𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 (𝐀 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧-𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥) ✔

- 9 -

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"Likkkkeeee I don't get how do people be comfortable subjecting their children to poverty haaaa omo reason why some children go into cry because their parents can't afford to provide for them."

- Hanthoniaaa
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~ She dey sleep no wake her ~

~ Me I need my oyoyo mma ~

~ All of you should keep calm first ~

~ Eyo ~

I let the hard pillow fall hard and tight at the back of my head so it could cover my ears from the eardeafening noise.

~ She bring anything come sef? ~

~Before, sister say she dey manage all these celebrities we dey watch for Faith house. She talk say she dey manage their salary ~

~ E-eh? Bu... ~

"I'm awake!" I jolted up. I knew it was my siblings and I didn't want them to stretch my lies.

"Sister!" Destiny squealed and ran towards me before jumping and landing hard on my tummy.

"Welcome," Mary moved closer. The resemblance between the both of us was so uncanny. We could act like twins and an outsider would believe. I remembered when someone thought we were twins cause of how alike we looked, not knowing I was four good gigantic years older than her. I also looked her age cause of how much others said i cheated nature. Even Abasifreke looked the oldest amongst us three.

"You sound grim," I said to Mary.

"Cause I am," Mary scoffed, replying me with her earlier tone. "I hear say you dey do well."

"Of course," I bragged, giving Destiny my phone. When Gloria, Afanide, Jessica, Faith and Betty saw the phone in Destiny's possession, they moved closer to me so they could have a closer look, leaving Wisdom, Jeffery, Abasifreke and Mary.

"And then you deserted us, your family!" Yelled Jeffery, the official fourth born since he came out before Gloria.

"Can you like chill please?" I fanned my hands in a dramatic way. "I didn't abandon you."

"H- h- h- h- h- he's r- r- r-" Afanide kept slapping his thigh as he tried to let his words out. All ten of us kept staring at him in silence. "R- r- r- r- right."

"You see?" We all could finally speak once he was done. "He wasn't as worst as this when I was at home."

"When you come home last?" Attacked Wisdom. I knew they were furious at me. But who planned to go home when there's nothing to show for it?

"Mary, atleast you're more responsible than this." I continued, ignoring Wisdom's question. "Why didn't you help Afanide out?"

"With what time?!" Mary cried. "It's either we work on farms or we sell things on the road or we do little Labour like sweeping people's compound or washing people's cloths. Even them Jeffery drop out of school. Watin you want make I do?!"

I let out a sigh as I watched my younger sister's eyes grow red. "Then you, you just left your own family. Even Mma thought you were dead!"

"Where's father?" I asked instead.

"He never—"

"Hope, your papa don come!" Mother interrupted Abasifreke as she announced father's arrival.

We got up, I held destiny in my arms as we strolled out. Indeed, dad was back. He had a rack folded in one arm and a sac sucks wrapped around his legs.