KHALID

So far, so good, Ukraine had been nothing but fun, my dad had arrived two days ago and J still find it hard to believe he was actually with us, moreso, he'd been laughing and chatting with Mom. Like, it still amazes me, they'd never been intimate since forever and I think they were only putting up on act because of Grandpa Ivan and Grandma Vira.

Today being Christmas, it wasn't actually a day for celebration at our place so far we were Muslims. My parents were in their room probably talking or doing something while I left my grandparents who had been trying to teach me their language but it was getting boring, so I just decided to go to my room and probably chat or call my friends.

Opening the JANU Icons group chat, I noticed they weren't online, the girls would probably be somewhere enjoying Christmas while the boys might be playing games or do something, immediately I closed the group chat, a call came in.

It was an unknown number and I rarely pick them but the number kept on calling and calling, looking at the number carefully, it somehow looked familiar, so, I decided to pick it.

"Oh my goodness, Khalid, you finally picked up after all these years, I've been calling your number since but you didn't pick, I decided to call this second number, I'm so glad you picked up," A voice which I instantly recognized as Abimbola's ranted.

How did she even get my roamed second number? I'd intentionally declined her calls because I knew she'll keep on calling throughout this holiday and I needed a break from her rants.

"Hi," I replied succinctly.

"So, it's only hi you'll say after everything I said," she complained at the other end.

"What else do you expect me to say?" I queried while leaning on the wall with my eyes roaming around the room, it wasn't a big room neither was it a small room but it had all the necessary things and was painted in blue.

"Why haven't you been picking my calls?"

"Oh that, you know I had to roam my number so, it was my second number I roamed, you've probably been calling the first number," I lied smoothly, something that both numbers were roamed.

"Oh okay, I get it but you should have called me," she continued.

"I didn't know your number."

"How is that even possible? Why won't you know my number? You could have just copied it straight from the first number nau."

"My first number is in my other phone and I didn't take it with me," I lied yet again.

"Oh, you should have taken it with you, instead of making me stoop so low to go to Kikiope, you should see the way that hutch insulted me just because not this, she even injured me gan."

What's all this now? Main reason I didn't want her calling me.

"Kikiope isn't a bitch," I deadpanned.

"Don't tell me you're taking her side over me again, Khalid, when will you stop all this nonsense?"

"That question should be directed to you, if you have nothing nice to say, then I think the best thing is to hang up."

"Wait!" She shouted at the other end and I chuckled.

"Don't hang up on me na, anyway, how us everything?"

"Fine."

"Hope you're enjoying your life over there?"

"Yeah."

"Did you miss me?" She asked sweetly and I scoffed.

"I missed everyone."

"Oh, so, you didn't miss me, I'm hurt," she groused. This girl has started again.

"So, is that all?"

"No, when are you coming back?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Oh, in less than two weeks, thirteen days to be precise, the hours is..."

"I never asked for the details."

"Okay, anyway, I sent some pictures to your WhatsApp, I noticed you haven't checked it."

I sighed before talking, "I will."

"Okay then, call you later, Abimbare is calling me, I love you."

"All right," I replied succinctly.

"Won't you say I love you back?" She complained and I hung up. What did I get myself into?

Immediately I hung up, Abee's call came in. That's how I'll have missed important call if I didn't hang up.

It was a video call, so, I tapped the screen and Abee's head popped up followed by Doyin. Obviously, they were together.

"Why is Doyin with you?" I queried.

"Wire, is that how to greet?" Doyin accused while eyeing me.

"Okay oo, good afternoon and merry Christmas," I greeted before she eyed me.

"Hey there," Abee waved at me and I waved back, it seemed like they were in a park or something.

"Where are you guys?" I questioned.

"Park, Doyin forced me out, she wanted us to go out on a date this Christmas, me that I'm not a Christian, so, what's my business with Christmas?"

"Water, it's my business, so, it's automatically your business too," Doyin replied while I shook my head before they both turned to me.

"So, how is everything going?" Abee inquired.

"Fine oo, my dad is even here with us."

"That's good news," Abee replied.

"What of you guys?"

"Everything is okay," Abee responded.

"Same here too, but there's gist oo, I can't wait for us to resume Sha," Doyin said in ecstasy while I shook my head.

"We just finished talking with Kunmi gan," Abee announced.

"Oh," I mouthed.

"Yeah, so, when we are done with you, we'll call Kikiope and Bimpe," Doyin added.

"Good of you," I joked while giving them a thumbs up.

We talked for almost an hour with Doyin doing most of the talking, she didn't even allow Abee and I to talk that much, I smiled to myself after they hung up, just then Dad walked into my room. He was a tall and well-built dark man, he was fine and not handsome, yeah, that's my own definition of him, fine and not handsome, if you care to know, I took after my mom and not him.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked.

"Is it a crime to smile?" I returned it with another question.

"You don't reply a question with a question," he said before sitting at the edge of my bed.

"I know that," I said blankly while trying so hard not to get annoyed because he always pissed me off, is it proper for one to  hate his father? Well, I hate mine and I'm not even sure about the reason maybe because I only see him like seven times in a year or because he didn't have my time and never behaved like a father to me or because I knew of his secret; one no one was aware of not even my mom.

I know my mom is also like that, but she still called most times and still shows her care but my father has no care for me, who knows maybe our hatred is even mutual.

"So, your mom suggested we go out, like a family time," he announced and I blinked my eyes severally to be sure I wasn't dreaming, did he just say that? Family time, as in which family? Is it really my family?

"Who and who?" I asked when I finally found my voice.

"The three of us, you know to make up for lost times."

"What lost times? It's not as if the lost times could be counted so, it's more like a normal thing," I found myself saying.

"Don't make this hard for me."

I chuckled before replying, "It has always been hard for you to get along with me."

He stood up before replying, "Khalid, when you're ready, meet your mom and I in the living room," then he proceeded to leave.

"You never take your time to talk to me, this is still the second time we talked since you came and I'm certain it won't be more than three," I said behind him.

He turned back to look at me, smiled at me and then left the room.

I threw my pillow to the ground in exasperation before standing up to get dressed. Looking on the brighter side, it was a good thing to spend time with my family, something, we haven't done in the past few years, I can't even remember the last time we sat together as a family to discuss and share things.

And my dad, he had a secret with me; one he wasn't aware of, one he didn't know I was keeping, no one even knew about it except Kikiope.

So, what's this secret?
Can anybody guess that?
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