John walked out of his hostel accompanied by Claire who happened to be his younger sister. They both were a student of the University of Canada who were sent there by their rich parents. John had spent three years in Canada just like James but Claire had just spent a year.
It happened that John and Claire were so fond of each other, it seems they were always together. There was a form of silence between them as they walked but Claire soon broke the silence.
"Brother John." She called.
"Yeah, Sister Claire. I'm all hears." John replied, smiling.
"Oh! You've started again. Just listen to me this time instead of teasing me na."
"But I told you I'm all hears."
"Okay. Did you remember the day dad got annoyed with you because of me?"
John had came out of his room with his mother whom he loved more than any other thing. They were a Nigerian Family who lived in Canada, their house was not so far to the University of Canada so it was easy for John and Claire to go home and come back to school.
Just then, the door to the sitting room opened widely and Claire rushed in followed by her annoyed Father, Mr. Adam who continued shouting as if stung by a bee.
"Won't you listen to me?" Mr. Adam was shouting on top of his voice.
"No, father." Claire cut in "Though you gave birth to me, but I'm in control of my own life,not you. Why will you choose for me, I have the right to chose whom I love."
"You must be very stupid." Mr. Adam cut in. "Who are you to start choosing whom you must love? What do you even know about love? I want the best for you, that's why I'm telling you that Paul is not the right person for you, is that not it? But the dog that will get lost will never listen to the hunter's whistles."
"Is it your life? Is it you that will get lost if you don't listen to the hunter's whistles?"
Throughout, John and his mother were just watching the conversations between the annoyed Father and daughter. They didn't even bother to contribute to the matter on ground. They stood there, watching.
Meanwhile, Claire's last statement angered her father so much that he raised up his hand to slap her but he felt an heavy force pulling his hand backward as he was about to land it on Claire's face. He realised that John was the one holding his hand.
"John? How dare you!" Mr. Adam roared in anger.
"I'm so sorry father, but I cannot watch that happens to her as I can not watch it happen to any other person in this family.
Mr. Adam was shocked and he was lost of words at the same time. Then he saw his wife kneeling down before him.
"Please forgive them, my hubby." She said
"I should forgive them." He repeated
"Please."
"No problem na. But we shall see." Mr. Adam said and walked out of the house angrily
"I don't even know the kind of luck mine is, my father never agrees to anything I want. Well, whether people like it or not, it's Paul I'm gonna marry.
"Will you keep quiet!" Mrs. Adam shouted on her.
"Yeah!" John replied Claire, "I remembered. Infact, Father hasn't forgiven me since then."
"Mum later came back to me that day."
"Wow! She did? Then, what did she tell You?"
Claire lied on her bed, dejected. She wasn't expecting her mother to shout on her and this really broke her heart. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the earlier events. Suddenly she heard a loud knock.
"Who is that?" She had asked
"It's me." She heard her mother's voice.
"I don't want anybody to disturb me, so I've locked the door. Please, let me be."
"Please, I need to talk to you Claire." Her mother begged. Considering the fact that she was her mother, she went to open the door, she sat down on her bed and her mother entered, sitting beside her."
"I'm so sorry I shouted on you the other time." Mrs. Adam started "But, you shouldn't be rude to your father. If you had talked to him politely, he might have agreed to your relationship with Paul."
"I've talked to him politely before this time, but he doesn't want anything good for me."
"Don't say that, Claire. Your father wants the best for you. It's not that he has someone in mind as an alliance for you but he doesn't want you to start engaging in a relationship at this age. He wants you to grow older than this so that you won't regret falling in love."
"Mom, Paul loves me a lot, I know it. I can never regret falling in love with him."
"I won't ask you to stop loving him because you know what you want. But, be careful."
"Thanks, mom. I will."
"So, mom agreed to your relationship when father doesn't." John was surprised. " You gat to be very careful, Sis."
"But, I should have listened to Dad."
"Why? What happened?"
"Paul only want sex from me, I overheard him as he discussed this with his friends."
"Guys of nowadays shouldn't be trusted, Sis. We guys are all the same."
"Bro, I told him I'm not interested in him anymore but he told me I dare not. I'm worried as I don't what he is up to, bro. He is one of David's guys."
"It's my duty to protect you, Claire. I won't let anyone harm you as long as I'm alive."
* * *
"Since, she is not in love with you anymore, can't you just leave her on her own?" John stood in front of Paul and three other guys; Oxlade, Young and Josh, beside Claire's hostel while she ; Claire, stood behind him holding his shoulder in fear. "If I've been a minute late to this place, would you have raped her."
"Who are you, man?" Paul was provoked.
"I'm her brother who will never let anything bad happens to her as long as I live."
"I will thrash you till you can no longer walk." Paul faced John. "Then, I will have sex with her right before your eyes, then I will also let my guys have a piece of her honeypot."
John was angered by Paul's last statement that he slapped him so hard, he kicked him that fell then he faced his guys as if asking them to come and fight him.
"No one will ever talk ill of my sister as long as I'm alive." John's voice echoed.
Oxlade reached his hand forward to hit him but he held it and punched him so hard on his nose, he kicked him also, Oxlade fell flatly on the floor. Other guys; Young and Josh were taken aback. They were shocked to see both Paul and Oxlade on the floor, groaning in pain. Then, both at a time attacked him and brought him down. Paul and Oxlade soon joined in and they started beating John while Claire was trying her best to get them off him.
All of a sudden, a lick came out of nowhere and made Oxlade jumped high in the sky before he later landed on the floor. Everyone looked at the direction of which the kick came from and saw James folding his arm, resting on the wall.
"You guys again?" James looked so annoyed. "How many times do I have to warn you. Tell me what this guy had done to you before you started beating him up."
The provoked Paul was so angry that he immediately moved towards James to hit him, but James dodged his movement and made him fall on the floor, then he stood up again only to recieve a weakening punch from James, he fell flatly on the floor and wasn't able to stand up again. Oxlade was also groaning in pain as he had developed a small fracture on his left leg. Both Young and Josh could no longer watch this drama, they decided to attack James at the same time like they did to John but James was smarter than they were. Seeing them coming, James quickly moved to the other side and they both fell on the floor, missing their target. They both tried to stand up again but were soon weakened by James punch. They later tried to gather much energy to stand up and carried both Paul and Oxlade home.
"Thanks so much, bro." John said, reaching his hand forward for a handshake.
"You are highly welcomed, brother." James said as he shook hands with John.
"I'm John."
"I'm James."
"Oh! J had come to save J." Claire smiled
"Yeah!" James exclaimed. "And, what is your name, Sister?"
"Claire."
"Claire?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh! What a nice name. But, you look like a Nigerian?"
"Yes, but we were born in Canada." Claire replied.
"Oh!"
"Well, welcome to the list of my friends." James smiled.