𝟑𝟎 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥

~~ 85. ~~

*Albert Camus once wrote 'Blessed are the hearts that bend, they shall never be broken.' But I wonder if there is no breaking then there is no healing, and if there is no healing then there is no learning. And if there is no learning, there is no struggle. But the struggle is a part of life. So must all hearts be broken?*

Demilade stopped the car two houses away from his destination without turning off the car engine. He sat in silence with his hands on the steering wheel, scanning through the new surrounding he was from the windows of his car. The place was a bit desolate.

While still sitting in the car, looking up at the house, a black Hyundai car drove past his and stopped directly at the side of the fence surrounding the house he was actually heading to, at a little distance from the front gate. Some seconds later, the door to the driver seat opened and someone climbed out of the car. He recognized the driver immediately. Then he saw a lady walk from the other side of the car to meet him at the driver's side where he stood. He said something to her and handed the keys to her. She said something back to him and he nodded. He watched her enter the car.

A little boy who had been sitting at the back of the car appeared at the window of the owner's side of the car. He had probably been sitting there all along but wasn't visible. And so that he could see through the window, he knelt on the car seat. He waved at the man who came out of the car who was probably his father and he replied to the boy with a smile and a thumbs up.

After then he moved back and the car drove away. He watched the car disappear before he head towards the gate. He pressed the doorbell. Then the gate opened and he disappeared inside the house.

The place was a bit strange to him. But there was no going back. He was there already. It was high time he faced his demon.

Demilade heaved a sigh in his seat before he finally turned off the engine, removed his seat belt and he picked up his phone. He opened the car door and climbed down. He looked around the environment that was surrounded by houses that were similar in color, design, and height.

He walked up to the gate and pressed the doorbell. The gate opened up immediately and there was a short man in a security uniform standing in front of him, looking at him like he just saw a ghost. He pondered why he was so surprised to see him because they'd never met.

"Good morning. I'm here to see the Ninalowos'." He said ignoring the stupefied look on the man's face.

"Good morning. Good morning." The man greeted repeatedly, still staring at him.

Demilade groaned at the man's unexplainable behavior. Fortunately for him, Jeremiah came up beside the man.

"Didn't I tell you that we were expecting a visitor? Why make him wait outside?"

The gateman looked from him to Demilade and back again.

Demilade finally understood why he had been behaving that way upon seeing him.

"Oga, you know tell me say you get twins. I never seen am before." He said to Jeremiah. The former groaned and shook his head. Then he asked him to step aside and the man paused before doing what he was asked.

"I'm sorry for his behavior. Please come in." Jeremiah said to Demilade.

Demilade said nothing and he stepped into the compound while the security man's eyes never left his body. The other gate man who was sitting on a bench with Ludo on a stool beside him also looked up at him and his expression was identical to the first man that opened the gate for him. He looked from Demilade to Jeremiah and back again.

"Good morning. Sorry for the gateman behavior."

"It's fine. I guess he is just shocked. It would be a lie if I say we didn't share a deep resemblance." He said looking at Jeremiah. The former glanced at him and nodded.