The kids were seated in a round chair inside a bunk near the training field. Every military officer had stopped whatever they were doing and went to the central field whereupon Generals Laura introduction would take place.
Inside the bunk, Jame's appeared to be the narrative voice. They were detailing every information they gathered about their mum and Scott's family to their sister.
"Mum is such a strong woman. She never had any man that we know off, for over seven years now. I was able to hack into her writersdiary and saw her wishlist and poems. With a keen discernment, mum is lonely inside, she wants a companion!" Jame's continued narrating his observation with a concerned expression.
"My concern is, aren't we a better Companion to her?" Jame's added, voicing out his concern. That discovery kind of hurt him and unsettled him.
"You're right... Something about her poems is evident of how lonely she is, despite having us around..." John commented.
"I guess there is a void we just can't fill up then... She is a woman. It's not that easy reserving ones self one seven years!" Chioma said, she seem to understand her mum's plight best as a woman, herself.
There was a momentary silence afterwards....
It was when Chioma raised her head and saw General Derrick approaching that she broke the silence,
"Guys! The five star general is heading this way..." She reported, directing her brothers gaze to his direction with her finger. Behind him was his aide-de-camp; General Richard.
"Isn't he supposed to be at the central field? It's mum's welcoming orientation and he is here?" John quickly pointed out inquisitively.
" Wait....." Chioma said,
"What?" The two brothers unanimously asked brusquely.
"Have you guys ever wondered how and why you both have a striking resemblance with him?" Chioma inquired, she could no longer contain her eagerness to know why.
The two boys stared at her, "Even you too!" They responded in unison.
There was a moment of silence until John interrupted,
"How else if not a coincidence? .."
"Probably. However, it's still possible to stumble across somebody whose face resembles ours – a doppelgänger. Cases of biologically unrelated lookalikes are quite common, it's definitely a coincidence..." Jame's answered his brother thoughtfully.
"So, since we have a resemblance with him without having any family ties, according to research, we probably not only have strong physical similarities but also may share common personality, similar genotypes, behavioural traits and lifestyle factors such as his killing instinct?..." John buttressed Jame's point and ended it with a question.
The five star general in his prime was the most ruthless god of war. He had singlehandedly killed battalions of soldiers and considered the most fearsome combatant. The kids couldn't help but wonder if they're like him.
Chioma coughed, and got her brothers attention and then she made a thoughtful comment, "Come to think of it ... What if he is the gigolo? Our supposed father?"
"That can't be. Mum told us Dad is at Afghanis City ..." John countered, immediately.
"Hey . Don't be a kid. That's a lie from mum..." Jame's said.
The kids shared a glance between themselves that they didn't know when Derrick arrived.
Cough cough!
With a cough from him, announcing his presence, the kids stood up at once and saluted like military officers would.
"Sir, yes sir!" The three little rascals stood at attention, wondering if General Derick and his aide de camp overheard their discussion.
"At ease!" Derrick said, easing the three little rascals.
"What are you three doing here?" He asked them,
"Oh, actually.. we just finished our morning run and we decided to take a rest before heading back home. .." Jame's the eldest, responded truthfully.
"We will be leaving now!" He added, and held his sister's hands, and then tugged at John, "Let's go!" He whispered in an almost perceptible tone.
While Derrick watched the kids, he couldn't help but wondered how come the kid's had a striking resemblance with him. The innocence glowing in the kids face melted his heart and it was unlike him. No matter who or what, his heart wouldn't melt, but now? He melted and felt like befriending the kids.
He glanced at Chioma who was wearing a military camouflage sport dress just like her brothers. She was fair, beautiful and it aroused Derrick's urge to actually have a kids. Her looks were so alluring.
Just as the kids were about leaving, Derrick squatted, "Wait..." He said, the kid's stopped in their tracks. The coldness his voice sent was sufficient enough to scare them, but the kid's are never scared. They had heard dreadful stories about the five star general but they had grown to get used to it since their mum had a similitude in terms of military power.
Their mum was cold and ruthless as well, but only Diana herself and the kid's knew her cold and and ruthless attitude were both armours she puts on. She is actually fragile!
The three little rascals turned to face Derrick. At this point, Derrick waved his hands, signaling for his aide-de-camp to excuse them. So he did.
Derrick admired the charm the three little rascals exuded and possessed. "Such beautiful kids!" He complimented in his head. "Why did I ask them to wait?", He asked himself...
"Uhmmm, can I know your names?" His mouth betrayed him before his thoughts balanced, asking the kids even before the "why" came rushing into him. He wanted to know who their father is!
"Why do you want to know our names? Derrick!" Jame's answered General's Derrick question with a question.
He actually just called me by my name. Such audacity! Where is his fear? Evidently, General Laura did a bad job in parenting these kids. A small brat had just called him by his name. Even as powerful and prolific as their own mum is, she would never try such. It caused Derrick to remember yesterday's event. This rascal also insulted his fiancé, Anamika.
Derrick looked at him coldly, as if to instill fear into the atmosphere and perhaps punish him in accordance with the military policies, but they were just kids.... although, with big mouth. Nonetheless, Derrick couldn't bring himself to do any of those.
"I want to befriend you kids. So, I thought i should start with knowing your names!" Derrick asked, making his intentions clear. He had to adhere into a new technique of getting into their heads and get words out of them. Not everything being ruthless solves. And since they were kids, Derrick automatically switched. His ulterior motive was to know who their father is. He wanted to ask them but he had to go slowly, using the concept of psychology.
Little did he know that the kids already discerned what he was planning to do, the kids were one step ahead.
"Well, my name is Jame's!" Jame's Introduced himself and then turned to John, "And this is my immediate brother John...." On turning to his sister, he saw an inquisitive mask on her face, ignoring that, he wanted to introduce her, but then Derrick stopped him, "Let her tell me her name by herself!" He had said.
Chioma took a step forward afterward,
"What's your name? beautiful!" Derrick asked sweetly in a gentle voice.
Thirty seconds passed since he asked her for her name but she didn't respond, rather kept staring into his eyes. Derrick couldn't avert his gaze either, he felt an affinity for her as he as well stared into her amber eyes.
"Are you our Daddy?" Chioma's angelic melodic voice rang out, causing an instant graveyard silence.