First chapter Coming soon!

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.....................................CHAPTER 1.................................

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. "Woman, you caused everthing," the outrageous voice of my step Dad navigated its' path to my half conscious Ear buds, defying all odds ranging from the Stairs, the walls and everything that seemed like an adversary in the unfair process and I stirred, and the brown flower adorned bed spread I drew over My body before conceeding to the comfort and nightmares of my Bed skipped up and the cold unforgiving and cruel harmattan breeze made its' way to my delicate skin.
. "Shit," I muttered utterly irritated and angered by the situation, it wasn't the first time such would happen nor was the unfortunate recipient of the harsh tongue lashing oblivious to me, it was my Mum.
. "You don't dare say that," mum countered in an extremely cold and atrocious voice and my heart sank, "something sinister definitely brewed in the family years ago," I thought sadly and although I had oft in the past, try figure what it was, I had often ended futilely just as the aftermath of pouring water on a Duck's shed.
. "Shut up woman," the unforgiving scathing masculane voice punctuated my thoughts sharply and agilely, "when I talk, you shut your crap" and He stamped the tiled floor angrily, maybe inorder for his words to acheive full assimilation by Mum. "Before I get back, you must have cook up the proper solution, She has to leave, okay?" step Dad ordered and thumped his way out.
. Life had never been rozay in the family, there had always been harsh words, abuse and all, sometimes, I'd even wish Papa Risi was my Father and now, who did Dad meant, who was it?, "Did he mean me?", i questioned within.
. A short inspectionary tour round the room as was my custom brought about the realization of the fast pacing clock hung in the southern wing of my room and I made my way to the bathroom quickly, it was the first day of resumption t school and it was some minutes past seven already.
. Some few minutes later, I was done with my bath and Was getting dressed up quickly when my hideous 'special' diary fell down from its position and it brought back bad memories, memories I wouldn't have wanted back even for carats of gold.
. "Dear diary," I began as my eyes inevitably took in the first word written on the first leaf of the diary, "today is 11th March 2006 and the time is 06:13pm." I continued. "Our introductory technology teacher, Uncle Wole flogged me severely for getting late to school, hot painful strokes, I almost cried my eyes out and Risi was the only one who comforted me. I never wanted to go late but Mom and Dad caused it, they delayed me due to their common attitude and when I got home, I informed Mummy but She had added her bit to it. It'll soon be time for dinner and Uncle Larry would return soon. Uncle Larry has been coming to my room during the night to play with Me in a pleasurable manner, let me wait for him, maybe he'll come today. I asked mum when he would be going back but she told me nothing except that he's her junior brother, no more, no less. Though I asked mum, I dont want him to leave, he's my only friend at home according to him." I stopped as hot acidic tears dropped on my cheeks from my sober eyes and I felt like choking, that was Four years ago.
I proceeded further after much courage, and turned to the preceeding leaf, "Dear diary, Dad isn't my dad, he is my step dad. Mom hadn't want me to know anything about it but the truth is like a smoke, it can never be concealed. I overheard Dad and Mum words while they were having a heated arguement and dad had said, "she's not my daughter, she's yours and I can't keep shouldering her responsibilities, okay?" and to my surprise, mum never countered him, then I knew he was right.
But how possible is it, Diary? He's the only dad I'd ever known since birth, he was present on my second birthday, how is it possible? Did dad abandoned mum when he learnt she was pregnant? Anyway Diary, I'll go to school without requesting for the excursion money anymore, it seems its the backbone of the arguement." I read out and sure enough, My eyes got altered into a Mini tap.

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. A middle aged man sat broodily on the rickety wooden furniture that stood proudly in a poorly furnished sitting room. Mere taking a glance at him was enough to decipher He wasn't an happy man he twitched his head and several poverty etched lines took a swipe across his forehead
. Despite the chilly weather, He was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt over a short tattered khaki short like his body was somhow immune to the stinging pain of the harmattan breeze. He shook his head as if saying 'No' in a rude manner, He was losing his mind.
. "15 years is not a joke," he spoke out dryly and laughed in an awkward sad manner and continued. "Gladys, you disappeared with my wealth, made me lose Shina. You took Olamide with you, I'll never forgive you, I won't! I pray we meet someday, I hope we do," he ended his soloquizing session and heaved.

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A

Chapter two
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The Assembly ground was already deserted when I got to the School premises,a glance at my mickey mouse wrist watch showed that it was fifteen minutes past Eight o'clock,i was late but luckily none of the Seniors or Teachers were outside to punish late students.
I steathingly walked to the two storey building which was the classroom block for ss1-ss2.
"Ola!" a familiar voice called immediately I entered inside ss2b.My eyes searched the sea of cornrows plaited heads,Morning star secondary school was a girls school and we were given hair styles to plait every week,woe to you if you failed to do so.
Risi was sitted at the farther end of the class in the midst of bubble gum chewing girls and they were peering at the screen of the phone which she was holding.
I timidly walked up to them,my legs shaky and my palms sweaty,i was the school pariah,apart from Risi no one else spoke to me,and these days I discovered we were drifting apart,Risi was no longer the Risi of my childhood,she changed drastically.
"what are you watching?" I asked as I covered the distance.
"we are watching Bible fellowship,come and take a look" She waved.
I leaned and took a good look at the screen,what I saw made me develop cold feets.
A na_ked black man was banging a na_ked white lady from behind.
I covered my face instantly,ashamed.
"huu haa" Risi jeered.
"Risi you are watching Blue..film" I stuttered accusingly.
I was dumb stricken,i Knew She had changed but not this bad.
Risi who was a member of mountian of fire bible church,what came over her?
I couldnt tell,Ever since she came in possesion of a cell phone she became something else entirely.
"stop acting like a baby" She snapped and the girls emmited a hiss as if to say I was a jerk.
Shaking my head,i headed to my locker which was at the front row,formerly Risi was a seat mate but few days ago she took her locker to the farther end of the class..
I tried to purge my brain from that image but i kept seeing the duo at it Even when I closed my eyes.
The Image danced at the blackboard when the Agric teacher was teaching, It even went further to appear at the blank white paper on top of my locker.
I saw the man banging ..but this time he was doing it with the Agric teacher and she was moaning in ectasy.
..
The day sped fast and before I knew it the bell for dismissal rang,the slamming of lockers became pronounced as we hurriedly packed our books,just then Risi walked up to me with a patronising look on her face,i feared what she wanted to tell me wouldnt be pleasing but I was surprised when she apologised.
"Olamide am sorry for what I did today"
"its okay" I mumbled already on my way out.
"so we are friends right?" She asked timidly,i shot her a suspicious look and she lowered her head.
"what do you want me to do for you?"
"please I will be going home late,incase my parents ask you about my whereabout tell them am at choir practise" She replied with an imploring look.
I wanted to shake her roughly and make her come to her senses but I merely shrugged and walked out of the classroom.
I felt a searing pain in my heart,why did no one Love me? Why do the people who once Love me discard me when I needed them most?
Uncle Larry was enough example,while I was growing up he was the one who really cared for me,bought me okin biscuits,ice_cream,ofio,baba Dundu,ok sweets..to mention but few.suddenly he stopped visiting and when I asked Mum she said He travelled.
Mum and step Dad never cared for me,if they once did:it was years ago.Now I was an obstacle.,I couldnt remember the last time Mum had Embraced me or spared me a kind word.
..
As I walked home i was tempted to Disappear just Like Uncle Larry had done,but whence do I go?
The last Time I did the 'disappearing act' was some years ago when I was in primary five and nine years old,i had gotten engaged in boju_boju (hide&seek) with the children in our compound and I had slept off at my hide_out,by the time I woke up it was dawn,another new day.I crawled out from inside the upturned GT rubber tank which was owned and discarded by our land lord.
When I got to Our flat i met a large crowd consoling my mother while she wailed loudly,immediately She saw me she locked me in a warm embrace...
I cant forget the look on her face that minute our eyes had locked,what i saw was instant relief and Joy.
After the Episode I had been warned not to go 'disappearing' again. Up till today I hadnt told anyone except my Mum the true story.
They believed I had escaped from the hands of kidnappers.
I always Laughed at thier conclusion,my parents arent wealthy enough to have me kidnapped.
Mum was a Nurse,Step Dad was an enterprenuer or whatever he chose to call himself..

CHAPTER THREE


I walked slowly home, not wanting to get home early. Thinking about the events that took place in my life, I preferred to spend the whole day trekking. Sometimes, I wished my entire life was a dream, that I would soon wake up to realise I had been having a nightmare. If wishes were horses, I knew I would ride about a million of them. Tears threatened to drop, but I shoved them back in, remembering that I was on the road.

I continued walking, trying to concentrate more on the street on which I was walking. I looked across, and I saw two girls, who would probably be in their late teens or early twenties, engaged in a fight. One of the girls had only a wrapper tied around her chest. A guy was trying to separate them, and in the process, the wrapper of the girl who had a wrapper tied around her fell, exposing her half-unclad body. I watched the girl run away from the scene of the fight as if her life depended on it, leaving her opponents and the on-lookers laughing hard. I also chuckled silently, at least somethng had made me laugh after a really bad day.

I was about crossing the road when I heard someone call my name. I looked back, and when I didn't see anyone I knew, I ignored it. It was probably just a mother calling her child who was my namesake. I crossed the road, and almost immediately, I heard the call again, and it was closer this time around. I looked back again and saw Risi's mother in her car on the other side of the road. She was beckoning to me to come meet her. I crossed the road again and went to to the spot where her car was parked.
"Good afternoon, ma." I said, slightly kneeling.

"Good afternoon, Olamide. Where is your friend?" She asked.

At this point, I knew I could get Risi implicated. I was a bad liar, and I always got caught whenever I lied. How was I going to tell Risi's mum that her daughter was at choir practice when she obviously wasn't? If Risi got caught, I knew our friendship would be jeopardized forever, because she would not trust me to keep her secrets again. What was.....

"Where is Risi?" I heard Risi's mum say, jerking me out of my thoughts.

I cleared my throat. "Erm....Risi is erm..Risi is...I think Risi is..." I stammered.

"Risi is where?" Risi's mum asked. I knew she was trying hard not to scream at me.

"Sorry ma. My throat is sore. Risi is at choir practice in church." I finally said, heaving a sigh of relief silently.

I heard her sigh too. "Oh. And you made it seem like she had been kidnapped or something. Come inside the car, let me drive you home." Risi's mum said and opened the door for me to get in.I got inside the car gleefully. At least, I had succeeded in lying convincingly this one time.

The drive home in Risi's mum's car took a while, as she had flat tyres at a point and had to drive over to her vulcanizer to change the tyres. Eventually, we got home, and she told me to apologise to my parents on her behalf for bringing me home late. I thanked her and she left. If only she knew the type of people my parents were, I thought.

I got to the door that led inside our house and pushed it open. It was not locked, and it meant that someone was home. I walked in, hoping to greet whoever was home and head staight to my room. I met my dad, or stepdad now, at the sitting room sitted wih legs spread out on the sofa, watching television,

"Good evening, sir."I said, not waiting for his reply.

"Come back here!" He ordered, and I went back and stood beside him.

"Kneel down there." He ordered again, with his eyes still fixed on the television set.
I hesitated, wondering why he would punish me without my commiting any crime. I eventually obliged and went to kneel beside the television set in front of him.

"What took you so long to get back from school? Or you think I don't know the time you close from school? This is 5:30pm, and I know you leave school around 3:00pm. Start explaining." He remarked.

I cleared my throat and started telling him about Risi's mum's car, how the tyres had gone flat and how she had told me to apologise to him on her behalf. I finished my explanation and waited. He stared long and hard at me, as if assessing me to know if I was lying. After what seemed like an eternity, he broke the silence.

"Do you think I believe all the lies you just fabricated? Try harder next time, kid. You don't tell lies to an elderly man." He remarked and averted his gaze to the television set.

"But dad...."

"I am not your....," He said and stopped abruptly, as if he had just remembered something.

I already knew what was coming and kept my gaze fixed on him. He turned off the television set and faced me fully.
"So you've started having boyfriends, right? You've started going to your boyfriend's house at this stage of your life? You're in trouble today!" He shouted and started fiddling with his trousers to remove his belt.

I became panic-stricken immediately. I hated anything that had to do with the infliction of pain, and to think that I was innocent, it was awful. I started praying silently for some divine intervention of some sorts to place. I watched my stepdad remove his belt. He was about hitting me when my mum came in. I sighed.

My mum walked past us, not batting an eyelid. My stepdad called her back.

"Your daughter has started going to her boyfriend's house, and I'm going to deal with her." He said, facing my mum.

My mum glanced over at me, indifference written all over her face.
"Do whatever you like to her, she's your daughter." Mum said.

Stepdad shot an angry look at her. "She's not my...." He said and stopped, like he had once done. Mum left the sitting room.

He raised the belt and hit me across the chest. Almost immediately, he hit me the second time across the face. I could not see a thing anymore, and it was as if blood had stopped pumping from my heart. I passed out.

**********CHAPTER FOUR*******

What the hell is going on here! Hey! Mister do wanna kill the poor chap? What has she done to deserved this hell of a beating huh? Oh you are such a turd! Mtcheew(Mummy Risi hissed).
And where is the mother or have killed her? Just then Ola‘s mum walked in stolidly, Oh thank heavens you are okay! And where were you this psycho husband of yours wants to killed your daughter? How does that affect the price of panadol in the chemist? Ola‘s mum blatantly replied switching her gaze to her hus band, how did she get in here?
Trying to behave as cool as he could,the devil just barged in although i heard her knocks thrice or thereabout thought she will go away but here she is, he spread his arm in the direction of Risi‘s mum.
I see, so thats how you go about poke nosing right? Ola‘s mum uttered looking dangerously at her.
I guessed something is going wrong here, if the man is drunk are you also drunk? For God‘s sake this is your daughter we are talking about trying hard hard to control her temper.
Actually I came to dropped her lunch box that she forgot in my car and then I met this scene. I can‘t helped but do otherwise since it seems no one would opened the door for me, please mummy Ola lets take her to hospital before it will be late.
Hospital indeed! And what gives you the impression i‘m into this?
Are you in your rightful sense? C‘mon you are her mother please just give me a helping hand.
Seems you are not serious, she sashayed back to her room leaving the poor woman and Ola in the mercy of the beast. Hmmm she sighed really some women are not worth to be called mothers but muderers.
She stooped and picked Ola up and of they left for the hospital, but without throwing a last grieveous look to the monster of a man.
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After that incidence I tried my possible best not to step on step-dad‘s toe but hard as I may try he still find something to nag about which will results to me been beaten either by him or by mum, life couldn‘t have been more cruel than this

Chapter five


Olamide squinted as the light rays peered through her eyelids. She gradually opened her eyes and saw a lady doing something to her right arm. She felt a needle prick and gradually realized it was a nurse and she was in a hospital.

" Don't try to get up," the nurse told her as she adjusted the drip tube.

Olamide felt her head hurt terribly. Her neck seemed like it had just gotten off death hanging. A drop of tear trickled down her right eye as she slowly recollected how she had ended up here.


She had tried avoiding her father all this while but ran out of luck that afternoon. She had just gotten back from school and gone to the kitchen to get something to eat.

She wasn't given any allowance that morning making her hungry all through classes.

She didn't go to Risi to eat, she really wanted to keep her at arms length so she wouldn't get the negative influence. So as soon as the time keeper jingled the bell for closing, she had jumped out of the school premises. Her not eating a thing the previous night because her father was in the living room also coupled her constant tummy rumblings so she went straight for the pot of soup as she got home. She took a plate a put a piece of meat on it. That should sustain her before she could boil some noodles.

" You're a thief now also. Your waywardness is now coupled with stealing. You bastard!"She had heard her father rant and jerk the ceramic plate of her hands. The next thing he did was hit it hard across her head. She had screamed and was quite sure the plate and broken in pieces on her head.

Now she found herself in the hospital. Her father must be terribly mad at her now which made her scared of what was going to happen next. She just wanted to disappear.

" Are you okay?" The nurse asked as the tears soiled her face now.

She shook her head and felt a pang there. 'Why didn't I just die?' She thought to herself as the nurse hesitated a little holding the door handle before walking out.

She probably thinks I'm going through adolescence. She doesn't know some children were just meant to live like me, like this, she sighed resignedly.

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Kayode parked his plumbing tools and walked up to the nurse at the reception,

" I don dey go," he told her expecting to get paid immediately. He had come in place of his boss for the plumbing repairs in the hospital.

Ever since he had lost everything, he had always tried to no avail to get engaged to feed himself which he barely did anyways. That was what had lead him to the new profession he found himself. His landlord and friend who was a successful plumber had started teaching him the strings of the job.

He was here now away from Ondo state in place of Baba Sakiru. He had been here at first as laborer for the works of one of Baba Sakiru's clients who had built a new house and wanted his own plumber to oversee the plumbing. It was when they were preparing to leave for Ondo that they had been asked by the hospital to come check some pipe leakages. He had offered to come in place of his busy boss, the little money he might get would sustain him a little longer.

" Oga please wait small. There was an emergency so please wait till things calm before the doctor's wife would come and pay you," she implored him as she brought out a card and read out, " Pheew, Olamide Sholegan. Finally." She left the reception into the doctor's office adjacent to the reception.

Kayode turned around to sit on the cushion, resignedly. He would wait, what other choice could a pauper like him have.

Just then, he saw a man barge out of the doctor's office with a woman come after him. A woman? He gaped as he paused with his bum not yet on the cushion. That was Gladys, no doubt. Fifteen years could do little to make her unidentifiable. She was a looking older but he knew his ex-wife. He could identify her in his dreams.


" If the girl is abused domestically, then I'm afraid the police would need to get involved," the doctor and CMD of the hospital said as he came behind the couple.

" Doctor, he is her father and we would settle this at home," Gladys Sholegan pleaded with the doctor who didn't seem like he was ready to back off.

" Woman, I won't stand here and.....,"

Kayode didn't realize his mutters of Gladys's name had become really loud, " Gladys," he repeated making the trio turn around to face him.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she saw the living version of her ex-husband.

" Oh dear God!" She exclaimed and felt her head get lighter. This wasn't meant to happen. It had to be surreal.

-------

Gladys placed her hand under her jaw. She heaved again. Kayode's presence was becoming more threatening with the passing of each day. It had been almost one week now since she saw him at the hospital. He was looking terrible, really bad. For a while, it was guilt for being the sole reason for his degeneration to that point that enveloped her. Poverty indeed could make a man age. She had been curious as to what happened to their son, Shina but she couldn't even muster the guts to ask after the son she had abandoned. An asthmatic patient who had been really delicate. But she had been obsessed with carting away her husband's money than care about either her children. Olamide only got lucky to have been taken by her. Not that she appreciated it one bit. She was always getting in brawls with her 'father' and had even once challenged his paternity over her. That was why she always ended at the hospital. Takes after her father.

Now he was swearing that if she kept shutting him out, he would hurt her family. He had traced them to their house after she managed to leave the hospital with him yelling after them. It was good Olamide was not aware of his presence. She only got discharged that morning. She couldn't afford her family getting in a mess. The 'sweet' family she had managed to create. Kayode mostly wanted all his riches back. The money he had gotten from a multimillionaire contract and she had fled with.


Suddenly loud bangs began to get incessant at the gate of the compound. She was lost in thoughts and her conscious mind didn't interpret what was happening. It took Olamide to come to the living room and tap her before she regained sensitivity,

" Mummy, someone is shouting at the gate," Olamide said holding her forehead. The headache she was just getting over was returning thanks to the noise from outside.

" Ehn?!" Gladys jumped up and moved to the curtain that opened to the compound. She could see the gatekeeper yelling back at whoever was behind the gate. He was threatening to bring a gun out now but that did little to shut Kayode up,

" Tell her to come out here. If she stays inside, I would keep coming here. Gbogbo aye maa ba wa gbo si ohun ti Gladys se ti ile fi jona o.....the world would know what she did today," he kept shouting.
He was gradually drawing a crowd as passersby stopped to listen to the haggard looking man in front of the gate. Thanks to the gossiping nature of the Yorubas, they were already whispering to each other. She who was a respected person in the vicinity would now begin to get doubted and looked down upon, Forbid evil, she thought loudly and went to open the door. Ola followed wondering what was going on.

" Open it," Gladys told the gatekeeper who first stared at her before unlocking the gate.

" O ya e...that was early enough," Kayode glared at the gatekeeper and barged in, " Gladys, you?! I will make sure that by the time I'm done with you. You would regret stealing from me and killing my son with your witchcraft. You stole my daughter also and you think karma wouldn't catch up with you. Máà show e pé wèrè wà nínú èjè mi.....I would show you there still exists elements of madness in me," he ranted fuming as Gladys tried to make him look like a lunatic who had totally lost it. Only, he had called her name and a sensible person could put it together and know she had something to do with him. She slowly prayed her husband would get back now. It was all because of him after all. And what did he mean by Shina dying. Did he really die? She was still thinking when she heard Ola speak.

" Who are you to come and start shouting in our house?" Ola was the one who spoke. Disappointed her mum couldn't deal with an ordinary lunatic on the streets.

They both turned to look at her at the same time and Kayode held his breath, about to say something when he suddenly gave a look back at her," Who....." He started facing her before turning back to Gladys,

" Is she Ola? My babygirl?" His voice suddenly got calmer.

Olamide raised an eyebrow. Now he knew her name too? Real lunatic except if he was her real father or something. She had already consumed the thought when she glanced up at him again and made an eye contact with him. Her father??