(Book Two)
"I've been looking for you for two years now. Luckily for me, I saw you at the beach party which a friend hosted. It also broke my heart when I decided to follow you home, and saw the hardship life you were living."
"In a nutshell," I wa...
Dami was an intelligent boy with a very big heart. And that was the reason he got the title of being my best friend. No, my brother.
"If it means a lot to you to help him, I could help out too." I smiled at him. "Besides, we've got two types of prosthesis. The my-o-electric, which is a state-of-the-art, and a cable-operated handlike glove." I looked at Gabriel. "That would fit Gabriel quite well."
Dami moved over to him, brought out his wallet and placed a three thousand naira note in it. Then smiled at Gabriel. "In a few days I'll come get you. No more begging on the streets, okay?"
Gabriel grasped the paper note and squeezed it tightly, just in case Dami changes his mind and decided to take his money back. I laughed at the thought of that, then handed the boy an extra two thousand to make it five.
"Would I be your brother?" Dami stared at me a bit bewildered. None of us where actually thinking at that direction.
Nonetheless, Dami placed his hands on the boy's head and ruffled his outgrown hair. "Only if my parents agrees to adopt you."
I had to glanced at my wrist watch, cause it seemed we were spending much time with Gabriel.
"Hey brah," I tapped Dami. "We have to go."
"Hey," Dami got the attention of Gabriel. "Do you know a mummy Uyai?"
"Mama Uyai," The boy nodded frantically.
Dami laughed at how cute the boy was acting. "Can you take us there?"
The boy got up in respond and lifted his tin filled with money, with his only available hand. I helped by getting him into Dami's car, and letting him sit inbetween the both of us.
"Is this yours?" The boy asked, looking at the interior of the car.
"Yeah," Dami nodded. "You like it?"
"Looks almost like mine." Gabriel replied. I stared at him with furrowed brows but decided to ignore it.
~°~°~°~°~
The driver drove using Gabriel's direction. We finally came in contact with a non painted house, and a woman sitting right outside with a younger girl, as they picked beans on an iron round tray.
We climbed down from the car except Dami's designated driver, then moved towards the confused looking woman.
"Ah, Gabriel." The woman smiled once she saw a familiar face. "How are you and..... Who are this people?"
The younger girl tapped whom I presumed must be her mother. "Mma, they are fine o."
"Will you shut up?!" The woman scolded and Dami and I, shared a look.
"How was today Gabriel? Hope say you see money." Gabriel nodded at the woman's question.
"These two were looking for you." Gabriel pointed at Dami and myself. "This is mama Uyai."
"Mama Idara, stupid boy." The woman snapped for no good reason. "How many times will I correct you? You this cripple!"
The boy moved closer to Dami out of fright, hiding behind him.
"Once a rich boy, always a rich boy. Doesn't matter if you're now poor and crippled." The woman commented bitterly.
"He was rich?" Dami asked, but not in a shocked tone. I guessed he must have sensed it the very minute Gabriel opened his mouth to speak.
The woman nodded nonetheless. "His parents died under the hands of deadly armed men, while he found his way here to survive. He doesn't know he's no longer in his mansion. That stupid rich sense is still in his head."
"And why do you dislike the name Uyai so much?" I asked curiously. "Thought she was your daughter."
"That girl can never be my daughter. I've got only one and that's Idara." The younger girl began to bat her lashes at both Dami and myself.
"And I'm here doing all the work," Idara couldn't help but complain.
"So how did she get into your home?" I slyly asked. "Kidnapped her from a hospital?"
The woman stared at me in utmost dismay. "God no, I'm not that heartless. Bought her from a man."
What surprised me wasn't the fact that she bought an unknown baby from someone. What surprised me was the fact that she answered my questions without even asking who I was in the first place.
She began to pick the beans with her daughter as she mumbled, "Don't even know where the man is." Still picking the beans, she eventually stopped and reality hit her. "Wait a minute, who are you both?"
"We're no one," I said without hesitation. "You should learn not to spill things out without interrogating."
"Come on Gabriel," My hands patted Dami, and the three of us walked back into the car, leaving a confused woman and daughter behind.
"How could she answer our every questions without first asking who we were?" Dami said in a surprised tone once inside the car.
"It's her lost, at least it went to our favour." I replied.
"So is this a close case?" Dami asked, his voice low and serious.
Uyai never wanted to know who stole her when she was an infant, and finding the man who stole her from her family would be anything but possible. Plus, she seemed happy being with her biological parents, so why go against her wish?
I nodded my head as I watched the scenery go by. "Yes."
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