𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄

** FIVE **

"There’s nothing that makes you more insane than family. Or more happy, or more exasperated, or more secure.” – Jim Butcher

                                ******                         
               ADA CLIMBED UP the stairs and head straight to the last room on the first floor that leads to her son's room. Everyone was out and the house was empty. She was the only one left with her first son. And that's because he has nowhere to be. He had dropped out of school a few months back immediately after he finished his hundred-level second-semester examination. He considered himself to be too brilliant for a Nigerian tertiary institution. He says he knew computer programming more than all the lecturers in the country.

Deep down, she knew he was right. His GPA was awesome in the two exams he wrote in the school before he decided that he wasn't going back there. Despite his father had to use his power and connection and a lot of money to get him into the university - one of the top and best private universities in the country.

But all that didn't seem to matter to Hamid. His dream is to go study programming abroad. But she won't let him. She knew it was the major reason why he dropped out. But she can't let him have his way.

She was scared of losing her first son. She knows that he won't come back home with ease if they decided to let him leave the country to study abroad. He had always wanted to be free from her clutch. Something she still doesn't understand why? Not that she was treating him badly or anything.

Her husband wasn't against him going out of the country to study but as long as she refused, he won't let him either. And she is forever grateful for that.

That he always listens to her.

She got to the door of Hamid's room and stood in front of it, staring at the new electronic lock pad that he recently installed while everyone was away from home. Now she has no access to his room except she knocks and waits for him to open it. She can't begin to think of what he uses as his password. She has too much in her head for that. She will just have to knock because asking him is not an option. He's never going to tell her. Not in this life or the next.

She knocked gently on the door but there was no response. She brought her ears close to the door and all she could hear was loud music. She exhaled in frustration and began to bang on the door. After three minutes of yelling and hitting the door, the door finally clicked open.

"What were you doing since I have been knocking?" she asked before the door is fully open.

Hamid exhaled, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"How would you when you are playing such loud music? Do you want to burst your eardrum or what?"

He shrugged in response, moving to the side so she can walk in. She did and he closed the door immediately because of the Air Conditioner.

"Why is your door using a password? Why do you even install that thing in the first place?" she asked angrily. 

"I don't know why you are being a dramatic mom. This is my room and I can do whatever I want with it. And I think it was high time you stopped entering my room how you see fit."

"So you are saying that I am invading your privacy or what?" she asked him with her hands on her hips.

He shrugged, responding,"What I am saying is that I am almost nineteen mom. I can't keep letting you badge into my room like I am some eight-year-old boy. I want privacy."

"And what is it that you're hiding?" she asked, frowning down at him.

Hamid rolled his eyes. His mother was being dramatic again.