Clouds 𝓸𝓯 Grey || #3 [working on editing]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧.

016| NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH SECRETS

~K O M I S O L A~

It was a Sunday service. On Easter day to be exact.

Normally, Father would lock me in my room but according to him, the ministers and teenagers had requested that I should come to church.

Picture me confused and blank.

That was how I ended up at the headquarters of The Kings Ministries, founded by Pastor Adebayo Adedire a.k.a Father.

As soon as I entered, I was greeted with dirty looks, fake smiles and exaggerated, hypocritical greetings. I replied all with one forced smile. Just like Father had warned me.

I pulled my shawl down and my face mask up and made my way to the last row at the back. I could go upstairs and watch everything from there. But Father probably had his eyes on me all through this service.

After forcing myself to clap to praises, listening to sermons that had me scoff to myself every now, the special programmes and shows and everything and then, the church finally recited The Benediction and I couldn't be any less relieved.

One time when a pastor welcomed the first timers—that is people who were attending for the first time, among one of them was a guy who really looked like Hanniel.

I shook my head and came to the conclusion that I was imagining things. He always showed up everywhere at school, maybe that's why I couldn't get him out of my head.

When we were about to enter the car, I and Mother, Father's rich laughter could be heard feet away from where we stood. I turned around and saw him coming closer to us with the popular real estate agent, Olivia Cardin and next to her was a smiling... Hanniel?

I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Four, five times to see if my eyes were deceiving me.

He was smiling down at his mother who was laughing at what Father was saying and the look in his eyes was no other than pure adoration.

Made me wonder when I'd be able to look at my parents that way.

"Sweetheart," Father called Mother's attention. In return, she smiled at him and waited for him to continue. "This is Mrs. Aderinoye's son, Hanniel."

When did his surname become Aderinoye?

I looked at Hanniel's mum and she was really beautiful. She really was. She was sort of pètite in height, had the same complexion as Hanniel but with a slight tan to hers, her black waist length braids weren't covered at all. She was dressed in a shirt gown that stopped right above her knees, hugged her body, colored half white half black and her white and black stilettos just gave her this confident look.

I knew her. Who wouldn't know Mrs Aderinoye formerly known as Mrs Cardin, a famous and wealthy real estate agent, owner of Ethereal Properties.

"Mrs. Aderinoye and Hanniel, meet my daughter, Queen."

Father didn't like introducing me as Komisola.

Hanniel's eyes met mine and it was so hard to look away. His gaze burned into mine and we both remained silent while staring at each other.

Until Father smiled at me. "Where are you manners? Greet her." He instructed.

I swallowed and faced Mrs. Aderinoye, "Good morning ma, it's nice to know you."

"Same here, baby girl. You're really pretty." Mrs. Aderinoye, Hanniel's mother said to me, complimenting me with the sweetest smile. That smile added to the glow of her skin.

"I could say the same for you, Ma'am." I complimented in return, making sure to be as polite as ever so Father wouldn't have a problem with me.

"Hanniel is just coming from Abuja. He returned from Australia recently but told me he would like to stay in Abuja. After a while, I forced him to come here." Hanniel's mum said to Father. "He goes to Crestview High now."

Why was she spilling all the information?

She glanced at me with a knowing smile and trust me to become suspicious.

Did she know me?

Of course she did.

Who wouldn't know me?

Father must probably be embarrassed right now. The glare on his face confirmed it.

"Really?" He feigned surprise. "That's the school my daughter attends too. They must be classmates."

"Yes, we are." At that moment, Hanniel decided to speak up. Why didn't he just shut his mouth for the rest of the conversation?

The only way I try to comfort you without knowing your problems is by smiling. So please... Don't shut me out...

"Really?" Father repeated. "Are you friends?"

I shook my head, "No. I don't know him."

"He seems like a nice guy, Queen. Befriend him okay?"

That was more like a threat to me and I slowly nodded in reply.

We all bade ourselves goodbye. Father and Mother stayed behind but instructed the driver to take me home. He would go back for them later.

~~~

"Borrow me your phone."

I demanded from Martha as soon as I got home, the head chef in the house and stretched my hand out to her.

Without any words she gave it to me.

"Is there data in it?" I asked and examined the Tecno Camon 12 she gave to me. The screen guard had a lot of cracks on it.

"Yes," she nodded. I mouthed a small thank you to her and went to my room with the phone. "Are you taking it to your room?"

"No, the grave." Was what I wanted to say but I simply nodded back.

When I got to my room, I jumped on my bed and began to browse HiNet for the name I was so curious to know about.

And it gave me results. Quick results.

I began to read.

Olivia Aderinoye formerly known as Olivia Cardin was born on December 23, 1989. She is a wealthy real estate agent who took the estate industry by storm in only a matter of three months. She is the founder of Ethereal Properties. She was married to Felix Cardin, the CEO of InFood. Olivia Aderinoye has only one child, Hanniel Cardin.

Hanniel Cardin?

I glanced down at his note and saw the name Hanniel Alonge lazily sprawled across the brown paper that covered the whole note.

His mother's surname was Aderinoye and I'm guessing Cardin must've been his father's surname.

Where did Alonge emerge from?

Was Hanniel lying about his surname?

No way.

Seemed like I wasn't the only one with secrets then.

~
your thoughts for this chapter? any questions?
do you think our baby Hanniel is really lying about his name?
pfft. i don't think he would do that. he has no reason to. or does he?
*sigh* anyway bye luvsss<33