Demi's Girl |Book 1 ✅

One - Edited.

Dear Oluwalogbon Fadékemi Ajoke,

Congratulations on your outstanding performance in the Elite League scholarship entrance exam and you've been offered an all expense paid scholarship into Elite College.

You've also been offered a scholarship to cover your university days if you pass the WAEC examinations in an outstanding way.

You're required to visit the school's admission office to clear your documents before resumptions.

Congrats once again.

Mrs Erica Waya

Chairman board of directors,

Elite League

Fade blinked her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing double. She couldn't believe her eyes. She pinched herself multiple times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. This was something she had been praying profusely for, she had always wanted to go to a standard school like all those rich kids that she use to see on the tv. This was like a dream come true for her and she wanted to scream out in happiness.

She turned to look at Uncle Peter who smiled at her. She covered her mouth in excitement so she won't scream in the public cyber cafe that she came to check her mail. She didn't have access to a phone and her mom could barely afford a computer, that's why she was here in a public cafe checking her mail. They don.t charge her here because they have grown to be like family, plus they all loved her mom.

"Fade, sho pass?" Baba computer asked and she nodded excitedly. Unable to process any words out of her mouth. It felt so surreal that out of the two hundred people that wrote the examination, she passed and she was the one that was picked. She had always imagined this

Congratulations started coming in as everyone smiled at her, they knew she studied hard for it and she deserved the win. She slipped an old hundred naira note into uncle Peter's hand and he returned it to her. He told her to use it to buy drinks for the celebration.

She told him thank you and she walked out of the cyber cafe with a smile. She walked home hurriedly so she can break the news to her mum and grandma before her dad comes back from the beer parlor he usually frequents. Not like she wanted to tell her grandma but the old witch would still find out anyways.

She saw a woman hawk a blocked drink past her and she was tempted to buy but she refused so she can use the money to take the bike to Elite College to complete her registration. Her mother hasn't made any sales this week so she better save up. She could imagine how her mum would burst into a Christian song of praise and maybe go down on her knees in praise.

She turned into the brown building that housed her family and eight other Families. She was whistling to Breeze of Love and she smiled when her junior sister started running towards her. She picked her up and opened the door to their two bedroom flat.

The wall paint was washing off already and Baba Landlord refused to paint it. The old house was cheaper than most houses in Lagos that's why most of the occupants refused to move out. Many of them are struggling too like the Oluwalogbons.

"Fade, Se iwo niyen? Wa bami gbomi amala kana ki baba e to de" her mum called from inside the kitchen and she dropped Morenikeji, her junior sister before going into the kitchen to join her mum. Stepping into this house meant stepping into work, there was no way she could avoid it. She needed to start preparing her father meal before he arrived to save everyone from trouble.[Trans: Fade, Is that you? Come and help me put water for amala on fire before your father comes back]

Fade removed the head of the stove and she pulled the wool up and added a little kerosene before lighting it and setting it up. She covered the stove back before taking water out of the large drum in the kitchen. she made a mental note to fetch water tomorrow morning before she did anything else, that way she wouldn't get tired fast enough before the drum gets filled.

"Fade, how was what you went to check?" Her mum wiped her sweat with the tip of her blouse and Fade tried hard to conceal her smile, she knew she probably forgot to ask about it and now she just remembered why she stepped out of the house. She knew her mom would soon go down in praise, it would only take a moment after she tells her the news.

"Ha Mummy, I forgot to tell you, they picked me oh. They even offered to pay for my university if I pass Waec" She said nonchalantly and she started counting from one to ten in her head, she knew it would only take less than five minutes before her mum started being dramatic.

Her mum broke into a smile and she held her hand up in praise. She started singing a Yoruba worship song. She knew that was what would happen.

"Eshe ibitetibere

Eshe ibi te bade

A dupe o Jesu

ibi ten muwa lo"

She joined her mum in singing the second round and her mum patted her back. She heard the trailing of a stick before she heard the voice. Her grandma was here again to spoil the mood. Her grandma has always been vile, even when one of her eyes got blinded by measles, it was like the evil in her double.

"Iya Fade, emi ó jé amala oh, ogi ni mo fe mu," She said in a low voice thick with Yoruba accent, and Fade withheld the urge to hiss or roll her eyes. [Trans: Fade's mum, I'm not eating amala again, its pap I want]

She turned to leave and Fade and her mum hissed simultaneously. They exchanged a look and they both smiled. They didn't want to laugh out loud so the old witch doesn't go to tel her father lies that would lead to trouble in the night. She stopped for a moment and she continued her journey to the sitting room and her mom continued what she was doing.

It was around 10:05 in the night before her dad came back from his usual outing. Anyone would know he was drunk from the way he was slurring and cursing everyone including himself. Fade stared at the man that mother nature gifted her father with and she knew she couldn't do anything else. Part of her wished it was possible to change your father and maybe stick to only your mother. If it was that possible, many people would have changed their fathers and, maybe stick to a rich man, nobody wanted to suffer in this life.

Fade tiptoed to her room door and she locked it at the back. Her little sister was asleep and her father would come and drag her to serve him and she will end up getting beaten so the only way to avoid that is to pretend to be mute.

"Na who dey this house, hunger dey wire person oh. House wey I build na im dem go still dey starve me on top" He screamed at the top of his voice and for a moment, Fade wondered how her neighbors would be faring since her father came home drunk almost every night, on days he wasn't drunk, he would be extremely angry and he would end up beating everyone else.

He slurred and Fade scrunched her face in disgust. She wondered how her mother ended up with such a vile man as a father for her.

He hasn't paid the rent of this house since she can remember, her mum has always been the one paying it, even their school fees. The only thing he does is to beat them and steal their money to buy drinks since they won't sell to him on credit. He doesn't even have a job.

"Iya Fade" he screamed and she heard the shuffles from her room and answered him weakly.

"Didn't you hear me calling for somebody?" He shouted and Fade held her breath. She knew what was coming next. He would hit her till he had no strength and he would price her to serve him like a king. Fade stopped interfering after he almost killed both of them one night, her mother wanted her to always to pretend to be fast asleep.

"Emabinu, I was asleep. Today was stressful at the shop and you know how my customers can be now" her mother replied with a hoarse voice that indicated she had been sleeping. She knew her father wouldn't believe she had been sleeping even if half of the world would testify that she had been sleeping before he came.

What followed next was a slap and blows. Fade covered her ears with the pillow while she prayed that he stops soon and don't kill her mum. Her little sister didn't even stir from her sleep.

Well, this is where I say welcome to the first chapter of Demi's Girl.

What do you think of Fade and her family?

Don't forget to vote and comment ❤❤

Hera loves y'all💄