HER BABY’S SECRET

Arike's POV

At 1:15am, I was still up trying to gather every information I could find to solve a murder case which was presented to the law firm where I work as a Criminal Attorney. The case was about the death of a senator's daughter. Chidinma Johnson was found dead on the street after she met up with her boyfriend at an hotel. We are yet to find the killer but we have two suspects in the police custody. Her boyfriend who she met before her death and best friend who was the last person who called Chidinma. My boss put me up to handle the case and also defend my client who was the deceased boyfriend.

Benjamin Nwosu was the son of Senator Nwosu and he made it known to me that he didn't kill Chidinma. I perceive that Chidinma's death was the handwork of her father's opponent. Senator Johnson was contesting for Governorship seat, so it was possible that his opponents are at him. And I just need evidences to nail them down so my client can be free to return home because he wasn't granted bail.

The sound from the door jolted me up from a dozing state. Oh my God! I really need to have a good rest once this case was over.

I walked to the door, wondering who could it be at this time? It's really late! Plus I wasn't expecting anyone. I peered through the small hole on the door. What's he doing out there?! I sighed after seeing the familiar masculine figure standing on my porch. Adedayo Awosika.

I opened the door. "Dayo." He turned to face me.

"Arike,I'm sorry for showing up here at this hour."

I didn't miss the sad look on his expression.

"It's alright come in." I stepped aside for him to walk into my home.

The best word to describe who Adedayo Awosika was to me - Best friend. We've been friends since we were in Junior Secondary School where we started out as just classmates.

He was very popular as per son of Mr Awosika,the business tycoon. The Best Academy was a school for 'The Rich' and as a poor girl it had been hard for me to fit into the system. I only managed to be a student because I won a scholarship to finish up my secondary level at The Best Academy.

I was raised by my mom and grew up without knowing the man who fathered me. According to the story mom told me,she got pregnant when she was a teenager and my father was also too young to take up his responsibility so he denied ever having anything to do with my mom. The funny part of the story was that grandpa wanted my mom to abort me to avoid being disgraced in church because he was an assistant pastor. So on the very day Grandpa was supposed to drag mommy to the hospital for abortion,she woke up before anyone else and ran away from home. Mom had to break her piggybox to come to Lagos to meet her uncle all the way from Ibadan.

Uncle Badejo wasn't married at that time so he offered to take care of her and adopt me as his child after I was born. But that didn't happen until he had said a lot of things to grandpa for trying to abort his first grandchild just to save his reputation in church. I grew up thinking Uncle Badejo was my biological father. I was so little,too young to understand that my uncle can't be my father. Mom told me the whole story when uncle Badejo wanted to get married.

To cut the long story short,my mom died in a fatal car accident when I was nine. It was around the time when I was writing my common entrance examination. I had to move in to live with Uncle Badejo and his wife but about a month after, uncle Badejo lost his job and we survived on his wife's salary.

Despite being jobless, Uncle Badejo wanted me to get the best education. So he helped me apply for a scholarship at The Best Academy. I sat for the examination and came out the best. I was enrolled into The Best Academy where I had met Adedayo Awosika. I didn't like him at first meeting because he was so proud and he was one of those kids who slapped it to my face that I was poor and wouldn't have had a chance to attend such expensive school if I wasn't given scholarship.

I did my best to avoid him and some other kids. In fact I was the most gentle girl in class and I hardly spoke to anyone. Basically they all avoided me like a plaque but I didn't let it get to me. I was at school to learn and not go about making friends.

"I wouldn't have showed up here if I knew you were this busy." Dayo said calmly,his eyes scanning the whole area. It was messed up with piles of papers and plates.

"It's Okay. And I am not too busy." I started out to clear up the mess.

Dayo and I moved from school bully-Timid girl stage to friendly classmates after an incident. It was on Thursday which used to be our sports day. I drank little garri at home on Wednesday night and didn't eat a good meal to school on Thursday. I left home without a penny but Aunty Sade, (Uncle Badejo's wife) promised to prepare a good meal with the hope of getting her unpaid salary that day. I knew I was going to eat at school but that won't happen until lunch time. I was too weak to participate in the sporting activity but I couldn't complain because I didn't want my classmates to bully me again and call me a sickle cell patient. And instead of lodging a complain to the sport master, I choose to keep quiet and take part In the exercises.

When it was my class turn to run a race, Adedayo raced to my side and mocked me for being too slow. And when I didn't give him a response he stretched out his long legs and tripped me off. I lost my balance easily and fell to the ground. He laughed and called me 'weak' but I didn't reply. I managed to get up to my feet but sudden dizziness made me fall back to the ground before I could take another step,then I fainted.

I woke up in the Infirmary where I admitted to the nurse that I was hungry. I refused to go to class after eating. I explained why I didn't want to go,I was scared of my classmates. I didn't think I would be able to take all the words they would say to me. Well the nurse understood what I was going through and she was nice enough to help me get my bag. So I stayed till closing time.

On my way home,I kept thinking about how I would survive the next day. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice what was going on around me. A car stopped in front of me when I wanted to cross the main road to my street. Adedayo came out of the car and asked if we could talk for some minutes. I was still mad at him for tripping me like that. And in the end he apologized sincerely and asked if we could be friends. I couldn't say no because saying no to him only means that I haven't forgiven him. So that was how we became friends and he would always defend me at school anytime someone shows up to bully me.

"So how have you been?" I asked him after making everywhere clean.

"I have been good until -" his voice trailed off.

He wasn't happy and it was clear from his expression that something was bothering him. "Want some water or drink?" I asked.

He rubbed his temples. "Water..and can I get some painkillers too?"

"Sure." I rushed into the kitchen to get what he wanted.

"Here.." I handed him the glass of water and dropped two tablets in his palms.

"Thank you." He sighed after taking the drugs.

I sat down next to him on the couch. "So what's wrong with the son of the the famous Business Mogul?!" I said. He managed to smile at my joke.

That was how Adedayo used to introduce himself back then in school.

"I am Adedayo Awosika, the only son of famous business Mogul!" Such a spoilt brat! He was the only son out of four daughters and also the last child of Mr Awosika.

"I am getting married." He blurted out. And it seems like my heart stopped beating after hearing his words.