He turned and looked at me I could see the sadness in his eyes, I drew nearer to him and found myself hugging him.
Lexy broke down and cried.
He cried on my shoulder holding me tight, I tried consoling him with my teary voice shaking, I realized iam the one who really need to be consoled because I don’t know what my life will be like if anything should happen to Mr Raphael Ideh.
“I’m sorry about your dad” I said softly while patting his back, “He will be fine”.
“I don’t want to loose my dad yet” Kelsi, He looked at me vulnerable, defeated, I realized his father was the closest to him.
“You won’t loose him, he will be okay” I assured him, even though we were not sure if he would survive the Operation because it was a Ghastly accident.
” Thank you” his voice was soft mixed with vulnerability, as his gaze held mine.
“You’re welcome” the atmosphere was awkwardly quiet, I couldn’t bear looking at him straight in his eyes.
“About what happened in school… today” Lexy said, breaking the silence.
“No! Nevermind, you don’t have to say anything” I quickly cut him off whilst taking a few steps backwards.
“Kelsi…”
“I’m fine, seriously iam fine”, I smiled at him.
“… It is getting late, I need to be on my way home now” I turned and walked out of his house, without sparing a glance at him.
On getting outside the gate, I exhaled heavily, letting out the breath I was holding, I was not in the mood to talk to him or anyone about what happened in school, I don’t want to think about it.
I just wanted it to end the way he told me, i just want it to end like that.
Mrs Raphael didn’t hide her true colour when her husband was taken out of the country for his medical operation, she made mum go through hell, even accusing her for being the cause of her husband accident blaming him for allowing us into their house the first day.
According to what we heard, that fateful day before the accident he was on the phone with my mom, telling her of the delicay he wanted to eat on getting home, taking note of what he was saying my mum heard the screeching sound of the vehicle then silence, thinking he was done talking to her she returned the phone to Mrs Raphael, only for her to get a call few hours later of the situation of her husband.
Thingd started going down to scratch for us, She fired mum and sternly warned us never to step our foot in the house again.
Mum came back looking very sad, at this point we are now on our own..
We hoped to see a better job, weeks later it seems there’s no hope and we have been feeding on the money she saved the last few months as a maid for the Raphael’s.
With the few money mum got from working as a maid in Mr Raphael house she bought bags of pure water and started Hawking.
The only thing I was grateful for was Mr Raphael had paid all my tuition fee till I’m done with my secondary school.
I was getting bothered, I was very careful when assisting mum with the Hawking, fervently praying for my class mate see me.
Our situation was that bad, I couldn’t concentrate in class anymore. Sometimes I have be caught and flogged for sleeping during lecture.
Most of the time sale was slow and we sometimes had to sleep without eating.
One Tuesday morning I was not in a good mood I was angry about our situation and why everything seems not to change despite our hard work, on entered my class I sat on my seat looking at no where in particular, then I realized I have not done the assignment our biology teacher gave me, I started shaking overwhelmed with fear, that man is the most feared teacher in the school, you rather mop the ocean to receiving lashes from him.
Typical Nigeria school, where you receive lashes for not doing the needful.
As I was about writing the assignment, the teacher walked in, that moment I knew I was already in serious trouble.