Chapter 60

At about 3am, the hired bus had picked up everybody that signed up to go to the orphanage including Tamiloore and their mom.

"You people should sleep oo" Semiloore cooed at everyone.

Soft laughter was heard in the bus as Semiloore snuggled against Nathaniel.

"It's too early to look for trouble" John shouted

"Shut up!" Semiloore shouted back.

The bus driver sped through the early morning with dew slowly drizzling. Almost every one slept as the bus sped through the empty road.

They got to the orphanage around 8

9am. The kids gave a loud yell as Semiloore pushed the door opened.

"Hi kids"

The orphanage helper was stunned to see Semiloore and others. Everyone trotted inside waving excitedly at the children.

Ayobami held Semiloore's hands with his tiny hands, "I thought you were just bluffing, I didn't know you would really come back"

Semiloore faked a frown, "So you didn't believe me? Huh! Am disappointed in you"

"Sis Semiloore, i'm sorry. People have come here and made promises, you are the first to fulfill it"

Semiloore's eyes softened immediately as she tickled him "I was just messing with you"

The boy burst into laughter immediately.

"Hi everyone"

"Hiii" the kids chorused happily.

"You wanted to see my twin sister bah? Tamiloore, come here" Tamiloore walked to the front of the kids with a smile plastered on her face.

"Hi"

"Here she is" Semiloore added sliding her hands over tamiloore's shoulders.

"Whoa!"

"They are look so much alike"

"She's pretty"

"What's your name?"

"Hello everyone, my name is Tamiloore"

"Helloooo"

"I also brought someone else you guys need to meet"

"Who?"

Her mom walked to the front of the kids.

"Hello everyone"

"Helloooo ma"

"This is my mom guys"

"Whoa!"

"She's so cool"

"She's so pretty"

"She's so cool"

"E, Sis Semiloore what of your dad?"

Semiloore seemed to think for a minute before her eyes brightened up.

"I'll bring him next time" she replied with a wink

"Everyone i have a request to make today and you all have to promise me to grant my request"

"Okay"

"I promise" Ayobami said as other kids also started promising

"So here's the request. You must always have fun no matter wat happens, okay??!"

"I promise!"

"I promise!"

"I promise!"

Semiloore laughed heartily as she squatted on the floor.

"Let's play a game"

"Game!"

"Game!"

Between minutes everyone was in a happy mood. Semiloore's mom had filled up large coolers with food and had shared it to the children.

Wrappers of different biscuits and chocolates were littered on the floor. Chocolates and food were smeared on most of the children faces as they ran around the circle singing,

"Who is in the garden? A little fine boy, can I come and see him? No, no, no, no, follow me a little boy"

They continued playing games and talking till it was late noon.

"You guys seem tired, should we take a break?"

"No!" A girl said immediately

"Why? You'll wear yourself out"

"We have to keep our promise, to have fun"

"Haven't you had enough fun?"

"Not yet"

Everyone laughed at the girl childish words. The orphanage helpers were the most joyful. They had being wondering how to make the Christmas good for the kids.

No one had notified them that they would be coming to see the kids or anything and suddenly the students from last time popped up.

The first time she came, the children had talked about her for days, they had liked her very much and then she came back again, fulfilling her promise.

Her heart clenched at the nice gesture.

"What a nice girl" one of the helpers said with a small smile.

"Err, we have a visitor" one of them declared.

"We shouldn't be troubled right?"

"No need"

A lady in walked inside the hall as the hall went quiet. She was carrying a small blue bag and she wore flats. She seemed to be in her early thirties. Her eyes scanned the room and they suddenly stopped.

It was Ayobami who first shot up from his squatting position. His eyes fixed on the woman in front of him.

Everyone looked shocked, there was no mistaking in the resemblance between the two.

Same eyes, same nose, same face!

Ayobami felt like he was looking at a mirror except that in this mirror he looked like a girl. Everyone managed to stand up from their sitting positions as the woman fell to her knees, her eyes still on the little boy in front of her, her little boy.

"Who are you?" Ayobami asked "Why do you look so much like me? Or why do I look so much like you?"

"Ayo...... bami..... Ayo.. bami" the woman said shakingly

"You know me?"

"My...... son"

Even after five minutes, Ayobami legs were rooted to the ground. The moment he saw the woman, something in his head clicked but his heart refused to accept it but when she mentioned it, he couldn't believe it.

Semiloore walked towards the Ayobami and knelt beside him, "Remember what I told you, she must have had her reason for leaving you here. She must have loved you a lot for her to leave you here and come back for you. Why don't you ask her first? You promised me not to get angry" Semiloore whispered softly, slowly calming the little boy who already had tears in his eyes.

"Why did you leave me? Why? I thought I was abandoned! I thought I was all alone in the world!"

"If I didn't leave you here, i might have lost you. If I didn't drop you here that night, you might have being gone. I lost my job the moment my boss found out I was pregnant. I had to make ends meet, I had to take care of myself and the baby inside me. Things were rough and hard, to get a meal was like finding a needle in a sack. There were days when I didn't have anything to eat until I resorted to eating from dustbin and eateries leftovers. It was that tough. Luckily for me a good Samaritan sent me to the hospital when I went into labor. He also paid my hospital bills and took me to his house but his wife kicked me out. I had nowhere to go, I wanted you to live badly, I didn't want you to die"

"One night, rain poured heavily and I had no shelter, you were still a month and four days old, catching a cold could mean your death. I had to drop you at the door of the orphanage. That was one of the hardest decision I had to take in my life, if I wanted you to live;I would have to drop you here, so you wouldn't starve with me. That very day, the cold was so much that I fell into coma for two weeks. Those two weeks I didn't know anything, when I woke up. A kind woman took me in, she sent me to a university abroad. I couldn't come to take you, I wanted to be well off before I come to pick you, so you wont suffer when you are finally with me. If I hadn't dropped you here that night, who would have taken care of you when I fell into coma? I have no excuse, i'm sorry" the woman said crying.

Ayobami stood there transfixed. His eyes softened at the woman who was already shaking as she cried.

"Don't you want to hug your mom. Don't you want to rub her back and tell her its okay? Don't you want to... " Ayobami didn't let Semiloore finish before he springed towards his mum and engulfed her in a hug.

The woman was very surprised but she hugged him back.

"Mom, its okay" Ayobami whispered loud enough for everyone to hear as he hugged her tight.

Joshua covered his mouth to prevent his laughter from coming out. Some of the students were crying as well.

Semiloore glared at him as he pursed his lips.

"Mom, this is Sis Semiloore, and her classmates. She's very nice and pretty" Ayobami said with a smile.

The woman looked at Semiloore with grateful eyes.

"Good afternoon ma'am"

"Thank you very much"

"You are welcome ma'am" Semiloore replied her eyes misty.

"You continue playing, I'll go complete the adoption process" she said as she followed one of the helpers to another room.

"Mom" Semiloore said softly as she hugged her

"C'mon, you did well"

"You think so?"

"Oluwasemiloore, Oluwatamiloore"

"Ma" they chorused

The woman stared at them with loving eyes

"You are the gifts God gave me, the only ones. The gifts that I would forever be grateful for"

Semiloore smiled as she pecked her mom on the cheeks before turning to Nathaniel who was looking at her with a big smile.

"Am proud you"

"Give me a piggyride then!"

Everyone burst into laughter at her childishness as Nathaniel bent down,

"C'mon, let me give you a piggy ride"

THE END