Chapter 3
Meanwhile, earlier, outside the gym, on the corner of the street where no prying eyes could see, Big Chilly was brimming with anger. "Why, Laide? Why would you embarrass us like that? What you just did wasn't supposed to make fun of us. We were meant to teach him a lesson, not humiliate ourselves. Are you taking his side now? And what gave you the guts to act without my permission? Have you forgotten who my father is?"
Laide leaned against the wall of the building, calm, almost indifferent. On the other side, Aliko was barely holding himself together.
"Aliko, is something wrong with your brain? Have you gone soft on your father's teachings? Why are you acting like a… like a female? You're supposed to obey whatever we say," Big Chilly spat, pointing a shaking finger at him.
Laide slowly lifted his head and stared at Aliko, who opened his mouth to continue but stopped. He froze under the intensity of Laide's gaze. Those eyes… they were cold, unrelenting, lethal.
"I do want to remind you two," Laide said finally, calm but deliberate, "that I might work for your fathers, but your father does not own me. I will not go against something that doesn't align with my principles."
That was the tipping point. Big Chilly's face turned red, his voice climbing to a roar. "What nonsense is this? You're saying my father owes nothing to yours? Without my father's help, your father wouldn't have been where he is today, and now you speak this nonsense instead of worshipping us for the luxury and status we've given you? You're an ingrate! If it weren't for my ancestors, your ancestors wouldn't have survived. Your family owes everything to us—their prosperity, their empire, their civilization of warriors. And now you—what are you? Nothing! Just violent, uncivilized humans who need to be taught how to behave. You have no glory, no right to speak!"
Big Chilly jabbed a finger at Laide, shaking with fury. Laide didn't flinch. He stood there, calm, letting Big Chilly and Aliko pour out their frustration. He waited. And then, after what felt like an eternity, Laide spoke.
"Even if your ancestors did all these things," Laide said slowly, "that doesn't mean I should abandon my principles. I have my own code and it does not include bullying someone just because they are better than you. And don't misunderstand me I am not ungrateful. I have always protected you, even at the risk of my own life, often without you knowing it. Whenever you made foolish choices, whenever you sought to hurt innocent people, I was the one covering up the evidence, keeping you from going to prison, stepping in to do what needed to be done. I chose to stop doing your dirty work, yes, but that was never ingratitude. That was protecting myself and doing what's right. So in your god-damned life, don't ever call me an ingrate for refusing to satisfy your ego."
If anyone had been there, they would have been stunned. Laide's voice had never been raised like that before, and the people he was speaking to… they were trembling. The anger drained from their faces and was replaced by fear. Deep down, they knew he was telling the truth. But their pride, their inflated sense of superiority, had always made them believe they could speak to anyone however they pleased, bully anyone at will.
"I have done all I should do," Laide continued, voice firm, unwavering. "And trust me, everything I've done… it was for your own good."
"For your own good… what do you mean?" This caught Chilly's attention.
"I'm following orders your father gave," Laide replied slowly, calm but firm.
Chilly squinched his eyes, trying to understand. "Go straight to the point. What orders are you following?"
"The Fulani clan has been looking for a way to take control over the northern region of our town," Laide said, his voice steady. "They discovered an unknown natural resource there that's the area your father controls. They tried, in secret, to bribe people working for him but failed. So they chose another tactic: gather evidence to dethrone your father in the high court. Your father told me to restrain you from getting involved in anything during this period."
Big Chilly blinked, confusion and disbelief clouding his face. "I… I don't understand. Why would my father give that kind of order? He can do anything. Why would he try to limit my fun?"
"Because Fulani has the as the centre government as their backer," Laide continued, "and the central government will step in if trouble escalates. That's a lot of trouble your father doesn't want right now. So he told me to stop you from doing anything stupid. And besides, why can't you just leave this guy alone? He has nothing, and you have everything. You've already caused enough pain for him."
That only made Big Chilly angrier. "Never! I will not stop until I see him cry, break down completely. He makes me feel… weak. He doesn't belong among us. He must go back to where he belongs the slum! That's where low-lives like him belong. They have no place in our society!"
Laide shook his head. He could see there was no reasoning with him. I know you won't change your mind he thought, which is why I focused on teaching him today. That session was mostly so he could protect himself from you. If he masters those moves, he can defend himself and maybe even teach you a lesson. But… his body is weak. He still has a long way to go. I promised I'd keep an eye on these two so they don't harm him.
"Well, if that is the case" Laide said decisively. "then your dad… told him to do this if I ever get caught causing violence?" He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Do what?" big chilly shouted
"Leave you," Laide said plainly.
Big Chilly's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Leave me? You mean… Dad wants me to go to prison? He told you not to fight for me or save me? That's… that's unfair, cruel!"
Laide continued, calm and deliberate. "Not only that. He said I should report you if you do anything foolish. He himself will hand you over to the police to face your crimes before you destroy what he has built And yes he will let you rot in jail if necessary. After all, you're not his only child."
Fear gripped Big Chilly's heart. For the first time, he felt truly small, truly vulnerable. Even Aliko felt it on his behalf. If Big Chilly's father said it, he would do it—there was no room for negotiation. The two stood in silence, staring at the ground, unsure what to say.
Laide put his foot down and began moving toward them. He stopped just a few inches away. "I have warned you. I've done my best to keep you out of trouble. But if you don't heed this warning, I will personally report you to your father."
With that, he disappeared, his figure blurring in the distance.
Big Chilly and Aliko stood there for a few minutes, letting the weight of his words settle. Finally, Aliko broke the silence.
"What should we do?"
"What should we do?" Chilly repeated, still shaken. "We can't just let him go for free. He humiliated us. He has to pay… but for now, we keep low. Let time pass. Laide will forget eventually, and then we'll have our chance. I just don't want trouble from Dad."
Aliko smiled, a dark glint in his eyes. "I knew you were thinking like that. That's why I always like you you're not different from me. Let's go and prepare for school. Time's moving, and we might be late."
And with that, the two left, fading into the streets as quietly as they had arrived, leaving only the memory of Laide's warning hanging in the air.
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1:05 a.m.
Omo stood up from his desk and stretched his back, letting out a quiet breath.
"I've mastered basic arithmetic, fundamental algebra, introduction to physics concepts, basic chemistry principles and cell and what else?... molecular biology foundations...just like I saw in Dad's journal," he muttered to himself. "Now I need to try something else."
He stepped out of his room and walked straight to his father's library.
The moment he entered, he paused.
Rows and rows of bookshelves stretched across the room, filled to the brim. It wasn't just dozens or hundreds. There were thousands of books, neatly arranged, covering almost every subject imaginable.
He let out a small breath.
"How can someone be this greedy when it comes to books?" he murmured. "Did he even manage to read all of these before he died?"
He slowly walked through the aisles, running his fingers lightly across the spines of the books as he passed. Then he stopped at a section that caught his attention.
Pinned neatly was a structured outline, almost like a learning path.
He read through it carefully.
Core Concepts for Scientists: Geometry and trigonometry, Newtonian mechanics, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, genetics and DNA fundamentals, and human anatomy overview.
Applied Basics: Introduction to calculus, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, organic chemistry, and biomechanics.
Real-World Integration and Practicality: Circuit design and analysis, material strength and stress, neural networks combining biology and mathematics, bioenergetics focusing on ATP and mitochondria, and scientific research methods.
He kept reading.
Engineering and Applied Mechanics:
Mechanical engineering basics—forces and moments, rigid body dynamics, statics, structural analysis, fluid mechanics, and kinematics of machines.
Robotics and systems—sensors and actuators, mechatronics, control systems, signal processing, and microcontrollers.
Energy and power—generators, thermodynamic cycles, battery systems, hydraulics, and renewable energy.
Computational engineering—data analysis, numerical methods, simulations, machine learning, and AI pattern recognition.
Advanced materials—nanomaterials, composites, superconductors in theory, bio-inspired materials, and shape-memory alloys.
And finally:
System Integration Mastery: Multi-disciplinary systems, mechanical and biological interaction, mechano-chemical processes, real-time feedback systems, and autonomous learning models.
He stood there, staring at it all.
His mind went blank for a moment.
How am I supposed to learn all this? he thought.
Then another thought followed.
Do I even need all of this?
He felt conflicted.
Why would his father gather so much knowledge? Why go this far?
As he looked around again, he noticed something else. Not all the shelves were filled with science books. There were books on history, philosophy, literature, even things that had nothing to do with research.
He paused.
Maybe… it wasn't just about science.
Maybe his father had been preparing for everything. Not just knowledge, but understanding. Maybe he wanted to reduce the struggle he went through and make things easier for them.
Omo let out a quiet breath.
For someone like him, getting even two books without paying was difficult. But now, he had access to a lifetime of knowledge.
That realization hit him harder than expected.
A dull pain settled in his chest.
I wasted so much time…
If he had started earlier, if he had listened more, maybe things would be different. Maybe he wouldn't be where he was now.
He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head.
"It's not too late," he said quietly.
He opened his eyes again, this time with a bit more focus.
"I've already come this far. I can't stop now."
This wasn't just a collection of books. It was his father's life's work.
It would take years to fully understand even a part of it.
So he made a decision.
He wouldn't rush.
He would take it step by step.
Steady.
Consistent.
He reached out and picked up the materials under the Core Concepts for Scientists section. Then he sat down And he started studying.
From that day on, most of his time was spent in the library. People on campus started noticing the change. Slowly, the name "rising genius" began to follow him around, whether he liked it or not.
He didn't pay attention to it He just kept going.
He mastered the core concepts, just like his father had outlined. Then he moved on to Applied Basics and Real-World Integration.
The deeper he went, the more he realized something. Understanding theory was one thing Applying it was another. He needed practice But that was a problem.
He didn't have the resources, tools or environment to experiment freely.
So he adapted. He searched online.
Watched lectures. Studied demonstrations.Broke things down in his mind and imagined how they worked It wasn't perfect but it was enough to keep him moving.
And he didn't stop Every day followed the same pattern. School. Part-time cleaning job Helping his mother at the farmclearing land, planting, harvesting.
Then studying Again and again. It was exhausting But he kept going Because this time…He wasn't running away anymore He was building something.
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Two years passed in a jiffy. Now I stood in front of the mirror, looking at myself and adjusting my suit. I had become much stronger and healthier than the weak, fragile boy I used to be two years ago.
"You look just like him," my mother said with a smile as she watched me. "Every time I look at you now, you remind me of him. He was handsome too, tall, dark, and strong."
I blushed a little and smiled back, but then I noticed her eyes beginning to tear up.
"How happy would he have been if he were alive to see this," she said softly. "This is what he always wanted for you. To follow his path."
I knew she was holding back her tears, and before they could fall, Tomi moved closer and said, "Mama, please stop. Not today. Today is not the day for that. We should be happy for our big brother. He's graduating to senior high school with flying colors, and he even passed with all A1s. This is a big achievement for us, and it is worth celebrating. He will be able to take our family to the next level."
Tomi tried to comfort her, and they both managed to smile. I had also been holding mine in, but I could not keep it in anymore. Tears began to roll down my cheek.
So this is how it feels, I thought to myself. This is what it means to work hard for something and finally see your effort pay off.
But this is only the beginning. I will not let this get into my head. I will keep learning, because in this world, knowledge is power, and I must have it by all means if I want to change my fate.
I looked at my mother and my siblings and said to myself that I must also change their fate, because my family is all I have now. I am now their father and their husband in everything but name. I have to change our story.
The day of the graduation party finally arrived, and on that day, something unexpected happened.
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