Chapter 79

Jadesola Coker

"Okay, you will have to wait for a minute while I give this to my friends inside. They are really hungry and might not survive before coming back," I said. I collected the package from his hands walking towards my hostel.

"Hey," he called. "What about you?"

I turned around facing him. "I will just get something to eat when I come back." Then I continued walking. On getting to our door step, I removed the lovely nylon and bag with the name Adams. I couldn't leave any traces for the girls asking more than I can answer. I removed the sticker on the takeaway neat, neat, and hid everything somewhere outside, silently praying... God please let me remember when I'm coming out. It would be bad because Funmi never liked the surroundings littered with paper and nylon, and might find it.

"Hey girls," I entered our room. "I'm back."

"Yeey!" Haleema was the first person to ran to me, and collected the two takeaway immediately.

"I don't know how you guys are gonna eat this cause I could only afford just two."

"Whao!" Funmi looked up at me after opening the one with fried rice. "Jade where did you get this? This must have cost you a lot. Where are they selling this type of chicken?"

"I don't know," I lied. "Someone helped me get it. So, how are you guys gonna eat it?" Even while I was still asking, Funmi was already eating the rice, while Haleema didn't even bother looking up from the noodles. While Chioma didn't just care. That was what I hated the most, and they knew. This food was meant for me, but I brought it for them while I was still famished. Funmi was never like that so I wondered if she was just too hungry. "Are you guys going to keep eating without leaving for Chioma?"

"Chioma please I'm sorry?" Funmi quickly apologized. "Let's eat mine together." Then she looked up at me with a smile. "Girlfriend, this is what hunger can cause abeg. But this food, that person will still have to take me to where he or she got it."

Chioma didn't bother to rush herself even when Funmi told her to come. I knew she was hungry too, but she wasn't the kind of person who rush at things. "It's okay. You can just give me out of the chicken while I take it with garri (cassava flakes). There is sugar right?"

"Yes," I responded. Since Haleema wasn't saying anything, I moved to her food, removed her chicken, and gave it to Chioma to take garri (cassava flakes) with it. Of course, Haleema shouted, but I told her Funmi was going to give her out of her chicken which I knew both will fight over it cause Funmi does not send Haleema at all, and they were both close so they would settle it among each other.

"What about you?" Chioma asked.

"I came for my purse to go get mine too." I lied, scanning for the purse I wouldn't be needing. I picked it up anyways, and left the room again. Gori looked up at me. "That was up to an hour miss." He raised his brow in question to what took me long.

"I'm sorry. Can we go now?"

He opened the door of his car for me, and I climbed in. He did too, and turned back to his back seats. He threw me a pack of chocolate cookies, and one ice tea drink.

"Thank you, and thanks for the food," I said. He nodded, and started the car, moving so slowly. "So, how was your first meeting with my mom? I didn't expect mom to be so nice with you cause my own mom... I know her more than anyone."

He started with a little laugh. "Well, at first, I was beyond scared to visit your parents alone. I felt like, this was Jade's way of punishing me. No one to have my back, save me, or tell me, I'm with you in this. I eventually decided to go because I knew I have to come in somehow and stop taking long. When I got there, I met your replica. You are just like your mom."

He stopped, stared at me, and I laughed at his outburst. "That's because you haven't seen my Dad. I want to agree I'm just like my Dad please. My mom and I don't look alike."

"Well, you sure look alike because you are just as tough as your mom, but cute when you are both excited."

I stared back at him surprised. "You noticed that about my mom!"

He laughed. "Of course I did. When I walked in, I saw a woman in a long bubu gown. Her glasses, and the way she was staring at me made me shiver, and I was like, this is Jade when she doesn't take nonsense. She rolled her eyes, and screened me with her eyes before saying, yes Mr. President's son, how can I help you?"

It was my turn to laugh again. This time, my laughter was loud cause I couldn't imagine how Gori must have felt during those minutes of screening. My mom's look can be so torturing. "You mean my mom recognized you."

"No, she didn't." He faced the road, turned, and drove into the big restaurant close by. Then he continued. "You already told her I was coming, and she must have seen Arabella in me with just a glance. I stood for some minutes before she finally told me to sit."

I looked up at him, and I felt really sorry for not been available to be there with him. I never knew my presence was that important to him. "I'm sorry about that."

"I should find a way to thank her more." His laughter came out louder this time. "When I said your mom was nice, that was after I passed all her questions."

"So, what did she ask you?"

"A lot," he mumbled. "She asked for my plans for Arabella, how we met--"

My eyes almost bulged out. "She asked you that! Please tell me she did not ask you where it happened?"

"She did." Then he laughed so hard.

I stopped what I was eating. "Oh heavenly father! Mom why?" I didn't want to picture her reactions. So, I continued. "She must have really enjoyed your company to open up to you back."

"Yea, I didn't expect it, but that was after she asked me if I have any plans for you."

I burst into laughter. I couldn't believe my mom ended up asking him that. Mom, why nau? "So, what did you tell her?"

He looked at me, and said firmly. "I'm not telling you that. That's between your mom and I."

What! I couldn't believe they were already ganging up on me. "So, you really not going to tell me? I feel like you now like my mom better."

He laughed at my last statement, and shook his head. "I'm sorry miss. Don't be in a hurry. But I like someone better than her. I hope I get a chance with her at last." He reached forward, and drank out of my ice tea, then he finished it.

Ehhhhh!

"Mr man, you just finished it?" I shook the empty container to his face. "Is almost an hour, and you are still drinking it."

"Because I didn't want it to finish," I confessed. That was my first time of tasting it.

He shook his head, and made jest of me. Turned back, and the next thing I saw was a pack of ice tea sitting on my laps. I burst into laughter. "Hey, I never said I wanted to drink what is meant for twelve people."

"I'm letting you know if you like it, there is more you can take with you," he said. He reached towards my laps, tore the thick nylon, took one, opened it, put his head back and gulped it down as his revealing part of neck showed how his Adam apple was going up, and down. I dropped the rest in between my legs, reached for his container, but when I shook it, Gori had almost finished the whole drink again. I felt like he remained that so as not to drop the container empty. But what's the difference? We looked at each other, and we instantly burst into laughter.

He knew what he did, and was expecting me to look up at him, letting his laughter escalated. I finished the rest like that, and dropped the empty container. "So, did you see Arabella, and what are your plans for her?" I decided to continue our discussion because it was almost an hour, and I wouldn't want to take long because of the girls. My phone was not with me, and there wasn't anywhere the girls could reach me if they start getting worried.

"I told your mom to let me know how much Arabella pays for her school fees, and how much I would start paying for her feeding, but she said that's a talk you and I have to sit and reach an agreement on. I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to rub who I am to your face. I just want to carry out my responsibilities as a father, and I know you and your parents have tried a lot. The school is quite expensive, and you paying that every semester in a year must have cost a lot. Despite everything, you all still give her the best."

I didn't expect him starting like this. I thought he was going to go about asking for her custody saying I've been the one taking care of her all these years and would want to be in charge now. His humility, manner of approach, and the way he carefully chose his words melt my heart. I glanced up at him, and smiled. "She's my child too, so she deserves the best from mommy too," I said. "But, we haven't been paying for the past five years now." I told him the truth.

"She entered when she was one year plus into kindergarten, and all the money we paid for the three semesters including lessons fee were returned to us because someone we don't know from somewhere gave her, and some other students scholarship till they decide to leave the school. And every semester, the man is always sending her and the rest gifts. Arabella's own is always a gift with Daddy loves you, or I love you, from Daddy."

"Whao!" Gori sounded speechless. "That says the big teddy she showed me when I was there."

"It was sent to us this term because we left early that day. But I wasn't okay with it at first. When I questioned the mistress, she said the man just want the children to know their fathers also love them so much, so I bought into idea too, and Arabella is always eager for it. She likes it. She likes the idea that Daddy loves her so much."

"Thank you for everything." He breathed with honesty expressed in his voice, and looks. "Can I get your account no?" He passed me a pen and a paper. I collected it, and scribbled something else on it. He received it back, and looked up at me. "This is for?"

"My mom." I expected to hear him ask. "Everything she owns was bought by my parents. Her clothes, shoes, party dress, and the food she has been eating for six years. Her hair, her toys was from their money. They've been the one taking care of her, and they've never collected a dime from me except I decided to just buy something for her of my own free will. Whatever you want to send, please send it to my mom. I have to leave now, this is past an hour already. The girls will be worried."

"A minute," he said. He dropped the paper on his back seats, and stepped out of the car. In five minutes, he came back with another package, and stretched it forward to me. "Take, and you can drop the nylon on your body," he added, and I smiled. I never knew he saw that.

"Thanks," I collected the package. "I'm sorry about that. I just didn't want---"

"The girls," he finished for me, and I felt like he didn't like the idea. May be he felt like I didn't want to be seen with him, but no, I just didn't want any of my friends finding out yet, especially Funmi. She has a crush on him. Can I deal with that? "Thank you," I said again.

He drove to the gate, but I told him to drop me there. I would find my way to my hostel to avoid any unnecessary looks. As I was about opening the door, he spoke up. "You and her might meet my parents anytime soon. I will talk to them about

Arabella, so please, be prepared."

I nodded, but of course, It was my turn to shiver. Meeting the President himself, and the first Lady. Heavenly Lord, help me please. I might faint with all the imaginations that filled my mind already. "Take," he stretched one ice tea to me, and I collected it. "Bye for now," he waved at me.

I got down, and did my own. "Bye," I waved back. Before my eyes, his tinted glass went up, and I could only see my image as he drove away.