chapter 50

                   ~~•SEAN'S POV•~~

             After dropping the guys at their various destinations, I drove home only to meet my dad's car at the parking lot. The presence of his car even without seeing him was making me angry the more. It has been over a year since I last saw him,the only thing he does as a father is to send me my monthly allowance which I can survive well without it. It is not that I need his money,presence or attention because he is the one that destroyed the happy family I had and dreamt of having.

                 My mind drifted back to fifteen years ago, before that time I thought that I had the best family ever not knowing that my dad was cheating on me and mum . I was ten years old when I lost my Mum to dad's carelessness. It was as if my world fell apart. I went out with nannies to places I should have gone to with my mother.

               I was seven years old when dad introduced another woman to me as my second mum. I remember clearly how my mum broke down when she received the news,our once happy home turned to a place for cat and rat.

                After my Mum's recovery, she and my dad fought day and night. At the end of the day she accepted her fate and Anita came to live in my parents' house.The moment she packed in my father's attention became divided and when Anita gave birth, the attention was gone completely.

              A year later a man who I later learnt was Anita's husband took me, my Mum, Anita and her baby hostage and right in my presence he put a bullet through my mother's head then we heard the sound of the siren and he ran away. He killed my innocent mother and left the cause of our problems alone.

                According to my dad, Steven wanted to get back at him because of Anita that he took away from him. Since then things became worse for me.The only people that stood by my side were my friends,no one else not even Jenny knows anything about what happened.

                  I got into the leaving room only to see my Dad, Anita and Jimmy my half brother.

                "Hi" I made my way to the stairs.

              "Come back here this very moment Ade."(that's my native name as a Yoruba boy) My dad shouted.

          "You don't have what it takes to call me that name dad,only Mum does and she is gone."I turned back to face him.

          "Ade, have you gotten too old to realise that I am your dad and that you don't "Hi" me, you greet me by prostrating the way a son should greet a father."

           "That's if the father has really been a father,maybe you should tell Anita to help you check the meaning of that word in the dictionary." He looked at me as if to murder me.

        "Sean, I am your mother too, so show me some respect as well as your father." I looked at her and all the bitter memories came flooding back to me.

        "Anita you were never my Mum and you wouldn't be, so spare me all the emotions."

          I was becoming angry the more. What right do they have to the extent of comparing themselves to my priceless jewel. Dad couldn't fight for Mum, he didn't even try to get the devil that killed mum behind bars. My Mum lost her life all because of the devil incarnate.

          I left both of them downstairs and went to my room to take few things I needed then, I was back at the pavement when I came across my dad.

          "Dad, how many days are you spending here?"

         "Ade we would leave by tomorrow and.............." I was in a hurry, any more time I might say something I was going to regret.

      "Just keep the key with the gate man, I know you aren't here for me."

        

         I dropped my luggages into the boot and drove out of the house. I wasn't just going to anywhere. I am going to James's house because he is the one that understands me the most.

                 ~~•LISA'S POV•~~

         I went home straight after I left school. It is not as if I really had something to do at home,but I have the feeling that if I should stay in school, I might possibly get into another talking show with anyone else.

         As I entered the house I heard my Mum's voice from the kitchen

         "Who is at the door?"

"It's me mum, it's Lisa." I walked to the kitchen.

           Meet Maria my foster mother,although I treat her like my real Mum. She and Emma(my foster father) adopted me three years after my parents' death. Before then I have been from one foster parent to another. They all gave me back to the orphanage for adoption when they realise the type of danger I put those around me in. The last couple that adopted me almost lost their lives.

         Now to the present "Lisa, Lisa where did you wander off to." She always knows when I am thinking.

         "It's nothing mum, I just got into some petty disagreement with the department arrogant boy." she stared at me.

          "Lisa, you have to be careful Jatto is always on the look out for you, I don't want you to get another transfer, you are not a disease." I could see emotion in her eyes. She really treats me as if I am really her child. We have been through a lot together and even when I am about to give up they both give me the hope to live on.

            "I know Mum, I promise I will be careful it's a promise." I said that to assure her, I hate it when she is disturbed.

        "Okay, I will trust you,food is ready, so do you want to eat now or later."

         "I will prefer to eat later Mum."

          "Okay then,in the next twenty five minutes I will be on my way to work, so that I can beat the traffic I'm on night shift today(she is a nurse). She went towards her bedroom.

      "Okay Mum, what about dad, I haven't seen him since I arrived."

      "Oh,sorry he didn't inform you, he has travelled,would be back by next month I guess."I looked at her in disbelief.

      "I thought he sent a text to you?"

Then I remembered that I didn't switch on my phone since morning.

       "I didn't put on my phone, I will call him when I do."

       "Lisa honey,I am off to work, take care of yourself and don't forget to lock the door and switch off the lights when you want to sleep. In case of emergency call me."

      "Okay Mum,I will,bye,love you."

         

           I understand that my parents have to work so as to feed our family so I have gotten used to staying at home except for the scary nightmares.After I did my assignment and ate my food, I checked out Romeo and Juliet in the library and drifted off to sleep.

         On the following day I woke up around five o'clock and prepared for school I was eating my leftover from yesterday when I received Abby's message,

ABBY:Good morning, at what time are you going to school today? 

We all have 8 o"clock lecture to catch.

Me: I should be on my way out by 7 o"clock

ABBY: I have got a surprise for you.

          I wondered what the surprise would be.By that time it was already 6 o'clock. Thirty minutes later I had a honk outside I ran to the door to look if my Mum was back although whenever she was on night shift she never comes home as early as that. I got outside only to find Abby behind the car's steering wheel. Oh God, you got to be kidding me, I went dumb instantly.

      "Hi Beth,good morning and stop staring at me as if you have just seen a ghost."

       "Morning and how did u get to know this place?"

        She threw her up in the air  "I admit I followed the taxi that brought you home yesterday."

      "You got to be kidding me,you ........"

        "Come on why are you behaving as if I just committed murder and by the way what of your parents."

        "They are not at home, Mum is still at work and Dad has travelled."

      "You mean you slept at home all alone, you should have just come to sleep at my place?"

      "I didn't think about that maybe next time." I'm becoming afraid of sleeping at home because of the usual nightmares.

       "We have audition today so are you prepared."

       "Audition really, I am not prepared for it."

      "You will at our free time before the audition she assured me."

     Although Abby seems to be too inquisitive,but the more I get to know her the more I realise she wants the best for me. I only pray that my past won't bruise the friendship.