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I expected to feel his father's big palm connecting with my jaw, but he was only looking into my eyes, and I was looking right back at him.
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I was just a girl dressed in a plain t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans but according to Femi, that wouldn't pass me off as ‘innocent’ before his stern father.

“Treasure, my father cannot know that you are here. He will skin both of us alive!”

I shook my head. My right foot was tapping restlessly on the ground, and my arms were tucked away into each other.

“But we have done nothing wrong. We've only been here for about 5 minutes…. “

“5 minutes is enough for anything to go on. Listen, just hide here under the bed. I'll go out and greet my father then when he is in his room, I can sneak you out.”

I shook my head again.

“My mother says it is the sinner that runs when no man is after him. My conscience is clear, let me greet your father. I'll be on my way home from there.”

Femi was going to say something to me when we suddenly heard “Femi!” in a thick baritone. He stopped as if frozen then turned to me.

“Treasure, please I'm begging you to just hide, my father has walked into the house already.”

“I think you should just go out and welcome him”. I said with an air of finality.

We had heard a lot of stories regarding Femi’s father, both from Femi himself and his friends who had been to his house.

“If Baba Femi lays his hands on you, you may either receive what my mother calls a ‘dirty slap’, or you will sleep in the security house ….” one of Femi’s friends said. They were not talking to me, but I happened to overhear them since I sat just behind them in class.

“The other day I went there, the man kept staring. I couldn't dare to look back at him. I kept my eyes on the floor all through” Another good friend of his commented.

As they sat there exchanging their opinions, I knew I was in for trouble. I had gotten some money from Femi to assist him with revisions throughout that term and since he wasn't allowed to leave his house, I had to be the one to go over.

“Femi, are you sure your father would be comfortable with me coming over to teach you? I heard he doesn't like you to bring people home.”

“My father doesn't return from work until 6 pm every evening. You can come by 3 pm and leave by 5.”

Since school ended at noon because it was revision week, I felt the arrangement was okay. I informed my mother about it, and she gave her consent as well. 

“Just come back before 6 pm” she warned, dragging her ears to drive her point home.

I went to Femi’s place as planned. We began the revision and made a lot of progress. I was about to round up with him when he suddenly remembered something.

“Please teach me how to label Biology diagrams,” he said.

“We would need a pencil and eraser for that.”

At the same time, the cook called him for a quick errand.

“Please go into that room by your left, my mathematical set is on the table, bring it out while I get pepper for the cook”.

I had just found the pencil when Femi rushed into his room and closed the door, informing me about his father's sudden return. 

We heard Femi’s name again as we walked out of the room. I could see why his father was well respected. He was a huge man, with round eyes and an intimidating aura.

“And you are…?” He asked after we both greeted him.

“My name is Treasure, sir. I am here to assist Femi with revisions for his WAEC and UTME exams.”

His large eyes seemed to roam my face, looking for some expression to betray what my mouth said.

After what seemed like forever, he walked past me into his bedroom. 

“My father has never been cool with anybody coming to see me before, and you even stared back at him!” Femi said in school the next day.

“I knew I didn't do anything bad, so I was not scared, I had a clean conscience”.

He told me what his father had told him when I left, “That girl is a good girl, she is the only one I want to see in this house henceforth, but if I ever see her in your room again, both of you will sleep in the police station”.

My clean conscience eventually paved the way for a healthy, platonic relationship between Femi and I. 


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