" What?!" I said in shock. "Why would anyone think that!"

"Well it's logical. Babe you are the only friend Toni has. I mean". Dare said gesturing.

"If this is true Damilare. I don't know anything about it!" I protested. "I mean. I've not spoken to Toni in months. We fought, I didn't know what caused it. And she stopped talking to me. How will I know?"

" Did you ever guess that she was keeping things from you"? Ephraim asked out of the blues, catching my off guards, I started thinking if there was a time like that.

"Well, before we meet during the teens' program. We hadn't been in touch for a long time, because of her Aunt. So I don't know if something happened around that time". I answered.

"Maybe something happened, but it's okay Jemi, you'll be fine". He said holding my hands. My mind went back to the morning my dad had called asking for Toni. I had stopped worrying about her for a long time, and now I started to feel guilty. I wasn't a good friend, no doubt.

" Oh God! Where could she be". I said. Semiloore walked up to me and rubbed my back, calming me down.

"Let's hope for positive news soon Jemi", she said as she continued stroking.

•••••••••••••••••

Anne had missed her parents a lot, even though she found it hard to admit that she missed her father. She did miss her father and their constant fights, she missed her mom with her usual sweetness. She decided to visit them when she was free.

On that Monday morning, Anne took a cab home she knocked on the gate and was ushered to be the gatekeeper. She walked straight in even though she found her father's car absent, he was probably out. She groaned as she imagined her mom won't be home too, she was always on the road. She scolded herself for not calling before coming, who gives parents like her surprise visits?

She walked into the building so she could at least take water before she started to go back to her school. Opening the door she finds her mom sprawled on the floor unconscious.

She rushed to her and lifted her up, her mother had tears smearing her face. She rushed into the kitchen as she got water from the tap, rushing back into the room she sprinkled some water on her mother's face while holding her across her chest. Aderinsola jolted back to life as she opened her eyes, she saw her daughter and held her tightly.

"What happened mom, you scared me!" Anne said with a teary voice, she was about to tear up. Anne was the very calm one when she was afraid, unlike her other siblings. Jemima would have passed out seeing her mother like that.

"What's wrong!" Anne said as she sighed a bottle on the table, there was no label on, her heart skipped a bit as she grabbed it. Her head went wild as she saw what her mum had been taking strong drinks, she sure had taken too much. "Why are you taking alcohol!"  She yelled.

Her mother wasn't answering, she just stared at the ceiling. "How are you feeling? Where is Daddy?" She asked. Her mom started crying at the mention of her Dad, she sat up and gazed around the room. She inhaled and exhaled heavily as she watched her daughter worry. She belched and Anne watched her mom reek of alcohol.

"I'm a disappointed mom. You drink!!! Do I even know you!!!" Anne stood up and grabbed her bag, she motioned to leave when she heard her mom laugh. She turned and looked at her mom who had already grabbed the bottle, she rushed to her and yanked the bottle off her hands. Derin wailed as she reached out to collect it, Anne dodged and she fell flat on the ground.

"What's the meaning of this and you aren't saying a word. Where's Dad". Anne questioned.

"Dad?" Derin asked as she started laughing wearily. "Your Dad is probably enjoying himself wherever he is", she said, the best way a drunk can. "And I don't care" she added as she stared at the drink in Anne's hands.

"What do you mean mom?" Anne queried, raising the bottle higher as her mom started to reach it clumsily.

Derin ignored her question and continued what she was saying.
"No, I do care!!!, Why will Dele leave me nahhhh" she cried. Anne watched in surprise as she watched her mom speak, she was sure she was speaking jargon.

"Your Dad is with his mistress Anne!" Derin yelled.

Anne didn't believe her ears, she shook her head and laughed as she watched her mom stare at her, drunk and miserable.

"Anne your father is cheating!" Her mother said again. Anne couldn't take it anymore, she stood up and walked to the kitchen, she went through the back door and threw the bottle out.

" There's more where that came from" her mom informed her from inside. She smirked as she entered the house, walked to the water dispenser, and took water, she drank it all at a go.

She walked back inside only to find her mum asleep.
"So quick?", She muttered. She walked towards her bag and picked it up, pulling out her phone she dialed her father's number. The phone rang for some seconds till a woman picked it up.

"Hello Daddy, where are you? I'm home!" She whined ecstatically, not pausing to hear her dad, she hoped her dad would be excited to see her.

"Hello darling", she heard a female voice say, making her jaw drop, she winced as she checked the caller ID, it was still her Dad. "I'm sorry, your Dad won't be available tonight, cause he's got his hands full", the woman said authoritatively.

"Where is my father!" Anne barked.

"With me," the woman said and Anne could feel her smiling deviously. Before she could say a word, the woman cut the call.

Anne wondered what had happened, who the woman was, and why she sounded so calm and while using her Dad's phone. Pastor Dele Adewale's phone!!!

She sighted her mum's phone, and as the naughty and stubborn girl, she was. She grabbed the phone and switched it on, on the display, there were icons so she tapped the one for messages. Her mom's messages came to full view, the first name on the list was her father's name.

She smirked when she saw her mom had changed the pet name she used for her dad to just Dele. She thought twice and moved to drop the phone, she was invading her parents' privacy. But she felt a nudging in her spirit which made her tap the name.

She went blank and tears filled her eyes as she read the content.

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