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~CHAPTER FIFTEEN~

In every dark cloud there is always a silver lining is a true idiomatic expression for Mr Osayande now. His marriage proposal to Miss Adenike was a success, she had given him an immediate positive response. What was next was the family introduction that will be done in two weeks time. He was too elated.
Little did he know that someone was trying to ruin his happiness, he planned to keep his relationship private from his children till he was ready to spill the beans.

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Yuki just couldn't believe what he heard last night on his Dad's phone conversation with Miss Adenike. He was angry with his dad cause he heard him say ' I am getting impatient because everything around me reminds me of you. Have you settled on a date yet? I will be okay with any date you pick as far as is not December. '
His dad had laughed hard that night and he ended the conversation with 'I love you.' . He thought their relationship ended since the day Miss Adenike left their house in anger.
As a matter of fact, he was in school. He shouldn't let that distract him, he will deal with that later. He sat on the bench, where audience sat during basketball games. He watched his mate play. This was his best sport, he never joked with it. Once it was sport time, he would be the first to arrive in the court but today he wasn't in a good mood, he tried his best to concentrate, but he couldn't.
"Osayuki are you not supposed to be in the game? Why are you not playing ?" Damilola his classmate asked him, she was sitted few metres away from him, she had been watching the game and cheered whenever her favorite team scored.
"I don't want to play today." He replied, he looking away Immediately .
The first round of the game ended, the players went to rest for a while. the team with the lesser score planned on how they could defeat their opposing team.
"Guy sup. Why you no play today na?" Musa who played in the game asked as he sat beside Yuki.
"You go substitute for next round o!" Emeka said as he approached them. "That fair pig that calls himself a star no fit play at all. We will remove Yemi. Yuki we cannot lose. The blazers cannot win us. Abeg!" Emeka tried pulling Yuki to join them because the game will be starting in a minute.
"Leave am. I think e still dey miss his mama." Musa said mockingly.
Yuki glared at Musa he clenched his fist. Fighting the urge to hit him, he glared at him and said.
"Go and get another player. I am no longer playing for the Prime team and if you lose it's none of my business." he picked his water bottle from the floor and walked away.
He never meant those words he said ,but he wasn't ready to take it back, for now he would stop, even if it meant not playing in the finals. There are other games like swimming and football he could participate in. He would rather join the swimming club than to play on the team he despised now, he wasn't going to allow them mock him anymore.
Eversince the news spread about his Mum's death some of the boys in his class as used it as a measure to taunt him. His nickname now in school was 'Mummies boy'.
School was over, he was no longer taking the school bus. His dad stopped paying because he thinks he is old enough to come home by himself. Miss Okafor was the one who takes Ekina and Oghosa to school and she picks them up to when school closes. His dad had stopped paying for school bus, his dad only paid for school bus to make it easy for Noredia then.
"Hi! Can I tag along?" Yuki felt a tap on his back, he had just come out of the school gate and was heading home .
"Dami" he smiled, he adjusted his school bag on his bag making it more comfortable for him to trek.
"Are you trekking?" Damilola Adekoya beamed revealing her gap teeth that made her beautiful, she has a flawless brown skin. She is a very quiet and has only few friends, she is also studious and asks teachers questions a lot if she doesn't understand the topic.
"Yes. What about you?"
"I am. My house is not far from school. I usually trek alone. "
"Mine is far a bit. I am only trekking to the bus stop, from there I will take kekenapep to my house."
They walked side by side together. Yuki hated walking with girls, he didn't want passerbys to think he was one of those spoilt boys in school that keep girlfriends so he preferred walking alone or with his best friend Daniel ,but Daniel wasn't in school today, he had told him the previous day that he wasn't going to be around in school because he had an appointment with his dentist.
They stopped at the bus stop, Yuki waited for a tricycle that was going to Fagba. He expected Damilola to continue going since her house was just in the opposite street but she waited with him.
"I thought you said your house is in that street opposite this bus stop? "
"Yes. I just want to ask you a question?"
"Okay. I am all ears."
"Why didn't you play basketball today?"
"Why are you asking? I answered you ." he said irritably.
"You didn't tell me the truth. Something is bothering your mind, you can share if you trust me." she looked at him but he was watching out for the next Keke that will come his way.
"You might not want to share, it's okay__ remember to take it to the lord in prayer." she searched the road left and right preparing to cross to the other side.
"Wait! How did you know?" Yuki inquired, amazed at how she observed him critically.
"It obvious something is wrong because everyone knows how you love basketball. I heard what Musa said earlier. Don't mind him, it doesn't know how it hurts. Well as a Christian boy you should pray for those who revile against you. I have to go now." she said with her eyeslashes batting.
"I was just thinking about how life will be when my dad gets married to another woman. I don't want a stepmom at all. My dad never informed me he was engaged. The woman he is about to marry__ my siblings and I don't like her. I am confused. Even if he wants to marry, it shouldn't be that woman" he said sadly.
"My dad is a marriage counselor" she brought out her jotter from her bag and tore a sheet from the back and wrote her dad's number in it.
"Give it to your dad. Can I have his number? "
Yuki quickly dictated the number for her as she wrote."My dad will call to advice your father. Be strong okay. Don't allow it affect your studies." she waved at him before crossing.
Yuki looked at the paper in his hand. He wasn't going to give his dad, it's better her dad calls. A tricycle finally came, he paid the driver and entered.