Ese wondered why Rose was not at the school gate. Normally, she would have rushed to meet her even before she pulled up in front of the gate. She parked the car and walked towards the gate. She met the gateman lying down on a bench in the gatehouse.
"Good afternoon ma." He greeted, standing up
"Good afternoon, please do you know where my daughter is?"
"No, I never see am since morning wey you bring am come."
"But she is supposed to wait for me here. You mean you didn't even see her after school?"
"No madam, I been tink say you don com carry am."
"Let me look around the school then." She said as she walked into the compound. The compound was empty but for few kids playing on swings. She soon saw a girl, whom she recognized as Rose's friend, walking towards the gate with a woman who Ese assumed should be her mum. She walked up to them.
"Good afternoon madam."
"Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon ma." The little girl greeted.
"Hi dear." Ese replied her then faced the woman "Please I'm looking for my daughter, she is a friend of your daughter."
"Rose has left." The girl offered before Ese could speak to her.
"Left you say?" She can't leave, she is expected to wait for me to pick her up."
"Did she leave alone Tola?" The girl's mother asked.
"No, her father came to pick her."
"Her father?" Ese was now confused. "She has no.......how did you know it was her father?"
"She called him daddy and ran off to meet him, then they both left in his car."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, we were together when he came in and....."
"Is he a tall man?"
"Yes."
Ese thanked mother and daughter and walked back to her car fuming and talking to herself
"Rose has taken this daddy thing too far, I'll have to sit her down and talk some sense into her. And why in God's name will he come and take my daughter from school without telling me, maybe he even put her up to the daddy thing. It's time I put a stop to all these."
When she reached her car, she picked her purse from the driver's seat and started searching for her phone.
★★★
Siji was having a busy day. He had started the day meeting with the committee set up by the university to oversee the projects. He spent the whole morning briefing them on progress made and challenges encountered. Then he had gone to the sites to supervise the workers. Despite being busy, he would every now and then think about the evening to come with anticipation. As he walked out of the building under construction and towards his car, he thought about the dinner again and started whistling excitedly. It was the first time she would be inviting him over and he planned to make the best out of it. when he got into the car, he removed his helmet and placed it on the passenger's seat with his phones. He would have to get home to change into something more presentable before going over to her place. He smelt of dirt and sweat. Just as he was about starting the vehicle, one of his phones began to ring. His smile broadened when he saw the caller ID. He picked it and began to say.
"Hello dear, I was just about to......."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd inform me first before picking my child up at school." The cool voice he had yet to forget wiped the smile off his face. "I don't...I didn't... I........" He began to stutter but she was not listening.
"And who asked you to pick her up in the first place? I never told you I needed help with my duties."
"Ese what are you say......."
"........and did you ask her to call you daddy? You really need to...."
"Will you please shut up and let me talk." He had to shout into the mouthpiece to get her attention. She stopped talking but he could hear her breathing heavily.
He paused for a few seconds to calm himself down before talking. "I did not pick Rose from school. Even if I wanted to, I have had too busy a day to do that, and I never asked her to call me daddy."
"But her friend said a tall man she called daddy came to pick her up." She said in almost a whisper and he could hear the fear in her voice.
"Let's think about this straight Ese. Which tall man would Rose call daddy?"
"Oh my God! Pago!"
★★★
Sam lived alone not because he did not have a family, but because he liked being alone. As the one in charge of the Company's security, he had a three-bedroom bungalow to himself but he still would not let his family live with him.His wife and four kids lived in his personal house in a suburb of Lagos.
He rarely had visitors, so he found it strange when his doorbell that almost never rang, rang that night. He was already preparing for bed when the rhythmic sound interrupted his silence. The bell rang again as he entered the sitting room and made for the door. He looked through the peephole, then unlatched and opened the door. Standing in his porch was a tired looking Pago. He was carrying a sleeping Rose over his shoulder. Without saying a word Sam let him in and led him to one of the rooms. They both left the room quietly after tucking her in. When they got to the sitting room, Sam turned to his unexpected guest and said in a measured voice.
"Now you've got some explaining to do."
About the Author
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and playing some indoor games.
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