Naya and Vince

28

Vincent busied himself with his phone at the dinning table. Thelma's daughter, Winner, placed a mug and a jug of hot water in front of him. Her mother had placed the other things for him earlier.

"Thank you."

The girl nodded before heading back to the kitchen. She normally didn't come unless on public holidays or during vacation. Today was a school day and she was around. Vincent ignored the curiosity gnawing at him and dug into his breakfast.

"Ayo."

The boy froze. He stopped stirring his tea and looked up. It was obvious he used concealer to cover up his bags. But people who didn't live under the same roof with him, seeing how sweet he looked in his mauve dress shirt and chinos trousers, would describe him as the hardworking CEO of Unix signatures who had gotten over the death of his beloved wife and didn't fail to love his children wholeheartedly.

Vincent tried not to scoff. Who would believe a man in his mid fifties believed in the power of makeup. "Good morning sir."

"Where's your sister?"

Vincent sipped his tea and absentmindedly added sugar. "In her room."

Mr. Adebayo checked himself out in the fancy mirror that decorated the dinning area. He turned and raised a brow at Vincent. "Won't she go to school?"

Vincent sipped his tea again and frowned. Too sugary. "They're celebrating language day in school. It would be a lecture free day. Constance said she wants to go to Aunty Damilola's place instead of going to that cage and waste her time listening to absolute gibberish human claim to call language."

"She said that?" His father asked with a hint of amusement.

"Yes. I'll drop her there on my way to school."

His father hummed but said nothing more. Vincent kept his tea aside and proceeded to eat only the French toast Thelma had made. Mr. Adebayo pulled out a chair opposite Vincent and sat. Vincent held his half eaten toast and stared at the man as he picked a toast from the plate.

"Can't I have breakfast with my son?" The man asked mouth filled with half chewed bread. He wasn't smiling but his voice sounded amused. This was not the routine.

"Should I get used to it?" Vincent asked sarcasm dripping from his words. "Because normally I'd just greet good morning and you'd disappear."

Mr. Adebayo ignored his comeback. "Nice French toast. Maybe you should start getting used to me sharing breakfast with you."

Vincent kept mute.

"I would not be coming back tomorrow," the man announced. When he realized Vincent wasn't going to ask why, he continued. "I'll be travelling to calabar to seal a contract. I might come back Saturday or Sunday."

"Okay." Vincent stood up packed the used plate and mug. His father stood with him.

"Help me call your sister when you go up."

Vincent nodded. After dropping the dirty utensils, he headed for the stairs. He remembered something. He turned to find his father tapping his foot impatiently and staring from wristwatch to wall clock.

"Father." The man looked up. "Do us a favor and don't come back on Saturday. I plan to celebrate Connie's birthday that day."

The man gasped and gave Vincent a sad look before looking away. Vincent sighed and raced up the stairs.

*

School went in a blur for Vincent. As another phase started, he was forgetting what previously happened. CJ had a headset to his ear and was nodding his head to Marshall Mather's Godzilla. It was break period and most people had left the class. Vincent looked towards Nairobi's seat and smiled inwardly when he saw her sleeping. She had a habit of missing lunch.