4 Chapter Three

Kelechi's POV

My mom died two years ago in a fire accident at otedola bridge. I can still remember how confused and lost I was.

A year back….

It was hot. Very hot. Remember I told you I sweat a lot? That day was hot and I was in the car in a very bad traffic. The air conditioner in the car couldn't compete with the heat.

We were in the car heading to my aunt's place in Ogun state. My aunt was finally getting married. Aunty Caro was the eldest daughter: my mom being the youngest out of four.

Back to the story. I needed air as I was feeling stuffed. Staying in a car under the very great sun for two hours can do that to a person. Mom was on the driver's seat when I told her I was going to going to get a cold drink.

It was when I left I realised how bad the traffic was. Hundreds of cars, buses and truck in rows. I looked ahead to see what caused the terrible traffic but ended up seeing nothing but vehicles waiting to move.

Looks like we may not reach aunty Caro's place today --- I said to myself.

If only I knew how true that that statement was.

I had maneuvered through so many cars to leave the bridge. It was so difficult finding a vendor that sold cold yoghurt. Immediately I spot a vendor selling the drink I was looking for, I had reached a considerable distance from the spot my mom's car was. It happened so fast. The first thing I noticed was people running away from the bridge. People were shouting, the noise increased from the chaos before the explosion.

The fire explosion shook the ground and everyone including me fell.

That was the last day I saw her. It was later discovered that a tanker lorry loaded with petroleum fell, leaked and exploded. And mom was within the range of the explosion. We couldn't even find a complete piece of her. Seemed like the car was close to the tanker lorry.

The little explosion at home and Ben going missing brought back memories. I was so scared. Mercy suggested we took different routes to look for him.

I checked so many streets trying to find him. Ben had not been here for five years so he couldn't have gone far. I was about to call dad and tell him the situation when I saw Ben, that idiot with a fair girl who looked to be around our age standing by the roadside laughing. He said something that made her laugh harder.

That stupid senseless idiot had been there while I almost ran mad looking for him.

He didn't notice me until the girl with him stopped laughing and looked at me.

I was so angry and relieved at once. I think the anger surpassed the relief I felt. It took everything in me to not drag him by his ear. But I dragged him by his hand away from the girl. Stupid. Stupid idiot.

"Woah! Slow down tiger." He just said the perfect words for me to snap.

" Wha-"

"Sorry okay? I'm sorry" he corrected himself when he saw how angry I was.

I just stood there shocked. Ben never says sorry. Ever. Not even when he "accidentally" poured water on his parents divorce papers a year before his mom died. Yeah, he was that mischievous and he never apologised.

"Ben are you alright?" I asked as worry replaced my anger. I used my other hand to check for any brain damage. He seemed confused at what I was doing until I started checking his temperature.

"Oya stop." He said tiredly. Shocked right? He speaks a little pidgin. Don't get your hopes up. That is how far it goes.

" What happened in the kitch- " my phone started ringing. What is it with people interrupting me. I checked the ID and saw it was my dad.

Uh oh!

My dad must be home by now. It's almost nine in the night. He is going to be angry. And I haven't prepared dinner to pacify him – I said to myself

" Hello daddy"

" Where are you?"

A/N

I would love to hear what you think about this story.🤗