FATHER AND SON MOMENT.

 After each person received their report cards, they gathered to meet their father who had arrived to pick them up. Abeni arrived first, followed by Bisi, who appeared to be in distress, as though she had lost something precious. He almost chuckled at the sight, knowing well of her typically proud demeanor. Despite this, Bisi rushed to her father and continued to shed tears.

"They cheated me," Bisi sobbed, refusing to concede defeat.

"No one cheated; I'm simply very bright," Abeni retorted with a sneer.

"Of course, my darling is brilliant," their father affirmed.

 He endeavored to console her, attempting to ease Bisi's distress. Meanwhile, Ohi couldn't shake off what he had witnessed, evident by the furrow in his brows. "I must be imagining things due to all those fantasy and sci-fi movies," he reassured himself. "It's nothing; if she were real, Bisi would have noticed her," he reasoned inwardly.

Approaching his father, Ohi greeted him, and his father responded by extending his hand, silently requesting Ohi's report card. Sensing his father's expectation, Ohi handed it over. His father perused the contents, and although he didn't explicitly show it, a subtle hint of disappointment flickered across his face. This sight pierced Ohi deeply, feeling as though a sharp arrow had struck his heart.

His father closed the report card without uttering a word. The family entered the car, assuming their positions, enveloped in an uneasy silence that persisted until they finally arrived at their destination.

Upon arriving home, the air was filled with the enticing scent of their mother's cooking. Their grandmother sat comfortably on the couch, engrossed in watching a Yoruba film on TV. Greetings were exchanged, and the twins eagerly displayed their report cards. Bisi's attempts at explaining hers were dismissed as mere nonsense.

As their grandma glanced up at Ohi, she offered a warm, genuine smile, yet Ohi responded with a forced one.

"So, can I have a look at the report cards now?" Ewatomi inquired.

Without uttering a word, Ohi retreated to his room, sinking onto his bed. Around thirty minutes later, a gentle knock interrupted the silence. Rising from his bed, he opened the door to find his mother standing there, balancing a tray laden with his meal and his favorite local drink, Sobo. Her cheerful smile greeted him, prompting a reciprocal smile from Ohi.

"Here," she said, offering the tray. "You still need to eat."

"Thank you, Mom," he expressed his gratitude.

"You're welcome, my dear," she replied softly before leaving the room. Ohi closed the door behind her.

His mother's taciturn nature was eclipsed by her actions, which spoke volumes about what she wished to convey.

Later that day, there was a knock on Ohi's door. He opened it to find his father standing there, tossing the car key to him, which he promptly caught.

"Let's go for a drive," his father proposed.

"Am I driving?" Ohi asked.

"Yes, but we'll stay within the neighborhood," his father confirmed.

Excitement filled Ohi as he took the wheel. While cruising with his father, they encountered some of his classmates, and Ohi eagerly waved at them.

"Your mother and I have decided to enroll you in a boarding school," his father suddenly disclosed.

The car screeched to an abrupt stop.

"What?!" Ohi exclaimed, shocked by the unexpected news.

Are you trying to kill us?" Ohi yelled, his hand instinctively placed over his heart in shock.

"You shouldn't have thrown a bomb at me, especially when I was driving," he retorted. "Why a boarding school?"

"It's a disciplinary school, where you can't slack off, and you'll meet kids your age. Dare suggested it," his father explained.

"Since when did you start listening to that big-bellied idiot," Ohi thought to himself, refraining from voicing his inner disapproval.

"But I don't want to go to a boarding school, I don't..." Ohi began to protest, only to be interrupted by his father.

"You don't have a choice," his father interjected firmly, leaving Ohi no room for negotiation.

Feeling compelled to yield to the argument, Ohi reluctantly conceded.

"You know your mom and I... we love you a lot," his father continued, gesturing toward a boy fixing a car in a nearby garage.

"You mean Emeka," Ohi confirmed.

"Yes, he has to work hard to go to school and feed himself. Ohinoyi, you need to be responsible. You won't live under my roof forever. I'm sure you have dreams you want to achieve. You also have plans of getting married and having kids, right?" his father grinned at him.

Ohi was mortified by his father's words, realizing the weight of responsibility and expectations being placed upon him.

 "Ohinoyi, why do you skip your classes?" his father asked, catching Ohi off guard. Despite his efforts, Ohi found himself unable to respond.

"I've been having this lingering doubt about that boy Bayo. If you're going to make friends, choose those who are sensible and responsible. Don't let them dictate your life," his father advised. "For instance, Dare and I are friends, but you don't see me drinking, gambling, or going to clubs. You have to think for yourself. You're old enough to distinguish between right and wrong," he calmly added.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Ohi's eyes welled up with tears.

Ozovehe sighed, perhaps feeling a mixture of disappointment and concern for his son.

It's okay, we all make mistakes in life," his father reassured, shaking his head with closed eyes.

Ohi, feeling remorseful, lowered his head as a tear trickled down his cheek.

"So, wanna grab a bite?" his father offered, smiling at his son.

With an effort to compose himself, Ohi wiped away his tears and returned a smile. "Sure," he replied to his dad.

They purchased ice cream and snacks, then headed home. However, their journey was interrupted by their neighbor, a disheveled-looking woman.

"Good evening, sir," she greeted their father, her voice trembling.

"Evening," he responded, looking at her with concern.

The woman showed him a photo of her husband. "My husband has been missing for two days now. Please, have you seen him?" she asked, anxiety evident in her voice.

"No, not really," he replied, his face displaying shock at the revelation.

This led to a lengthy explanation from the woman. Ohi held a strong dislike for the woman's husband, known for his womanizing ways. If womanizing were a skill, he would graduate with honors and be the president of the discipline for his expertise. With this unsettling encounter, they drove back home.

Lying on his bed, Ohinoyi pondered his father's advice, letting it seep into his thoughts. He reflected on his friendship with Bayo, realizing how he often followed the boy's lead and took his advice unquestioningly.

Ohinoyi was the type who yearned to fit in wherever he found himself, and Bayo shamelessly exploited that tendency, turning Ohi into nothing more than his pawn.

His contemplation was interrupted by a call from Bayo.

"Yo bro, where u at?" Bayo inquired.

"I'm at home. What about you?" Ohi responded.

"I'm at Caleb's. So, what's up? I didn't see you at school today," Bayo remarked.

"Yeah, my old man was on my case today, so I couldn't move around," Ohi explained.

"Come on, daddy's boy. Tell him the school has organized a party for us since we're graduating from junior high; he go concor na," Bayo interjected in his characteristic broken English.

"Look, if he knows you'll be at the party, then he won't let me go. He's got an issue with you," Ohi explained hesitantly.

"Me? Anyway, even if you have to sneak out, just do it and come," Bayo insisted.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," Ohinoyi concluded, ending the call. Dropping his phone on the bed, he took a deep breath. "So today is the judgement day, huh," he muttered to himself as he stood up, put on his hoodie, pocketed his phone, and made his way downstairs to the living room.