THE NEXT DAY, SATURDAY.
After working for a half day as was required of him and all the staff workers every Saturday, Preye made his way to Destiny Estate immediately after the close of work, stopping only to purchase a few necessary items.
He was currently working for the company that employed him shortly after his one year national youth service.
Having proven to be a resourceful worker who was dedicated to his work at the time of his youth service, Preye came highly recommended to a couple of the companies that had their eyes set on the youth corpers.
Preye had a quality that was a rare commodity in the lives of a lot of human beings. He was one of the best at the technical department, and he was always punctual to work everyday. It was a habit he inherited from his mother who was always pursuing excellence in anything she did.
Being the type of person who prayed before making decisions, when the offer of employment from those companies came for him, Preye had prayerfully sought the face of God. He chose the right company as he was led by the Holy Spirit.
And here he was, almost four years later, enjoying every bit of his work, no regrets.
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But, he complained occasionally when his job became too demanding that he could hardly make out the time for the two most important women in his life. With the absence of a father in his life at a very tender age, making him the only male figure in the family, he'd subconsciously taken the enormous weight of responsibility for his mother and sister.
It wasn't designed to be that way but he had become not just a brother but also a father to his sister as well. And he was a son to his mother. While he wasn't seeing any scorecard, he hoped to God that he was dutifully playing his role.
From a very young age, he'd never wanted to disappoint or let down his only family, and that was how he decided to be the best in all that he set out to do and take advantage of his God-given potential no matter the odds that were against him.
It was that determination that kept him on his feet ever since.
The thought of his estranged father appeared out of the blues and it made him scowl. He had stopped fantasizing a long time ago of his father's dramatic return.
When he was still quite young and naive, he always occupied his mind with the thought of how his father would return, begging on his knees, and after a little drama from his mother, sister and him, they would finally forgive and tearfully reunite and become one big happy family.
His father would become responsible, pay his school fees and give him daily allowance. His father would ask about his studies, occasionally help him with assignments and attend all his graduations. He would be a good son in return and always make his father proud.
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So it would continue until Preye would make a lot of money, settle down, get married and bless his parents with grandchildren and his sister with nephews and nieces. But now, all those dreams and desires were only a distant memory.
He didn't even know how he would react should his father make a sudden appearance in their lives. Heck, he didn't even know if his father was already dead or if he was still alive. And even if he was alive, he didn't know if the man was regretting his actions or if he had remarried and was comfortably happy with his new family.
Feeling too sad and uncomfortable at that last thought, Preye pushed the grim thought of his estranged father to the back of his mind and focused on his driving.
Preye immediately noticed the changes with the security details as he got to the estate gate. He was seeing new faces and they wouldn't allow him to enter the estate until they verified that he was who he said he was.
Surprised at the solemn mood of the operation that led to his detention and interrogation at the gate, he sat down quietly in his driver's seat as the gatekeeper called his mother to verify his true identity. His mother came to the gate and verified that he was indeed her son; only then did they apologize briefly for any inconveniences, saying that they were just doing their job. They cleared the roadblock and allowed him passage into the estate.
He opened his mouth and was about to spill his mind about the rather rude treatment that was given to him even though he was one of the occupants of the estate when his mother patted him gently on his arm--a sign for him to keep calm. Confused as to why his mother was preventing him, he looked at her face and she seemed to pass him a knowing signal with her soft brown eyes. He closed his mouth in peace and moved on.
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Now, driving inside to his family home with his mother comfortably seated on the passenger seat, Preye couldn't hold back the question on his mind.
"What the hell is going on here, Mum?" he asked after successfully getting past two checkpoints apart from the initial one at the gate.
"Good to see you too, Son," Righteous quipped, playfully reaching out her hand and pinching her son on his right cheek. "I must confess that you are really looking good."
"Please, don't change the topic, Mum. Tell me what happened."
Righteous slowly withdrew her hand to her laps as she replied, "There was an armed robbery attack in the estate last night but thank God that our house was exempted."
Righteous watched as the look of shock and something else she couldn't decipher at that moment descended over her son's face.
"There was an armed robbery attack, and you didn't tell me?" he asked incredulously.
"Relax! Ayanate and I decided not to bother you with it. We didn't want you to worry because we were alright.
Since the media carried the news, we thought you would hear about it and also know that we are safe."
"My job hardly allows me the pleasure of listening to the news and you know that, Mum."
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"Yeah, I do. I guess I just didn't want you to worry," she replied, suddenly interested in something that was outside the car window.
Obviously not satisfied with his mother's answer, he was about to give a rebuttal but thought better of it and remained silent. He got to the front of their house, and turned into the driveway that led to the garage. He saw his sister standing in front of the entrance with a big smile on her face, awkwardly waving at him.
Momentarily forgetting the banter with his mother, he smiled back at his sister even though she couldn't see him.
He drove into the house garage and immediately switched off his car engine. Stepping down from the car with some of his items, he met his sister halfway to the entrance and embraced her.
Righteous left her children to go and continue watching the news that she was following before she was interrupted by the call from the estate gate.
"Oh, have I missed you, gal," Preye said, after breaking the one-sided hug with his sister.
"Of course you have missed me. You know it's not everyday you see ladies with pretty faces like mine."
He laughed out loud as he placed his arm around his sister's shoulders and they walked inside the house. "See this small gal o. For your mind abi?"
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"Enhen na," his sister gushed proudly.
They entered inside the living room and saw their mother seated on the couch with her eyes glued to the television as it displayed news that was broadcasting live from Channels TV. The children were definitely not interested in the news.
Preye handed over the items in his hands to his sister. "Here's my peace offering for misunderstanding me the other day."
Ayanate squealed happily when her hands felt the items her brother gave her. She had just been given a box of chocolate and three packets of her favorite pizza.
"I'm glad you like it," he said when he saw the look of satisfaction on her face.
"I like it a lot. This is too much. I can't even finish all of them today."
"You don't have to. You can always microwave it."
"Oh yeah, you don't have to say it twice." She laughed.
"So, are we good?" he asked.
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"Huh?"
"I mean with our misunderstanding."
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Of course, as long as you don't..."
Their mother who had been sitting quietly suddenly interrupted by scuffing loudly. "I don't know what the fuss is all about."
Her children turned to face her. "It is pizza," they replied almost in unison.
"Children nowadays. I don't understand the obsession with pizza," Righteous shot back with a roll of her eyes.
"Well, Mum, I'm sorry but it is not our fault that Domino's Pizza had not yet come to Nigeria in the days of your youth," Preye replied with a wink. His sister supported him with a laugh.
"You jerk." Righteous picked up one of the couch pillows and stoned her son.
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"I'm not that old, you little boy. I was just calling you, 'children of nowadays' for emphasis. Even if Domino's Pizza had been in Nigeria when I was young like you and your sister, I'd still not go crazy looking for it. No wonder they call you children 'Indomie generation'."
Preye and his sister laughed hard.
"Well, pizza is the new deal so I guess you can change the name to 'Pizza generation'," Preye replied over his shoulders as he and his sister began to move to the staircase that led to their rooms upstairs.
Now it was their mother's turn to laugh out loud as her children disappeared from sight.
But the image of her jovial son remained with her in her mind's eye and she shuddered involuntarily at the old memories it tried to bring back.
At the age of twenty-four, Preye looked exactly like the younger version of his father, Henry Green.
The way they walked, talked, and even the uncanny expression they displayed on their faces whenever they were confused about something. The similarities were pretty much compelling and anyone who knew Henry over two decades ago could definitely tell that Preye was his son. his carbon copy.
However, there was one aspect of their lives that both father and son couldn't be more different in, and for that, Righteous was grateful. While her son possessed qualities, characters and a lifestyle that was worth emulating, her husband was the direct opposite.
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Righteous knew that she didn't do it on her own. She strongly acknowledged that it was with the help of God that she had raised beautiful and God-fearing children.
---
Upstairs, both brother and sister were having an animated conversation.
When they were done, Preye stood up and asked. "Is there anything you would want me to help you with before I retire to my room?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'm all ears." He sat back down.
"I want you to leave my room so that I can eat my pizza in peace."
"Ingrate! You know where to find me when you need me." He stood up again and with his sister's laughter trailing behind him, he crossed the threshold and closed the door with a bang.
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