April smiles out while she walks into the class with Light, she couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy. She could literally hug anybody with the way she was feeling.

   The feeling of achieving her first goal successfully, since she got into Hallel college made her believe in herself.

"What was your average?" Light asks going through his score sheet.

"97.8" April responds with a smile. "Imagine, further maths teacher, didn't even dash me at least one mark for the test I missed." April jokes. That wasn't her issue, she was just trying to make a joke out of it.

"Congratulations to you on emerging with the overall highest score of SS2," Light says with a smile, making April laugh. He was been too dramatic.

"Thank you." She smiles.

"Na who gets Ss2? Science. Arts beg make una go cry. (Who has SS2? Science. Arts you guys should go and cry)" Gideon says in a mock tone.

  April couldn't help but smile. She could hear some Arts students give Gideon on a comeback. It was no news there was a big competition going on between Arts and Science class. Hallel college had its method. Each class had there top three students. But they always calculated their overalls, adding the top three's and checking out the best, then they will announce the overalls for both classes.

This time around Science class had four candidates which made the top 3 due to their average. they also made the top 3 generally.

"Every day is not Christmas!" Efe backs Gideon up, making most of them plus some Art students laugh to their heart contempt.

"You people should go and sit down," Excel says mockingly.

"Help me hold this." Light says to April while he hands her his result sheet and picks up his school bag. Meanwhile, April starts looking around, until her eyes land on someone mistakenly. The awkward part of it was the part the person had been staring at her a long.

    Wendy doesn't try to look away when there eyes meet. She stares at April like she was trying to decipher something for a while before finally looking away.

         ______________________________🖊

  April pulls her box along happily while she heads to the reception. Science and Nancy had left long ago. She was sure Light hadn't left yet because she saw Flourish on her way. She was sure he was still in the hostel.

  They had said their goodbyes, there was nothing left again. She smiles thinking of how time flew. She could remember the first day she arrived because it was so fresh in her memory. They had already rounded up the first time.

  Immediately she gets into the reception hall, she drops her box, looking around. She was told someone had come for her by the matron. Looking around for her mother her eyeslands on someone. Just immediately the person sights her too. She hastens her steps while she pulls her box along with her.

"Sister Wunmi!" She calls out calmly, obviously, surprised. Because she was expecting her mother. She noticed how pale Wunmi looked, even though she tried her best to cover it with a smile. She knew her sister well enough. Being away for a while wasn't capable of wiping off her memory.

"April," Wunmi calls out with a small smile, while she stretches her hand to help her with her box.

"This school is something, I have been staring since I got in!" Wunmi comments, although she was smiling, something didn't seem right.

"Yes oh. " April smiles. "Why didn't mummy come to get me?" She finally asked what had been going through her mind.

"She isn't feeling too well. So she asked me to come to pick you up." Wunmi says. "It's nothing serious, don't worry," Wunmi says in a calm tone. April studies her closely before nodding her head.

"Did they release your results?" Wunmi suddenly asks, the excites April. Who suddenly smiles.

"I came the overall best in SS2!" April announces excitedly. Meanwhile, Wunmi smiles too.

"Wow, congrats. You are your sister's sister!" Wunmi jokes. Making April laugh.

"Really? Don't know what that is!" April says dramatically.

           ______________________________🖊

"Mummy, good afternoon." April greets her immediately after she gets into the house.

"How are you?" Mrs. Kuti who was obviously laying on the chair tries to sit up. April noticed how pale her mum looked, she looked like a shadow of herself.

"I'm fine. Mumm,y how is your health?" April asks while she moves closer to her mum, meanwhile, Wunmi walks in carrying her box.

"Getting better." Mrs. Kuti says, April noticed how difficult it was for her to
talk. "Wunmi go to Mama Chisom and take bread for April to eat. Tell her I will pay when I make sales tomorrow." Mrs. Kuti says. Meanwhile, April picks her box up and starts dragging it into the other room. But not before handing Mrs. Kuti her results. She could see her mum's face lit up, which made her extremely happy.

          ______________________________🖊
            
"Jayjay!" Nike calls out while she peeps into Jordan's room. That was a habit of hers. She preferred peeping into the room, then walking in like a normal human being.

"Nike," Jordan calls out with a raised eyebrow.

"Dad said everyone should get down," Nike says smiling.

"Dad is back?" Jordan asks like he was talking more to himself because it was unlike him, he only came home during festivals or important functions.

"No, he is front!" Nike chides and runs off, meanwhile, Jordan gets up almost immediately and puts on his slippers.
Before heading downstairs.

           ______________________________🖊

    Ibinabor joins the table without uttering a word. She was already used to the awkward silence at home. Seeing them during functions, get together's, you would think they were one big happy family, you would even wish to be like them, but you wouldn't be able to tell it's just a facade.

"The Adenuga's has invited us for a family get-togetherr before Christmas." Mr. Anete breaks the silence. Meanwhile, Ibinabor who was busy dishing up food pauses.

"Date." Mrs. Anete asks her husband, with a tone that seemed like she wasn't interested in whatever he husband was on about.

"24th!" Mr Anete responds.

"Isn't it the same date we will be having a family reunion!" Gillian who looked obviously curious says. Meanwhile, Ibinabor stops eating because she was right. They had this thing they always did, every Christmas which has turned into a tradition. The Anete family came together to dine, every 24th of December.

"The time range is different, besides I couldn't say no to Mr. Adenuga." Mr. Anete says. "And we also have a business discussion."

"I will get ready for it then. Just transfer some money for the kids to get new outfits. I don't want your sister Monica trying to intimidate everyone." Mr. Anete spits out with venom.

"Boma. Will you stop that? My sister means no harm." Mr. Anete says. Ibinabor who knew that this was going to lead to a heated argument. Stylishly plugs her ear pod. She takes a deep breath when she succeeds.

"Boma, I don't want to have this conversation with you."

          ______________________________🖊
 
  "Here he is!" Mrs. Adenuga says immediately she sights Jordan who approaches them, he was clad in a Jordan.

"Good morning. Mum and Dad!" Jordan greets politely. He smiles when he sights his elder brother. Wondering the magic his dad used in forcing Dayo back home. To be candid, it wasn't an easy task.

  There is a saying, in a family, there must be an abnormal child, the child who will be different from others. Stubborn, notorious, you can name it. Dayo was that child, he only did what he felt like doing, no matter what you say to him.   

"How is Jay!" Mr. Adebayo calls out with his deep rich voice.

"I'm a fine daddy!" Jordan replies while he joins them.

He watches one of the ways pour him the freshly squeezed orange juice, while the other served him, his mean.

"The Anete's will be joining us for dinner on 24th!" Mr. Adebayo breaks the news, Jordan knew there was more to the family breakfast because it was unusual. Their dad hardly ate with them, even when he was back home, due to the fact he was always busy with work in his study. Mr. Adebayo was a core workaholic. Sometimes Jordan wondered how his mum could cope with such a man for twenty-three years.

"I will begin the preparations." Mrs. Adenuga responds while she picks up her glass of water. Meanwhile, Mr. Adenuga clears his throat, they all knew what that meant. Everyone follows his eye's direction, only to land on Dayo, who surprisingly was busy with his meal.

"The Chuku's, unfortunately, won't be joining us!" Jordan could swear he saw Dayo's smile, which was covered up almost immediately. "That doesn't mean you should showcase your stupidity in front of The Anete's" Mr Adenuga spits out without consideration.

"Honey!" Mrs. Adenuga calls out calmly.

"Mummy. You promised to get either brother Dayo or Jayjay to join me in the fare!" Nike suddenly says.

"There is no way I am taking a thirteen-year-old to a fair!" Dayo bluntly says.

"Nike. Honestly,y there are things you have outgrown!" Fisayo turns to her sister.

"She thinks she is still a baby!" Dayo mocks.

"If you both don't want to take her, why taunt her with her." Mrs. Adenuga glares. "Jordan, will you please go with her." Mrs. Adenuga says, making Jordan turn to her with an obvious look of disbelief.

"Mum!" Jordan calls out.

"For me!" Mrs. Adenuga says trying to use emotional blackmail on Jordan because she knew he must for fall it.

"Mum, you know you can't get me with that." Dayo laughs. Meanwhile, Mr. Adenuga who seemed to be down with his meal gets up almost immediately. If there was someone who took after him, it was Jordan. Because he was a man of few words.

"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you." Mrs. Adenuga attacks.

           ______________________________🖊

   Staring at her mum almost dying in her presence, April couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

The funny part of it was, she didn't know what was wrong with her, to top it up, they had no single penny for drugs, and seeing her mum dying in front of her broke her. Wunmi had gone out to hustle for some little money.

The little sickness as Wunmi called it, had really escalated. And there was nothing they could do.

  They had even turned to their mother's relative in the village because they had no other choice. Mrs. Kuti's parents died when she was young. She had few relatives which weren't really distant. One of them had promised to come to pick her up, the next day. April silently prayed everything will be back to normal again.

1827 WORDS🌹

THE BETRAYAL SER🌹ES