SILVER LININGS (Christian Romance)

3.

The moment Derek drove into Port Harcourt, he felt it was waiting with closed arms and unwilling to welcome him even after nearly four months of his departure.

He felt so because Port Harcourt was blazing hot, nearly as hot as Zaria's sun.
The heat in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, especially in Samaru campus where he schooled was very hot, he had expected Port Harcourt to be cooler and so when he had called his father yesterday to inquire about the weather in Port Harcourt, he had responded that it had rained and the weather was cool but today he had driven to meet the sun and a defiant one at that.

At that moment it felt like the sun was saying.

Go away, we don't want you here. 

Derek sighed nostalgically the moment their gate began to come into view. The drive from Zaria to Portharcourt had taken him thirteen long hours.

He horned by the gate and waited for the gateman to open the door, despite the sun. His heart leapt the moment his father's house came into view. Four months away from home was no joke.

The gateman was a fulani man in his thirties with two tribal marks by the side of his face. He opened the smaller gate and looked outside. He broke into a wide grin the moment he sighted Derek and quickly rushed to open the bigger gate.

"Welcome oga." he tittered. "Ah Oga this your car pine well well oh." he complimented with a wild rush of excitement in his voice.

Derek nodded and smiled in response. It was the first time he was driving in a car. His car.

He had usually flown and used Uber from the airport to his home but because he had bought a new car, he had decided to drive and the experience had been physically draining.

Derek pulled the car and applied the brakes on the car, the brakes squeaked and seemed to protest. He tried again and this time, the car came to a halt.

He sighed and face palmed. "Oh God, not again." he said exasperatedly. This was the third time in one month something in his new car was faulty.

Pushing his worries aside, he stepped out of the car, locked it and sat on it. "How are you Abdulsalam?" he asked the gateman.

The gateman responded that he was fine.

Derek folded his arms and asked. "Is my father in?"

"No Oga ." He responded.

Derek sighed, stood up and began to in.
Midway, he turned back and saw the gateman run his hand on the smooth sleek outline of the car. Derek grinned and walked in.

The house was eerily quiet and every lazy step he took, echoed in the dead house.
When he approached the sitting room, he breathed deeply and smiled.

He was home.

On the table was a note, he picked it up and looked at it.

It read;

Derek, I went to the bank to withdraw some money so I might not be around when you come in. I know you must be hungry and tired considering the fact that you chose to drive here. I have brought egusi soup from the freezer. It's in the kitchen and I believe it should be defrosted by the time you arrive.

Derek tittered and dropped the note.
He was dead tired to eat and so he walked into his room.

The moment he walked into his room, he threw himself on his bed. His room smelt of lavender and his bed had been neatly arranged.
After thirteen hours drive from Zaria to Portharcourt, his entire body ached and all he needed now was to get out of the dust filled clothes, have a bath and sleep and that was he got.