Chapter 12

Sitting at that table, this family of four dug into their dinner.

"There's a new family in the neighborhood," Mrs John said, her knife cutting through her beef.

"When did they move in ?" Mr john asked..

"About a week ago," the woman replied.

"Oh, you mean Mr and Mrs Kayode," James interrupted, a mischievous smile stealing his face as he stared at Judith.

"You know them ?" James'father asked surprised.

"Yes I do," James replied with an air of importance, "they even have a boy called Henry."

"Mhm", sounded his mother, "what school does he attend ?"

"Our school", James revealed, "he's even in the same class with Judith and me."

"So he's your classmate isn't that right Judith ?" Their father tagged.

She ate on silently not wanting to reply, seething inwardly at how stupid her brother could be at times. What did James think he was trying to prove? That she ... Oh ! She couldn't even say the word, a five foot three boy with a five foot eight girl, what a hilarious match.

"Why aren't you saying anything Judith ?" Mrs John asked.

"I noticed her silence which was why I decided to include her in the discussion," her father said, taking a sip from his cup of coffee.

"I know why", James popped, "you see, Judith lost her place in Physics to a newbie."

"By newbie, you mean Henry if I'm correct," their father guessed.

"Precisely", James continued, "she had a score of sixteen while Henry made a clear-cut twenty beating her to the top. Not to forget, he also sat in her favourite spot on the bus", James pointed at himself with his fork, "which is next to me."

"From what I see Judith", her mother advised, "Henry could be a source of motivation for you to work harder in order to retain your place at the top of the class by the end of the term."

"That's it !" Judith snapped, she had completely lost her appetite due to her brother's incessant remarks about Henry, couldn't he shut up for once ?!

"What's wrong with you Judith ?" Her mother asked concerned.

"I'm not hungry," she said clearing her plates from the table.

Dropping the plates into the dishwasher, she stormed up the stairs heading to her room. She wasn't going to sleep, that was far from her plan, furious to retain her position as the best student in her class, she was willing to study all night.

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Henry chewed his rice slowly, his appetite not in good shape tonight, secretly stealing glances at these two persons who were now his parents. For the past fifteen months he had been living with them - a double life though. But he had come to realize that the care and attention which they gave him was unlike anything he had felt before, making him suspicious about the motive behind their actions. Mr Kayode sat reclining in his chair, scrolling through his phone already done with his meal, while Mrs Kayode also known as Edna ate her food silently.

"How was your first day at school Henry ?" Mr Kayode asked.

"Fine," Henry replied.

"Made any friends ?" Mrs Kayode inquired.

"Made a friend and two enemies," Henry replied trying to find a way to savour every bit of his meal just like the way he did on the first day that they had taken him into their former home, dripping wet and shivering all over. But he couldn't, the question bugging his mind took away the desire to get anything into his stomach.

"Interesting !" Kayode exclaimed, "why don't you tell us about them."

"Why did you cut my hair ?" Henry finally asked.

"Henry, we've discussed this a million times before," Edna moaned, "it's for your safety, besides, the school won't allow you keep your hair that way."

"Then what is it you're trying to protect me from ?" Henry probed further.

Both fell silent, and after what seemed like ages, Kayode finally spoke, bringing out a black box.

"You have questions for us, and so do we for you, and to get to a compromise we'll trade answers," he said.

Opening the box Kayode lifted a pair of steel boots, their rugged surface designed for use in battle s - something which only Henry knew.

"What are these Henry ?" Kayode asked.

"Let's not go there Kayode," Edna tried to come in between the two.

"No Edna", Kayode refused calmly, "he wants answers and we want answers too, so Henry what are these ?"

"From the look of it", Henry replied, "one would know that they're boots."

"Who wouldn't recognize these as boots", Kayode smiled, "but I have never seen a pair of boots like these in the shelves of any store, not even online. What we want to know Henry is where, when and how did you get them ?"

"I don't know," Henry replied.

"How can't you Henry ?" Kayode probed further, "don't tell me that you still don't remember anything before the night we brought you under our care."

"I don't", he stated, "I don't remember anything."

"Please Kayode, let's end this now," Edna pleaded.

"Not yet Edna, this is for the safety of us all, he has to understand that, and stop being so secretive."

"If you didn't trust me", Henry spoke, "why did you take me in, in the first place ? Do you think I'm going to bring any harm to you ? I guess that's what you actually think, isn't it ?"

Rising from his chair, he cleared his plates from the table, walking away he said.

"You aren't my parents, and I don't expect you to understand me."

Closing the door behind him, Henry crashed into his bed, his gaze always shifting from the roof to the clock, it was just eight thirty pm, homework ? He could sort that out by four am in the morning.

"How did it go ?" The voice echoed in his head, resting his back in the headboard, his attention moved towards the action figures on his desk, an armoured model and a black eagle.

That telepathic screech kept echoing in his head. They really wanted to know, not that they didn't, they just wanted him to say it, they were one being and one mind weren't they ?

"Not too well," Henry answered Equivax's question.

Equivax and Hypernox in their new form, leapt from the desk to Henry's side of the bed.

"The issue of my boots came up again," Henry revealed.

"But you started it", Equivax checked politely, Hypernox supported his statement with a screech, "you shouldn't have asked them about the reason for cutting your hair, you should have been a normal kid and played along."

"It's hard for me to be a normal kid again Equivax", Henry sighed, "that part of me died a long time ago. Besides, I was never seen as normal, not even now."

"I understand", Equivax said, "but you shouldn't try those mind games of yours to see if they're still suspicious. From the look of things I feel that they're willing to accept you just the way you are - they don't have children you know. I have the feeling that they want to adopt you, they just want you to reveal your true identity to them, are you going to do that ?" He asked.

"Not yet Equivax, not yet", Henry declined, "I was once vulnerable to the bad side of people, I don't want that to ever happen again," he said, that tear rolling down his left eye.