alluringpiece: 

I am called tonye junior. A name that brings to the present unpleasant memories of the past. Am 17 years old. My mum is an investment banker. And my dad is a nurse in the United states. My dad left my mum while I was six months old for the U.S.A and he hasn't returned. Mum was devastated, she felt betrayed and broken, so she engaged in several other relationships that yielded four other kids. So you can also call me "the babysitter". Each kid was named by their dads. Voke, my immediate younger brother is seven years old. Ola is Five years old. Tamuno is three years. And Amina is just a year old. 
          Growing up with this sort of responsibility and background made me grow up fast. It stabbed my confidence and also left me less vocal...Many a time mum would dash out, leaving me instructions on how to take care of Voke who was only 4 months old; I would back him, feed him, sing for him, change his diaper, buy his baby food e.t.c...I was only ten but I had to grow up fast. Life was no joke, and it slapped me with diverse realities daily. Each time I got frustrated and felt like my childhood had been traded; and I was far too young for such a major responsibility, I would stare at them in their infancy, pure innocence and selflessness and I would say to myself, they are too young too. But I must add that mum didn't totally relegate her duties to me. She did her best. She was a good mum. Though angry and broken. But still, a good mum...
    Adesuwa; hmmm, Adesuwa Omorewa Spencer is my next door neighbor, she lives with her grandmother ( paternal) Retired Major General Abike Spencer. Adesuwa lost her parents in an auto crash years back. She is my school mate. Though my senior by a year, but she is younger than me in age. I guess mum was too confused and shattered to remember that I was to start school in due time. But that's old gist. Omorewa means Beauty. She connected to beauty right from birth, to the point her parents could not avoid calling her Omorewa "Beautiful child". Even though in my opinion her middle name is more befitting, she is fondly called Adesuwa...

           Adesuwa carries herself gracefully, she is not the prettiest, most intelligent e.t.c  but she is silhouetted in class and maturity, she is demure, she is a ten. She carries herself like one heralded onto the planet. My  ADESUWA....hmmm, was carefully planned and crafted by GOD to the slightest detail. She is filled with gentility, utmost humility, but yet she does not lack feminine pride and dignity. She is progressive and she dares to be distinctively different. She is full of chaste, charisma and she is not lacking in aura, neither is she slacking in sophistication. She is Adesuwa, my one time crush, turn admirer, my school mate and neighbour and most importantly, my obsession. I cant totally describe adesuwa, but as we go on, you would get to know her better....If not that major General Abike was still hagile and strong, tough and firm, I would have been the most frequent visitor in their house. But am scared of her. She no won old o, she still Dey kampe. And I can't afford to add a broken leg to my many worries.
           Adesuwa was in her finals (secondary school) and I was in senior secondary two. I was the best in my set, one of the best basketball players in the city. Like I say; you can't take tonye from basketball, and you can't take basketball from tonye. I was the captain of our school team. I was 6ft2, and I was well built for my age. I had gone for diverse competitions. I had gotten many awards. And most importantly I was a scholarship student. But still, I was nicknamed " tonye the babysitter" . It was no more news that I babysitted my younger ones. News spread like wildfire, and to be honest, I didn't care. But you see, ADESUWA was a respected, coded, average kid. She was charming and easygoing. She was not a popular jingo like me...

       I wonder if she knows my name, she moves around like she does not care. And aside school, I heardly see her outside... Mum drops me in school together with my siblings, but Adesuwa takes the bus. Each morning I would peep through the window just to watch her take the bus and be sure she was going to school, to know if she was fine, and was not in any form of danger. If not for her strong affinity for her blue headphones, I would have found a way to mutter a simple "hello", but she hardly takes them off. I found myself writing letters to adesuwa that I never delivered, songs I never sang, poems I never read out, feelings I never shared. I kept them all...
    So today, I woke up with a strong momentum and courage. I vowed to say hello to Adesuwa after school, before Andy our constant cab driver comes to pick us. But thanks to the nanny in the daycare I couldn't. She sent for me, due to Amina's high temperature... We got home after I had taken her to the usual clinic. And after preparing lunch and forcing them to take a nap, I had a nice shower, and I cleaned up properly, fed myself with the much needed words to enhance my courage. And then carefully memorized my excuse for visiting. As I was about leaving, Amina started to cry! I ran to her angrily; as i silently prayed " Amina don't wake-up the rest", but still I carried her lovingly and tried to pet and cheer her back to sleep, but she wouldn't stop crying. As I was about waking Voke up; so he could continue cheering her, there was a knock on the door. It was Adesuwa...
         

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