𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 (𝙱𝚃𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 #𝟺)

Prologue

Ten years ago

Zaria Bamidele walked into her son's room and saw him picking up a shirt to wear. Jamal noticed his mum and quickly covered his body.

"Mum, a little privacy please." Jamal snapped. Zaria laughed. The boy just clocked eight years old, what is he hiding in his body? For an eight-year-old boy, Jamal looked ten. He was rather tall for his age. He talked like a grown-up, no thanks to his father's friends, Taju and Charles. He took his father's body no doubt.

"My friend, keep quiet. What is in your body that you are covering? It's just bone I'm seeing everywhere." She teased him and he blushed, putting on his shirt.

"Just so you know, I'm covering my eight pacs." He boasted and Zaria laughed.

"Pacs oshi wo ni yen? My friend hurry up. Your grandfather is here to pick you up." Zaria stated. Jamal took his timberlands and Zaria offered to help him tie the lace.

"Mummy, is Skye coming with us?" Jamal asked.

"No, she wouldn't be able to. You know your sister is not feeling too well. But don't forget to get her ice cream, okay?" Zaria said.

"Okay, mum," Jamal replied. Zaria straightened his dress and kissed his forehead.

"Be a good boy. Don't disturb grandpa." Zaria said.

"Of course, mum. Cross my heart." He gave a toothy grin, showing the missing gap in his tooth where the two incisors should have been. Zaria giggled and led her first son to where her father was waiting.

****

Femi Coker and Jamal were on the road, singing along to a song that was playing on the car stereo. Femi wanted alone time with his grandson so he decided to drive himself. Jamal immediately sighted an ice cream shop on the other side of the express.

"Oh, pops turn around. We need to get ice cream for Skye." He said excitedly, hitting his hand on the headboard of the car. Femi chuckled.

"Just say you want ice cream for yourself too. See his mouth." He teased and Jamal giggled.

Femi drove to the nearest U-turn. Unfortunately, there was a junction just opposite that U-turn and Femi didn't notice the truck that coming towards him at a fast speed. The driver of that truck was also distracted and didn't notice Femi's car. By the time, Femi was about to turn, Jamal saw the truck and screamed.

"Pops look out!"

But it was too late.

Femi tried to swerve the car to prevent the truck from hitting Jamal's side but it was a dangerous turn that got the car somersaulting more than once.

Screams were heard

Glasses were shattered.

The car finally stopped but it was upside down.  Jamal felt pain on his head and his side. He felt blood dripping from his head and he looked at his side to see that glass had penetrated the side of his tummy. Voices were getting closer to the scene of the accident. Someone was calling an ambulance. People were checking the car for survivors.

"Jamal." He heard his grandfather groan and he looked at the old man. His face was bloody.

"Pops!" He screamed and started to cry.

"They are alive!" Someone shouted from outside. The person then came to Femi's side. "Sir calm down, help is on the way."

"Please get the boy out of the car. Nothing must happen to my grandson." Femi grunted out. Jamal couldn't see much because of the black dots that were clouding his vision but he could hear voices.

He was losing consciousness.

Jamal felt himself being lifted from the car but he could smell something.

Smoke.

"The car is on fire. Get that man out of the car right now!" Someone screamed. Jamal heard that clearly and screamed even though he could barely see anyone.

"Grandpa!!"

"Get my grandson out of here and save yourselves. Nothing must happen to my grandson. Leave me here." Femi screamed at the man that was about to help him out of the car.

"But sir..." The fire was already spreading to the floor, following the line of Fuel to the tank.

"Leave here now, all of you! My grandson is safe, that's the most important thing to me now. Get him out of here and get yourselves out of here! Go!!" Femi screamed.

"Everyone get out of here!" The man screamed and everyone began to run.

"Grandpa!"

Jamal screamed and called for his grandpa. Seeing only little through his blurred vision, he knew exactly what happened when he heard a big bang. The car had exploded, with his grandfather still trapped inside. He heard the Siren of the ambulance from a distance.

Then he lost all consciousness.