Drop A Tear

CHAPTER FOUR.

Nathan's father, Alex, had summoned Nathan for a family meeting.

"Nathan you must go back to school this session and continue." Alex opened the conversation.

"I made some calls, your department is willing to accept you back but you will have to repeat third year which is fair enough." Payson said.

"The most important thing is for you to graduate with first class honours and become a lawyer." Onome added.

"I will think about it." Nathan softly said.

Felix, his uncle entered the conversation harshly. "Since last year you have been thinking, you have thought enough. It is time to go back to school."

Payson nodded her head, agreeing with her brother, Felix. "Playtime is over son. Boys need a marketable skill, Nathan, because you've got to be able to support yourself. Come back to the real world honey, this is Nigeria. Don't let one little show at Checkers Beach go to your head."

"It wasn't little to me." Nathan muttered.

"You are too young to be a school drop out." Payson argued.

"I don't see myself being in school."

Felix raised his hand to hit Nathan but stopped when Alex screamed.

"Felix, that is enough. I did not give you the right to hit my son. He is not a criminal." Alex said.

"Go ahead and spoil him as usual!" Felix burst in rage, then looked at Payson. "See the type of man you married?"

"Felix!" Onome called him, trying to bring him to order.

Felix shrugged. "You people should continue spoiling him, help him to become a vagabond. What do I know?" He angrily left.

"Nathan?"

"Yes dad." Nathan answered.

"Talk to me, what is the problem? I am your father and realest gee, I confide in you when I'm having issues with work, why can't you also confide in me? Do you think I'm old fashioned to understand you?"

"I never wanted to read law, mom forced me into studying that course. I tried to understand and belong but i couldn't, my grades were the poorest, my course mates ridiculed me. Why should i stay where i will be ridiculed whereas there is a place where i am celebrated?"

Payson interrupted him. "Nathan you are not making sense."

"Let him talk." Alex cautioned his wife. "So Nathan where is this place you are celebrated?"

"Dad please don't pretend like you don't know i only have passion for music."

"You have passion for the fame or money?"

"For the game, fame and money. For everything good it can bring."

Payson quickly added. "Singing, acting, dancing, writing, and all that.. it's only a waste of time and energy. Nathan, take my word for it. Just because you have talent, even an exceptional talent, doesn't mean you can cut it in show business. Entertainers are a dime a dozen, Nathan, and I don't want you to be any part of it."

"My grandson can never be a musician." Onome said.

"What if it's gospel music?" Nathan asked.

"We all know you are not passionate about gospel music." Onome snapped.

"Hypocrisy." Nathan murmured.

Onome removed her glasses, "Did you say something?"

"No." Nathan shaked his head.

Payson scoffed. "You want to sing? Fine, sing all you want! But sing here."

"Mom.."

Payson continued. "Where's the future in it? I will not let you waste your time dreaming about something that will never give you a skill. I don't want to hear another word about it. Some things just weren't meant to be, Nathan, and this is one of them."

She paused for a while then started talking again. "I think I'll call Jude's parents and give them a piece of my mind. He's filled your head with all these foolish thoughts and got you all excited about being a world star when you were perfectly content with being a lawyer like everybody else."

Nathan rose to Jude's defense. "It's not his fault, mom. Can't you see this is destiny?"

"Nathan you must go back to school this session and become a lawyer! God why did you give me this kind of son?" Payson broke down in tears. "Get out of my sight."

Nathan didn't waste time in leaving.

"Sweetheart it's okay. Don't cry, you don't need this stress. I don't want you to have an attack, your asthmatic condition is only getting worse." Alex said.

"Where did we go wrong in raising Nathan?"

"Understand where he is coming from, you are too hard on the boy. If he is bent on venturing into music then I guess we just have to accept it and support him. Let him do his thing, he is really good in that rap thing he does."

"Over my dead body." Onome spat, then left the living room, probably chasing after Nathan.

"Nathan must become a lawyer. I don't care if music is his passion, calling or destiny, I am his mother. I will rewrite that destiny of his." Payson challenged.

"Payson listen to me."

"No I will not. Nathan is our only child or do you have another child with some random woman somewhere? The way you are careless with Nathan makes me wonder if you have another child."

Alex didn't hide the shock. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing."

"No. I heard something and I want to hear it again."

"I am sorry."

"I will let this one slide."

***

At Slex's Barbing Salon, Nathan is having a hair cut. Pink is sitted on the other side lost in thoughts with a moody face. Nathan closely watches her from the mirror. After awhile he moves to sit beside her, wrapping his left hand round her waist. "Cutie pie."

Pink a forced smile. "Wow. You look extremely handsome. Slex really did a good job."

Slex heard that, even though he was quiet a distance from them. "Thank you Pink." He sounded very appreciative.

"You're welcome."

"Thank you baby girl. My mom will only give me this kind of compliment when I cut my dread locks." Nathan said.

"Then maybe you should cut it."

"Say what?"

"Yes."

"Not in this life, maybe another. This is my signature hair. No dread locks, no Nathy A. Common, you know what? You are a betrayer." Nathan frowned, disappointed.

Pinks laughed. "Why will you say that?"

"Because I thought you love my hair, you're always playing with it and now, here you are betraying what you love."

Pink hugs Nathan while rubbing his hair.

"This hug is not bribe enough, you ain't ever touching my dreads no more."

"Are you sure about that?" She reached out to smooth his hair.

"I am glad I captured every moment on video." Slex smiled.

"No way!" Pink screamed.

"Man, you such an ass." Nathan joked.

"The only ass that gives you awesome hair cuts." Slex praised himself.

"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. No Slex, no awesome hair cut." Pink giggled.

At this point Slex felt special. Very little people appreciated his works like it deserved. "Say it again baby."

"No Slex, no awesome hair cut! P for period!!"

Slex kept smiling. "You will make a good hype woman." He threw his phone at Nathan, Nathan didn't miss. "Watch the video." He walked to welcome and attend to a different customer.

"So before we watch the video, tell me what is bothering you." Nathan said, rubbing her hands gently.

"Nothing. I am fine."

"We both know you are not." He whispered into her ears. "I know about how you, Lydia and Ann squandered the money meant for your WAEC and JAMB fees."

Pink was beyond surprised. "Ummm..." She stopped. There was no point trying to deny.

"Jude told me. Lydia asked him to lend her some money." Nathan said. "So tell me, is that what is bothering you? No lies please."

"Yes. My dad will kill me if he finds out."

"I thought you are passionate and serious with school. How could you, what happened?"

"We used the money to buy a car online."

"Where is the car now, please can you girls lent it to me for a day? I could use it to attend a show."

"Didn't Jude tell you? We were scammed."

Nathan laughed uncontrollably. Feeling stupid, Pink angrily walked out of the barbing salon, with Nathan running after her.

***

Bryan hosted a small party for Kim, in his Masion, in Paris. Every part of the mansion is blazing with shiny decorations, flowers and fire works. "KIM, WILL YOU MARRY ME?" is boldly embodied. Kim drives inside the mansion with Jennifer sitted by the right seater.

Jennifer is screaming in excitement after reading the embodiment. Kim speedily drives out of the mansion.

"Who is that foolish person that drove in and out?" Andre found it annoying.

Gentle stretched his neck to see. "The car glasses are tinted, how will I know? Maybe it's Brevely, Bryan's ex."

Andre disagreed. "That car that just drove out is a custom made Maserati. Brevely doesn't have that kind of money to afford that type of car."

Bryan dails a phone number. "Who was in the car that just left?..what? Okay, thank you." He dropped his phone on the table.

"Who did your gentleman say it was?" Gentle asked.

It took Bryan time to answer. "Kim and her friend Jennifer. Guys I need to confirm something, I'll be back." He reached for his car keys, then raced downstairs.

"I don't believe it. That gateman doesn't know what he is saying." Andre said.

"Kim? When did Bryan buy her a Maserati? I thought his intention was proposing to her with a Bentley?" Gentle sipped his wine in confusion.

"And why will she leave her own engagement party even before it starts?" Andre asked no one in particular.

"Did Bryan really buy her a customized Maserati? I don't think so, if he did he would have told us."

"That car belongs to her sugar daddy. Let's be realistic, she is an orphan, a common lawyer that barely earns up to two hundred thousand monthly..so how can she afford a custom made Maserati?" Andre said in conclusion.

"Or does it belong to her friend Jennifer?"

"A mere doctor..surgeon that works in a Nigerian hospital? Nah! She cannot afford it. Gentle, her sugar daddy..."

Gentle quickly Interrupted. "Be careful of the things you say. You know how Bryan will react if he hears what you just said. He might hate you if he hears this."

Andre sighed. "Bro, keep quiet. It's not up to six months Bryan started dating that girl and he is already planning his wedding. How long have you engaged that poor girl again?"

***

Kim packed her clothes into her bags. Jennifer followed her every corner of the hotel room.

"Kim please don't do this." She pleaded.

"I have something serious and urgent to attend to in Nigeria."

"Kim please. It will be nice that my best friend is getting married to a celebrity. Through your celebrity marriage I could meet my own celebrity husband. Kim don't be like this. What kind of a friend are you, are you even my friend?"

"Stop with the emotional blackmail. It only works when I want it to." She frowned, then rolled her eyes.

"I feel like slapping you right now, you have everything I want and you don't even value it."

"Let me know when you come back to Nigeria. I will get you a celebrity boyfriend, I promise."

"Wizkid or Burna Boy?"

Kim chuckled. "Davido."

"I feel so sad for Bryan.

" I need to leave now before Bryan shows up here."

Jennifer went back to the bed wearing a long face. "Whatever, just leave. Foolish girl."

"I love you." Kim said, opening the door.