Afo opens his eyes as if he had a nightmare and sits upright, he turns to look at the bed bed but couldn't find Ome there.
"Where did she go--"
he stops as he perceives the smell of something burning, he immediately ran out to the living room looks around and traces the smoke to the kitchen.
"Oh my gosh--"
he rushes to open the window covers the frying pan which was on fire with a pan cover and turns off the cooker before turning around to look at Ome who stood at one end of the kitchen in fear, he turns around to see the plantain peels on the floor.
"Wow"Afo exhales and turns to look at Ome with a stunned expression.
Ome puts the spatula she was holding on the table and without knowing rushes to hug Afo.
"Alright' he opens up the frying pan after assuring the fire was out, he looks into the pan.
"What were you making by the way" Afo asked the girl who was basically glued to him.
"I wanted to make dodo" she responds with her face still buried in his stomach.
"I'm sure fried plantain isn't meant to be black and this---, I can't even explain" Afo exclaims still stunned.
"I'm sorry" she responds once more with her face still buried into his stomach.
"If you were hungry you could have woken me up ok, I know I slept late--" Afo tried to scold her but she immediately interrupted him saying.
"No that wasn't it, you were tired from the whole thing yesterday so I felt I could make food before you woke up" she finally let's go of him to look at his face.
"Thanks ok, but you're ten it's dangerous, you must be really hungry" he exclaims as he pats her head and once more begins to observe the kitchen once more.
"You know what grab a stool to stand on and watch me cook" he finally said to Ome after looking around for a while.
"Yes" age responded with excitement.
Afo smiles in happiness that the friction between them had reduced so much in such a short time although he never thought he would treat someone else's daughter like that almost as if he had always wanted a little sister.
"Oook what shall we make hmmmm, got it"
In no time he clears up the kitchen and begins to prepare the food as once in a while he would point out object for her to hand him and she would do so, it was as if they were teacher and student and in no time the nose tingling and tase bud tempting meal was ready.
"Ok help me move them to the dining table tiny!!" he requested as he pointed at the things she should carry as to set the table
"Ok" she grabs a small pot and takes it to the dining as they both set the dining table.
"Seems like mom didn't come back last night even after all my calls". He grabs his phone to call his mom and finds missed calls from Mrs. Hana.
"Oh my gosh 15 missed calls, she would definitely be pissed, I didn't even go to church, aaaah" he immediately dials Mrs. Hana and the phone rings for a while.
"Good ---afternoon Mrs. Hana" Afo said with a smile on his face, expecting her lecture.
"You didn't come for service" Mrs Hana asked with a flat tone.
"I'm sorry ma I'm just waking up and--"
"Just waking up what about the girl" Mrs Hana asked him cutting him off his sentence.
"Well she's fine you see we are--"
"Don't tell you're making her eat breakfast by this time of the day"she asked once more.
"I'm really sorry ma I guess yesterday's game really did a number on me--"
"Of course your only excuse"
"I'm sorry ma"
"Anyways I called to tell you that I already called your coach to tell all team members to gather up by 4 pm today for a little celebration on Yesterday's victory, I'll send you the location so make sure to come and bring Ome too" she said giving Afo the invite.
"Thank you ma" Afo said with a smile on his face.
"Whatever, hey Ome are you there??" she asked as Afo puts the phone on loudspeaker for Ome to hear.
"Yes Mrs. Hana, good afternoon" Ome replied loudly.
"Oh that's my girl see you later in the day ok"
"Yes ma"
"Have you spoken with your mom yet" she once more directs her questions to Afo.
"No I was about to call her before I saw your calls" he replied her.
"Better do ok!!"
"Yes ma!!" He ends the call and dishes rice into a plate for Ome then adds the fried plantain and stew with fried egg on the top as if serving someone at the restaurant.
"There eat "he offered.
"What about you??" she asked since he didn't serve any for himself.
"Oh I gotta shower and all before eating" he replied the girl while ruffling her hair
"I'll wait"
"No don't worry go ahead without me" Afo tried to persuade her.
"Are you sure" she asked.
"Yeah!! C'mon" he picks his phone and dials his mom's contact and the mother immediately answers.
"Mom where are you"
"Oh I went um … to the--" Afo's mom tried to explain.
"It's 12 o'clock mom, Your location let me come pick you up" Afo said in a strict tone.
"Oh Don't worry I'll be fine" she tried to lay him off.
"Mom I called all through last night, and I doubt you've eaten anything is Mr. Isaac there with--"
"I'm fine I'll be home soon ok??" Afo stops for a while.
"Fine hurry on home ok??"
"Yes" she replied as Afo sighs.
Afo ends the call and heads to the room, while Ome though to herself as she ate how much Afo loved his mom despite who she was and wondered if she could love her dad the same way immediately her thoughts are interrupted by a memory of her dad beating her with a belt.
("Never can I care about that man!!").
***********************************
Afo and Ome are both in the living room Playing video games, with Ome pouncing frantically on the game pad.
"Hey easy easy, pouncing on it won't make you win"
"But you keep winning" she exclaims.
("Should I have gone easy on her I mean she's a noob and a kid and all, nah I need to make her understand nothing comes easy, right??, Yeah I'm justified") he thought to himself.
"Look ok, in a while you'll be good at playing too, if I go too easy on you, you might never get to know how to play"
"And if you go too hard on me I'll lose hope and give up on gaming" she speaks as she puffs up her cheek's pouting.
"Alright fine I'll go easy on you" Afo said poking her puffed up cheeks.
"Wait maybe it's the pad I'm using let's switch pads" she said looking at him as if she just had a discovery that was a major breakthrough.
"No it's not the pad" Afo said while gently karate chopping her head.
"Yes it is you just want to hug the master pad to yourself"
"That's not how it works" Afo tried to explain.
"If you really mean it then you shouldn't have a problem with giving me your pad" Afo stops to think on what she just said.
("Wait why should I have to think so hard on a kid's words") he thought.
"I'm not giving this to you, they both work the same way" Ome tries to take the pad by force by jumping Afo and they both began to struggle and after a little while of struggling they both stop and burst into laughter.
"Fine have mine--, oh sorry I have a call"
"I'll keep playing solo then" Afo excuses himself a few feet's away from Ome.
"Yes mom, where have you been it's already passed--" he checked his watch to confirm the time.
"2 o'clock"
"I'm almost home I had to visit the hospital--"
"The hospital??, What happened--"
"I'm fine, and the traffic on the way kept me longer"
("Is she trying to avoid, what took her to the hospital")
"Well is there anything you'll want ready before you get back??"
"Maybe a bath" she replied.
"Done then"
"Ok"
"Ok see you when I get home"
("Well I can't force her to tell me why she was in the hospital")
he thought.
"Hey Ome looks like you'll have to keep playing solo"
"Ehhhh, why?"
"I've gotta get some things ready for mom"
"Yeah yeah!!" Afo places his phone on the dining table and begins preparations for his mother's arrival, he cleaned her room and made food and just when he was about to join Ome his mother arrived at the door.
"Good afternoon ma!"
"Afternoon Ome"she returned her greeting.
"Afternoon mom" Afo greets.
"---" Ome stared abruptly at them both noticing the mother didn't respond to Afo's greeting neither did it feel like there was a problem between them.
"So I heard you are having a little party by this evening" Afo's mom decided to quickly chip in a topic.
"Yeah how did you know??"
"Oh!! Mrs. Hana told me about it, and how you were scouted by the captain of d'tigers himself" she said with a smile.
"Ahhhh, I wanted to break that news to you myself" Afo exclaims in defeat.
("That Mrs. Hana") he pictures her laughing menacingly at a time like this.
"Congratulations"she said as she placed her bag on the table.
"Thanks ma!!" Afo replied.
"Ok" silence runs through the room for a few seconds, Ome still not sure why they both acted that way and quickly retreated to the PlayStation to continue her game.
"Ok you can go shower I prepared something for you to eat"
"Oh thank you" she exits and makes her way to her room.
"Where's Mr. Isaac?" he asked
"Oh he said he was going out so..., Sorry for bothering you with her" she said.
"No it's fine I'm actually enjoying her company" Afo decides to take her seat at the dinner table while Afo's mom is heading to her room.
"Oh yeah there's ice cream in the fridge Ome and I bought one at the mart on our way home" he shouted as she was on her way and she stops immediately.
"Really??" she turned and asked in joy.
"Yeah it's yours, I basically met a girl who also likes your favorite so I bought it for you"
"Oh a girl what's her name"
"IJ" he said.
("Maybe I should try asking once more") he thought to ask the mother what took her to the hospital.
"So you said you went to the hospital--"
"It's nothing important, are you getting ready for the party" she interrupted him.
("Well she really doesn't want to discuss it huh!!) he thought.
"Yeah" he picks up his phone and Oreva's card.