𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒)

~1 BRIXFORD ACADEMY

ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴍʏ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ's ᴘᴏᴠ.
ɪ ᴍᴏsᴛʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ 3ʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴs. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴊᴜsᴛ ʜᴀs ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘʀᴇss ᴛʜᴇᴍsᴇʟᴠᴇs.

🇭 🇦 🇱 🇮 🇲 🇦 🇭 '🇸 🇵 🇴 🇻

°HALIMA BELLO•

Lonely?

I wouldn't call that how I felt, although it wasn't indifferent to the emptiness I felt within. I always felt this way, I am talking about the feeling of being alone.

Although, if viewed from the sidelines, it wouldn't seem so. You would only get to see Halimah Bello, the popular girl with the perfect life. It seemed all perfect, although I knew what it was, deep down it was just a facade, the perfect girl, with the perfect life.

There was no perfect girl and neither was there a perfect life.

I felt lonely most times, I would've loved to rephrase, but the thought of my life out of this house, maybe there were little colours to it, or maybe not.

"Leemah!"

Daddy dearest, like I always referred to him, My ray of light, the most important man in my life, he could be hard and strict most times, I loved him nevertheless. The feeling of having just a parent, and he or she trying to balance the scale of being both a mother and father to you. That was my daddy.

"Morning Daddy."

I greeted while I tucked in my school uniform, I observed my Dad immediately, he was already dressed. I knew what was next.

"Dear!" He called out with a calm look on his face, I could tell what was next, another business trip, Definitely wasn't gonna see him for a while. I wasn't exaggerating when I said a while.

Being the CEO, of one of the biggest pharmaceuticals companies in Africa, Daddy was never at a place. He was everywhere but home.

"Mr Rashidi Bello!"

I recognized the voice immediately, then took a look at her, at the same time, I touched the dining chair, more like In a caressing manner. Finally getting a hold of my scalf, which I used to cover my hair properly.

"Morning Mum!" I greeted.

You heard me correctly, I just called her Mum, the same woman, who referred to my Dad as Mr Rashidi Bello. If you think about it, my family was pretty wonderful, looked perfect, like everyone who knew the influential Bello family would call it. Things weren't as perfect as they seem.

"Lily!" She called out smiling sweety. It sounded weird, but I had gotten used to it, she was the only one who chose to call me that, most times I would wonder. Because of all the abbreviations, she could think of, she had to pick that?

You might think that smile was fake since it was came from my step-mother, my Dad's lawfully wedded wife, trust me it seemed fake but wasn't.

Maureen had time for no one, not even her husband. Most times it struck me like, their marriage was more like a contract marriage or for business purposes. Maureen was into pharmaceuticals, just like my Dad, but about who was more influential, she couldn't be compared to my father.

I did admire her, a beautiful, self-made woman. I wished to be like her someday.

"Ma!"

Madam Stella, the head of the maids called out, to Maureen, she stood erect, and also few metres away. I found it difficult referring to my fathers wife as my Mum, even though I called her Mum. Moreover after all these years, I believed most persons, could agree with me and relate to this.