CHAPTER 18


    One hour after closing time, IK wasn’t back yet. Florence was beside herself with worry. She couldn’t


    keep herself calm as she paced the small confines of her roadside shop. Florence rubbed one sweaty


    palm nervously against the other as her eyes remained glued to the road, scanning everymercial


    bus that rolled by for her son. He should be back by now!


    Florence came out of her shop, avoiding the small puddle of water on the floor – an aftermath of the


    downpour of rain barely an hour ago - and walked a few steps to the shop directly beside hers to check


    the time for probably the hundredth time. “He is not back yet?” Mother Thompson asked upon seeing


    her.


    Florence swallowed, trying her best to keep calm. “No” she said stiffly, her eyes on every bus her eyes


    sighted.


    “Calm down, I’m sure he would be here soon, besides, he is just an hourte” she pointed out. “Don’t


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    kill yourself before he arrives”


    And if he doesn’t arrive? Florence swallowed. She was torturing herself beyond necessary but she


    couldn’t help it. IK wasn’t usually thiste. At most, he gets back thirty minutes after closing hour. She


    never should have allowed him to go to school, especially after what happened the previous night.


    Florence bit her lip nervously as she walked back to her shop.


    A bus pulled to a stop and her eyes instantly snapped up, scanning every passenger that alighted for


    her son''s familiar figure. Once again, she was left with increased fear and frustration when the bus


    rolled away without her son in view. She contemted going over to bimbo''s office to tell him but she


    didn''t want to add to his worries, especially since she wasn''t even certain if anything was wrong. She


    could hear the fast beating of her heart, the screeching sounds of cars rolling past the road, and


    something else... The familiar sound of chattering children made her turn to see Selena and her


    siblings approach the shop. She was happy to see them but that only further heightened her worry. IK


    always arrived before his siblings. Florence blinked back unshed tears and put a stic smile on her


    face for her children as they drew up to the shop.


    “Good afternoon ma” they greeted unanimously as they trodded into the shop.


    Florence smiled tightly, responding to their greeting without the usual enthusiasm. “How was school?”


    she asked more out of necessity as she removed Solomon’s small schoolbag from the small of his


    back.


    Selena smirked. “We had a newer in ss today”


    Florence could tell with that simple look in Selena’s face that she doesn’t exactly like the development


    but she was too worried to indulge Selena now.


    “Where is IK?” Amanda asked.


    Florence raised her eyes to scan the road again and nearly sagged with relief as she spotted IK afar


    off, walking towards the shop. She had never been more relieved in her life. She smiled genuinely, for


    the first time all afternoon. “That’s himing” she pointed in the direction and Selena took off


    instantly. Florence released a sigh of relief as she took an apple from the shed and sliced it in two for


    Solomon and Amanda who were alreadyining of hunger. They were obviously eating into her


    capital but there was nothing she could do about that. She couldn’t keep her children hungry because


    she wouldn’t dare touch her capital, could she?


    IK drew up to the shop and Florence was up in an instant. The relief she felt at having her son in one


    piece was unexinable, but she still wanted to know why amercial bus hadn’t dropped him off


    like it usually did.


    “Good afternoon ma” IK greeted, prostrating to greet Florence.


    Arms akimbo, Florence shook her head. “My God, IK, you’ve almost given me a heart attack. I thought


    something had happened to you. You’ve never been thiste; what happened?” she queried without


    even answering his greeting. “Why didn’t a bus drop you off at this junction?”


    IK blinked and looked at the wooden floor of the shop. “I… I didn’t take a bus”


    Florence frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean by that?”


    “I… trekked”


    “You trekked?” Florence’s voice rang out. “From where? School?” Florence couldn’t believe what she


    was hearing. She knew the distance to his school and could not imagine any sane person walking that


    distance. “Did you lose your money?”


    IK shook his head.


    Florence swallowed and lowered her voice. “Then, why did you trek, IK?” his siblings stared silently at


    the unfolding drama.


    “I…” IK raised his eyes to his mother. “There is no money at home, so I thought I should… save the


    money for my transport so we can use it” he put his hand into his pocket and brought out forty Naira.


    Florence stared at IK, shocked beyond reason. IK had always been the sweetest kid she had ever met


    – a blessing that she happened to be his mother – but never in her wildest imagination did she imagine


    that he would do something like this. Something so thoughtful… Florence blinked back tears as she


    leaned forward slightly, dropping to IK’s height. “You… you shouldn’t have, IK” Florence’s voice broke


    as she put her hand gently on his cheek. “It is the duty of your Daddy and I to provide for you and your


    siblings, you never should have trekked that distance, especially after what happenedst night..."


    Florence took a deep breath. "Promise me you won’t do that again” she said sternly, swallowing the


    lump that formed in her throat as she kept her tears at bay.


    “I... I just wanted to help” IK mouthed quietly.


    Florence nodded several times. She should be telling him just how wonderful a son he is but she was


    so overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Her children shouldn’t have to go through such hardship. She had


    envisaged a happy and stress-free life for her children; never did she imagine that her son would have


    to trek to school in a bid to save money. “You trekked to school in the morning; you must have arrived


    schoolte”


    “They did not flog me” he answered.


    "Oh, my son..." Florence pulled IK into a tight hug, holding on to him like she never wanted to let go.


    She sniffed and pulled back. “How is your chest now? Did you feel any pain? Anything?” she asked


    seriously.


    “No. I am fine, mummy” IK grinned.


    Florence sighed in relief. “Okay” she rose to her full height. For the first, she collected the money from


    IK, palming it with a tight smile on her face. She took her purse and went to Mummy Ngozi’s shop


    beside hers to buy some food items. Minutester, she returned to the shop with rice and some


    ingredients. “You kids should go home now” she said, handing over the rice to Selena. She faced IK.


    “Prepare jollof rice for you and your siblings”


    “What of you and daddy?”


    “Don’t worry about us, okay? Just make sure you all are satisfied” Florence answered.


    Florence watched her children shrug on their school bags and walk out of the shop. Atst, Florence


    allowed the tears hanging on hershes to break free. She stared at the disappearing back of IK,


    wondering just what she had done to deserve such an amazing child.