Dare's POV:

"Mama! "He called out as he stepped into the house. His family home has transformed over the years but that warm, wholesome ambiance was always there.

What's interesting is that he has actually spent more time away, living in different countries with his Mum but these walls will always be his roots....his safe haven....no shade to his apartment in London or his tear rubber house in Lagos.

His favorite memories are from when he was 11. His mother was posted in New Zealand and he had to move back to Nigeria for boarding school because his parents wanted him to experience 'the streets'. Actually it was his mother's idea his father didn't see the point which is why it was very easy for him to convince his old man let him come home during the weekends, sometimes his father even drove all the way to pick him up himself on Fridays.

His Mum was very mad when she found out he was a partial boarder but those were the years he bonded with his Dad plus his father thought him more life lessons than boarding school ever did.

He went straight through the kitchen to the back yard, he knew his Mum was in her favorite place; her vegetable garden. She has been farming vegetables since they moved back to Nigeria permanently. She said she was inspired by Oprah Winfrey's garden.

It was easy for her to pull off because they had a lot of spare land on the property. When his father bought the land, Asokoro was still a bush and Abuja was not yet the capital. His father actually got the extra acreage for farming but he never had the time to farm there. One time he tried rabbit farming but he just couldn't keep up, he was too busy all through his career and sadly he died the year he was supposed to retire.

He saw his Mum crouched beside a patch of bell pepper, the bowl she was collecting them in was already full but it looked like she was taking out some overgrown weeds.

Hmm someone that just returned from Ghana last night, she has so much energy for a 55 year old. He thought to himself.

A smile formed on her face when he snuck up on her.

"You've abandoned your mother ehhn?" She smiled without looking up at him.

"Is that even possible?" He helped her up and wrapped her in a hug "I thought you were still in Accra"

The last time they spoke she WAS in Accra because she has been consulting for the Ghanaian Government too on some Agricultural trade deal. He was surprised when she called him last night to say she was back and she knew he was in Abuja. Lol.

"Still, you should have informed me you were coming to town" She jabbed his chest playfully.

"I don't want to stress you now" He smiled.

She laughed at his silly excuse. "You are something else"

He picked up the bowl of fresh bell pepper and they walked back to the Kitchen.

They caught up a little while she supervised the cook carefully, she was frying Akara. They talked about his job, her consulting, and politics. Unfortunately for him his Aunt showed up that morning too, the one he has been avoiding because her matchmaking ways.

"Dare! God has brought you for me today" She started screaming from the foyer as she stormed in and he face palmed. He knew he was in trouble!

"Good morning my lovely, favorite, bestest Auntie" He cajoled her then hugged her too "You are looking gorgeous today, are you ageing backwards?"

"Save all that washing for your girlfriends! You've been running away from me eh?" She glared him "You don't return my calls or respond to my watsapp messages"

"Aunty Hannah, I swear its work" He said then chuckled when he remembered that he actually blocked her on watsapp lol.

Aunty Hannah is his mother's half-sister but they are same age so they are very close. They're like twins, she has stayed with them for at least a month or more in every single country they've lived in. She is like his second Mum.

"It's always work with you, when you were in London you blamed it on your 'demanding' job, now you're back home and you are a CEO right? So I expect you to have more control over your time yet you are still saying it is work. I am starting to think it's just you." She snapped.

"Okay, I'm here now, I am all yours, let's talk Auntie" he pulled out a kitchen stool for her and took one opposite her beside his Mum.

She slammed her huge designer bag on the counter and went straight to business. "Good! So, I have 3 responsible, top quality, beautiful ladies on ground as we speak, all from good families" She bragged "come and see their pictures" She said as she opened Facebook on her phone. Lol.

"Wow! They are all beautiful, this one is the finest" He picked one at random just to show some appreciation for her effort.

"Exactly! She is my pick too! " Her eyes lit up in excitement "Her name is Jemimah, she is a Law student in the US but she is graduating next year, I know you're a big man so the distance won't be a problem. I was with her Mother last night and I am telling you......." She continued babbling on about how amazing the Lady is and he started regretting why he engaged her in this gist.

Suddenly she paused and grabbed his arm "You know what? let me invite her to come and meet me here this Afternoon" She started dialing a number and he collected her phone real quick.

"Aunty no, no, no I am heading back to Lagos in a couple of hours, my flight is 4pm" He stood up.

"Will you keep quiet! What flight? Cancel that flight, you must meet one of these beautiful jewels today, give me my phone!" She started chasing him round the counter.

"Please Auntie, I am begging you" he laughed as he returned her phone, but he knew she was serious.

"Before we know it, he will start dating those Lagos girls. Don't bring a Lagos girl home for us o" She warned him sternly "I don't even care about the tribe, just....don't bring any Lagos girl"

"Ahn ahn auntie, what did they do to you?" He giggled.

"I know them, I worked in Lagos for 3 years back in the 90s, they are awful, they are dishonest, they are materialistic, the only thing they care about is fashion, money, money, money" She said scornfully. Dare just smiled because it is amusing that a birkin bag collector like her is saying that.

"They are not that bad there are some good ones" He objected.

"Blood of jesus!..... He is dating one already," His Aunt clutched her chest dramatically then threw her hands on her head. "We are finished sister Lia!"

His mum was just smiling at their bantering as she scanned through a newspaper, unbothered.

"No, I don't have a girlfriend at the moment. But I know some decent and incredible Lagos girls....Ladies, I have some amazing female friends and colleagues"

"Colleagues?" His mother pitched in this time, she even put down the newspaper. She has been quiet since his Aunt started dragging him but the mention of 'colleague' seemed to pique her interest, he quickly turned to her direction and he saw that she was smiling at him mischievously.

Wait a minute, what did the minister tell her? These women can do amebo for Africa! Or was it the Driver?

But she is just his colleague nah lol, no one even knows he likes her, he has not even admitted it to himself that he likes her like that. Is he so obvious when he is around her? Does it show to everyone else that he likes her?

"Yes Mum, COLLEAGUES" he stressed the word. But he knew she had already caught on because he was flustered and she nodded satisfactorily as she observed his odd reaction.

He knows his mother is interested in his dating life but she always acts like she's not. She doesn't pester him too much and she is definitely not the type that to have strong opinions about his partner, she is very liberal and open minded.

She would support him even if he says he is marrying a tree right now but he low key cares about her approval. He loves his mother more than anything in the world and he wants to make her happy at every chance he gets because she has been through so much. And she has been depressed since his father died. His father was her soul mate and her best friend.

His father on his dying bed said to him without mincing his words 'TAKE CARE OF MY WIFE' those words still echo in his head.

His Mum was quite strict with him growing up but she still let him do whatever he wanted, in the end. In fact sometimes he thinks his mother is liberal to a fault especially with his little sister Diana.

The girl has been wilding all over the place, she is just turned 18 but the rate at which she is going scares him. He created an instagram account to monitor her activities and all her posts are from wild parties, random cross-country road trips with her friends, dance-cover videos or tik tok challenges like wtf she is supposed to be in Pre-med.

During his early days in medical school, he didn't even have time to sleep or watch TV. She is the one Aunty Hannah should be worried about because he won't be surprised if she says she wants to be an instagram influencer tomorrow lol.

When the cook finished serving the breakfast they made him say the grace and they ate. The Akara was fire he didn't even regret branching home anymore just that he had to find a way to wriggle out of his Aunty's hold.

After the brunch he strolled to his father's gravestone with his Mum which was just a couple of blocks away from the house.

"I miss him" He sighed and Mum squeezed his hand. He still wasn't used to not having him around. He was just 66, they had plans ffs!, he didn't get to do all the things he said he'd do after retirement. What breaks his heart is won't get to see Diana graduate or even walk her down the aisle. He is not going to meet his own Children...that is if he settles down o.

Six years have passed since they lost him but Dare was still yet to wrap his head around this new reality.

"Your sister said she is coming home next month for spring break" His Mother said as they walked back to the house.

"That is strange, is she broke?" he said and the two of them laughed.

"I hope you've been attending CDS?" She queried him as he prepared to leave for the Airport in the afternoon "There is so much opportunity there to reach out directly to underserved communities" She was the one that actually registered him for the NYSC.... against his wishes.

He nodded. Well, thankfully he has been attending the CDS because of Sofi. He could have just 'sorted' his way through it but she signed an undertaking for him....... plus he low key wants to impress her.

He promised to find time for Aunty Hanna's blind dates before she finally let him off the hook.

As he entered the car she warned him not to eat any 'Lagos girl's food'.

"They are very dangerous" She reiterated while everyone laughed.

Too late Aunty, I have entered one chance already. He smiled to himself as the driver drove out of the gate.

A/N: guysss i had writer's block last weekend but i am back, next chapter tomorrow 😏

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