?Empire High School ?
? Chapter 20?
?Jeffrey’s POV ?
It was 11:00am. I waited patiently for Kate outside her home. The gate opened and out c@m£ Katherine. She fashioned her long hair into a gorgeous br@id. She was dressed in a yellow full dress which highlighted her charming b©dy shape, the lower hem of the dress was like an arc,
thus showing her long leg on the right. Kate matched her outfit with a silver sandals.
“Hi” she greeted cheerfully
“Hello Kate” I replied
“Sorry for keeping you waiting” she said
“You are not late..” I answered.
It was worth the Waiting.
She flashed me a bright smile.
“So how was your night?” I asked
“It was fine..Thanks” she said
“We can leave now?” I asked
She nodded
I opened the car door for her to go in before moving to the driver’s seat.
“What about your parents? Are they home?”
I asked as I started the car
“They are fine. My dad is out of the country while my mom is in Kaduna”
“So you are always home alone”
“Yeah with my nanny and Shehu”
She answered
“What are your plans?”
“What plans?” She looked at me
“Plans for this outing..Have any place in mind?”
I asked
Kate nodded
“Let’s hang out at a restaurant” she responded
“I don’t want to stay out Late. And I also have to get some groceries for my nanny at the mall”
she explained
“Okay..”
“What about Semilore and Deji?”
“They are fine. My Aunt is watching them today”
“Are you living with your Aunt?”
“No I just c@m£ to spend time with them because -” I paused
Because I found out you are staying in this Estate!
“Because?” She repeated
I can’t tell her anything!
“Because..My home is boring”
I said finally
“You don’t have siblings?”
“Yeah, I’m the only child” I replied
Then we laspsed into silence.
None of us said anything until we got to Billion Restaurant.
“Welcome to Billion Restaurant”
A waiter said as we settled in Chairs. He placed the Menu list in our table.
“What would you like?” He asked
“I’m fine with fried Rice and Chicken” I said
Kate looked up at me
“I want the same..” She said
“Do you like Apple or Orange jui-ce?” I asked
“Orange jui-ce” she replied
“Okay.. We’ll go for two plates of Rice and A pack of orange jui-ce” I said
“Okay”
The waiter left our table to bring our orders.
I glanced around the Restaurant.
“Have you been here before?” Kate asked
“No..Its my first time in here” I replied
The waiter c@m£ back with our orders.
“Really?.. But Everyone knows Billion Restaurant!” She said in a surprised tone
“I don’t go out like that..I’d rather stay at the sto-re and help my Aunt” I answered
“Where do you stay?” Kate asked
“Unity Estare”
“Unity Estate?” She repeated
“Do you know the place?”
“Yes..My friend used to stay in that estate before he traveled out”
“Your friend?”
Actually I was wondering if it was just a boy or..Her b©yfri£nd.
“Actually, he was my childhood friend. His name is Charles” she explained
“He’s out of the country now But do you still chat with him?”
Damn it! Why am I so concerned about the so-called Charles! I don’t even know him!
“He left two years ago but for some reasons we st©pped talking”
“You were together?” I blurted
Gosh! Jeffrey you’re so terrible at asking silly questions!
Kate looked up at me.
“No..He was just a friend to me” she answered
I relaxed a bit
“Let’s talk about you..” She pointed her fork at me
There’s nothing to talk about my life’s so boring!
“Nothing much, Monday to Friday, i wake up, get dressed and head to school. After school i go straight to the sto-re. On weekends am at the sto-re.. Except on Sundays” I said
“You seem committed to your Aunt’s sto-re” she said
I nodded in agreement
It was one of those things connecting me to my mom. I wanted the conversation to end and hoped
Kate won’t say anything. But she said.
“What about your mom?”
Our gaze locked
“She doesn’t stay at the sto-re?” She asked again
I looked away from her. I could feel her eyes on me as I fixed my gaze on my plate.
I pondered if she really wanted to know about my Parents.
“Why are you…always silent anytime I ask..about your parents?” She said
I didn’t respond
Once again I felt the anger towards my dad and stepmom well up inside of me. I clenched my fist.
I wanted to tell her everything but something was holding me back.
Suddenly i felt a t©uçh on my skin. I looked up and Kate’s hand was rested on my right fist.
“is there something wrong? Or talking about your parent’s isn’t something I should have mentioned?”
I exhaled r0ûghly and relaxed un-der her t©uçh.
“And it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it” she shook her head
“Forget it” she withdrew her hand
The sp©t she t©uçhed bec@m£ n-ked, I wanted the t©uçh again. And without holding back I swallowed ha-rd and I heard myself say to Kate
“My mom died when I was 15”
She met my gaze again
“I’m..I’m sorry i shouldn’t have said anything about that -”
I shook my head and I began
“My dad caused her death”
“How?”
“He wasn’t home when she coll@psed. Dad was never home to spend time with us”
“You were alone with her the day she coll@psed?” Kate asked
“Yeah.. At the sto-re”
“The sto-re?” She mumbled
“Yes, the sto-re belongs to my mom. But Aunty Joke took over after her death”
I explained to her
“Actually my dad was having an affair with another woman before my mom’s death. I heard them fighting behind closed door, but dad denied it” I paused to look at Kate. She was listening.
“He later admitted it to her the day mom was tired to prepare dinner. He yelled at her for not cooking for him and he said that it was one of the reasons why he didn’t want to come home”
I st©pped
And continued after a long momentary pause
“I was sad that day. My mom was too tired to cook after we got back from the sto-re. My dad didn’t call to let us know he was coming home, We only met him at home.
My mom and I had agreed that we would eat fried yam and egg which we bought on our way home. And on finding dad at home, mom explained to him and offered her own portion of the yam and egg but he refused it. I should have suspected my mom had cancer back then but it didn’t
occur to me. Though I used to tell her to visit the hospital anytime she wasn’t feeling well and she would say okay”
I told Kate how my dad neglected us when my mom was hospitalized.
“One month after my dad married my Stepmom, I figured that she was the same woman my dad was seeing before my mom’s death” I st©pprd
She was the one who destroyed our happy home!
Mom quarreled with dad because of her! He never cared about his family because of Lola!
And now she wants me to be free with her?!
“So you think your mom wouldn’t have died back then if your dad was home”
I nodded
“He would have found out early if he was home”
“Do you know it’s a different case if your mom had informed him that she was ill?” Kate asked
I thought
“He wouldn’t have cared if she’d told him about her sickness” I replied
“Are you saying..your dad didn’t love your mom? And he didn’t care about you”
“I don’t know..” I said sincerely
“My dad was a good man.. But I guess he changed when he started seeing my Stepmom”
I said to Kate
She held me again
“Your mom’s death caused the unhappy expression right?” Kate asked
“She was my bestfriend and I didn’t expect her to leave soon” I said in A low tone
“You can’t keep blaming your dad forever” she persuaded
“And have you spoken to him about it?”
“Yeah I confronted him when he brou-ght my Stepmom home. He apologized and begged me to accept her” I said
I recalled the day my dad brou-ght Miss Lola home. She was younger than my mom but about the same age with Aunty Joke or even younger. And she said that she was going to be my new
mother and take care of me like her own.
“And you haven’t accepted her?” Kay asked
“I can’t let another woman take the place of my mother” I said honestly
Then we l@psed into silence. Kate lifted her glas-s to her luod. She stared at me throu-gh the rim.
And I wondered what was running throu-gh her mind.
What would she call someone like me?
Someone who finds it ha-rd to forgive and forget?
A stone hearted guy? Stubborn? And unreasonable?
“How do you feel now?” She asked
“Pardon?”
“I mean..Discussing what’s bothering you with me” she said
I thought de-eply
I didn’t respond
“I heard a story of a boy who his mom left at a tender age. She had a child for a married man and then his wife found out and paid her off. Inorder words the woman accepted the money and stayed
away at from her child. I don’t know much about the story, but years later, the same woman asked her husband to move the boy away from her home” she paused
I stared Intently at Kate
“Are you kidding?”
“I’m not faking a story” she replied with a serious look on her face. Then I knew she was serious!
“The man obeyed his wife. He hired a nanny for his son and moved him to Lagos. The nanny died and now the boy is staying alone. No mother to give him a good night hvg, no father to check his
card, no family to call whenever he is not feeling well..Just the usual allowance from his father who he hasn’t seen for years now”
She st©pped and toyed with the ti-p of the glas-s.
“Can you imagine that life..” She asked
I was t©uçhed by the short story. That boy must be really lonely.
I have a father and someone who’s willing to fill in the gap of a mother but I was holding back and she was still waiting for my acceptance. Miss Lola never yelled at md despite everything I did and said to her years back.
“I can..imagine it. He must be lonely than I thought.. And ha-rd on him”
I replied in a low tone
?Joseph’s POV?
A loud beeping sound woke me up from my de-ep sleep. Gosh! Who the hell is calling me?! I took out my phone un-der my pillow to check the caller ID. It was Angella!
I let out a disapproving sound as I declined her call. I wasn’t interested in hanging out with Angella!
I realized I’d sle-pt for four hours when I checked the time. 4:00pm. I dropped down on my be-d and sle-pt in annoyance when I couldn’t st©p thinking of what happened on wednesday.
That son of a bit-ch! Succeeded in ruining my reputation with Kate! I won’t forgive him!
He should be feeling like the best guy now since he drove Kate home on wednesday.
I wished she’d listened to me. Emeka wasn’t the type to love a girl for long. He’s in for short commitment, mostly with good girls from other school. He has never picked interested in any girl at
school, he only jokes with them.
“I feel comfortable around strange girls since I won’t get to see them for long except if I want to..”
Emeka would say. He does nas-ty things in his home because he doesn’t have anyone watching over him. I know alot of things about him.. His secrets and all.
I sat up on my be-d quic-kly. Emeka’s de-ep secrets!
I could use it against him and ruin his good boy reputation with Kate.
A smile formed on myl-ips immediately. This is gonna be good!
Get re-ady for this b!ow Emeka!
Next Time you’ll learn to stay in your place!
“Hey Joe! Will you plea-se pick up Angella’s call so she’ll st©p disturbing me!” Nora yelled behind my be-droom door
I hissed
“I want to be alone!” I snarled
“You better talk to her or else I’ll give her the insult of her life..And I won’t spare her!” She screamed
“Do whatever you want!” I replied and fell back on my be-d. I searched throu-gh my phone to see if I still have some things to back up my plans.
Yes! I found it!
?Katherine’s POV?
I saw the tension in his face, the way the lines at his mouth de-epened and fists clenched when I asked him about his parents. I wanted to know why he was always silent anytime I tried to talk
about his parents. I met his gaze and flin-ched at the pain i saw in his eyes.
I knew something was wrong!I had gone too far..And fast so I tried to ease back. I hated myself at the moment. I shouldn’t have said anything about that – but I was really curious to know everything about Jeffrey Adams.
I t©uçhed him even though I wasn’t sure if I should have done it. I wanted him to tell me everything. And when he broke the news to me that his mom was dead! I bec@m£ sad that He didn’t have a mom!
Then I wanted to take away his pain. I couldn’t hold back my sympathy at what he’d lost. I listened carefully to Jeffrey’s story. I s-en-sed anger in his tone as he narrated his story to me. Jeffrey was
having issues with his dad and Stepmom. I didn’t say much cause I knew it would be a bit ha-rd to change Jeffrey’s mind about his father.
Even though what his father did was bad, Jeffrey should have forgiven him after he apologized. Mr Adams must have apologized because he realized his mistake. And Jeffrey saying he was closer
to his new wife than before..I guess Mr Adams didn’t want the same mistake to repeat istelf.
Jeffrey blaming his dad won’t bring back his Mom!
It occurred to me that I could use Emeka’s story to talk to Jeffrey. No father or Mother or Family!
And I guess it worked a bit cause Jeffrey has been quiet since we left the restaurant. I asked him not to come with me into the mall because I wasn’t buying alot of things and Jeffrey stayed back in
the car.
I watched the way Jeffrey took several breath when I entered the car. He rested his head on the steering. I asked if he was okay? and he straightened up and said “Yes” with a sigh.
I ha-rd ly knew Jeffrey Adams but I knew he was hurting de-ep inside and I could s-en-se his pain.
And I hope that Jeffrey would find it in his heart to forgive his father and learn to live with his Stepmom like one family.
“Thanks for today” I said to Jeffrey when he pu-ll-ed up in front of our gate.
“Well I should be the one thanking you for listening to me” he said in a low tone
I nodded
“I’m leaving my aunt’s place tomorrow to prepare for school because i didn’t bring my uniform”
“So..Till Monday” I said.
“Yes..We’ll see on Monday” he replied
Monday?! Well how are we going to act if we see each other on Monday?! Strangers?
I never expected us to be like this in two days!
“Don’t worry I won’t act as if I don’t know you..” Jeffrey said as if he had re-ad my mind.
“Since we’re friends now..So let’s act the same way at school” he added
I found a smile on hisl-ips
“You don’t want anyone to know about us?” He asked
About us? There’s absolutely nothing going on between us! We’re just friends! Well I do love Jeffrey but I can’t tell him about my feelings.
Temi and Elena won’t believe Jeffrey and I hangout this break..Actually no one will expect such from us.
“No its okay..There’s no nee-d to hide” I said
Jeffrey nodded in agreement
“What will you be doing when you get in?”
“Nothing much..I’ll just prepare for church and re-ad some novels” I answered
“Okay..”
“Yeah”
I unlocked the car door and c@m£ out. I waved at him before walking to the gate.
•••
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Tbc