EPISODES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1
Hi everyone, my name is Linda Ikedi and I am 11 years old. I will like to share with you all, something that happened in my home a
few days ago. This interesting event changed the relationship statues between every member of my family for the better and I hope
sharing it with you all will help millions of families across the country.
First of all, let me give you all a brief introduction of every member of my small family of five.
My dad is Mr. Benson Ikedi, he is the Managing Director of Dew Luck Nigeria Limited. A dedicated man to his job he is and hardly
spends time with his family, always traveling and when in town, spends days in his office and evenings in meetings.
My gentle mum, Ifeoma Ikedi, has the biggest boutique in town. She misses her husband and obviously cannot handle fast growing
children. My dad’s fussiness and excessive picky nature has caused my sweet mum to regress into a psychological shell of loneliness
and negligence.
Ada, my elder and only sister is 18yrs old. She is a 100 level student in higher institution but spends most of her class hours with her good for nothing boyfriend, Mike, who sees her as his bank account. I sometimes wonder what she sees in him since he obviously is nothing but a source of distraction to her.
John is my elder brother, he is in SS2. Recently he is always seen under a big mango tree in an isolated area of the town, smoking cigarette and talking about girls with his friends. I am hoping he does not repeat class this year because his grades are very poor and he is doing nothing about it.
All these, my dad does not have an idea.
I am the last kid of the family and everybody sees me as just a baby, I sometimes think that nobody really cares about me.
2
Now that I have introduced you to every member of my family, let’s go straight and talk about the interesting event that brought me
here in the first place.
It happened on a Monday. Very early in the morning, my dad woke up as usual and started to dress up for work. By 6.30am he was
already ready for work. He then took his time to sort out some papers. I think these papers had something to do with his work. It was almost 7am when he locked up his suit case and left the bedroom. Mum was still sleeping when he closed the door behind him.
In the sitting room, he walked straight to the exit door, realized that the door was still locked.
“Oh!” he exclaimed and walked straight to the dining table where the exit door key was normally kept, but it wasn’t there. He got
a little frustrated as he began to search all over the sitting room for the key. It was nowhere to be found. He dropped his
suitcase on the seat and angrily walked back into the sitting room where mum was still sleeping.
“Where on earth would someone keep the exit door key if not in the sitting room?” he said to mum who was already half awake.
She m0aned and slowly said, “Not everybody wakes up as early as you do, you know?”
“This almost 7am and it’s not early. I just need to know where the key is so that I can go to work; I have a very important meeting
this morning.”
“It should be in the sitting room, I think I kept it there after I locked up last night,” she said as she slowly got up from the
bed.
“You think?” he starred at her in disbelieve, “where you drunk last night?”
She ignored him and walked out of the bedroom, into the sitting room.
He followed her.
She searched every nook and cranny of the sitting room, while my dad watched her in anger. But she didn’t find the key.
“Where else would this key be if not here?” she said, more to herself as she looked around helplessly. “I am really sure I kept it
here.
“Daddy impatiently looked at his wrist watch, “Oh my God, 7.10am… what is the meaning of all this?”
John walked into the sitting room. He was already in his school uniform. My dad might be a huge income earner, but John never
looked it. His dressing was always shabby and he most times preferred flying his shirt with his sandals dirty. I can’t remember dad
or mum every saying something about it. Of course dad was never around to notice and mum hardly talks.
“Good morning mum, Good morning dad,” he said and walked towards the kitchen.
“Did you see the exit door key?” Dad asked without responding to his salutation.
John stopped starring at them in confusion; he was never comfortable around them. They have a way of intimidating him and this
makes him somehow act guilty around them. One can easily blame him for anything because of the way he acted around them.
“Key?”
“Young man, do you have idea where the exit door key is? Don’t you know the meaning of key again?” dad impatiently rephrased the
question.
“No dad, I wasn’t the last person to go to bed, I have no idea where the key is.”
Dad continued to look around the sitting room like John was never there in the first place. He looked at the wall clock in the
sitting room and murmured, “Just imagine, I should be on my way to the office by now. What nonsense is this?”
Mum was still busy searching. She was saying some things to herself nobody could hear. She was sure she kept the key on the dining
table after she locked up last night.
“Woman, what exactly do you want me to do right now? Just try and remember where you kept this key so that I can go to my office
and get ready for the meeting.” Dad said to her.
“I am very sure I kept the key here. Yes, I remember opening the door for you when you came home last night. I locked it
immediately and dropped it on the dining table before going to sleep. Linda was doing her home work on the table while Ada was
playing with her cell phone on the long seat here.” She said thoughtfully as she pointed to the black leather seat in the sitting
room as she concluded.
“Linda!!” dad called my name, almost cutting into mum’s explanatory speech.
You see, we hardly have our dad at home. But the few times he was around were periods everyone had to careful. We all try to avoid
him which wasn’t difficult since he mostly spent his few hours at home in his study and comes into the sitting room when he
entertains visitors on Sundays.
But if dad called any of us the way he was calling me now, we know there was trouble and trouble with my dad was hell. When angry
with anybody in the house, he would use very derogatory words ensuring that his victim looked and felt as foolish as ever. He would
attack your self esteem and make you hate yourself.
Unfortunately mum takes a large chunk of his constant outbursts.
I was putting on my socks when dad called.
“Yes dad!” I relied and quickly came out of my room to meet him, wondering what I had done wrong this morning. He hardly interacts
with anyone on week day’s mornings.
“Where is the exit door key?” he asked immediately I came out.
“I don’t know where it is,’ I replied defensively. He was asking like he was sure I was with it.
“You were doing your homework on the dining last night when your mum dropped the key, didn’t you see it?”
“No dad,” I replied as he immediately shifted his attention back to mum who was still looking around confused.
Ada came out from her room; she had not yet taken her bath. I think she wasn’t having an early lecture this Monday morning. I
sometimes wonder what sort of school she was going. She does not wear any school uniform like me and John. She sometimes comes home
very early or even stays at home without going to school for a whole day. She was lucky she does not have my type of headmaster who
wouldn’t tolerate late coming or absenteeism.
“Ada, do you happen to know where the exit door key is?” Mum spoke up this time around.
“Isn’t it on the dining table?”
“It wouldn’t be on the dining and we would be looking for it.” Dad injected. He raised his hands helplessly. “Can somebody locate
this key so that I will leave this house? What sort of joke is this?”
Ada and mum started all over again to search all corners of the sitting room. John came out from the kitchen and walked into his
room, he didn’t want to be around dad. I also left them and got back into my room to finish dressing up for school. I didn’t think
the key was missing. I was almost sure that the key would be found, dads irritated mood was only making it look bad.
The time was almost 7.30am; I hoped the key would be found soonest so that I don’t miss the school bus. Nobody was even talking
about breakfast; well mum will bring my lunch box for me later. She would drop at the school gate and the guard would help her
bring it to me.
3
By now dad was burning in anger. He stood helplessly and observed as Mum and Ada continued to look around for the key. He obviously
didn’t know the next thing to do. They repeatedly searched where they had already searched. He looked at them like they were stupid.
“Will you continue to search the same place all day? How do you feel doing that?” Dad calmly asked. Neither mum nor Ada was sure
the question was directed at them. They stopped and looked at him. It was obvious that the anger he felt had heated his whole
system that his whole body organs should have started dissolving by now.
“You can stare at me from now till tomorrow but you will never find the key on my face. I expected that by now you should know that
they key is not here and start searching for it in other sections of the house.”
“I know I kept the key here and none of the kids are with it. I believe this is the only place the key should be.” Mum replied
defensively.
“Maybe a ghost came to this house and took it. You are very sure that you kept the key here and it is not here yet you only
concentrate on searching the same place; are you okay? Look woman, you and your daughter should stop embarrassing yourselves and
search for this key in other sections of the house.”
“Ada, go and look around your room and if you don’t find it go into Linda’s room, while I search in our bedroom, I will also check
the kitchen.” Mum instructed Ada as they both dispersed. She was silent because somehow she felt guilty that it was her fault that
this was happening.
Dad followed her into the bedroom and they both continued to search the room in silence. Dad hadn’t looked at the time since the
last time he did. I think he was afraid of what the time might be.
His special meeting was by nine o’clock but he was supposed to have a short briefing with one or two staff and his boss before the
dignitaries who were supposed to be present at the meeting arrived. He had in his possession, the most important document that
would be needed for the meeting and he was supposed to discuss some points with his staff and boss before the meeting. Without the
document, the meeting won’t hold.
The silence in the room was scary. Mum knew that this was more serious than anything. She decided to check the kitchen as it was
obvious that the key was not in the bedroom.
She walked out of the room into the kitchen. The key was nowhere to be found. She came back into the bedroom. Dad was sitting on
his bed. He was facing down as he supported his forehead with both hands which rested on his laps. She felt pity for him and afraid
for herself..
“You know, I think you are doing this deliberately,” he said. The key was nowhere to be found, the blaming game must take another
direction. “I don’t know why you are doing it, but you are trying to make me go crazy. I am trying to know what I have done to you
to deserve all this.”
“Why would I try to make u go crazy?”
“You tell me.”
“Well I have nothing to gain by making you stay at home and discharge your tantrums on me. I kept the key where it is normally kept
and …”
“And a ghost came and took it.” He cut in, “I never knew I had ghosts in my house. You must have planned this either with the kids
or alone!”
Mum was getting angry with his accusations; she didn’t want to continue the discussion. So she heads towards the exit of the
room, “You can say whatever you like but I believe the key is somewhere in this house and it shall be found and then you will leave for work with your troubles.”
4
Ada entered John’s room after she had finished searching hers.
“What is it? Why are you entering my room?” he rudely asked.
“Don’t you know that we are searching for the lost key? Everybody is busy trying to locate it, instead of coming out to help; you
isolate yourself in your room.” She replied.
“Leave my room, the key is not here. I am not with the key. What will I be doing with it here; please you guys should leave me
alone. I am not in the mood for your problems.”
“Look at the dirty room you are telling me to leave, you are not even happy I am stepping my legs into this refuse dump.”
“Thank you, my room is a refuse dump, now leave.”
She angrily b@nged the door behind her she left the room and entered my room.
My door was already opened so she walked straight in. she started searching all over like it was her room, I didn’t speak with her.
We had a brief quarrel last night before I went to bed. Something that led her to hit me while I rained abuses on her and reminding
her of how she follows men.
When she was through, she walked out of the room without saying a word to me. I wanted to hiss loudly so that she could hear it but
dad was around and I knew she wouldn’t let it go if she hears the hiss. I didn’t want dad taking out his already ignited tantrum on
us. The day was already starting badly.
She met my mum in the sitting room. There was no need to speak. They stopped helplessly wondering where the key was. They begin to
search between and within the seats.
Dad came out of the room and went straight to the door; he stopped and stared at it, as if asking himself ‘what should I do now?’
There was no possibility of breaking down the strong metallic bullet proof door. A few months ago, dad had angrily and suddenly
relieved the gateman of his duties because of a pardonable mistake. Now there was nobody outside the compound that he could call to
help him pull some stunts outside. Dad had no driver; dad was very impatient with drivers.
The spare key got lost almost seven months ago, it was Johns fault. We have been managing this single remaining key since then. The
back door key which was occasionally used was in the same bunch with the exit door key. There was just no way out. Who would have
imagined that this would be our plight on this Monday morning?
Time was ticking.
I think dad was thinking of who he would call that would help him get some professionals to help him break down the door, because
he was busy with his cell phone.
“Where could this key be?” Mum whispered. The mistake she made was that she allowed dad to hear it.
“You can continue asking yourself such a stupid question. But have you taken you time to imagine how you sound with such words
coming out of your lips?”
Mum looked at him helplessly, she was already getting used to him and the way he talked. “I am not as stupid as you take me for you
know, I am sure I kept the key on this table, why should whatever happened to it after I kept it be my fault? Why don’t you believe
me when I say that I kept it here?”
“I can only believe you when…”
His cell phone rang, his boss.
He took a long breath before answering the call.
“I can’t believe you are not yet in the office, are you okay?” His boss quickly said before dad could say hello.
“I just have a little set back I will soon be there sir,” dad said. He was trying to sound confident.
“Do you know what time it is? This is after eight. You should be here in the next ten minutes, I am waiting.”
The line went dead before dad could give his fake reassurance speech.
He looked at mum, “do you see what you are making me pass through?” His voice was loud. He was now ready to let out the whole anger
he felt.
You see, the thunder like emotion called anger has a way of obscuring any intent we have. Remember, dad was trying to call someone
who would help him break down the door. Instead he spent valuable time calling mum silly, I didn’t think mum was the silly one here.
“Do you know this might cause me my job?” he continued in a much louder tone. “What do you stand to gain by doing this? You might
think this is a joke but it is not. This morning meeting is one that I cannot afford to miss. I have with me here, important
company documents that will be needed for the meeting. If I don’t attend it, it will be the greatest catastrophe of all times.”
Mum couldn’t take it any longer, “oh please spare me the lectures. Office this office that. Don’t you realize that you are not the
only one who is supposed to have left the house by now? Your children also have to attend school you know. How can shouting and
blaming me be the solution to the problem we have now?”
“Locate the key! Locate it!! That will go a long way in solving the problem you have caused.” He retorted.
“
I don’t know where the key is! I have searched everywhere and I can’t find it!! You can either stand here and blame me all day or
you, for once, start thinking like a manager that you are and solve the problem!!” she returned.
I can’t remember if I have ever seen mum this angry. Now this was even the first time she was talking back to dad in such a
way. “And you can count me out when you decide to involve yourself in any problem solving activity. I won’t be part of it. I don’t
care about your meeting and I don’t even care if you lose your job or not!! This is your house perhaps it’s high time you sit down
here for once!” she walked out of the sitting room, into the bedroom.
“Okay, now you are gradually coming out with the truth, so you want me to sit here with you? He replied.
Ada also quickly left the sitting room, leaving dad all alone in the sitting room. He seemed shock. He didn’t expect such outburst
from mum.
He dialed a friend’s number “Hello… yes, can you help me get someone who can help me break down my door? Yes, a welder or
carpenter, but I think a welder will be better since the door is a metal door… okay, I will be waiting. Thank you.”
He dropped the call and looked at the wall clock, 8.35am. He was exhausted. He sat on the closest leather seat next to him, staring
at his phone like his life depended on it.
The cell phone rang ten minutes later, he quickly answered the call.
“Ya,”
“The welder I know is not reachable at the moment. But I spoke with a friend who gave me another’s number but I called him and he
said he is not in town but will forward me a friend’s number. I will send the number to you when he sends the number to me.” His
friend said.
“Oh my God” dad exclaimed, “please try and make him send the number immediately, the earlier the better.”
“I will try my best.”
“Okay, I will be waiting.” His cell phone rang again immediately he cut the call, it was his boss again.
“What is going on Mr. Ikedia? Is there something you are not telling me? The guests are already arriving for the meeting and you
are not yet here. I need you here with those documents right now.”
How could dad tell him that he was locked up in his own house? Dad hated sounding stupid, maybe because he was fund of calling
others stupid.
“Sir, I will be there before nine, I promise. I will soon be there.”
“Where are you now?” his boss asked
“I am on my way; I said I will soon be there sir.”
“You better be, I won’t tolerate any late coming.” He cut the line before dad could reassure him again.
Dad stood up and started walking from one place to the other within the sitting room. A text message entered his phone. A welder’s
number. Dad quickly dialed the number.
“Hello, is that welder?”
“Yes who be this?” replied the incautious voice.
Please I need you to come to my house immediately and help me break down my bullet proof door.”
“Oga, I de busy now, I no sure say I fit come.” Came the reply.
“Please send me your boy or any other welder you know.” Dad pleaded.
“Ahh, all my boys de busyoo, I no get welder number now. But give me two hours, I go come.”
“Two hours is too late, I need you now.”
“Okay, I go try, send me your address.”
“Thank you, please try and come immediately, I will pay you anything. I will send you the address now.” Dad dropped the call and
quickly sent our house address via text message.
5
My dad’s cell phone rang again. He looked at the caller ID, it was a strange number. He picked the call.
“Hello,”
“Good morning sir, am I speaking with Mr. Ikedia?”
“Yes, who is this please?” dad asked.
“I am the principal of Wisdom Child Academy and your son is my pupil. I am calling to inform you that he has not been in
school yet.”
“Yes, em… he might come late; there are some unforeseen circumstances that arose at home,” dad replied.
“I hope everything is alright sir.” The principal inquired.
“Everything is okay, thank you very much. I assure that he will soon be in school.”
“Alright, but sir I want to use this opportunity to inform you that I have been getting reports that John’s behavior in
school has not been impressive lately.’
Dad somehow became alert, “What do you mean by that?”
“Yes he has been constantly missing classes, he sometimes leave before school dismisses for the day, his performance is
very poor which I am sure you have seen in his last result. In fact he has already been marked as one of the students that
will be repeating class this year. I think it will be very necessary for you to come around and hear what the teachers
have to say about your son sir so that together we can come up with a possible solution.”
Dad didn’t see John’s last term’s result. What the principal was saying was strange to him. He didn’t know what to
say. “Okay, I will try and make it to the school before the end of the week. Thank you for this information. I very much
appreciate it.”
“Thank you sir,” the principal replied and the line went dead.
He went into the bedroom to talk to mum about the principal’s call.
“John’s principal just called me. He told me that his results are poor and he could repeat class this year. Is there
anything going on with him that I don’t know?”
Mum smiled, it was a rude smile, “there are a lot of things going on in this house that you don’t know. Well I saw his
last term result and spoke to him about it and he promised that he would do better this time around.”
“And you didn’t bother to tell me about it?”
“When last did you and I have a meaningful conversation? I am even surprised that you are reacting to the principal’s
call.” She replied.
“What do you mean by that? Well I am going to talk to him about it right now, how am I not sure that he does not have
anything to do with the lost key.” Dad was not happy with this news. He angrily and quickly walked into John’s room.
John was surprised. He couldn’t remember the last time dad walked into his room. He sprang up from the bed, dropping his
cell phone, which dad didn’t know he had. Ada was the only child in the house that freely flaunts her cell phone. She
claimed she bought it with her pocket money.
It was obvious that John wasn’t bothered if the key was lost or not. He wasn’t even interested in going to school.
“I can see that you are not even worried that you might be missing classes today.” Dad said.
John didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure of what to say.
“I got a call from your principal, what was he saying about you missing classes and having poor result? Where do you go
during school hours?” dad interrogated him.
John continues to look at him in fear. He was really surprised, he didn’t expect dad to barge into his room asking him all
sort of questions. How did he get this information about his school activities?
“I can see that you have gone dumb. Did you purposely hide the key so that you would miss school? What are you running
from?”
“I am not with the key, I am not running from anything.” He defended.
Dad felt John was hiding something. He began to search his closet while he continued interrogating John. “You leave my
“I showed it to mum and she talked to me about it.” John said defensively.
“And you didn’t bother to tell your mum that you miss classes? You didn’t tell here where you hangout when your mates are
busy studying?” He was searching through one of John’s school trousers when his fingers felt something. He dipped his hand
and brought out a sachet of condom.
He stopped. The room was silent for a few seconds.
“What are you doing with a sachet of condom in your pocket?”
Now John knew he was in trouble. Dad instinctively dropped the condom and went straight to John’s bedside locket. He
opened it and began to search for God knows what. He stopped again when he saw a stick of cigarette.
“You smoke?”
John was visibly sacred. He remained silent with his whole body shivering and starring at dad.
Dad looked at him like he was seeing John for the first time. I think John became a stranger to him.
Dad stormed out of the room. I instantly knew that mum was going to take the heat. .
How is the story?
