"When I begin to talk about reproductive organs and you all begin to chuckle... I hope you remember how hard you chuckled and what led to it, it could help you in your exams," Mrs. Babalola, the biology teacher, said with a serious face. She held a cane in her left hand, probably her support for walking during lectures, or to scare the students.
"Shhhss," Tari tapped Dean's shoulder.
"Usually, parents are supposed to wait outside for their kids... but I doubt your dad knows that," Tari whispered, pointing out the window.
"Tari, change seats!" Mrs. Babalola frowned, waving the cane at Tari.
Tari had been sitting by the window beside Dean at the back, but now he'd have to move to the front, and whoever was in front had to move to the back till the class was over.
"What were you telling Dean? When this should be your serious moment if you want to get into university... what was so important you had to disrupt my class and those who are ready to learn?" she asked, with a furious look.
Teachers in Nigeria usually ask questions like that just to pull some guilt, or respect, maybe an apology, out of the students.
"I was just telling him his dad was outside?" Tari said, knitting his brows. Now the whole class was looking out the window.
"Connor!!" Dean gasped.
"Sorry," Connor shrugged, he seemed to have watched the whole scene.
"He's my supposed brother."
"OMG, he's hot!" a girl from the back seat whispered into Dean's ear.
"Shut up, Nikka, you have eyes for only me," he winked with a smirk.
"And c'mon guys... does he look like he could give birth to me?... he's my brother," Dean explained.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Babalola," the school principal walked into the class, Connor behind him. Everyone was a bit surprised at how fast he'd gotten to the door.
"Dean has been permitted to go home for good reasons."
Mr. Cole was by the car, visible from the school gate. Dean confirmed it was really his dad, he could see himself just by looking into the old man's eyes, his round face, his pointed nose, but not the hair.
While the whole school kept calling him Dean White, he was looking at two white men claiming to be his family, with nothing but their faces to prove it, a much higher dilution of their skin color.
"Dean!" a voice distracted him.
"Máá?" He was quite surprised.
"I know I'm not supposed to be here."
"But I brought you some changing outfits, and I also want you to know no one is going to disturb your lessons next time," Anita held his face in her hands and handed him a bag.
"Thanks, máá, but I packed something to wear..."
"...but yours is better, I'm sure," Dean relented with a smile.
Mr. Cole and Connor wore the "we had an agreement" look, not really showing it, though Anita didn't seem to care even if she noticed.
"That is my last drop of blood I'm handing over to you, if anything should happen to him... consider me dead before the bad news gets to me," Anita whispered to Mr. Cole with a gritty face, making sure the boys were out of earshot before saying it.
"Yes, with the way it turned out today, I can see he is your last drop of blood," Mr. Cole shrugged.
"Máá, I'm seventeen, if anything goes wrong, I have a phone and a mind," Dean chipped in from the front seat.
"Sir, I heard about my son's insolent behavior the other day, and I apologized, kids have their own minds these days," Anita apologized to the chauffeur.
"And he almost got into a fight with me too," Connor interrupted. A sharp side-eye from Dean and Mr. Cole was enough to keep him quiet.
"I'm okay, máá," Dean sighed.
"I'm just making sure," she said.
<<<<
Dean wasn't sure he'd ever get over the beauty of the Coles' mansion, if anyone had told him his father was that filthy rich, he wouldn't have believed them. A side pool, and Connor even told him about the theater at the back of the house.
His own house was cool too, but this place was like a Nigerian senator's house, just different enough to prove they were white and not senators.
"Hello! Hi, Dean!" Adline welcomed him with a hug, tilting her head and blushing a bit.
"Good afternoon, ma'am."
"C'mon, honey, you don't have to be all 'ma'am, ma'am' with me."
"Yeah, I would've thought of that if I knew I was coming back here, I was under the impression we were going on a bonding outing," Dean smirked at Mr. Cole.
"Sorry, son, your sisters thought bonding at home wasn't a bad idea," Mr. Cole gave a fake smile.
"He means mom," Connor said.
"But... we could have fun too."
"Yeah, I just want to do my homework, I have exams coming up pretty soon," Dean raised a brow.
Connor, Mr. Cole, and Adline looked at each other, clearly not handling it well.
"We could go to my room, I could help you with homework," Connor volunteered.
"You kinda had your time with him yesterday, honey... how about you guys talk with your dad... you know, bond," Adline said through gritted teeth.
"Or... I could help in the kitchen, then we could all do whatever it is you all do after."
"Play games, gist, laugh... you know..." he could tell they were a bit lost.
"Or I could change out of my uniform."
"Yeah!" they all chorused.
Dean politely dropped his bag, went upstairs to change, and came back down two minutes later. Connor and his father seemed to be in their own worlds, son at the dining table, dad watching TV. The twins? He had no idea. Where was he going to start a conversation with the old man, who looked boring, though not scary. However, the kitchen wasn't a bad idea, he'd bond with his father later. Getting into the kitchen, Lily was helping Adline chop vegetables while the maids seemed busy cooking something else, he could swear he'd prefer whatever the maids were making to whatever his stepmother and her daughter were making.
"Hi," Dean broke the silence.
"Oh! Hi, Dean!" Lilly gave him a hug.
Dean felt nothing but care for her as he returned the hug, siblings' love, hugging Lilly was a connection he couldn't describe, she felt so small in his arms, like a little sister, which of course she was. She smiled at him and it melted his heart. Adline noticed and smiled, she could have cried, but the onions wouldn't let her have real tears.
"I told Mom I wanted to cook for you!" Lilly smiled.
"I bet it'll be delicious," he said, and just like that, the cook's food didn't interest him anymore, his little sister was cooking for him.
"Of course!" Lilly exclaimed, a little excited.
"She went to a kids' cookery competition last year, and she won," Adline chipped in.
"Thanks, Mom, but I actually came in second."
"Well, I'm sure next time you'll be kicking asses to get that first place," Dean encouraged.
"What can I help you with here? I cook with my mom and her fiancé, in fact his fiancé owns a restaurant!" Dean added.
Adline paused, picked up her phone to record the two kids, they'd connected so quickly, and she knew it was real, no pretense, just two long-lost siblings bonding.
"You know he could teach me, expand my mind to different dishes, you know, Nigerian delicacies," Lilly said.
"How about you finish school first, and I promise you, I'd pay him to tutor you, that's if you're still in Nigeria by then."
"Nigeria is like my home, I have a brother here, it's kinda... actually my fourth time in Nigeria, my parents are British, but ever since my dad's company set up here, he made Nigeria his home, most times we come here for summer."
"I love Landmark Beach at the island."
"But it's not even summer!"
"Yeah, it's not, but we had to come here for a reason," Lilly frowned.
"Is everything okay?" Dean noticed.
"Okay, guys!" Adline walked over to them, talking and chopping onions, her hands on both their shoulders, Lilly faking a smile.