Must Read: The Thomas:

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Thomas:

Someone who failed deserved no special treatment A student with a good result deserves encouragement, not someone who failed.” His father replied almost in anger. “Dad, she needs to be encouraged no matter what.” Dave said. “No problem. Is she encouraged now?” He asked as he glanced at her to see her eyes welled up with tears. His anger reduced and he felt pity for her. “Go to your room and freshen up. See me when you are done.” He said. And slowly she walked out of the living room. Nate was being held at the security post after the drama he performed inside the hotel. He had vented his anger on his randy Uncle, at least if not to his satisfaction, he made sure he drew blood from the man even though he himself sustained a few injury. “Oga, abeg let me go. Nate said to the security men who have vowed to hand him over to the police as instructed by the hotel manager and for the past four hours, no policeman h ad shown up. “If you no keep your mouth shut their, I will suprise you.” One of the three uniformed men replied. “Oga, abeg free me na I just dey come from school.” He pleaded for the upteenth ti me. “l don tell you sey if you wan go, drop your school ID c ard. Its like you don’t know the gravity of the offence you committed. You left that man almost dead, because of what?” Another of the men replied. “Oga, you no go understand. Just let me go.” Nate said as he dipped his hand into his bagpack, fished out hi s wallet and removed wards of naira note. “You wan bribe me abi?
You think sey I be pauper? Go give your papa the money.” The man said and this infuriated Nate who dropped his bag as well as his wallet and the naira notes, “Do you want to beat me?” “Oga, n ot dey mention my papa anyhow o. Him fit buy this hotel and everyone in it, including you three.” Nate said angrily which earned him a slap. “That your papa wey you dey talk na bastard.” Nathan angrily walked to the extreme end of the spacious compound, pi plank and returned. cked up a “You wan use still hit me abi?” Immediately, the three men pounced on him, overpowered him and started giving him a second round of beating. But this time, he refused to be overpowered. He forcefully hit one of the men in the groin, picked up the plank waved it and it hit the second man on the neck. “If you move closer and I hit you with this stick, you’ll regret the day you were born.” He said to the third manr still holding the plank up in the air ready to bring it down. He p icked his wallet and his bag before walking out of the hotel still holding the stick. “To where?” A bikeman stopped beside him. “Gate.” He replied mounting the bike. “Na gate you dey go abi bus stop?” The bikeman asked as he drove off. “No be your money yo u go collect? I will drop when I get to my destination. Nate replied angrily as he threw the plank he was holding away. He was a total mess when he dropped at the junction, before walking the remaining distance to his father’s house. His hair ruffled, his lips dripping with blood and a number of cuts on his face. “Nathaniel the bad man.” The gateman shouted happily as he opened the gate to let him in. “How far?” He asked shaking hands with the man.

l dey na. Wetin you bring come?” The gateman asked collec ting his bag and searching through his things. “Na clothes full here na Na cloth I go chop?” He raised his head up and saw the cuts on his face. “Choi! Wetin do you face? You fight person ni?” He asked with concern as he left whatever he was doing with the bag “Na today? Abeg, gimme my bag jor.” He collected his bag and walked towards the house. “Good evening sir.” He greeted his father the moment he entered the living room. “How are you oga?” The elderly man replied extending his hand for a handshake. “Am fine sir.” Nate replied impatiently. “What happened to your face?” “Its nothing sir. I need to rest’ He replied as he walked away. The image of his last visit playing in his mind. He remembered how he had stood up to his father that fateful morning, three days after the divorce. “Best big brother.” Serena threw her weight on Nate the moment he entered the hallway. But, much to her chagrin, he yanked her off angrily and she fell to the ground fished out his key, unlocked the door and walked into his roo He m, securing the lock, the second he entered The time was 10:50pm when Serena woke up from her sleep “Wow! So I slept for over four hours?” She asked herself as she got out of bed, switched on her bedside lamp. She walked into the bathroom, washed her face and returned a few minutes later. The event of the day came flashing in her mind. She remembered how Nathan had flung her away like a piece of paper. Remembering how she came crashing, she chuckled. The worms in her stomach gave her a last warning as she dragged herself out of the room into the brightly lit corridor. “So, the gen is on?” She asked rhetorically as she entered the living room where Nate was holding a game pad as well as Dave. “What’s going on here?” She asked as she walked over and sat besid e Dave on the floor. “You are awake?” Dave asked “No, I am still sleeping.” She replied and they all bursted into laughter. “Don’t tell me you guys are playing game.” “Well, on the other hand, the game is playing us.” Nate replied with a straight face. On ly Dave gave a short laugh to his joke. “Dad demands that you see him once you are awake.” Nate said as he paused the game and walked out of the living room. “What’s wrong with him?” Serena asked picking up his abandoned game pad and resumed the game. “Dad wants to see you.”


Dave rememinded her. “l will go.” She replied “Serena, why not now?” Dave asked. “He could be busy or asleep. ” She replied. “He asked to see you, so, he’ll stop whatever he is doing to attend to you and no, he is still awake. Now run. ” Dave said and Serena ran out of the living room, but once she got to the corridor which connects to their parents room, their father’s study, the guest room, she stopped running, and slowly, but steadily walked towards her father’s study.

Her mind was fi lled with questions as she approached the study. One was the reason why he asked her to see him. Is it because she slept for four hours, two days after failing her exam woefully? Certainly not, he had asked her to see him right from the time she returned f rom her outing with Dave “Come in.” He said and she turned the door knob with a shaky hand. “Good evening daddy.” She greeted as she walked into the room which is as big as her bedroom, if not bigger. his computer screen. “How are you?” He asked without removing his eyes from “Am fine.” she replied. “l sent for you.” He said and silence prevailed once again save for the sound from the standing fan which stood just beside his chair. After about a minute in which no one said a thing, her father spoke again. ” Get me Dave.” She curtly excused herself and walked out of the room. A minute later, she returned to the study with her eldest brother “Dad, you sent for me.” He said confidently as he sat on the chair opposite his father’s. “Take a look at this boy.” His father replied pushing the laptop computer over to him. Dave turned it to himself and browsed through with a smile on his face. “This is beautiful. How much are they offering?” He asked. “We can’t say that now.” Oluwole Thomas replied nodding towards Sere na. “Oh! I forgot, strangers are not allowed to know about our dealings.” “Exactly. Work on a perfect breakdown of the estimate, send it to the Finance director.” His father said as he made to leave. “Okay sir.” A minute later, when Dave had left the study knowing what to do. “Another contract?” She asked Her “Yeah.” father replied. “Thank you Jesus.” She muttered. “We’ll celebrate it won’t we?” Her father asked She could only smile. “Now, the reason why I sent for you i , Serena was still standing without s to ask you about your plans. Dave spoke to me already, but Dave is Dave and Serena is Serena.” “l am thinking maybe…. Change of institution form.”

she stammered want to drop UI?” Her father asked. “l have no choice. 191 is relatively low.” She re “How much is the form? Is it out yet?” “l don’t know.” she replied “l know you’ll become serious one day.” “Am sorry sir.” she said. plied. “You “Let me know when the form is out and any other thing you might need Okay?” she nodded her head in the affirmative . “Open that drawer.

The yellow bag inside is yours.” Serena fearfully approached a table on top which books lay and pulled out the drawer. She fished out the yellow bag and inside it lay a brand new Samsung Galaxy S 4. “Waoh! Dad, this is for me?” She ask ed. “Yes. I got it for you hoping you’ll score 400 in your exam, but since you decided to give JAMB some of your marks, I realised that there is not point keeping it.” “Thank you very much sir.” She said as she hugged him happily.