't tell me you are falling in love."

"Not really big brother," Benjamin said, forcing a smile. "Just that her voice reminds me of Cynthia."

"Cynthia? Who is she?" Frank demanded critically.

"My elder sister of course! Our second born."

"Oh! Never again, Benjamin! Don't go there again, okay. Please don't..." Frank was worried.

"Not what you think, big brother," Benjamin said. "I am not running mental, brother. But honestly, Bella's voice is just like late sister Cynthia's own. Didn't you hear it yourself?"

Frank kept staring at his brother's face. He was scared that Benjamin was developing mental complications again. Few years ago, when Benjamin heard the news of his sisters and parents' death, he almost lost his brain. The death of Cynthia was the most painful of all, because it was she who helped train up his voice.

Cynthia was like a mother to Benjamin while she was alive. She was the second child in the family, after Frank. She was studying Music in the tertiary institution in the US when she came across death during a summer holiday.

Cynthia and Ruth were the two daughters of the family. They were both in the Tertiary institution in the US. Their parents had only gone to pick them back home during the summer holiday when there was a plane crash which claimed their lives. Then, Frank had already started working in an oil company paying exorbitant salary.

Benjamin didn't want his brother to be worried about him, so he quickly changed the topic and said, "So, big brother, how did it go?"

"What?" Frank demanded.

"The meeting with your bride-to-be of course!" Benjamin replied.

"Oh! It was a failure as I thought earlier. A total failure for that matter."

"How?" Benjamin wanted to hear it all. "Are you not charming enough for her?"

"Did she even spare a second to look into my face? As soon as the door got opened, she covered her eyes with her face and made for the exit."

"In the presence of the Bishop?"

"Yes of course!"

"I think she is too proud!" Benjamin said vindictively. "Why don't you look for another lady? Of course she isn't the most beautiful woman on earth."

"I don't think she is proud, Ben. Perhaps she's just too shy," Frank said. "And to be frank with you, I am not after her beauty but her attitudes; she looks humble to me."

"Humble? Someone who walked out on the pastor and you? I don't think you should give him a chance?"

"Hmm," Frank hummed. "The same way I don't think Bella Benson is worth being a friend of yours too."

"Why?" Benjamin was stunned.

"Because she boycotted the announcement that all the to-be-inducted choir member should wait to see the choir master after the service."

"She must have her reasons for absconding," Benjamin defended her.

"Just like I believe Fiona must have her reasons for bursting out of the counselling room too," Frank said.

**** **** **** **** **** **** *****

"I have my reasons for leaving the church before the end of the service," Bella told Miss Fiona when she asked her during break period on Monday.

"Your reasons please," she demanded.

"I don't want to be in the choir," she said. "Just because I am not fit to be in the choir."

"And who told you that you aren't fit to be in there?"

"My elder sister, Blossom," she said.

"She must be crazy!" Fiona screamed in annoyance.

"Stop!" Bella shouted at her. She didn't like anyone speaking ill of any of her siblings.

"Is she blind and deaf? Didn't she see you are the one who won the short music competition yesterday? Didn't she hear how angelic your voice sounded?"

"She is neither blind nor deaf Miss Fiona; and that was exactly how she was able to detect that I had some flaws in my voice. She even testified that the performance was a fluke!"

"SHE IS A BIG, FAT LIAR!" Miss Fiona screamed. "Anyway Bella, you are joining the Student Choir in school, even if you aren't going to join that of the church. Your voice is too good to be left unused," Miss Fiona concluded.

"I don't want to join!" Bella replied pungently.

"I don't wanna care for how you feel or what you think, but all I know is YOU ARE GOING TO SING IN THE SCHOOL CHOIR! PERIOD!" Miss Fiona banged the table.

[/b]

[b] CHAPTER FOUR

Bothered Bella

Bella felt lonely. She left for home all alone from the church because she didn’t want anyone to discover her. Her father had travelled on an official assignment to Italy for the past eleven months. When he was around, Bella had always remained her favourite, but Blossom seemed to be their mother’s favourite.

Bella was the second child in the family of five, all females. She was fourteen while Blossom was sixteen; Binta thirteen, Betty eleven and Baby seven. Only Bella and Blossom were attending the same school, Morning Bell College, Magodo.

Bella had only discovered her sister’s reactions to her lately, after her father’s departure. Earlier the two sisters had been very close friends, but things began to take another shape just within few weeks of Mr. Benson’s departure for Italy.

Bella opened her door with a key and sat at the edge of her bed. She was partially facing an elliptically-structured mirror within a red plastic frame. Her face was a little bit pimply. She punched out the pus lying beneath and wrinkled her face. She seemed pretty though. Her teacher, Miss Fiona had told her not to worry about the development, since it was only a sign of maturity.

Bella sighed and hissed.

“So Blossom thinks my performance was a fluke,” she whispered to herself. “Well…I don’t doubt that at all because I haven’t done any good all my life.”

Bella was already having the feeling that she was a bastard not long after her father left for Italy. Mr. Benson wouldn’t be returning to Nigeria soon, so she was not sure of knowing what was going on in a time not far away. She couldn’t bring up the issue over the telephone whenever her father called, because the whole family would be present to listen.

Bella’s pocket money had been slashed by her mother, but Blossom’s own was intact. Mrs Lucia had been showing some deliberate feelings of hate towards her lately. Her calculative attempt to make Bella suffer was what made her to stop dropping them in their school with her car or going to their school to pick them after the school hours. She knew that Blossom had a male friend called Murray who often picked Blossom up in his car to drop her at school every day. Murray also spared his time to take her back home too. If Mr. Benson was around, he wouldn’t have allowed such thing.

As for Bella, she had to board a shuttle bus or pick a taxi to and fro every day, since she had no one to pick her up. If only Miss Fiona had had a car, she would have offered to do that for her. Bella had once taken up the courage to face Lucia, her mother, to ask why she couldn’t offer to pick her up from school anymore since their father departed.

“You know my dear Bella, it isn’t that easy picking your younger ones up and then driving a long distance to your school to pick you up too. That ain’t feasible.”

“But you were doing that when dad was around, why did you stop now?” Bella challenged further.

“It isn’t easy on me, Bella,” her mother said. “Come to think of it, why are you complaining about that? Don’t you have enough transport fare to board taxis every day?”

“But you slashed my allowance mummy, why?”

“Oh! Bella, you are bothering me,” Lucia said. “I slashed it because your father isn’t sending money home anymore and as you can see, I am a full time housewife, so where should I get the money if Benson isn’t sending any?”

Bella reasoned along with her, but after a second thought, she challenged her again;

“Mum, but you didn’t slash Blossom’s own, why?”

“Who told you that?” she demanded.

“Blossom herself,” Bella said.

“She’s only telling you a lie my daughter,” said Lucia as she held Bella tight and rubbed her head passionately. “Don’t mind Blossom; she’s only trying to deceive you.”

Bella wasn’t satisfied. She wriggled her way off her mother’s grip and stood straight before her as she said, “Mum, I can’t go to school in the shuttle buses anymore. I am the only person in the entire school taking a shuttle bus to such a huge school like ours. Mum, I’m shy!”

“You don’t need to be, Bella my daughter,” Lucia grinned. “By the way, why are you shy about that?”

“Because everyone in the school comes to school or leaves the school in their parents or guardians’ cars; only the bastard children and the housemaids take shuttle buses. How come I’m doing that now? Mummy, just tell me if I’m a bastard, so I can know what to do.”

Lucia laughed and said, “Funny little Bella. Of course you don’t look like a bastard, do you?”

“But my mates now take me for a housemaid.”

“Tell them you are not,” Lucia said. “I AM YOUR MOTHER! PERIOD!” she screamed. Bella wept. She didn’t mean to get her mother angry.

“Okay…I…I have heard. I will tell Blossom if she could tell Murray to be picking me up too, in his car…every day.”

“Nice idea!” Lucia said. “Better still you can get your own boyfriend too, cos you aren’t getting younger. You’re fourteen already,” she said and laughed.

“Boyfriend my foot!” Bella said. “I won’t have one until I’m out of High School.”

When Bella met Blossom to demand if Murray could be picking them both to school in his car, she replied, “Go get your own boyfriend, little sister, cos I ain’t sharing mine with any lady.”

Bella discovered she was already feeling sleepy. She soon placed her back on the bed and dozed off.

Bella had only slept for twenty minutes when a hard knock began to thump her door. She reluctantly got up from bed and made for the door. She grabbed the door knob and turned it anticlockwise. Blossom peeped.

“Bella, you are here?”

“Oh, yeah!” she replied casually.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes of course, Blossom,” she said, yawning.

“You left the church early, why?”

“Cos I don’t wanna join the choir anymore, because you told me I only got lucky on stage today.”

“Hmm,” Blossom sounded. “Is that why you left?”

“Yes, Blossom,” Bella said. “I gave it a thought and I reason with you, Blossom. What if people begin to expect too much from me and I disappointed? Wouldn’t they call my voice a fluke?”

“Yes, so true Bella,” Blossom said. “Indeed, your voice was somehow shaky on stage, only that the musical instruments covered up your flaws and no one noticed them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really, Bella.”

“But how come you alone noticed it?”

Blossom laughed.

“Don’t you know I have special inner ears for music?” Blossom lied. “Or you aren’t aware I was in the church choir?”

“Yes, it’s true!” Bella remembered. “Three years back. But why are you no more in the choir? I haven’t asked you this for once.”

Blossom smiled out her dimples as her lying tongue protruded.

“I left because my voice is too beautiful to be used in the church without being paid a million dollar for it.”

Actually, Blossom pulled out of the choir because of her pride. She wanted to be the one to lead the team; she wanted to be the one to dole out the tone each person would play. She was just too proud to be contained by the team, so she decided to leave.

“Are you also the head of the Student Youth Choir of our school?” Bella demanded further.

“Yes I am,” she replied without giving the question a second thought.

Bella sighed.

“Okay, Blossom, what do you think? Should I join the church choir or not?”

“Of course a big NO!” Blossom said. “Because you can’t make any impact, Bella. Just keep searching for your talent, maybe someday you might just stumble upon it,” Blossom said as if she cared as she patted her sister in the back.

“I’ll do just that, Blossom, my dear sister,” she said. Blossom smiled. She was satisfied at Bella’s resolution without being aware of the pranks she was playing on her.
[/b]

[b]CHAPTER THREE
FIONA'S FAIRYTALES
Fiona was an angelic-looking lady in her late twenties. She always wore her hair in dreadlocks of two colours. She had a charming smile. Her almond eyes had been her beauty spot. She wasn't too athletic but she had durable limbs. Her long nose had endeared him to countless admirers who had taken her for a British lady in black skin. Her neck had faint traceries lining it up. The beauty of Fiona had caught the eyes of many suitors, but she had rejected them all in a humble manner. She believed her future partner was still not in sight.

Fiona was only a new teacher in Morning Bell College, having taught for only twelve months. She taught Phonetics. Fiona had interest in grooming pupils for something special. At the sight of Bella, she had put up great interest in her. She wanted to be around her all the time, such that she gave up attending her own Church denomination to Bella’s own, with the interest of getting familiar with her.

However, Fiona knew very little of Bella’s background. She hadn’t been to her home, despite asking Bella to take her there all the time. She hadn’t seen anybody coming to the school to pick up Bella after school or anyone who showed care for her, yet the school was only attended by rich kids.

How come Bella goes home all alone? She pondered, yet she claimed that Blossom was her sister. What kind of sisters are they?

As for Blossom, she always had two guys coming to pick her up after school hour. They seemed too young to be her father or uncle, so Miss Fiona concluded that they were his friends.

Fiona stepped to the door of the office of Bishop Daniel. She blinked her eyes over the wordy instructions glommed to the door:

THE OFFICE OF BISHOP DANIEL OGHENE
KEEP OFF IF YOU ARE COMING TO HURT
BECAUSE THE MAN OF GOD IS ANOINTED
FROM HEAD TO TOE
BUT COME IN IF YOU NEED HELP
ONLY MAKE SURE YOU PUT OFF YOUR PHONE
AND KNOCK! KNOCK!! KNOCK!!! THE DOOR SOFTLY.
JESUS IS LORD!

Fiona smiled. The inscription was amusing to her. They should have put all in one sentence, she thought.

She knocked softly and the voice of the middle-aged man came up:

"Come in, come in," the Bishop said as he adjusted his spectacles. He had a little moustache, which curved down over his upper lip like a walrus in the sea. His teeth had a tint of chocolate stain, probably from the kolanut he had spent his time chewing many years back. Bishop Daniel had an oval-shaped head, like the egg of a peacock. His smile seemed lopsided, affecting only the right cheek, while the left one remained still. Bishop Daniel had scanty hairs on his brows. His ears seemed like the handles of an ancient cup.

The door made a crinking sound as Fiona walked in slowly.

"Good day sir," she greeted in her phonetically-inclined accent.

"Good day young lady. How may I help you please?"

"Sir, you said you wanted to see me...and I'm here."

"Oh! Who are you please, because I asked to see some other people too?"

Fiona was amazed. Seemed the man had short-term memory for forgetting her so soon. Wasn't he the one who mentioned her name earlier on the pulpit?

"Sir, but you cautioned me on the pulpit earlier. You said it is enough Sister Fiona, have your seat please!" Fiona said, mimicking the Bishop's voice.

The clergyman grinned.

"Oh! It's you Miss Fiona. I'm sorry I couldn't recognise you. You know something? I must confess that's my cross; I've got long-sightedness," the Bishop confessed humorously.
"Oh! I see!" Fiona said and kept quiet.

"You're welcome Fiona."

"But sir...how did you know my name in the first place?"

"Someone described you to me two weeks back."

"Described me?"

"Yes Sister Fiona and that's why I'm inviting you here today," the Bishop said. “Please you may have your seat.”

Fiona looked around and sat gently on the succulent seat. She fixed her gaze at the wall-clock which had just clocked 2pm. She widened her eyes as though she was amazed at it. Her body language felt like she wanted to leave immediately.

Bishop Daniel rose to his feet and came close to her. She was suspicious.

“What is it sir?” she asked edgily.

“Nothing really, Sister Fiona, but permit me to ask you this; you are beautiful, I hope you know.”

Fiona raised her brows and stared into the Bishop’s face.

“S…Sir, I—I don’t get y-you,” she said.

“Of course you know what I’m saying,” the Bishop said.

“What?” Fiona asked shakily.

“I love you, please can you marry me?” the Bishop said, smiling.

Fiona was punch-drunk; a bishop in his fifties, already married with grown up kids asking for her hands in marriage? How is that possible? She thought. Her lips couldn’t make up a word; they just trembled.

“My darling Fiona, please let’s get married,” the Bishop spoke confidently once again as he demanded a response.

“Y-you must be m-mad, sir,” Fiona managed to voice out, then she realized the gravity of her rash statement and apologized. “I’m sorry for saying that sir…but sir it is weird, can’t you see?”

“Weird you say, Fiona?” the Bishop said. “What is weird?”

“Ain’t you following the bible anymore? One man, one wife I think is the doctrine. Also, a Bishop is said to be a husband of one wife, isn’t it? Beside sir, I can’t get married to a Bishop even if he is in his early or late twenties.”

The Bishop laughed and adjourned to his seat as he plunged into a weird laughter. Fiona was left in the cloud. She had no clue. It was a bizarre scene to her.

“Fiona, did I sound serious at all?” the Bishop kept laughing. “Maybe I’ll be very good at acting,” he added. “I don’t believe I acted that script so well…”

Fiona felt embarrassed when she discovered that the Bishop was only playing pranks on her. He didn’t mean what he was saying at all.

“Bishop you scared me,” she said as she sighed.

“Yes I do and I knew it from the onset; those eyes of yours got some wrinkles around them. You were like, Oh My Gush!”

Fiona gawked into her wrist-watch. She was somehow eager to leave. The Bishop discovered it.

“I perceive you want to leave, sister Fiona, but you don’t need to be in a hurry because today is Sunday, so give it all to the Lord because it is the Lord’s day, isn’t it?” Fiona nodded in agreement.

“Sir, you haven’t told me why I’m here yet,” she said.

“Yes, actually that script I acted out for you is a kind of revelation I received last week after a fervent prayer. Soon, old men like myself, already married with kids, will be the one asking for your hands in marriage after the young ones have tried several times without success lady Fiona!”

“God forbid!” Fiona screamed.

“But that’s the revelation. You’re in your late twenties and you aren’t giving in to any suitor, yet you want to get married, or don’t you?”

“Of course I want sir,” she replied.

“Then listen to at least one of them,” he said.

“Sir…but I have not seen the type of man I want in any of them,” she confessed.

“How many?”

“Like five of them have come after me since I joined this Parish in January. I think they’re all after my beauty,” she added.

“January to May is around four months, Sister Fiona, so you mean you’ve been in this church for so long.”

“Yes sir,” she said.

“And why didn’t we have your name in the Church Register Book? Or you didn’t stand up to indicate that you were a first-timer the very first day you came to the church?”

“Yes sir.”

“Why?”

“Just because I didn’t want to be noticed, yet these guys found me out.”

“Ssh!” the Bishop sounded. “Say brothers in the Lord, not guys.”

“Funny,” Fiona said. “That’s why I don’t want to give in to any of them.”

“How?” the Bishop demanded.

“When brothers in the Lord start marrying their sisters in the Lord, isn’t that incest?” Fiona said without blinking an eye. It elicited laughter from the Bishop’s mouth. He sat up eventually and broke up the purpose for inviting her to his office.

“Miss Fiona, I actually called you here because already as I speak, another ‘guy’ in quote is dying to speak to you, but he is scared.”

“Scared of me?” she spoke in her usual accent laced with phonetics.

“Of course people are already getting scared of speaking with you one on one because you have been shooing them all off!”

Fiona gazed at the ceiling and touched her chest. Her breath ceased as the door began to open for a young man to come in.

“Here’s the guy,” the Bishop said, pointing towards the door which was ajar. Fiona placed her palms over her face and stood as she walked past the man and left the office immediately.[/b]

[b]

CHAPTER TWO
Bella Discovered

Bella was looking radiant in her favourite pink dress and her gorgeous hat whose top was decorated in the Queen-of-England fashion. Her high heeled shoes gifted her the appearance of a giant. Bella had carefully set her eyelashes earlier that morning, tinting them with a little cosmetic. Her braided hair sat just on her shoulders like the manes of a horse. She carried her steps elegantly as she headed for the pulpit along with four others.

The church was constructed in the modern fashion, with fanlights and golden architraves at the doors and windows. The lights glistened like the stars in the firmament as the air-conditioners set the large church hall up with refreshing ambience.

The Bishop introduced the new set of choir who had just mounted the stage. Bella was certainly one of them.

Miss Fiona was glad at the sight of Bella. She had encouraged her betimes to join the choir in the church but the girl had turned deaf ears on the ground of stage-fright, as well as her inability.

As the culture of the church demanded, each of the to-be-inducted members would have to present a song they had carefully prepared for, as this would be used to rate them in skills. Two boys and three girls were in line to present their songs, with Bella standing back to present hers last.

Rounds of applause set the hall in vibration after each member had presented his or her song. They had all done very well. Now it was four down and one left--Bella.

"Now, brothers and sisters in the Lord, we present to you our radiant damsel, Bella Benson!" the pastor announced and there was a standing ovation. Bella was confused. The song she had prepared for suddenly jumped out through the window of her brain and she was left puzzled. Her forehead squeezed up to form a wheezy set of wrinkles. The message was clear--she had nothing to present.

"Bella Benson, you can present your song right now," the Bishop announced as he signalled to the instrumentalists to get ready, since they already had the music each member would present.

A minute of dead silence followed as Bella looked down frustratingly. Her lips trembled and her body quivered. She didn't even remember how to start the song she had practiced very hard for. The instrumentalists set there iinstruments on fire as they expected Bella to join them in it.

It was two minutes already with no sign that Bella would come in. Miss Fiona felt uncomfortable on her chair. She couldn't sit up anymore. So she got up and screamed, "Bella Benson! Come on, you can do it! Come on!"

Bella heard her shrilled voice and a surge of courage overtook her.

"Em...em..." Bella sounded over the microphone and everyone guffawed. "Sir, can you tell them to stop?" Bella demanded that the instrumentalists should stop.

"Alright, alright, stop! Stop the accompaniment please!" the Bishop ordered. "Now Bella Benson, what do you have to tell us?" the man said with a smile on his face.

"Em...can I...em...can I come up with another song?" Bella said with a frightful look.

"Yes, if you wish...provided the instrumentalists know the tune already."

"Yes! That's my girl!" Miss Fiona screamed and all eyes were fixed on her. She wasn't aware of it.

A sonorous voice filtered the air, setting the atmosphere into a cooler haven:

You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You've got to try, try and try...try and try...
You'll succeed at last!

The accompaniment came in boisterously like a thunder percolating the sky. The hall was set aflame when Bella increased the pitch and the tempo of the music. Her voice seemed charming to the ears. A standing ovation took over with some rhythmic claps. It was a sight to behold. People screamed like never before and Bella hid in her cocoon of shyness once again as she humbly dropped the mic and hasted to join the rest of the to-be-inducted members.

The joyful noise continued until the Bishop had ordered them to take their seats. However, a stubborn member kept screaming.

"It's enough sister Fiona!" the Bishop spoke from the stage and Miss Fiona was shocked.

"How come? He knows my name?" Fiona whispered as she looked right and left in shame and went low into her seat.

The Bishop inducted the new members and the congregation offered their prayers and wishes. Then the Bishop announced the best two performers as supported by the tradition of the church:

"Dear members of the body of Christ, I present to you the best two performers in the name Benjamin and Bella!"

A standing ovation and a round of applause greeted the announcement. Bella felt humbled. She had never been so lionized in her entire life. The pastor offered them some handshakes and instructed them to wait after the service for further instruction. He ordered them to go back to their seats.

Bella hurried off the stage and sat beside Blossom where she was having her seat earlier.

"Congrats Bella!" Blossom said.

"Thanks," Bella whispered in reply and kept a straight face.

"But you only got lucky, Bella. It may not be the same all the time."
Bella turned her neck in awe to face her sister and kept mute. She had easily given in to her sister's talk just now.

"You're right," she said at last and sulked.

Immediately after the service, Miss Fiona adjourned to Bella's seat but was surprised when she didn't find her.

"Where is Bella?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Blossom said. "She left for the toilet ten minutes ago and she isn't back."

"She isn't back?" Miss Fiona wondered. "I'll go search for her...right away!"

As Fiona stepped into the aisle, she halted when she heard her name called from the pulpit:

"Miss Fiona Felix, please your attention is needed right now. Come over to see the Bishop."

Her eyes got inflated.

"For what?" she spoke to herself as she vaccilated.

Surprisingly, the search for Bella was not a one-man affair. Benjamin was also looking for her.

"Did you see Bella?" Benjamin kept asking, but no one had seen her.[/b]