#FewWords
Don’t try to live up to other people's expectations. Don’t go through life making decisions based on other people’s desires. Remember, they don’t have to live with the results of those choices. You do! Take control of your life. Do your best and make the Almighty your priority!

RECAP
Few seconds and we both finished eating, Malam Dauda cleared the table while I went to my dad's cabinet, I wonder what he's gonna say to me.

I knocked lightly and said Salam, he answered and said "come in" in a really calm voice that emits Authority.

I walked in and he said "sit" he didn't even raise his head from the papers he was working on.

Chapter Nine
Nasir's POV
I sat down on a couch directly across him, I rested my head and looked at him, he was still trying to get something wrapped up, he raised his eyebrow at something he was reading, he continued cross checking I think, for about 5 minutes while I sat down quietly.

He cleared his throat and dropped the file on a coffee table in the middle of three couches.

"Nasir, why did you have to fight with your classmate because of a girl, a girl?" He said in a questioning manner.

I didn't say anything, I looked at the window, the curtain was lightly swaying like a professional slow dancer. I wasn't going to answer his question, I know his mentality.

"I am talking to you, I asked you a question" he said with his teeth gritted and with a seriously quiet tone.

"What exactly do you mean by just a girl?  I asked him "I've already told you what transpired between us, I told you every detail if I'm not wrong, in the presence of Mr Macaulay and that friend or whatever of yours" I added

"You are my only child but you have always being a pain in the neck, the main reason why I sent you out of the country, you always interfere in what does not concern you, you've always done that" he shouted, he was already on his feet, I didn't say anything, I calmly sat up on the couch.

"You did what you have done to me and I don't really care, but as far as I'm concerned I'll always stand up for the truth, against anyone, anyone..." I said while moving a little on the couch.

"...even you, dad" I added.
"I brought you back because of your mother, I wouldn't have if left to me, I've given up on you Nasir, when you were a kid, I always wanted you to take over the business, I wanted that but because you are so stubborn and just...I don't even know what to call you, you went ahead and made Medicine and Surgery your focus, who do you think will take over the business?" He asked me while pouring water into the glass cup, he took few sips and walked to his bed, he sat down on the bed.

He always showed little support to me, although we never really went along, he never really cared about me choosing a medical course, mum always showed support for the fact that we were not even in the same country. I was shocked, he never really was happy about it? He didn't tell me. Shock was clear on my face.

"You are shocked, right?" He asked with a smile curling up his lips.

"How will I, Muhammad Shehu allow my son to study medicine? I always wanted you to go to Business School but because you and your mother are birds of the same feather, she managed to convince me to allow you study medicine and surgery, she actually made me make her a promise, if not..."

"You would have long before now forced me to Business School, right?" I asked him

He looked at me almost boiling with anger, he was angry I cut him off.

"Leave. my. room" he said between his teeth

I stood up and was walking to the door, halfway I stopped and looked back.

"Dad, I know you called me here to warn me never to put the reputation of your business at stake, I know you only care about your business but know that "the next time that woman, who's your friend and business partner's son messes up, I'll deal with him and I don't care about the media" I said and briskly walked out of my room.

I'm sure he's so pissed off right now, I walked to my room, I'm so tired.

I switched on the Bulb and saw my mother sitting on the couch.  "Mmuuummmmm, you scared me" I said, I was actually frightened, a little though

"Really?" She said with a smile, she placed her hand beside her as a sign gesturing me to come sit.

"You are tired, aren't you?" She asked

"I'm tired mom" I answered her.

She kept quiet for few seconds, it seems she had something to say but she didn't know how she'd go about it.

"You have something to say mum?" I asked her while stretching my legs on the coffee table.

"I heard what happened today and..."she began

"Mum, please, dad has done his part of telling me to stay away from..." I was still talking when she said "I'm proud of you my son, I'm proud of you for defending that girl"

I smiled at her, while she put her hand on my head and slowly brought my head to her lap, I rested my head, it wasn't comfortable at first but I became comfortable after a few minutes, after all she is my mother and the love of a mother can never be compared to any other love, at least I haven't given up on a mother's love, Thanks to my mother.

Islam mentions the mother thrice and the father once, I can't really remember how exactly the words are in the Hadith but it's something along these lines. I'm sure other religions must also have something similar to this.

She was actually humming and massaging my head.

Jackson's POV
Dddmmmpppp, I felt something sharp, I slowly opened my eyes and I saw myself on the floor, dang it, I fell from the bed, I checked the time and it's already 6am.

"The night isn't even enough for me" I complained while walking to the bathroom.

Few minutes and I've already finished, I wore a black pants with an off white shirt, I immediately arranged all my books and all I needed inside my backpack, I looked around searching for my phone, "ooohhh, there it is" it was on the small table beside my bed. I was quickly walking downstairs when I laid my eyes on my neatly polished box on the dress mirror. I felt a pinch in my heart but I'm already used to it that way, the box has always being there, in it were a couple of letters, birthday gifts and other ceremonies gifts, a lotta gifts.

I opened my drawer to pick a wristwatch, I love wristwatches, when my mum was alive, she always buys me wristwatches anytime she shops, my elder brother too and that made me  have a massive collection of wristwatches.

My mum died 5 years ago, I was just 12 then, my brother, Alex was 21. He was in his third year in school, studying Petroleum Engineering. It was a devastating time for our family but everything worsened when my dad left us, he just disappeared into thin air, leaving an A4 size paper with a few words telling us not to look for him, he left all of my mum's property documents and half of his own, he told us to take care of ourselves.

Few weeks after my mum's death, my dad made things worse for us, he withdrew himself and blamed us for my mum's death. My mum had an accident, she was going to pick Alex from the Airport, he was coming back for holidays, it was end of the year.

My dad warned her not to go, he never wanted her to go but she insisted on going, reason was she wanted to stop at the grocery store. Little me supported her, if I had known, I wouldn't have.

I went with her to the airport, we picked up Alex and on our way back, we had an accident. My mum couldn't make it. Alex and I just had few scratches, my mum hit her head, really hard.

We had to go for counseling and our church members really helped the both of us, we were both depressed and  were already lacking behind in studies but thanks to my school and church for helping us.

"Jackson, won't you come down, I always have to call you for the morning prayers" my brother called

"On my wayyy bro"I called out to him.

I walked to the door and checked if anything wasn't in place or I dropped something.

I walked downstairs at a moderate pace, jumping two stairs at once.

It was 10 minutes to 7am.

"Good morning bro" I greeted Alex.
We hardly call each other with our names, we call each other Bro, he only calls me with my name on few occasions, maybe out of the house or so. We are really close, my mother's death and sudden disappearance of my father brought us really close. We found comfort in each other. Alex talks a lot, just like me. He had to be transferred into the country for the remaining two years of his studies, Alex was in 300lvl when my mum died. My parents planned he'd study petroleum engineering while they both rest but we plan and God plans.

He works at my dad's Petroleum Engineering company, the last time I checked, he had a project he was working on. Before his graduation, my mum's cash was used to buy Estates while the houses were left as they were. My dad's property was handled by the board when my brother hasn't graduated, immediately after his graduation, he signed in as the CEO, he had a really honest board, they were my dad's employees, we had pretty cool money, I never lacked anything.

"Good morning lil bro" he answered while kneeling down to pray.

I joined and we had a short prayer.

"Breakfast is ready sons" Stephanie, an old woman that has being working for us for years, I was so little when she was employed to take care of me.

"Ok ma" I said while walking to the table.

"How's school?" Alex asked

"School is great, I have a new friend, you know that..." That was how I told him all about Nasir, his dad, what we've done together.

"That's a lot son" he always calls me son when he wants to joke for few minutes.

I looked at him, smiled and shook my head.

"Yeahh, accept it, you are my son and your name is Jackson, S-O-N accept it please" he said while chewing a piece of pancake.

"You are horrible at giving nicknames" I said and we both laughed.

"I told you about the company having few problems, right?" He asked me

I can remember he said things weren't as smooth as they used to be in the company, he suspected corruption somewhere.

"I remember" I said while picking another pancake.

"It was one of the board members, he was..." He told me all about what happened, he was one of dad's employees.

"You didn't sack him, did you?" I asked

He always gives second chances when he was cheated.

"I didn't, I just warned him and told him I needed a change in things in less than 2 months, if there were no changes, his job will suffer, you know that his family..." He went on telling me he won't get employed early cos of his age and his family will suffer for his mistake.

"We hardly ever sack our employees easily, so if I sack him, he might even end up not getting employed" he added

"Well, I'm going, have a nice day bro" I stood up and walked to the door.

I turned to Stephanie and said "don't forget to call the laundry man please"

"Ok son" she said with a smile on her lips.
                     
                       **************
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