Let me start by saying I cannot believe this book has 40k reads. No, seriously, I feel like I'm dreaming or something..and then maybe soon, someone will wake me up and I'll realise 'Those Little Things' is actually still at 15 reads or something. No no don't laugh, I'm serious 😂😂

I just can't believe this book has gone this far. I didn't even expect much attention when I started. I mean, yeah, I was like one day it'll get out there, but starting from the day I published the first chapter of this book, the growth has been mind blowing. You guys are so supportive and lovely. Your votes, comments, they give me life!!! I love you guys scatter!!!

SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!

Song for this Chapter; All for Us by Zendaya and Labrynth......🍸🍸

                               
                               ~IVANDOR~

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute."

That was the last thing I said before I hung the phone up on my mum that evening.

I let out all my breath in one sigh. I didn't even realise I was holding my breath the entire period I was on the phone with her.

"What's wrong?" Giwa asked me, looking up at me with concerned eyes.

She sat with me on one of the round tables in S.U Cafe, and before my mum called, this was supposed to be our personal hang out time.

"What's wrong?" She asked again, sitting up worriedly as she awaited my response.

"My mum called..," I told her.

"Is it about the job issue?" She asked me.

I shook my head to indicate 'no'. We just had a full on conversation about the job I was thinking of getting to help the family.

"What's the problem?" Giwa's anxiety was rising now.

My stomach knotted painfully as I prepared myself to answer. "She wants me to come with Sharon....so we can visit my dad in prison. She's already waiting there."

Her face dropped and slowly, her mouth formed an 'oh'. She didn't know what to say, I figured, however, I could tell her heart was breaking.

I stood up first from the seat I was on, gesturing a free hand to her. "Let's take you home."

Taking my hand, she suggested, "Let me come with you."

The way she asked it... like it was so necessary.

"You really don't have to." I told her, disagreeing to the idea.

"I want to." She insisted, and I could tell she meant it. Even if I refused, she'd press on still. With the sober look on her face, It became clear to me that this was affecting her too. My issues were also affecting her.

I didn't want that happening. This was what I tried to avoid from the beginning. The last thing I wanted was to pull Giwa into my family mess.

"Let me come with you," she sounded desperate, her eyes looking intently into mine, not even minding for a second that eyes of strangers in the cafe were turning their focus on both of us.

I had no choice. I had to let her come with. Giwa didn't waste time informing her mother and walking with me out of the Cafe.

We got into the Honda car I came here with -my mum's car- and I could tell Giwa knew it wasn't mine because of the way she looked around, probably noticing all the differences between my car and this one.

It was Giwa's quality to be attentive to the inanimate part of a surrounding. Infact, she paid more attention to her that, than the people around.

Another thing about the girl was her ability to mask her self. Ofcourse, that wasn't a new one. An instance; this morning in school, she was at loggerheads with Ss2 girls...I heard she handled the entire set mercilessly just because of one girl who disrespected Hassana...

But now, that same seemingly ruthless girl going to visit a man in jail...

Not only was she brutally supportive of her friends and the people she cared about in general, she also made their problems her own problems too.

God knows I love this girl.

Giwa Falade.

I love her to a fault. I love her so much that it almost hurts. Every little thing about her...and I don't care how long it takes for her to accept herself..her true self.. I don't care how long I have to wait for that.

We made a quick stop at Krisdana's place. She was at home now with her brother..and Sharon as well. I had dropped Sharon there when I was leaving with Giwa.

Giwa insisted she'd wait the car because the dogs in Krisdana's house traumatized her the last time, and it was just me going in to get Sharon.

It didn't take too long to get Sharon down, and after a quick smile from Giwa to my little sister, we started on our way.

The whole drive was silent all the way. The air suddenly felt unbreathable as reality hit me once again.

My dad was still in jail, it reminded me.

That broke my heart to pieces. I know he had made mistakes and once upon a time I hated him for it. Hated him for putting the family through so much. One may say he deserved what he got, right?

But, he is just a man after all. Human beings make mistakes. Little mistakes, big ones. And this man isn't just any human..he is my father. I can't hate him, no matter what, and thinking about the fact that he would most likely never come back to us again destroyed me completely.

I swallowed the painful lump that was forming in my throat and tried to tone down the hurt in my heart. I just wished things went differently for this family.

So many things were on my mind as I drove, and I found it hard paying attention to anything around me. Although, I noticed Giwa occasionally looking at me and Sharon, a lot quieter than usual.

I didn't want to cry in frony of them. As much as the tears were thregtening to spill any moment, I knew I had to be strong. If I break down, then what do I expect these girls to do then?

When we reached the prison building, my breath hitched for a moment.

I hated being here.

This was the third time being here and yet everything about it still sickened me.

The grey colored walls of the large prison building always caused me nausea, and every time I see that gauzed fence around the building, it completely destroys me to even think about my father being locked up in one of the cells in there.

As we drove in, my eyes got blurry with tears.

Don't do this, I said to myself.

I had been strong till this point, I can't mess it up now.

That was my intention initially, but as soon as I parked the car, a tear drop went down my face.

I quickly sniffed and wiped it off with the back of my hands to avoid Giwa or Sharon noticing.

"Iva_,"

"We're here." I cut Giwa off immediately.

Ofcourse she saw me wipe my tear, and that was exactly what I didn't want.

I couldn't even want to look at her this way. Instead I focused all my energy and fighting away these threghtning tears.

All of a sudden, Sharon at the back seat who was quiet the entire time let out blood stilling scream that scared the fuck out of Giwa and I.

"I don't like this place!" She shrieked, screaming her words and pressing her hands to her ears in pain. In seconds, she was crying like a baby.

I cussed bitterly and found myself rushing to the back seat to comfort my sister before she had another athsma attack.

"Sharon, it's okay." I hugged her tightly as she cried on me, squeezing my clothes like she was in physical pain. She cried so much that I got scared about her health. Bringing her here was always so difficult. Against my will, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. All of a sudden, I couldn't find that strong person in me anymore.

I felt hands around my body from behind, and I figured it was Giwa. She was hugging me from behind too, in an attempt to calm me down. To calm both of us down.

When we got into the reception of the building, I felt that gut twisting feeling over again.

"Stay here with Sharon," I told Giwa and she obliged. While I walked to the reception counters where some officers gathered, Giwa and Sharon went to sit on the reception bench.

"Good evening..," I greeted the officers, but before I had the chance to say more than that, I saw my mother walking in through that doorway that led to the rest of the building.

""He wants to see you, Ivan."

I looked away from the officers and to my mother whose voice I just heard.

She stood by a middle aged officer, hugging her body. I could see how drained she was through the tired look in her eyes.

"Your dad wants to have a word with you privately." Mum said. Her voice was soft. Tired, really.

I had been waiting to hear my mum say that again.

Dad had always wanted to talk to me, but I never gave him the time of the day. I never had the chance to have that talk with him before he got into jail. The two times we visited, I silently wished for that private talk. All the time, a part of me regretted wasting the time I had with him in the past, hating on him.

"Okay," I replied softly, and the stone faced officer by her side led the way

He walked in front of me, not saying a thing, as he led me to the visitor's prison booth. I felt like shit. My heart hurt so much, it felt like the pain was physical.

I paid attention to nothing else and only got aware of my surrounding when I got to the booth.

I saw him..my father.

He sat there at the other side of the transparent glass. Seeing him in that usual prison uniform broke me. The man looked at me with sad eyes.

Everytime we came here, he looked worse than the last..he looked slimmer... like he was suffering badly...

Only one thing always remained unchanged. The fact that he looked exactly like me...or I looked like him, rather. Our resemblance was uncanny. We shared the exact same facial features.

"Sit down." The officer's voice snapped me to earth. A bit of hostility was laced in it.

I sat. Without glancing the officer's way, I picked up the telephone that connected to the booth.

Dad picked up his' too, his eyes never leaving mine.

"How are you, son?" His voice sounded in my telephone.

I nodded. "I'm fine, dad."

"And how is everyone doing at home?" He asked again.

"I don't know..," My reply was almost a whisper. "Not so good."

He was quiet for some time. A few seconds, actually. Like the guilt and regret that tormented him everyday was washing over him all over again.

"Is it true?" I asked him. "What they're saying about you and dealing with drugs..Is all that true?"

His answer took a while to come. Eventually, all he said was, "Yes."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and suppressed the anger and resentment I once felt for him that was thregtening it's return.

"Son, I messed up big time." He breathed into his telephone, he really sounded remorseful.

I looked away from him, my head going down as my heart ached so painfully. "Yeah, you did."

I didn't mask the truth for him. I just said it the way it was. He really did mess up. Things could have gone differently.

"I wish there was a way I could undo the things I did in the past..but..," his voice broke there, and the lump in my throat would have probably choked me if I didn't push it down.

" It's already late for that now." He said, his tone heartbreakingly regretful.

The telephone was still close to my ears. I said nothing and my eyes blurred with hot tears.

"Son, I..," his voice trailed off and that was it. I lost every self control and strength I had in me and the tears poured out uncontrollably.

My dad stayed quiet as he probably watched me crying. His heart probably breaking into a million pieces as he watched his son break down in front of him.

"I failed as a father..," he finally spoke, his voice a broken whisper.

My whole body quaked as tears spilled out of my eyes. No matter how much I tried to control myself, this was beyond my control. I tried to keep it together by balling my shaky hands into fists. That failed woefully. I was a crying mess.

"I failed as a father to you and Sharon and I failed as a husband to Barni." Dad continued, I could also hear the weakness in his voice as he spoke, like he was close to tears also

"Dad, stop..," I barely breathed, my voice breaking with each word. I sounded like a broken flute. It was so hard to even let out those two words.

"It's true." He went on, breathing heavily. "I failed you all."

"You're not staying here!" I shook my head.

"Son, listen!" His voice cut in, and I knew at that point that my father was crying too. I heard it in his voice.

"You're stronger than this. I know you are." he told me, placing his hands on the glass, like he wished he could reach out to me from the glass and comfort me.

I felt so weak. Too weak and helpless...

"..and I know I didn't do any justice in raising you..but when I look at you, son..," he stopped there and I finally raised my head up to meet his tear filled gaze.

"..son, when I look at you, you can't imagine how proud I am of how you turned out to be." He told me genuinely.

My chest heaved heavily as I nodded slowly, trying to calm myself down.

"You are growing up to become such an amazing young man, Ivandor." He told me, his voice filled with so much honesty.

"And I trust you..," he went on. "I trust you to take care of your mother and your sister. I trust you to be the man of the house from now onn."

My lips were trembling as he talked, my breathing ragged and unsteady as I tried stopping myself from crying so much.

"Ivandor, you're the man of the house now." He said his final word, and I nodded to it, heeding.

I didn't need to break down in front of my mother and sister. I had to support them at a time like this.

"Time is up!" The hostile officer that brought me here announced to me.

"I love you, Dad." I said to him.

"Love you too, son." He said, smiling a little at me.

I stood up and looked at the stern officer, glaring at him for being so hard hearted, even after witnessing a father and son conversation like this.

I hope they don't stop us from seeing him as a family, because I'm sure mum and Sharon would want to see him too.

As I stepped back into the reception, I saw Giwa, my mum and Sharon. While Sharon rested on Giwa's laps, Giwa was chatting with my mum.

I had to smile. It had been a while since I saw my mum talking like that. The moment I had stepped in, I stole all their attention.

I smiled softly at them as I remembered my father's words.

You're the man of the house.

                                     ~GIWA~

Ivandor drove his little sister and I to the station that evening, one hand on the steering, the other occasionally rubbing his forehead like there was something pestering on his mind.

The drive was silent all through. Uncomfortably silent. Gratefully, traffic was not a bitch this evening. Thank God for that.

My head moved occasionally from the scenery outside - the beautiful view of Lagos from inside the car, to Ivandor on the wheel occasionally.

The boy has tried. I mean, at the age of eighteen, he already has so much responsibility on him. I couldn't stop pondering on the fact he was actually thinking of getting a job..and to cater for his family....at the age of eighteen?

Wow.

I silently hoped he knew what he was getting himself into by having so much responsibility for his family at this age. I hoped things wouldn't get too hard on him. Really hoped he would be able to keep up this energy. I really, really hope.

Soon we were driving in through gates, passing through to an unsettling avenue. It wasn't hard for me to spot the grey-coloured, saddening large building that erected in the middle of the vast, gauze - covered area in front of us.

So this was what a prison building looked like. Godforbid..

Looking at it gave me an unsettling feeling. A very, very , messed up unsettling feeling. Like I shouldn't be here. I felt like my guts were coiling and I knew the hairs on my body were standing at attention, heart racing. That's just how weird it made me feel..

Godforbid..

Parking the car in a spot and turning off the ignition, I noticed Ivandor refusing to look at me.
I heard him sniff and quickly wipe the under of his eyes.

Was he crying?

"Iva_,"

"We're here." He cut in immediately, still refusing to look at me. Like he was embarrassed to.

His voice was stiffled and throaty. Like he was really fighting back tears. Looking at him intentionally hide his face from me, that fact became clear.

"I don't like this place." We heard a voice come from behind.

Ivandor and I turned simutaneously to see Sharon in the back seat. I almost forgot she even came with us.

Her face was in a sad expression, and I could tell that in the next second, she would start...

"I don't like this place!" Sharon let out a shrieking scream, as tears streamed down her face without control.

I heard Ivandor slur curses under his breath as he forcefully pushed the driver's door open to rush to Sharon in the back seat.

It didn't take two seconds for him to get out, open the back door and pull his crying little sister to him. The poor girl let out everything, crying like a baby on his chest, occasionally squeezing the fabric of his shirt like she was in physical pain, and Ivandor holding her tightly as well. I just knew he was crying too. Crying and whispering things I couldn't make out - probably calming words to his little sister.

Oh, God. This was so difficult to watch.

Tears drop down my face against my will, and I wished there was something I could do to ease their pain.

But I had absolutely no experience in comforting people and I didn't know what to do in this situation. I was desperate to comfort him and his sister nontheless, so in seconds, I found myself rushing out to the back seat, and throwing my arms around Ivandor's back.

"Let's go inside," He eventually told me, and a lump formed in my throat as we walked inside the building together - all three of us.

The inside of the building was even more depressing than the outside. The colour of the inside and outside of the building was identical - dull grey, and the reception was so small that it made me feel claustrophobic at once.

The main thing in the small spaced reception was a small paved counter, about two to three men sitting around in uniforms there. By its side was a single sitting bench, and a dreadful hallway leading to the rest of the building.

"Stay here with Sharon," Ivandor said to me.

I nodded and Sharon's hands found mine, squeezing nervously. I smiled wistfully at her, to calm her down and she returned a sad smile to me. Poor girl.

As Ivandor headed to the reception counter, I sat with Sharon on the bench, and she leaned in on me and laid down on my thighs, sobbing silently.

Within seconds, an officer and a pretty lady walked into the reception, but from the doorway I had deemed forbidden.

I recognized the lady to be Ivandor's mother. I could recognise her over and over. Barni Zenzei - the ex-model.

Ivandor exchanged a few words with his mother, and he ended up going in through the forbidden hallway with the officer, while she rather walked towards me and Sharon on the bench.

His mum was walking to us on the bench..

Although her eyes were fixed on the ground as she walked solemnly. Her steps were almost slow paced. Calculated, and her arms were literally hugging herself, hugging her own body, like a depressed person. Like the air around her was suffocating, and threghtning.

She walked like gravity was reducing and her own steps were betraying her, threghtning to make her fall, and she just had to hold herself to support her weight.

I could tell she was stressed. She was in pain.

I felt horrible for her.

"Good evening," I greeted as she quietly sat beside me. My greeting caused her to look up at me, and up close, I could see how beautiful she was.

She was so beautiful, Jesus. Although, I could tell she was in pain still. Her skin I could tell was light the first time I saw her seemed a bit tanner. Her brown almond shaped eyes looked tired, and her eye bags pronounced under it. Her full lips looked pale, and the lines of wrinkles on her face gave her this defeated, pitiable look.

Still, she was so beautiful. I don't even know how to explain this woman's beauty.

It had been ages she had appeared on a magazine cover, yet she still had that youthful glow in her look. Even if she wasn't modelling again, that career sure graced her aging.

"Giwa." She called my name. So, she knows my name. "I see Ivandor brought you along."

Her voice was soft and warming. A little smile twitched on her face and her eyws crinkled in gladness as she said that. She still hugged her body as she sat down next to me, bending forward a bit as she rested her folded arms on her knees.

"Yes he did." I answered, smiling sweetly at her. Sharon still hadn't gotten up from me, and her mom only rubbed the little girl's back a little.

"Does your mum know you're here?" She asked me, seeming more concerned than she should be.

"Yes." I replied. "She always knows where I am."

That smile that was ...on her face showed itself fully, and she looked even more beautiful.

"I'm sure she does." She responds. "Dami always knows everything."

My brows knitted in confusion as a small frown formed on my face. Dami?

"You know my mother?" I almost exclaimed.

Damilola Falade. That was my mother's name.

Ivandor's mum nodded quickly like a little child offered chocolate or icecream. I was too surprised to even say anything.

"I met her on the Interhouse Sports day." She informed me. "..and then again, we sat together on the day of the Dynamis Finals."

I cannot believe this.

"Your mum is a lovely woman." Her smile was genuine as she said that.

Looking into space and smiling like she was recalling something, she spoke again, "She kept talking about you the entire time. She didn't stop. You make your parents very proud, keep it up."

I nodded, smiling at her kind words.

"To be honest, the first time I saw you in our house and Ivan said your name, I knew it rang a bell. And ofcourse, you're like a celebrity in that school," she concluded.

A celebrity in Castron High? Me?

"And as for my son..," She continued, bringing me back to reverie again.

"When he's ready to tell me what's going on with you two, I'd be elated. I saw the way he looked at you back there. My baby is hopelessly in love." she spilled without filter.

I laughed. I heard a sound coming from Sharon beneath me too as she vibrated a little, probably also in laughter too.

"Sharon, I thought you were asleep," her mother exclaimed, and the girl raised her body up to look at her mum with a grin on her face, teary red eye, definately, but the grin was there, and it was genuine.

"Kids these days. You people always want to hear the things that are too big for your ears," Ivandor's mum joked, and Sharon and I couldn't help but laugh again.

I could also see Ivandor's mum was struggling with pain inside, even if she tried to lighten up the atmosphere for me and Sharon. I already liked the woman.

When Sharon returned to resting on my laps, the look on Ivandor's mum's face became more serious as she looked at me.

"You're a very beautiful young woman, Giwa. I hope you know that." She said to me.

She told me the same thing the first time I was at their place.

"You know that, right?" She asked again, waiting for an answer. I responded with a nod.

"And you have a beautiful family as well. A happy family." The way she said this, I could see the small hint of sadness and defeat in her eyes. Like she was happy for me, but at the same time, sad and devasted for her own family..

A wistful smile appeared on her lips. "Indeed, you're blessed."

Lord knows I heard her voice falter. But Jesus, this woman deserves accolades for being so talented at masking her feelings and keeping her composure.

She was right. I had a perfect family. I was blessed. Sadly, not many people have the same testimony to tell..

It wasn't long after that Ivandor stepped back into the reception. His look lingered on me and his mum for a while, and I wondered what was on his mind. Following that, his mum stood up from the bench as soon as she saw him, and Sharon got up from her resting position.

"He wants to see all of us," Ivandor informed.

All of us? That's all of them, right? As in, the family, baa?

That means I shouldn't be there..

"I'll wait in the car," I said to them.

If I was going to be alone, not in this suffocating reception please.

"You can come with us if you want," It was Sharon who spoke.

Ivandor and his mum looked like they didn't have a problem with the idea. While his mum nodded, Ivandor shot me a little smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." I declined.

A man in prison wanted to speak to his family. Seemed to me like he wanted to really talk to them. I doubt he would want a stranger coming in with them.

"If you insist..let me see you to the car," Ivandor said to me. He looked to his mum and sister and said, "I'll join you in a minute, okay?"

From there, he took me to the car. As I got into the car and looked at him, my heart broke to pieces. He looked so miserable. His whole face swollen from so much crying. What on earth do I do to make him feel better?

Placing my hands on his face like I was cupping it with my hands, I looked him directly in his now seemingly blood-shut eyes. He stared at me quietly and I stared back, taking note of his every reaction. The way he was breathing.. deep, slow, almost tired. He was drained.

"Be okay for me." I said to him.

He let out a shaky breath and only nodded slowly.

I let him go back to his family.

Resting my back against the back seat, I peered into nothing inparticular, and my mind swarmed with so many thoughts.

God help this family. God please help them. That's my honest prayer.

I reach forward to the passengers seat of the car to get my handbag for my phone. However, before I sprung into action, I accidentally catch sight of something just by the side of my eyes.

What the bloody fuck?

A brand new pack of Durex laid there on the seat with me, as if on display.

Condoms? In Ivandor's car?

This chapter scattered me😪😪😪
Lord, help this fictional family 😪😪😪

You guys, there's going to be another update in the morning. It's actually supposed to be a continuation of this..but I cut I into two sha (it was getting too long)

Goodnight for now!!! I may change my mind and still update tonight sha 😂💖