Yooo!! This chapter is dedicated to abigailisek for constantly commenting "Update sis!!"😂❤️
So yeah thanks for making me feel good about this book. Really means a lot ❤️ I know you're surprised I'm shouting you out. Yh yh love you too😊 Y'all should check out her cover shop "Ashley's Cover Shop". Make sure you do!!!!
And also check out katmee6 for all her comments😭❤️ You guys check her out too and read her book "Not so bad". Also, She likes Ivandor, so I'm making this whole chapter in his point of view. Love you Siss!!!!
Okay so let's begin..
~Ivandor~
"Cous, you sure you're good?"
Krisdana asked me from the back seat of the car. She had been sitting there, the entire drive back home from school, watching videos on her phone with my little sister, Sharon.
It was a Tuesday afternoon so a lot may have been able to mess up my mood, especially since it was my responsibility to control the whole school during sports on days like Tuesdays and Thursdays, having that I was the Sports Prefect. The stress alone was something else.
I smiled a little at her concern.
"I'm good." I said to her, from the passengers seat where I sat. The driver glanced at me and continued on the steering. Even he, knew that was a lie.
Krisdana had been checking up on me since yesterday, before and after I had talked to Mr. Odum. It was typical of her to always want to make everyone at home happy. At the moment, she stayed with us - practically lived with us even, and no, not because she was homeless or anything, but because her overly busy parents were constantly out of the country. They were almost never around and she only stayed at her own family home when her older brother came back from his University in South Africa. But most times, he wasn't around either, so we've gotten too used to Krisdana staying with us anyway.
"Sharon wanted to know." Krisdana smiled at me. I laughed a little, under my breath, as I looked at both of them at the backseat. My little sister, Sharon, looked so adorable in her school sport uniform. She was adorable at heart as well. And to be honest, she was one of the reasons I still had my sanity really. She was smiling at me with that same smile she had been having on her face since yesterday, when she started her first day in Castron High as a Jss1 student. You know that "first few days in Secondary School" euphoria every Nigerian child had.
"I'm good, Sharon." I assured her and she nodded.
I really wasn't... But Sharon wouldn't understand. She was just 11.
I kept thinking about how Mr. Odum was concerned yesterday about my dad. No matter how much he tried his best to cover the reason he was asking about him, I already knew. My dad was one of the sponsors for the Dynamis school Trip and he had been stalling the school for months.
It was funny because the school didn't even know the half of it. No one knew. Everyone knew my dad as the overly successful man who spent his money in billions. One year. It only took him one year, and my dad suddenly moved from being the middle class man, who had a model wife that earned more, to the stinking rich billionaire he was. Noone knew the source of his sudden wealth, not even me.
The money got him fame and well, he started to care more about all the praises, than the welfare of his family. He became too extravagant - buying excess houses he didn't need and filling up the house with dozens of cars he also didn't need, just to get people marvelling with awe. Yeah, that kind of nonsense.
And that same way, my old man also volunteered to be a sponsor for the school's Dynamis trip when absolutely no one asked him to. Now you see, not only did my dad start to spend much more than he should, he started spending much more than he had.
And ofcourse, there're always consequences for actions, right? So, eventually, when he started getting broke, I guess he wouldn't dare let people know that the "Almighty" had fallen, so he started acquiring bank loans and borrowed money from entrusted sources just to live up to his name, and all it ever did was continuously mess the whole family up. The man was struggling with serious debts, getting death threats from people he owed money; putting the whole family at risk, and dealing with the pressure of unpaid loans from the bank.
And above all, he still wouldn't step down as a sponsor for Dynamis for the fear of denting his name. And in all honesty, it sickened me. My father sickened me.
"We're home!" Sharon screamed and I realised we were in front of the mansion already - a huge million dollar home my father owned.
As soon as we got out of the car, I hung my back pack over my back and walked right behind Krisdana and Sharon, who were still chit chatting, heading into the tall, white mansion.
The first place we entered was the overly spacious living room. As much as this place screamed beauty and elegance, with the golden tiled floors, expensive furniture, and the giant multi lighted chandelier that looked like it belonged in a castle, coming in here made me sick.
Quickly, I noticed my dad sitting there on one of the large, Italian white couches, balancing his feet on the shiny table that looked like it was made of ancient diamonds. I thought he was staring at the huge screen TV that nearly took half the wall it hung on. Only God knows what he was doing... Some days, he got like that. Just sat and stared into space, moping endlessly. Mum wasn't with him.... She was probably upstairs, in the master's bedroom. She didn't come out much these days.
Krisdana and Sharon greeted my dad quickly, before starting to climb upstairs and he returned their greeting. However, I just glanced at him for the count of a second, with an unbothered look on my face, and made my way upstairs after that, saying absolutely nothing to him.
"Son." I heard his deep voice call after me.
I stopped on the stairs, froze, held onto the hands of my backpack, turning my back on him. Literally. And once again, I heard his voice come again, behind me.
"Has our relationship grown so sour that you can't even greet me anymore?" He said.
He asked me this calmly and I noticed Krisdana looking back at us, like she heard what my dad just said. She looked a bit sad, but she decided not to intrude and just went on upstairs. Soon, she and Sharon were out of sight and it was just me, standing there, with my back turned to my father.
I didn't look at him. I refused to. Still, I knew the look he had on his face - that look that annoyed me - the one that was filled with regret. His regret meant nothing unless he started to do something about it.
How a man could get his family into so much distress and do nothing about it was what I couldn't comprehend. I dreaded being like my dad. Sometimes, I even hated the fact I looked a lot like him. Same big brown hair. Same slightly tanned skin. Same thick dark brows. Thicker jawline. Same piercing hazel eyes.. All those qualities that made us look different in the country we lived. I hated him for what he was putting the family through... And I prayed to the heavens that I'd never be like him one-day.
I didn't say anything to him. Not even a word. Didn't turn back to even look at him.
"I called Mr. Odum," He said. "I backed out of the deal. I'm no longer a sponsor."
"Finally you listened to me."
But I didn't say that out loud - just in my head. Without uttering a word to him, I fell into step and walked up the stairs to get to my room. I didn't have the time to talk to him. I wasn't going to.
As I got into my room, I gently placed my back pack on my bed, before sitting, and thinking to myself..
What exactly made him change his mind?
I buried my face in my palms and stayed still for a few minutes, just breathing. However, my short rest was interrupted. Soon, I was distracted by feet shuffling at the door. I got my head up slowly and looked up to see Krisdana, standing there, holding my little sister, Sharon. Both of them, just looking at me.
"Sharon said she wanted to make sure you're okay," Krisdana said with a slight smile, grazing her lips and Sharon ran up to me and threw her arms around me. I hugged her back, held her dearly. The girl had no idea that things weren't going well at home. No one else was happy like she was.
"How was school?" I asked her.
"My classmates keep talking about you!" she said immediately, beaming her brown eyes at me.
"And they keep saying they like my hair too" She added, touching her long, light brown curly hair to emphasize. Sharon's hair was lovely. Our hair, infact, was really one thing to be proud of in this family.
"Sharon.. Come. " Krisdana beckoned the girl, and Sharon turned to look at her at the door, smiling warmly and folding her arms as she watched us.
"Come and take my phone and watch videos. I want to talk to your brother." Krisdana said.
That got Sharon jumping and running towards her so excitedly. Soon, she was out of the room with Krisdana's phone and the rest was history. Krisdana, however, just stood by the door, looking at me soberly folded arms, sort of hugging herself.
"Hey.." she said.
"Hey." I replied.
"I really think you should take it easy on your dad" she started.
I sighed and looked away. I knew I should. I was just angry at him for making bad choices.
"Do I really have a reason to 'not' to hate the guy?" I looked back at her.
She smiled, softly, and proceeded to walk into my room, making her way to my reading table, opposite the mirror that was filled up with textbooks. She sat down, adjusted herself, and faced me.
"Actually.. yes," she answered my previous question. "I agree he made bad choices, but atleast he's working on making things better."
"I don't see that" I disagreed.
"It's okay.. you don't have to see it now," she said to me.
Krisdana was family. So yes, she knew the deep secrets in this home. I couldn't even mention this to any of my friends. Only Kris knew, and honestly, with the way she always tried to make me feel better, you'd think she didn't have problems of her own as well.
"Listen.. shit happens," she shrugged. "But I just want you to understand that your dad is really trying to patch up his mistakes. With time, things will pull through."
"Hope so." I muttered. I wasn't sure if she heard me.
"Maybe I'll talk to you later. I'll be in Sharon's room in the meantime," she said, getting up. I just nodded, and she made her way towards the door. It was as her hand touched the knob that I spoke up again.
"Wait." I called her back.
She turned to face me again, attentive eyes narrowed on me, asking the problem.
"Asides my dad, I'd been thinking about something else.."
She looked at me with slight confusion written on her face, a confused scowl on it, as she waited for me to speak.
"Giwa.." I started by saying.
At the mention of the name, a tight scowl appeared on her face and an inquisitive brow raised at me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Was her reply.
Krisdana really didn't like Giwa. Not at all. I already started an odd feeling about starting up this conversation with her, but there was no one else I could talk to about it, asides her. Krisdana was the only human I could totally open up to.
"I feel bad for how I treated her yesterday." I confessed.
"You mean during break when she came to us?" She asked.
"Yes." I nodded. "She came to me at the worst moment. I was so furious about my dad at that moment and she just had to make things even worse by mentioning the Mr. Odum thing. I already knew why he wanted to see me and it pissed me off so bad."
I knew myself. I knew how bad I could come across to people... Especially at my worst moods. And Giwa, well, she approached me at the deadliest time.
"You didn't even say anything to her." Krisdana said plainly.
"Wasn't that even worse?" I scoffed. "I probably made her look stupid. And people were watching the whole thing. I'm sure they all got the wrong message."
Why do I even care?
"I know they did and it was hilarious!" Krisdana laughed.
I looked at her, deadass not even laughing with her. She was apparently taking this as a joke. Ofcourse it was, to her. She and Giwa loved seeing the worst things happening to each other. Why did I even think she'd understand?
"No it wasn't, Kris. It was wrong." I stated clearly, cutting her laughter short adruptly.
"It's not like you ever speak to her or her clique, so how is what you did making a difference?" She asked me.
"You see that's the thing. We've never actually had the chance to directly talk to each other. Like one on one, face to face. And when we did, that happened." I said.
Krisdana gave a "okay yeah so?" look. I sighed, continued, decided to just tell her the whole truth. Hit the nail on the head and properly explain why the whole case with Giwa was particularly bothering me.
"I looked back at her while we were walking away and realised something.." I started.
She listened. I couldn't tell I she cared, but she listened.
"She didn't look angry. She looked very hurt.." I told her.
"And why do you care, if I may ask? Everyone knows Giwa Falade is a bitch. She's done worse things to people, so she deserved every bit of what happened that day." Krisdana was certain.
"No, Kris, we don't go around hurting people just because they aren't the best people around," I lectured her.
She raised her hand in a fake gesture of surrender and exxasperation mixed. "I don't want to sound rude, because I actually love you Ivan..." Her hands dropped as she went on, ".. but what's your point?"
"I feel bad." I said the truth. "Especially after seeing her reaction. After realising how bad she took it. How deep it seemed. I think I flipped a switch in her that no one else has."
Krisdana wasn't having it. I continued nontheless.
"Everyone knows Giwa doesn't care about shit. Somehow, she always has things under control. So why, why then did my actions affect her that badly?" I was saying.
"She probably likes you, na. Doesn't every girl?" Krisdana joked, laughed at her own joke and chipped in, "And a few boys too."
I pressed my palm to my face, frustrated with my cousin. Really, Kris?
"Oh wow. Now we're joking here." I looked at the girl.
"This is a joke to me!" Krisdana blurted out.
"You're not getting my point." I said.
"Okay so Giwa is hurt because somebody actually had the guts to treat her like she didn't exist. Big whoop!" She sarcastically remarked.
"There's something I'm certain of." I told her, completely ignoring her sarcasm.
"Enlighten me." she said, with humor in her voice, arms folding.
"The mean girl stereotype, and yes, it's a thing." I started. "There's always something that makes them how they are. They always have a weakness or a bad past they try to forget. Or both. And when anything, either in connection to their past or beyond their control, happens, it breaks them down completely. In reality, they may not be as tough as they make the world believe. That fact is easy to tell if you just looked deeper."
"Relating this to Giwa," I continued. "I think that was why she was hurt that day. When I looked at her, I saw someone different. I wasn't seeing the Giwa Falade everyone knew, I saw... something else. Something different. Softer.. Weaker. Judging by her entire demeanor, facial expression, and body language, I knew I had broken her by one simple act. I pushed a sensitive spot. I don't believe it's just to be overlooked like that." I explained.
"No, you explain it to me," I went on, "After breaking a whole Giwa Falade down that way, she still hasn't done anything about it. Till now. Either I really broke the girl and weakened her completely, or she is planning a major comeback for me." I finished.
"Oshey Analyst!" Krisdana burst into laughter, throwing me a eoimd of applause after my ling speech and doing well to piss me off.
"Kris."
"Comeback it is, Ivan!" She concluded. "I'd watch my back if I were you!"
She went on laughing, reffering to me as an 'analyst". She always said that when she felt I was "feeling too smart", like now for example. Asides being a Science freak, I had this special ability to psychologically and accurately read people and their emotions and know what they are feeling, just like how I did with Giwa.
Krisdana believed that one day too much wisdom would kill me. Maybe she was right. Who knows?
"You know there's nothing you'll say that'll make me like Giwa right? The girl is a witch. Sometimes, I actually doubt if she's human to be honest," she said.
"No no. Kris.. you see.. everyone has a bit of good in them. Everyone. No matter how bad they seem. Especially people like Giwa Falade." I easily countered.
Even Giwa Falade...
Could I be right about Giwa? I couldn't gwt that sad, weak girl I had seen in her yesterday, out of my mind. It bothered me more than it should. I felt curious. I felt like I needed to know why she was that way. I felt like I needed to help her.
I barely even know her...
"Ivandor, you've always been one to be a saving grace to strangers." Krisdana said to me. She was suddenly serious... Looking at me like she was finally beginning to understand.
"You.. trying to reach out to Giwa to help..." She air quoted the 'help'. "I'll be honest with you, Cous. I see red everywhere." She looked honest as she said that to me. Like she wasn't just saying this because of her hatred for Giwa.
"And don't give me the 'kill em with Kindness' talk, because I strongly doubt Giwa Falade is a good person. Your analysis may be right, but not just in Giwa's case. I love you, Ivan. Please don't get yourself into something you will regret. Giwa will fuck you up in ways you won't see coming," Krisdana sounded to certain, it almost scared me.
That was the last thing she said before she left my room.
I sat, quietly, pondering on Krisdana's words, yet having a larger part of me strongly refusing to allow this broken stranger go by me, without offering any help.
I couldn't be wrong. I rarely was. I knew I wasn't wrong about Giwa too. There was definitely something more... Something deeper, beneath all the cover. I felt it strongly.
But what if I was wrong?
One question bugged me even more.
Why do I even care too much?
I cared way too much. So much that my peace would be threatened if I decided to shun her. That's what I didn't understand.
Why do I care so much about a flawed stranger?
Why do I care so much?
Okay okay that's a wrap!😊😊
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