Chapter 2: Heir Apparent
The Lagos afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the corrugated metal roof of the orphanage. Inside, a hush had fallen, thick with anticipation. Ayo, fidgeting with the frayed collar of his hand-me-down shirt, sat on the worn wooden bench, the only splash of color in the drab surroundings. Mama Ngozi stood beside him, a tremor of uncertainty flickering in her usually steady gaze.
A black limousine, sleek and incongruous, pulled up in a cloud of red dust outside the orphanage gates. A man in a crisp suit emerged, his face etched with a solemn concern. Ayo's heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs. This wasn't a typical visitor.
The man, introduced as Mr. Ajayi, a lawyer, cleared his throat and addressed Mama Ngozi. "We are here about Ayo," he began, his voice clipped and professional. "It concerns his late father..."
Ayo's breath hitched. His father? The man he'd only ever known through faded photographs and tear-stained stories from Mama Ngozi.
Mr. Ajayi continued, his words blurring together in a dizzying wave of legalese and unexpected revelations. Apparently, Ayo's father, a man he'd never met, was a titan of Nigerian industry, and Ayo, his only heir. The news landed on Ayo like a bombshell, shattering the reality he'd known.
Mama Ngozi's gasp echoed in the sterile silence. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, darted between Ayo and Mr. Ajayi. A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of Ayo's lips. This couldn't be real, could it? A life beyond these walls, beyond the taunts and the watery soup, seemed like a fantastical dream.
Mr. Ajayi, his expression softening slightly, handed Ayo a worn leather briefcase. "There's much to discuss," he said, his voice gentler now. "But for now, let's get you settled in a more...appropriate environment."
Ayo exchanged a look with Mama Ngozi, a silent goodbye hanging heavy in the air. He wasn't sure what the future held, but stepping into the air-conditioned comfort of the limousine, a flicker of hope ignited in his chest. The boy who was once "scrawny Ayo" was about to embark on a new chapter, one filled with wealth, possibility, and the ghost of a father he never knew.