In a bid to make sure I post tonight, I might have rush things a bit.😏 Be a dear and point out any error. I love you all!❤️

Calm down grace, you’ve got this. She told herself as the car pulled off the street. Her plan was simple, get the boy, find a way to dodge the heavy traffic, and skedaddle back to her car. And she secretly wished they’d live happily ever after till she would have to bring Jesse back for another school session.

“Okay Angela,” she told the sales girl who happens to be the most resourceful in all matters babies, “you just wait here with Victor and I’d be right back.” Angela was sitting at the back seat with a seven-month old laid on her chest, thankfully, blissfully asleep. Grace hoped he would remain so. Her eyes were still droopy from last night vigil. Parenting sucks!

“Okay Antie.”

Grace had just thrown the door open when the almighty yell started. She groaned, frustrated as she carried the boy from the bewildered girl’s lap and started making ridiculous sounds to calm him, “Alright dearie, calm down…” she was saying among other cheesy words she could contrive just to get the boy’s squalling, yet adorable pink mouth shut.

There is no way I can carry you across the road, then walk to the school to get your brother! She wanted to tell the boy, but since when were children known to understand anyone but themselves. She reached for her bag, which contained a nightmarish jumble of uncountable baby things, a jingle, toy phone, a feeding bottle, extra dippers, paracetamol syrup (just in case), baby clothes and underwear—not a single thing in the bag was hers. Not a space was left for her. Perfect picture of my life! When she heard the crinkle of a paper wrap she knew she had struck gold. “look, lollipop.” She told the boy who instantly calmed down, she unwrapped it quickly and gently placed it in his open mouth. The boy began to suck and thankfully, he couldn’t scream with such enormous piece in his little piehole. Grace sighed.

The baby was reluctant to get back to Angela, but when the girl showed that she now had control of the lolipop stick, he just had to follow. Not without a murmur of protest, and a side look that Grace had taken to mean that her tricks were not lost on the boy.

Immediately the girl turned round to the deeper shade of the tree under which she had parked, Grace took her cue—the moment she was off baby Victor’s sight—she ran for it. Past two blocks, then the congested road, her ear still listening for the boy’s scream which thankfully never came. Thanks Angela.

Traffic was chaos in motion in that part of town, too many cars and too little space to pass. Far down at the junction stood two sweating traffic warden. The road was so congested it was hard for her to pass between cars lined bumper to bumper. She figured she’d have to take the second gate out of the school, get a tricycle to spare them the heat, then back to the street where her car was parked. All this must happen before any one has reason to complain about a strange car, or worse a parking ticket.

Her phone rang, she couldn’t read the screen but the first sound that came told her who it was: Susan.

Susan didn’t only come to pester her about ‘McRaymond’ the other night. She brought news, good news actually. Her fiancé’s bar just won a motherlode case, and suddenly he had enough to splurge on a vacation, and plan a wedding. The news came alongside the promise that Angela will scrounge up whatever she can to help Grace in the matters of a certain debt.

“Hey, girl.” She answered, “How’s dubai.”

She had to watch the road as she walked pedestrian. “Dubai is great!” Susan responded with glee, “remains my first choice consumer paradise! Dennis says hi. Remember that Jenifer Lopez outfit we talked about?”

Grace had to ponder on which dress Susan was referring to, JLO is a great artist and all, but Grace couldn’t imagine Susan in one of those see-through versace gown, definitely not the Swarovski crystal covered one-legged jumpsuit the artist wore in her last Los Angeles tour. “I’m lost.”

Susan went on to explain the one she was talking about, a black slender dress, nothing met-gala-ish about that. “are you in congested traffic or something?”

“Taking a detour to get Jesse from school,” she looked around again and saw the rows of cars, “and yes, it’s a mad house here.”

“I’m adding a black and gold, seven-inch heels, that one with the round toe.” Susan sighed, “God, I can see you in them already.”

Grace didn’t see that last bit coming. “woah, slow down. You know my financial situation over here, there’s no way I’m gonna afford that.”

“it’s not that expensive!” Susan shrilled, “besides who says you are paying?”

“No no no, you can’t put this on Denis or yourself.” Grace had to stop and stamp her feet in frustration, “please Susan, get me something else. Something not worth my whole existence.”

“always dramatic.” Susan laughed.

“were you kidding?”

“no way girl.” Susan replied, “I’m planning our engagement party, and I’d love to see you in that dress.” Grace shrilled. Susan laughed. “Yup! I’m officially off the market! Denis the cheapskate finally put a ring on it!”

“I’m so happy for you!”

“I know!” Susan laughed, “so pleeease let me get the outfit! Take that as me bribing you to be the chief bride’s maid.”

Grace certainly was blushing. She gave a resounding yes! “congratulations girl!”

“thank you.”

“Tell Dennis I said congratulation.”

“sure do.”

“we’re still gonna talk more on this.”

“chat me up tonight?”

““the moment I escape from under this blazing sun I’m calling you.”

“say hi to the little man for me, and Jesse too.”

Grace could see the school from the distance when she finally shoves the phone back into her purse. She used the cross walk with a skip to her steps. Susan was happy, she was happy.

The gate to the school itself was congested. For the whooping fortune they collect, it wouldn’t hurt to break some wall, make new gates and motorable roads.  So was the pedestrian lane. By the time she got to Jesse’s hostel, twenty-five minutes was gone.

The hostel master was in his office stacking a pile of files when she arrived. “Oh, Miss Grace.” He said. “take a seat.” He said, a bit nervous he looked adjusting his tie, and smiling goofily.

“Thank you. Is Jesse all parked?” She asked. there was no moment to spare.

“all the boys are.” He said. “all the boys except Jesse who is currently at the principal’s office awaiting your arrival."

“hope there’s no problem?” she asked, fear and suspicion made her sit straighter than she had. “is he alright?” She could tell then and there that there is something in the water, some green eyed monster with slobbery wet tentacles about to steal her peace.

The man tilted his head sideways, and seems to mince his words when he said, “he is.” He drummed his fat fingers on the chestnut table, “you should see the other guy.”

Long story short, Jesse got into a fight with some kid, who he said had verbally insulted him. The rotten cherry atop the cake was that the parent of this kid are one of the highbrow member of the school board of trustee. In a nut shell, everyone is holding their breath on how the family reacts to this news.

The man led her out of the office, towards the principal’s office.

Grace caught her reflection on the one of the mirrors on the hall and instantly got self-conscious. She wasn’t dressed for any official meeting today, she wore some cheap loose blouse on skinny jeans and sneakers. On a good day where things are planned and kids didn’t spring surprise at you, she would feel better in blouse, skirt and some conservative yet classy shoe, something to get off on the right foot with.

Jesse was with the receptionist who was on the phone, if she noticed Grace walking in, he didn’t show. The receptionist gestured to the principal’s office, and Grace would swear that the hostel master’s comment before leaving was: “I hope they don’t bite.”

That definitely didn’t help with her confidence. Parenting. She told herself, she must act it now. She would defend Jesse yet apologise. Jesse was headstrong, yes, but the other boy must have said something wrong too, she hoped. Grace gulped and opened the door.

The principal who seems to have been all absorbed in the conversation with the couple, looked up, and gently pulled off the glasses that had rested on the far end of his broad nose. “and you are?”

She went on to introduce herself as Jesse’s guardian and was offered a seat. Maybe by way of smoothing things out, the principal gave a titbit about how Jesse had lost his mother. that elicited an ooh, from the woman, her husband was unmoved. He went on to introduce the couple as Mr and Mrs Okolie.

“see what your son did to mine.” The man began with a thick ibo accent, “madam see?” he said shoving the picture on the ipad at her face. Grace could see some bruising across the boy’s jaw, the boy looked quite bigger than Grace expected him to be, bigger than Jesse. He might have been a bully, but she knew who was holding the cards right her, and judging from the way the principal minced his words, Grace was sure it was neither him nor her, holding those trump cards.

“I’m very sorry.” Grace said, eyeing the frowning man who doesn’t seem to want to hear her plea.

“no madam, is this what you teach your kids?” he was a few frequencies away from yelling, the manly kind of yell that was supposed to shake you to the bone. Mr Okolie was a barrel chested stout man, if that helps. But, a hand was on his shoulder moving gently. Grace’s eyes met Mrs Okolie’s own, the svelte woman’s other hand was on her chest moving gently as if to gesture that Grace should keep her calm.

After the man was done threatening hail and brimstone.  “once again, I’m very sorry.”

The woman was muttering into the man’s ears, he bristled at first, looked at his wife then back at Grace. Mrs Okolie just saved her. The verdict of the principal, who seemed quite happy to have the rein of the conversation once again, was that Jesse writes an apology letter after apologising verbally to the boy. It took Grace’s time but she was glad it was all put to rest.

On their way out of the office, a hand held her elbow, it was Mrs Okolie who lagged behind while her husband exited the receptionist office. “you are that ballroom dancer. The one from the show last two weeks, RaDance?”

Grace nodded in the affirmative. The woman was all chatter about how she’s a fan, she went to stress the fact that she’d have a talk with her own boy too. “they could be friends.” She said.

*****

Her first attempt to exchange a conversation with Jesse on their way out ended with Jesse saying, “you are not my mother.” That sentence always ends their conversation and that day was no exception.

The boy was sullen, Grace knew it was more out of shame than remorse, he had a band aid crisscrossed his check too. She was tempted to yell at him, tell him to note how lucky they were the other boy’s parent decided to let it slide. She was angrily pulling the boy’s satin trolley luggage all the way past the gate. Now you are losing it Grace. Deep breath, yes, take a deep breath. Ask him first. Parental principles. Disengage, prioritize, see the bigger picture. All that crap she’d learnt from parenting books, it was so much easier in theory—or in a world where kids are cupids, all squishy, go happy, and cuddly, flying around spreading love.

She kept her pace, but ensured the boy was right before her where she could see him. The traffic would not let her get a tricycle as quickly as she needed, she had to go around back, where from sight, the traffic on the intersecting road wasn’t as congested. She would get a tricycle take him and the boy across streets to where her car was parked.

She wanted to ask the boy to wait and let her hold his hand as they approached the crosswalk, but she was pretty sure the reply she would get will make her want to smack his face. Oh God, I’m slipping!

She reminded herself the need to hear  his side of the story. To be his person if he'd let her in.

Her phone rang.

“Hello.” She called.

“I’m Meredith Dahiru, calling from the Livingstone bank…” the voice came from the other end.

Grace’s brain quickly brought out the red flagged dossier about the debt the boutique was in and how she’d applied for some loans. Grace felt like punching the air, she had been waiting for the call. “yes! Yes” she answered without letting her finish.

“I was calling in regards to an application we received, can you make it to our office tomorrow?” the woman said, there was the sound of her leafing through books before she added, “let’s see if we can work something out?”

“yes, thank_” She heard a long drawn sounding horn somewhere. “No!” she shouted as Jesse was already five steps ahead of her on the cross walk. Grace ran. Wind whipped past her, blowing her hair in every direction.

A black jeep was swerving down out of control. She flunked her phone and purse, didn’t hear them land as she ran after the boy who was still seemingly unaware. When did he put his headset on?

She managed to push Jesse out of the way, then watch the car zoom towards her.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
What do you think about Grace's parenting skills?