Temi's POV

I inhaled deeply on the cigarette in between my fingers and then I puffed out a smoke that shaped like a ring.

I sat on my bed with the curtains shut and the lights turned off. I glanced around the room and my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The room was in complete disarray, like there had been a mini storm in here. Clothes dangled from the chair beside the door and my books had left their home on the shelf and were scattered in various parts of the room. Some clothes lay about on the floor as well and my wardrobe door was ajar, in there had been a tornado as well. I had been really disorganized this week.

I plopped my pillow and crashed into it with my left hand under my head. I continued puffing on the cigarette, and the smell of the cigarette filled the air in the room.

I was thinking about that Lela girl. She never talked to me neither did she look my way all week. She treated me like I was some piece of trash. Me, the guy every girl wants. Not that I cared, I had also avoided her.

'Or did I?'

I tried giving her, her space but, at every opportunity I got, I tried talking to her. I don't know what's wrong with me but, I can't stop thinking about her. Her smile and her voice always played games in my head.

'What have you done to me, Lela?'

I jumped on my feet when I heard something crash. I put off the cigarette in my hand and left it on the table beside my bed. The noise came again and I rushed out of the room.

The sound came from the living room. I jolted in there and pulled the fool away from my mother.
Her face was swollen already and her clothes had been ripped apart, she was wailing and looked devastated.

I turned to him and asked, "Ahhh. Kilo sè?! Must you always be this heartless and useless?!"

He stepped closer to me. His eyes were bloodshot and he reeked of alcohol.

"Who are you to speak to me in such a manner?" He drawled while poking his index finger in my chest. The stench of alcohol that exuded from his mouth was discomforting and I moved back.

"You are a very useless man, you know? You do nothing but to come home drunk and late, after frolicking with those whores out there and you come back home, reeking of alcohol and beating up your wife!" I said with gritted teeth.

"Temi!" My mom pulled my right arm, but I jerked it away and ignored her.

"So, you are super man now? Òmò alè." He staggered.

'God! He stinks. Such a stupid man.'

"Well, you are no different. If I'm a bastard, that makes you the father of a bastard."

"Hey!" He yelled and he raised his hand to hit me, but my mother came in between us.

"Enough!" She yelled. She should have just let him try hitting me. I'm no longer that kid who would cry on his mother's laps whenever his useless drunk of a father would beat him. I would have shown this fool how tough I had become.

He hissed and staggered towards his bedroom. "Iya atì òmò tì ò wulò." He muttered as he went off.

"Temi! You shouldn't have exchanged words with him. No matter what, he remains your father." My mom said and sh threw herself on the leather sofa which made a thud.

"I shouldn't have? Really mommy? That man deserves more than what I told him. You should have let him lay his filthy hands on me and he would have been a dead man by now." I retorted.

"Temi! Gbenu sohun! He is your father and no matter what you say, he gave you life." She snapped.

'Jesus! How can she be so tolerant? One of these days, this fool might kill her.'

"And, I regret that fact everyday of my life." I scowled and marched out of the living room into my room. I slammed the door behind me.

"Temi!" I heard her yell, but I didn't want to carry on with that discussion anymore.

I flicked on the light and glanced around my room.

'Jeez. It was a real mess in here.'

I strolled over to the large mirror sitting on the wall beside the shelf. I almost tripped on a stupid book and I muttered curses under my breath.

I looked at my reflection on the wall and all I could see was that fool.

'Why did I have to look like him?'

Those eyes that seemed so innocent. The expression on my face hardened, anger bubbled inside me and I released it by sliding everything on my reading table down. It all landed with a crash on the floor. I watched my laptop and reading lamp, tumble on the marble tiles.

"Temi!" Mommy banged on the door. "What's going on, Temi? Open the door Temi."

I ignored her and stood in front of the mirror again. I pulled of the black tank top I was wearing and turned my back to the mirror. I turned my head to see the reflection of my back. There it was, my dark skin made it a bit difficult to see. That scar from the pressing iron.

'He's a monster! Who does this to their child?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Leave her alone daddy!" I cried as I tried pulling my father away from my mother.

Mommy had not finished ironing daddy's clothes. How could she? It had been only five minutes since he gave her the clothes. How could she had been done?

"Useless woman! Are you ironing the whole wardrobe? Why ain't you done yet?" He queried. He was yelling in mom's face and she was shaking from fear already.

"I'm sorry dear. I'll soon be throu-" Mom's sentence was cut short when daddy landed a hard slap on her cheek.

He started beating her up and didn't stop despite her pleas. I ran out to come to her aid. If only Uncle Bayo was here, he would have been of much help.

"Daddy leave her alone, please!" I bit his right arm when he didn't waver.

"Arrrgghh. Temi! This useless boy, you bit me?" He spat and a hard blow landed on my face that made me stagger back. My head almost crashed into the wall and I felt a hot liquid run down my cheeks.

"Badmus! Badmus leave my son alone! Don't you ever lay a finger on my son again!" Mommy charged at daddy, but he pushed her violently and she fell.

Daddy kept kicking her like she was some sack and not a human. Mommy whimpered and I charged at him again and bit his back.

"Arrrgghh!" He yelled and I bit into his skin more. Then, I felt an excruciating pain at my back. I yelled so much and I felt life going out of me.

"Badmus! Badmus, stop it! You are hurting him! Badmus leave my son alone!" Mommy cried out, her voice was weak.

Daddy was pressing the hot iron to my back. It hurt, it hurt really bad and I cried like never before. He finally let go and I collapsed to the floor. Daddy went into his room and reappeared with a shirt on and he left the house.

I curled up in a ball and prayed for the pain in my back to go away and I whimpered like a little puppy in pain.

"Temi. Temi, please answer me." Mom whispered as she dragged herself to where I was.

"Ayeeeeeee!" Mom screamed out in pain. It pierced through my ears that I forgot about how much my back hurt and I struggled to my feet. What I saw threw me off balance.

"Mommy? Why is there so much blood?" I hurried to her side.

"Temi," she brought my ear closer to her mouth and whispered, "get my phone and call aunty Clara. Please."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Temi! Are you okay? What's going on in there?" Mommy banged on the door again, and I snapped out of my thoughts. I looked in the door's direction and I heaved a sigh.

"I'm fine, mommy. I just want to be alone, please." I said and I heard her breathe a sigh. She must have left because she didn't knock on the door anymore.

I pulled out one of the drawers of my study table and reached out for a packet of Don Chester. I brought a stick of it to my mouth and lit it.

A/N

Hi lovelies. How y'all doing? Y'all doing great, right? 😁😁😁

So, Heyyyy. There's a new chapter and I was like OMG.😱😱😱 Temi is a smoker, like didn't he know smokers are liable to die young? He's so cute and I don't want him to die. 😥😥😥
But heyy, what did you think about his father? Temi has a lot going on, right? I feel for him. 😢😢

I really really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me your thoughts in the comments and let's get interactive. 😋😋

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Love y'all so much 😘😘😘💜💜💜