Vincent was on his way home from school, after he had to stay an extra hour for the football practice that was held after the last class for the day.
His class had a match coming up against the art class the next Saturday, as the captain of his team, he had decided that his class football team stayed back for practice immediately after closing hours. 

Vincent lived in an average neighborhood with his family. Most of the residents of the neighborhood were civil servants who lived average lives, just as his own parents.

He stopped by at his mother's supermarket which was just a few blocks away from their home. The supermarket was not too large but it provided the essential things the residents of the neighborhood needed, ranging from provisions to toiletries and important home appliances.

His mother was attending to a male customer when he walked in. Vincent's mum was dark in complexion and had an average height. Most of their neighbors knew her for her welcoming and kind character.

"Good evening mum," Vincent greeted her as he went closer to give her a hug, opening his arms wide as he stepped nearer.

"Don't come closer!" his mum quickly spoke, holding her hand in front of her, preventing him from getting closer to her.

"Yeah, I know I'm really sweaty. I had football practice after class," Vincent explained, laughing at his mum's reaction.

"Why didn't you just take your bath in school?" His mum's eyes glanced over him, shaking her head at his shabby look.

"I forgot to carry an extra clothe to change into," he explained to her.

"It's alright. You must be very hungry I know." His mum studied his face.

"Yeah, just wanted to say hi before going home."

"Lunch or rather dinner is already prepared."

"What did you prepare?" Vincent asked, curiosity already taking over him.

"It's a surprise, go and see for yourself," his mum said to him with a knowing smile.

Vincent grinned. "I think I know what you prepared. Thanks." 

"Go and eat dear, so you can rest a little before coming back to help me here," his mum said, walking towards a nearby shelf.

"Alright mum, bye for now." Vincent was already leaving the shop.

He finally got home to their two bedroom flat and he went straight to his room which he shared with his two-year-old brother, Daniel, who was already sleeping peacefully on his little bed.

Vincent dropped his school bag at a corner of his room and got out of his school uniform.
He walked into the bathroom to quickly take his bath since he was feeling really sweaty and hot.

Putting on a white singlet on jean trousers, he walked into the kitchen to get himself some food. Opening the pot on the gas cooker, he confirmed his suspicion.

His mum had made his favorite dish which was melon soup and eba( processed cassava).
A happy smile crossed his face at the sight of the food before him. He picked up a hollow ceramic plate and dished himself some soup and a piece of beef meat. Taking some of the eba on a flat ceramic dish, he started walking to the dining table which occupied a small part of the living room.

In a matter of minutes, he was done with eating and stood up to take his empty plates back to the kitchen.

He dropped the tray of plates on the kitchen sink and started washing them. He was still washing the dishes when a voice came from the kitchen door.

"Why are you back from school so late?" his dad spoke from the door.

"We had football practice today," Vincent replied his dad as he turned around to face him.

Vincent shared a good relationship with his dad who was a disciplinarian. His dad was dark in complexion, just like him and also tall. Mr. Jonathan was a civil servant and the headmaster of a government primary school. Vincent had attended the same primary school in his younger age and his little brother was studying there.

"Alright. I'm sure you must have already eaten," his dad said, his eyes on the plate Vincent was holding.

"Yes dad, I just finished with that."

"That's alright," Vincent's dad said before leaving the kitchen.

After washing the dishes, Vincent wiped his hands with a hand towel before leaving the kitchen.

Seated on his bed, he brought out his phone from his schoolbag and started playing a football game on it.

After playing the game for some a short period of time, he checked the time and it was a few minutes past five. He would have slept for some while before going back to his mum's shop but he decided to forfeit sleeping.

He normally got to the shop by five o'clock and stayed there till seven o'clock before going back home to deal with his school work while his mum stays in the shop till nine o'clock, which was when she usually shuts down the shop for each day.

Standing up from his bed, he went to his drawer and picked out a black polo shirt which he wore over his jean trousers. He quickly brushed his short hair before leaving his room.

It took him about five minutes to walk down the the shop. When he entered the shop, there were about five customers inside. Three of the customers were still picking up supplies into their shopping baskets while the other two were standing opposite the counter and getting attended to by his mum.

His mum acknowledged his presence with a smile as he walked into the shop, and then continued attending to her customers.

Vincent went over to the part of the shop that had tissue paper rolls to arrange them after noticing that a customer had left them scattered. After doing that, he went back to the counter to assist his mum in attending to customers.

"Please take care of the customers, I need to go and check on something at the store room," his mum said to him, tapping his shoulder lightly as she spoke to him.

"Alright mum," Vincent replied and his mum left him while he took over her spot; behind the counter.

The glass door of the supermarket was soon opened to reveal two girls around Vincent's age, which was eighteen.

The darker girl was putting on a top that was made with a soft net-like material on a really tight ripped jean trousers while the other girl was putting on a short leather skirt and a top that barely reached her navel. Their faces were heavily packed with makeup which made them look really older than their age.

As they walked closer to the counter, Vincent recognized the darker one to be his classmate from primary school who was now in the same class with him but in a government secondary school. She stopped by at the shop from time to time and Vincent was already used to seeing her around. Their parents also knew each other and talked from time to time.

"Hi Vincent," she hailed, batting her fake eye lashes seductively at Vincent and twirling her hair with her fingers.

"Good evening Amina," Vincent replied her, hardly sparing her a glance as he spoke.

"Remember my friend Abigail?" Amina asked, pointing to the other girl.

"Yeah, you've come here to shop with her before," Vincent said with little interest in their little chitchat.

"Hi, my friend talks a lot about you," Abigail said to Vincent with an extended hand.
Vincent accepted her handshake and continued with typing away on the computer in front of him.

"We can hang out together some time you know," Amina suggested to Vincent in a soft voice.

"I don't have the time for that," Vincent told her.

"Of course, Just like the other times I've asked you," Amina said with a frown.

"I don't hang out in the kind of places you go to," Vincent said to her, looking straight into her eyes.

"You know, that rich kids school you now attend has really gotten into your head. Carrying your shoulders so high as if you are the President's son!" Amina angrily spoke.

"It's more of self respect dear, and I really don't care if you see that in another light,"
Vincent replied, already getting frustrated with her troubles.

"Let's just get what we need and leave here, don't forget our ride is waiting for us outside," Abigail said to her friend in a hurry.

"Of course," Amina said before walking away from the counter.

"You know she really likes you right?" Abigail said to Vincent.

"She is too stubborn for me," Vincent said to her after a short sigh.

"Whatever." Abigail raised her hands at Vincent in surrender and then left him to join Amina.

In a few minutes time, the two girls were back to the counter.

"I'm paying with my card." Amina stretched her hands out with her card to Vincent. She was holding a bottle of red wine in the other hand.

Vincent took the card from her and slid it through the POS machine. He gave her card back to her, along with a receipt.

Taking her card and receipt from his hands, Amina sighed heavily before leaving the shop with her friend. They both got into a black jeep parked outside which had its windows tinted.

Vincent let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding as they finally left the shop.

"Was that Amina?" his mum asked, appearing before him.

"Yes mum."

"That girl is becoming really loose each passing day," his mum said, her eyes still on the entrance door which Amina and her friend had just used.

"I've tried talking to her but my words keep falling down on deaf ears," Vincent spoke with a poker face.

"Me too dear, I  even talked to her mum too. It seems like she also is tired of trying to put some sense into her daughter's head. She complained about the late nights Amina keeps and the different guys that come to pick her up from the house."

"Well, I'm hoping she learns some day," Vincent replied his mum.

"I pray so," his mum said and left again.

Vincent attended to other customers until it was seven o'clock, the time he normally goes back home. He said bye to his mum and left the shop.

His little brother was already awake when he got back home.

"Vincent!" Daniel shouted as he ran into Vincent's wide open hands.

Vincent picked up his little brother and threw him up twice before dropping him on the ground. Daniel was already giggling hard by then, something he did whenever Vincent threw him up.

"How are you, little man?" Vincent ruffled Daniel's hair with his hands.

"I'm fine," Daniel said with a tiny voice.

"That's good." Vincent smiled at him.

"I want to watch cartoon!" Daniel said with a pout.

"Alright." Vincent picked up the television remote and put on a cartoon channel for Daniel.

"Thank you big brother," Daniel said with a wide smile on his face as he went to sit on the sofa. Vincent left his brother in the living room and went to his room to study.

                                ~•~