The Nnemeka's Mansion
5:00pm

Yobanna

I was once again in my house, sorry my father's house.
I parked my power bike right beside my dad's black Benz, the latest model, the least of his cars.

The compound was extremely large that one could use it as a plantation, I found the large expense of land useless now, once upon a time, it was football field for Mattew and I but now it was just empty and deserted.

Different palm trees welcomed one into the compound, all lined up side by side and then the flowers, whoever was the gardener was doing an excellent work and then the fountains at strategic points in the compound, the view was better at night, with the blast of colors from the flowers, water from the fountain and the light stands that stood beside each palm tree, it was cool.

I took in two deep breaths as I stood before the mahogany door, the strong door that could probably be bulletproof. I took deep breaths to prepare me for whatever I  would see inside, for the words I'll have to utter, the strength I'll have to gain to pass the night in the house without throwing up, without shouting my lungs out. I took two deep breaths and then I pushed the door and closed the door quietly behind me.

I turned around slowly and I saw him, my dad, there he was on the white couch sitting down, sipping wine quietly and doing God knows what on his phone.

The sitting room was just one of the 4 in the multi billion dollar house, it was not an exaggeration when it was called one of Africa's finest homes. From the quality of artifacts hanging on the white walls down to the marble floor to the gold touches at every pillar in the house.

The sitting room reminds me of a dome, crazy roof that took the shape of a dome, gold patterned ceilings and then  I wouldn't want to talk about the lamp holding out at every angle, they looked like lamps with tiny light bulbs, about 100 hang on the ceiling giving it a kind of royal look and i wouldn't want to talk of the spotless white couch, the round center table, the customized TV, the Persian rugs, the large window that give one a nice view, the artifacts that cost millions, my family was wealthy, swimming in money, swimming in wealth, I focused on my dad, he was twirling the content of his  glass, some expensive one I knew but I wasn't interested. I hated the fact that I looked like him,the fact he was called my look alike made me want to wash my skin color,change something about me so I wouldn't be associated with him.

"At least a good evening wouldn't be a bad idea"

I seethed in anger and disgust. I stood there watching him, imagining thousands of ways I could wipe that smirk off his face. I clutched my fist and kept my rage in check, muttering incoherent words to myself, trying to reassure myself that he couldn't make me angry.

I ignored him and was about to climb the stairs to my room when I saw my mum with her young lover leaving an opposite room, she was sweating,she was smiling,she was happy. She was yet to notice my intense glares on her and the light skinned bastard. I stared at her trying to understand her twisted mind.

She finally noticed and her smile was gone,she was trying to put herself in order, trying to wipe the sweat,try to conceal the fact that she had fun with a young nigga while my dad sat in the sitting room,try to conceal the fact that my dad was sick,she was sick,the bastard was sick, infact sickness ran in their blood.

"Yoba..." She tried to call me

"Today was your daughter's visiting day" I paused and took a look at the one time beauty queen

"Don't worry,I know you were busy having fun,she's fine and she's doing well. I see you have a new person, impressive"I said and walked some steps before my dads voice stopped me.

"That's no way to talk to your mother" My dad tried to talk to me and it took me all the will power in the world not to rush down the stairs and bruise his lips,but I took two breaths in, convincing myself that he was irrelevant.

I analysed the nigga standing close to my mum like a fool,he couldn't be anything more than four years older than me,cute just as my mum likes them.

"Yob...." She tried to stop me, probably to tell me she's sorry and her usual nonsense but I ignored her and walked to my room. Once I got into my dark themed room,I pulled the drawer beside my bed and took two pills from my orange container and threw it back into my drawer.

I was tired,tired, frustrated even. I took more breaths to calm my racing heart.

Sometimes I wish things weren't so messed up,that my life wasn't really complicated. I sat at the edge of my bed,and took deep breathe comforting myself in the darkness. Everything about my room was black,I loved black,I had nothing much in my room,thick black curtains,a reading table that had all my novels and comic books,a walk in closet,the only evidence that the room was painted white was the space between the curtains when I draw it up. I had my TV that I rarely watched,sound systems that I always used and a vanity table and mirror. See, nothing special.

I was about to go to the bathroom to have a shower when I caught my reflection on the mirror,I ran my hand on my bushy hair and sighed. I came closer,I came closer to the mirror as though I was being controlled and all I could see was a tired boy,this time no fame,this time it was my mirror telling me the truth, stripping me off all the facade I wore around to see the weakness beneath, I wondered what people would say if they discovered my mum was.... It was such a hard word to say and my dad, he sought for them.

I raked my hand over my hair and held the tears in but I couldn't no matter what I did,I had promised myself that I wouldn't cry but I always failed. I felt my chest contracting,my eyes burning up with the unshed tears and so I cried, I cried like a little child and I was happy the room was sound proof so no one could  hear me wail like a baby,I cried and wondered how my mum turned out like that, what exactly went wrong?

I didn't know how long I cried but I knew I was really tired when i decided to take a bath. I walked into the shower but that was after playing Mayokurns Mama, increasing the volume to the highest.

After my shower,I logged into my WhatsApp and other accounts. The picture I had posted the previous day was still trending, trust tabloids and bloggers to carry irrelevant news and annoying headlines

Check out the picture of Yobanna that nearly broke the internet

Yobanna is no longer human,check out why

Stupid headlines that was just meant to draw terrific to such sites. More celebrities were commenting and people sharing it on their status,on my class group chat, I was the topic,at the beginning,it was all interesting but now I was sick of all excessive love cos I knew the love wasn't totally real.

I checked my friends comment on my picture and replied,I  chuckled when I saw that Precious had commented with only emojis,it was funny because i remembered a time, Precious had stupidly commented "ugly boy",only Precious could explain the tongue lashing and bashing from my fans.

But still this love,it was cool but i didn't know why I still felt, empty and tired. I checked my song list and clicked on Che Che by Mayokurn. The nigga was the real Goat,no one could convince me otherwise. I turned the volume higher and rested my head on my pillow.

***
Selena crib
6:00pm

Selena

I was engrossed reading Potter's wheel for the third time that I didn't notice that my step mum was back.

"Where is that useless girl called Munachi?" She shouted and I could swear the the floor of the store vibrated as she came closer.

I was already on my feet before she threw the door open and before I could process my words,a hot slap landed on my cheeks.

Nothing could ever make me prepared to receive slaps from her, despite the fact I was always receiving them for the past 6 years of my life,the stinging effect was still the same, the pain and the staggering.

I slowly raised my head slowly to face her,the light skin woman with her face scrunched up in disgust.

"So you were waiting for me to come and collect the things I bought from the market?"She asked

" Mumm..."I tried to reason but she cut me short

" Who is your mother,wait,do I look like that fool of your mother, that whore"

And nothing could ever make me get used to the insults she hurled on my mother.

"My friend get out of here this instance and find something reasonable to do with your life"She shouted,I was about scampering away but she didn't allow me go so soon,she draw my right ear till I was sure she was ready to pull it off,it was painful and tears rolled down from my eyes trying hard not to shout too loudly.

"Foolish girl" She insulted and I wiped the small tears on my cheek. My ears hurt me badly and I was really tired. I quickly started washing the vegetables she bought from the market and then the bastard,the devil's spawn came again and I felt his hand this time on my breast.

I turned around swiftly, angry but he knew I was defenseless. He smirked at me,I hated his sight,I wished him nothing but suffering but no word left my mouth as I stared at the boy,the foolish light skinned boy,the lanky bastard that took his mother's facial looks and character.

"You should allow me touch you oh,you don't even have breast and you are making noise, don't you know touching your breast helps it to become bigger" the words rolled off his big mouth,his slacked smelly mouth that I wished I could brush against the rough wall of the kitchen,make sure he bled to death but I only stared.

When had the whole thing started? Probably two months back,the first time CJ tried it,for that was what the bastard was called,I reported to my stepmother and you know what she said?

"What would my son be looking for on your dry body?" And then she slapped me and designed my body with belt marks and warned me to never lie again and that made him confident, confident to come again and again.

"Stop bothering her CJ"

I turned around to see Kim at the door,my step sister, Kim. CJ smirked and walked away through the back door.

Kim was tall,lighter with what was referred to as many as cat eyes and then she just had to have really long lashes and thick brows. She wasn't thin at all and she had a long hair which she didn't like plaiting, she was either tying it in a bun or packing itvarious styles,we were agemates though she was older with about 5 months.

If there was one person who was nice to me in the house then it was Kim,sometimes she acted so detached from the family. I wouldn't blame her entirely,her family members were mad and then she was working part time at a salon too and wonder where she went to on Fridays in really big clothes and a small bag.

"I wouldn't stand there looking in the space if I were you. Cut the vegetables and let me wash the plate"She brought me back to my reverie.

" Thank you"

She didn't respond,I turned around chopping the vegetables while I heard the cluttering of plates in the bowl.

***
Any thoughts on Yobanna's home? Selena?
I'm just introducing everyone for now, trying to make you see how messed up their homes are but trust me,we just started this book and I have loads of things to do before leaving this book.