This chapter is dedicated to Lordnicholas. Thanks darling for helping out with the editing of this chapter.

"Papa do you know any Charles English?" I asked, slightly imitating his accent.

"What did you just say?!" Mama and Papa asked simultaneously, thereby startling Tolu.

"What did I say wrong now?" I asked myself confused.

"Mide, come and sit down please," Papa had instructed. It didn't seem like that was open for discussion, and so I started walking back to the table.

"Did I do anything wrong Papa?" I asked, clearly noticing the huge change in the room. Something was off and these two were on edge.

"No my daughter, you did nothing wrong. Charles is Toke's old time friend and we are just surprised that he came to visit us," Papa replied, slightly stuttering. He was clearly lying because he refused to make eye contact with me.

"Okay sir," I answered simply, pretending to have bought the lie he had sold me.

"Good child," he said and walked to the door like he was constipated. Mama followed closely behind him and I could notice her sudden discomfort.

"Who exactly is this visitor?" I thought.

Papa and Mama closed the door on us as quickly as they opened it. I could only catch a glimpse of who the visitor was. Charles English was a stout man with a front part of his hair grey. His skin was a flourishing milky tone. He looked around fifty years of age yet his eyes spoke fear, kindness and honour at the same time. There was nothing about how he looked that spoke to how Mama and Papa were terrified about his presence.

I bolted to the window in the living room, because that was the closest I could get to hearing what the adults were talking about. I was probably going to be scolded for doing this if I was caught but at that time I honestly didn't care. I was too curious to sit down to a delicious meal of Akara and Ogi as if nothing was going on.

"Mide, come down from there, you are only going to make Papa angrier," Tolu nearly yelled, slightly irritating me about how much he wanted to be a good son to Papa and Mama.

"Don't even try to annoy me this morning. It's too early," I replied without sparing him a glance.

"I will report you. Come down now!" he repeated, defiance clear in his voice.

"I think you are beginning to grow wings abi? Do not forget that I am still your older sister," I answered, finally looking at him square in the eyes.

"Maybe I will believe that when you start acting your age!" he replied me.

"Ah! This boy is already mad. Would you get out of here?" I said, mostly to myself than to him.

Finally, he decided to leave me alone muttering, "I will tell Mama and Papa for you. You just wait and see."

"Nuisance," I muttered back.

Getting back to my mission at hand, I had realized that I had lost a ton of information because of my silly brother.

"If I catch this boy today ehn, he will see what I will do to him," I mumbled to myself. I put my ears closely to the window net and that was when I heard Mama say, "No one is going anywhere!" She was trying so hard not to scream but I could see she was extremely angry.

"Mr Wale, please let us reconsider this. We need her! Our people are so lost right now," came Mr. Charles voice in his weird accent. It sure was harder to pick out his words.

"Did your people care about them when they had nowhere to go?" Papa interjected.

"We cannot keep dwelling in the past sire."

"Oh please! Don't sire me."

"Did you know that she had sent people to kill the both of us to protect her precious son's secret? Did you?!" Mama asked pacing around, you could almost feel her pain.

"I am sorry. I had no idea," Mr Charles replied, as his head was bowed to the ground. He felt embarrassed and I almost wished I could give him a hug.

"Please sire hear me out, we have no one else. She is the only one who can do this. Please sire, I plead with you to let her come with us. All of you can come with us," Mr Charles pleaded once more, tears nearly filling his eyes.

"And what if they come for her next? What happens then? You would visit our family once more and beg for forgiveness right?" Papa asked, looking Mr Charles straight in the eye.

"I can promise you sire, nothing would happen to her. She is our responsibility now."

Papa laughed out loud clenching his stomach in the process, startling Mama and Mr Charles. "Your responsibility you say? You couldn't protect the most powerful family in the world, but you think an average Nigerian is worth more?" Papa exclaimed, looking at Mr Charles like he is the most stupid person in the world.

"Are you hearing this man?" Papa asked Mama, as the humour was slowly being replaced by anger. Mama just stood there quietly, almost like she was too exhausted to think or act.

"Well let me tell you something Mr Charles English. You are not going anywhere with any member of my family. I will kill anyone who thinks they can try! Are we communicating Mr English?" he yelled at him. I had to admit, I had never heard Papa make such threats to anyone and for the first time, I understood what we meant to him. At this point he no longer looked like the quiet, reserved and loving man I called father. He had become fierce; scary even.

"Toke get inside. This conversation is over," he said to Mama, gently supporting her weight against his and bringing her inside. I had seen more sides of my father in one morning than I had seen my entire life. He was a lion to Mr Charles but a lover to Mama.

I bolted for the chair where I acted like I was still eating. I glared at my brother and muttered to him, "Tell them anything and you will see what I will do to you." He didn't look scared, but he didn't tell them anything either. He probably read the situation and decided against it.

"Mama, are you okay? You look like you are about to faint," Tolu voiced, worry written all over his face.

"She is fine children. She is just too tired. Please clean up and return to your rooms. You can't go to school today," Papa said to us.

"Yes Papa," we replied in unison.

Just as they were about to leave, I decided to take my shot. "What did he want?"

"It is none of your business. Don't you know how to read situations? Are you a child?" Papa snapped at me, bringing me near tears. He had never yelled at me like that before.

"I am still his baby," I thought to myself, as tears began to drop from my eyes.

For the first time Papa didn't see the need to make me feel better. He just walked off with Mama into their room. Since I was too upset to eat, I also stormed off to my room brooding at how Papa had just yelled at me. I was a sickly child when I was younger and that made everyone dote at me. Some people even thought that was the reason why I got away with everything, and I was way bolder than my brother. According to Mama, she had a difficult delivery with me as she nearly died while she was pregnant with me. It was a miracle I was even born. She and Papa had decided to give me the names Ayomide Oluwatumilara Oluwadamilare Williams. Some called me spoilt, others called me unruly but my parents called me Joy. I was so lucky to have them in my life but right now, I was angry with Papa.

"Go after him," I heard the voice in my head encourage.

"I can't possibly do that," I replied.

"What is stopping you?" She countered.

"He could have gone very far," I tried to reason with her.

"Since when has that ever stopped you from getting what you want?" she asked, mocking me slightly.

"I don't want to get caught. Papa is already so mad at me," I told her, pretending to be firm with my decision.

"You won't. Now go before it's too late," she said, and with that I lost all reasoning as I headed for the door.

Once I was safely outside, I could see the freshly imprinted tire marks on the floor and knew he had just left our house. I lifted my eyes from the ground, as I spotted the car almost at the end of the street.

"Was he waiting in hopes that Papa would change his mind?" I thought out loud.

I began sprinting after him silently praying that he wouldn't drive fast. I was getting out of breathe and I wished I did more exercise rather than being lazy. This was for all the exercise that I didn't do, for all the errands I refused to go for because I was too lazy. The car leaving dusts behind, and people looking at me crazy made this race even more hilarious. I had heard a few people who recognized me, yell at me to slow down. I ignored the crazy stares, and the loud noises as I tried to focus on getting my voice to stop the moving car.

"Stop! Please stop the car!" I yelled at the top of my voice.

"I am dying, please slow down," I said out of breathe.

"What am I doing God? Just look at how that stupid voice in my head made me do something as ridiculous as this," I grumbled to myself.

As if God had finally heard me, the driver stopped the car and the same man that I had identified as Mr Charles English came down from the car. He stood there until I was able to reach him.

"Who might you be Miss?" he asked with a kind yet worried look on his face. It felt like he had a rough idea of who I was, but he wasn't allowed to conclude until I had spoken.

I bend over supporting my falling knee with one hand and holding the car for support with another.

"Jesu (Jesus)! You should have stopped earlier. Was the plan to kill me?" I whimpered, panting like a raving dog.

"I am so sorry Miss. I had no idea you were chasing after us," he said, patting my back gently and handing me a bottle of water which I accepted so graciously.

"Oh thank you kind sire. For your generous gift," I said imitating his accent. This made him laugh because I probably murdered it. After gulping down the entire bottle of water, I felt my heart beat return to normal and that was when he asked again, "Who might you be Miss?"

"Mide. Ayomide Williams," I replied him, taking a slight bow as I thought English people usually did.

"Your Majesty?!" he exclaimed, shocked but quickly recovering to curtsey me.

"Your what?!" I asked in unison with someone who was behind me. I turn around to see who it was eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Olufola Coker?" I said, shocked to see him there staring between me and Mr Charles.

"Oh boy! I have a lot of explaining to do," I thought to myself.

PHRASES AND THEIR INTERPRETATIONS

Oluwatumilara - The Lord brought me comfort.

Oluwadamilare - The Lord has justified me.

Ayomide – My joy has come.

Akara and Ogi – Bean cake and a custard like meal except this one comes in different colours (white, brown or yellow).

Abi – a slang meaning right. For example: You are going to the market abi? You are going to the market right?

Ehn – a slang used for the exaggeration of things. For example; I would so beat you ehn.

I think you are beginning to grow wings abi? – I think you are becoming proud/grown up. Anything that relates to a change in behaviour that otherwise are not expected of someone your age, class or status. More like the bird like illustration of having wings and flying.

If I catch this boy today ehn, he will see what I will do to him – when I get a hold of you, you would be dealt with.