Chapter three
859 Words
By the second term of her final year, Mimi Alade had become the closest thing Sheyla had to a confidante. Mimi was the opposite of Sheyla in almost every way—outgoing, quick-witted, and unafraid to speak her mind. Teachers scolded her for talking too much in class, yet everyone secretly admired her boldness.
Sheyla, quieter and more reserved, often felt overshadowed. But Mimi had a way of drawing her out, of making her laugh when the weight of expectations pressed down too heavily.
During lunch one afternoon, Mimi leaned across the desk with a mischievous grin.
“So, Madam Silver Watch, when will you finally admit that you’re the princess of Lekki?”
Sheyla groaned. “Please, leave me alone. I told you, it was just a gift.”
Mimi tilted her head. “From your so-called uncle, abi? Hmm. That man is generous, but don’t you find it strange?”
“Strange how?”
“He’s not even blood. Yet he’s always around, always giving you things. If it were me, my parents would say he’s spoiling me too much.”
Sheyla hesitated. “My parents don’t mind. They trust him.”
“Exactly. Too much trust can be dangerous.”
The words lingered in Sheyla’s mind long after their laughter had faded. She tried to dismiss them—after all, Mimi didn’t know Derick the way she did. But a seed of doubt had been planted, one that Sheyla could not easily uproot.
That evening, Derick stopped by their house again. This time he brought a large carton of groceries: rice, oil, tinned tomatoes, milk. Her mother’s face lit up with gratitude.
“Derick, you’ll not kill us with kindness,” she said, clapping her hands together. “May God continue to bless you.”
“Amen,” her father echoed. “You’re a true brother.”
Derick waved off their thanks with a smile, then turned his attention to Sheyla. “How was school?”
“Fine,” she answered softly.
“Are you keeping up with your reading?”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Good girl. Remember, you’re not like everyone else. You must stay focused.”
Her parents beamed with pride at the exchange. To them, it sounded like guidance, like care. To Sheyla, it sounded like a responsibility—a weight she had no choice but to carry.
Later that night, as she prepared for bed, her phone buzzed again. Another message from Derick:
You didn’t tell me how beautiful you looked today. That hairstyle suits you.
She stared at the screen, her breath caught in her throat. Compliments from her classmates meant little, but from him, they felt loaded, confusing. She typed slowly:
Thank you, Uncle.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, tempted to add more, but she deleted the words before hitting send.
The following weekend, Sheyla met Mimi at a café near their school. It was one of those noisy places filled with students sipping milkshakes and pretending to study.
“Let me see your watch again,” Mimi demanded, reaching for Sheyla’s wrist.
Sheyla pulled her hand back. “I didn’t wear it today.”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
Sheyla hesitated. “It just… attracts too much attention.”
Mimi leaned back, arms crossed. “See, I know you trust this Derick of yours, but you need to be careful. Men like that—rich, generous—they don’t do things for free.”
Sheyla frowned. “It’s not like that. He’s family.”
“Is he?” Mimi asked pointedly. “Or is that what your parents keep telling you?”
The question stung. Sheyla changed the subject quickly, but deep down, unease gnawed at her.
That evening, Derick came to pick her up, claiming he needed her help with sorting some books he wanted to donate to her school library. Her parents, delighted, urged her to go.
In his car, he glanced at her wrist. “Why aren’t you wearing the watch I gave you?”
Sheyla shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t want to spoil it.”
He chuckled. “Things like that are meant to be worn, not hidden.”
She forced a smile but said nothing.
When they arrived at his office, the receptionist greeted her warmly. “Ah, our little scholar is here again.”
Derick laughed. “Yes, she’s the star of the future.”
Sheyla blushed at the attention. Still, when he placed his hand lightly on her shoulder as they walked inside, she felt a shiver she couldn’t explain.
Inside his office, they spent an hour sorting through books. But every so often, she caught him watching her—not the way an uncle watched his niece, but with an intensity she couldn’t name.
When he finally dropped her home, she rushed inside without waiting for him to greet her parents. Something inside her told her to put distance between them, though she could not yet say why.
That night, she replayed Mimi’s words in her mind. Men like that don’t do things for free.
For the first time, she wondered if there was truth in it
- Writer
