Chapter 2

Leah sat up straight on hearing the captain's announcement about their landing. Seated in the first-class part of the plane, she looked outside the window and was already seeing the tarmac and the plane slowed till it came to a final halt. When the plan doors were open, Leah as everyone else, filed out of the plan. The minute she touched the ground with her foot, she could already feel her home. It had been calling to her for a while and standing at the airport made the call sound louder in her ears. She took a few seconds to relish the cool air of the night as she closed her eyes and tilted her head backwards a bit. As to everyone who came from somewhere, this was her home, no matter how much her work made her travel, Nigeria was home, and she was glad to be back. A small smile appeared on her checks as the thought of home crossed her mind. Her parents, her room, her home, even her gateman, that one especially made her chuckle, because of his comic nature.

Being satisfied with the air she had taken in, and under the pressure to control herself so as to not look weird in front of others that were around, she brought her head down and opened her eyes. Besides why would anyone think her mad, this was Lagos, they were mad people everywhere, she thought to herself. She began to role her luggage into the airport, and on getting to the waiting area, she saw the man who was standing with a paper in his hand which had her name "Leah Onoja" written on it. She called to the man's attention by waving her hand at him, as he saw her, her began to walk towards her and she him. When they had come to a stop, having being in front of each other, they exchanged pleasantries as he took her bags from her and led her to the car he had waiting to take her home. As they head to the car, she hears her phone ring. She opens her handbag and brings out the phone, but seeing the name of the person calling made her smile more.

"couldn't you wait for me to at least get into the car if you couldn't wait for me to get home?" Leah asked as she answered the call.

"what are you saying. You must be jet lagged or delusional to think that your friends are that patient" Esther, one of her friends said over the phone.

"or maybe they have use some ogbodo's juju for ni?" her other friend Simi asked over the phone too.

"what?" Leah asked playfully with a smile on her face.

"oh, it's my friend? Friend!" Simi shouts over the phone making Leah to chuckle but to also draw the phone away from her ear as the shout was loud. In that time, she nodded a thank you to the driver as he opened the door of the car for her and she gets in, then he closed it behind her.

"it's now you are shouting? After having a line of conversation with me. You are crazy." Leah said as put the phone back on her ear and her friends laughed.

"I have to go guys; I'll see y'all tomorrow" Leah added.

"alright girl" Esther said.

"bye friend!" Simi and Esther shout, but shortly, then Leah ends the call. She smiles thinking about her friends, about seeing them again, especially Simi and her craziness. She missed it.

"shall we Ma'am?" she heard the driver say, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"yes, of course" she said with a glint of excitement and eagerness, though she tried to hide it a bit and wait till she got home before she fully expressed herself, there was no need to be caught acting like a school girl now, she thought to herself.

The car starts to move causing her to relax in her seat. She stared outside the window for most of the ride and all she could imagine was home. As the driver reached the Onoja's house, he began to horn but there was no response. He did it for a few more times again and there was no response. "what could be going on?" Leah thought as she tried stretching her neck a bit to see what was going on in front. She looked at her time and saw it was just 9pm, so she wondered, why was nobody answering, it was not all that late. And besides that, she had already informed her parents she was coming in today by a night flight, so they should be expecting her and so should Akin. And even if he were to be sleeping or had forgotten, the loud honking should have woken him up, she thought to herself.

As though hearing her thoughts, Akin woke up and came out of his gate house, shouting "who be that?". He hears no response but continues hearing the honking.

"Oya na, sleep there if you no fit answer" Akin added and went back to his gate house.

Completely unaware of what had transpired inside they were still waiting and the driver still honking. Leah's mother hears the honking from inside the house and called her husband's attention to it as they are seated in the living room.

"is that for our house?" Victoria, Leah's mother asked. Mark, her husband, turns his head to the direction of the door to listen closely and he hears the honking.

"nah, it can't be. When Akin is by the gate" he said and Victoria gave him a look and wanted to shrug it off, but Mark he listens again and hears the honking. "I hope that's not my daughter" he said then immediately picked up his phone and called Akin. Leah tells the driver to stop honking, in fear that it might attract unnecessary attention from the neighbours, especially as it was night. She might have been away for a while, but she did remember that Nigerians had quite a temper, especially Lagosians. Even though it was on the Island or the mainland, crazy people never stopped being crazy, in fact craziness never eluded the city. The thought then crosses her mind to call her dad, she sighs and curses under her breath for not thinking of it sooner. As she called his number, her father also placed a call to Akin, so she met his line busy and ended the call, guessing he was on another call, and hoping it was with Akin.

"oga, well done oo" Akin greets as he answered the phone.

"well done to you too. Akin is it my gate someone is honking at?" Mark asked, as he hoped and prayed it wasn't because he had a very strong feeling that if it was, it was his daughter Leah who was at the door.

"ah, yes o, oga. One somebody like that has been blowing horn since. I ask who be that, no answer, so I no open gate" Akin replied which caused Mark to place his hand over his mouth temporarily.

"Akin" Mark called.

"sir?" Akin answered.

"may your child not be called "somebody like that" and may Jesus not refuse to open the gate of heaven for you" Mark said as he tried not to flare up but couldn't resist using the words her used.

"ah, sir!" Akin said, shocked by his oga's statement.

"kini? I told you that my daughter is on her way back this evening and you are telling me "somebody like that" Mark said, his anger slightly increased.

"ah, na true you talk oo. You been tell me. Sorry sir" Akin said and ended the call. He immediately dropped his phone on his bed and ran out of his gate house.

"can you imagine?" Mark said sounding shocked.

"what happened?" Victoria asked with a small smile on her face.

"he forgot. I'm sure she is the one. And I'm sure he was sleeping" Mark said then hissed which caused Victoria to laugh.

"you know Akin. Just calm down" she said to him.

As Leah thought of coming out of the car to knock on the gate, she saw the gate move as it began to open. Once the gate was fully open, the driver drove in and stopped once he had completely entered the house. He stopped the engine of the car, stepped out of the car, went to get her luggage out of the trunk and then went to open the door for her. Akin then drew closer and welcomed her and helped her take her things to the door as the driver went back to the car. On reaching the main door of the house, Akin stops and drops her bag.

"abeg, tell oga make e no vex. And welcome again small madam" Akin turned to her and said then he ran back to open the gate for the driver to leave. Leah chuckles and grabs her box and enters into the house while the driver drove out.

"I'm back…!" Leah shouts on entering the living room. Her parents got up and walked over to her with huge smiles om their faces as they heard her voice.

"my baby is back!" Victoria said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear. Leah is about to hug her dad first, who is in front of her mother, but her mother jumps in, stealing the hug from him. Mark laughs and shakes his head as Victoria hugs Leah tightly.

"see what I've been going through" Mark said which caused Leah to laugh. Victoria squeeze's Leah one more time before she let's go of her in the hug, but still has her hands around her waist.

"I've missed you" Victoria said cheerfully.

"is that what all the drama is for?" Leah asked in a playful tone.

"and you too will suffice" Victoria said removing her hands from her waist, completely letting go of her this time.

"and you too mom. You too dad" Leah said and she hugs her dad. Victoria then turns to Mark.

"and you, like you were not enjoying my company" she said to him with a serious but playful tone. This made Leah laugh. She had missed this! It might not have been so long as five years that she was away, but two years was long enough for her. Her entire body had craved for home, her legs ached to touch her home soil, even her heart yarned to be back and she was glad she was. Not that she wasn't used to being away, she was a travel vlogger, being away is her thing. But she couldn't help but feel different this last year. Her father did request that she come back so she could take over the company, but asides from that, there was another feeling that was driving her. Maybe it's because she was recently engaged and couldn't wait to see her fiancée again, maybe. She snapped out of her thoughts and brought herself back to the present.

"not to break this all up, but I wanted to let you know that I'm back and ready to get to work, even from tomorrow. Figuratively, that is. But I want you to know that I'm back and ready to work, just putting it out there so you won't start preaching about it. Just give me a week or two tops" she said with a big smile, but it quickly died down as she saw her parents were not as happy. "what?" she asked.

"well… about that…" Victoria said, trailing off.

"Jude is in charge now" Mark said.

"what!" Leah exclaimed in shock. She was surprised that her father had someone in the position that he had literally begged her to come back to fill for the last two years.

"honey don't worry, it's just temporarily. For now, just relax, you just got back" Mark said.

"yes" Victoria affirmed.

Leah looked between them, the nodded her head. They did have a point. The position of Vice-President of the company was a big one, more like her father's cover up to try and keep her in the family business so he can later hand over to her and still, the sole purpose was to keep her in the family business. Seeing reason with what they said, she placed her hands over their shoulders and they walked back into the living room. Her mother was right, she just came back, she needed to rest, though that was something she could hardly do.