Chapter 15: CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jason snored softly; maybe it was because of the stress of leaving his country and starting a new life in another at a moment notice. He was tired and he went to bed early. The room Naya showed him after making him eat something he couldn't pronounce in the dining hall with everyone else and he was grateful, Naya didn't force him to eat on the same table as the children, the room was really small by Jason's standard even though Naya described it as the VIP room. He should really explain to her the meaning of Boss but he was tired and he slept off before his body even hit the bed.
Jason's dream was peaceful. Jason heard a giggle and felt something touch his left foot. Maybe he dreamt about it but he opened his eyes anyway. His eyes slowly swept through the sparsely furnished room but there was nothing there. Jason closed his eyes again. He was aware it was morning already but he was in no hurry to face his new reality or to start making plans to safe his grandmother's orphanage and as far as he kept his door locked and his body was still on his little bed, his worries and responsibilities were a world away.
Giant
Did I just imagine that? Jason asked himself as he wiped his face with his palm as if in so doing he could see clearly again.
For the second time, Jason swept the room again with his eyes. He noticed the weird looking statue that was on the table close to the door and Jason made the mental note to himself to remove the ugly looking thing from his room, there was no reason why he should be scared to death by the garbage looking statue. Next, his eyes found the wardrobe or was it a wardrobe? It looked like it was about to fall apart into a million pieces. That will have to go too, Jason told himself.
Giant
This time around, Jason was sure he didn't imagine it. Both the giggles and the word giant were coming behind him and it was too vivid to be his imagination.
'Come out at this moment'
Jason yelled at the invisible being behind his bed but no one came out.
Slowly he quietly pushed himself up towards the sound and peeked behind the wooden pillar that held his bed.
Two pair of brown eyes stared back at him. It took Jason a few seconds to adjust to reality because there was no way a toddler was hiding behind his bed. But after counting to ten and the toddler was still there, he accepted the inevitable.
'Who are you?' Jason asked with a wide eyed expression.
Slowly the little alien, came out of hiding and stared at him with fascinated look
'Are you a giant?' she asked amazed
Jason was very tall but he has never considered himself a giant.
'I don't think so but what do you think?' Jason asked. He was amused at his attempt to make a conversation with a two year old.
'I think you are a giant' the toddler said and giggled to herself and went behind the bed again to hide.
'Is someone missing a child?' Jason yelled
After Jason ransacked his bag to get a blue t-shirt to wear, he called out to the toddler behind his bed.
'Come on little girl, let's go find your mother'
Immediately Jason said that he wanted to shoot himself. If the little girl was inside an orphanage, it was probably because she had no parents.
'I am so sorry, that was a dumb thing to say' Jason apologized but the toddler couldn't care less, she was more occupied with the watch on the table.
Jason scooped her up and carried her outside in a hurry to hand her off to someone else before he breaks her.
Outside, on the other end of the passage, was Naya and she had a worried expression. She was wearing a red short and a brown singlet.
'Nolani...Nolani...Noni where are you?' Naya called out from her end
Jason looked at the child he was holding and she was smiling.
'Please tell me you are not Nolani. She looks mad as hell' Jason said before he remembered he was holding a child and then he muttered sorry to the giggling child.
'I am Nolani' the child said even though what she said sounded more like Nonana.
After thinking maybe he could make a run for it after dropping the child on the floor, Jason hissed, almost hooted at the idea of running away from this woman with the voice of a teenager and she was his employee.
Naya reminded Jason of someone. Someone he missed dearly but would never admit to missing . Naya reminded him of McKenna, except Naya didn't have the innocence that made McKenna off limits.
'I am going off on a limb here but I think the toddler I am holding is Nolani' Jason yelled, so Naya could hear him
Naya raced towards Jason and snatched the child from him
'You can't go around picking up children, not when you are still a total stranger to them' Naya accused Jason
'Okay wait, she was in my room, Okay? I didn't just pick her up...maybe I did but it's only because she wouldn't come out from behind the tiny bed, you made me sleep on' Jason defended himself and he was serious until he saw the snicker on Naya's face.
Naya was trying not to laugh.
'Your room is actually Noni's favorite spot for hide and seek' Naya told him
'But you told me it was the VIP bedroom' Jason said alarmed
'Yeah sure, let's keep calling it that buddy' Naya tapped Jason's shoulder like she would a ten year old boy and took off with Nolani.
'He is a giant' Nolani told Naya as she carrier her off.
'He is a grumpy giant, sweetie'
Jason went back to his room to place a call to his mother.
'Hello mother' Jason placed the call on speaker and started unpacking.
'How are you setting down, Child?'
'You forgot to tell me the orphanage is in the middle of nowhere, Mother and don't even get me started on the bus, you specifically asked for me to be picked up in' Jason said as he placed his clothes on the bed
'Jason you are still alive, aren't you? I am sure you will overcome the challenges thrown your way, son'
'Please mother, can you stop intentionally throwing said challenges my way?'
'Oh stop it. Tell me about your plans to save your grandma's Orphanage'
'I will be flying to Chicago, day after tomorrow to meet with some people and I will probably hold a fundraiser there too. Just calm down mother, I've got this covered'
'I know you do'
'Were you able to go by my company to check on everyone?' Jason asked. It took self control for him not to beg his mother to check on McKenna.
'I don't have the time to do that but your cousin Jessica is now in charge and I am sure she will do a fine job. Sorry Jason, I have got my hands full, managing all the Yagazie companies, the new one in Niger state and all the orphanages and charity foundation. I will check on your company when I feel it is in trouble'
'Okay Mother'
'Hmm Jason, I wanted to discuss something with you before you left for Malawi'
'What is it?' Jason opened the old wardrobe to place his clothes but decided against and sat down on the bed.
'I think I found the perfect wife for you. She is a nice girl I met in Lagos; she helped me get back my bag when.......'
'No.... Mom…no… I know you like meddling in my affairs but I draw a line here. My mother will not be the one to find a wife for me. So no, forget about it'
'So, wanting the best for my only child is meddling, now?'
'Sorry mom, you are breaking up....hello....hello....bye Mother'
Jason feigned the bad network just to get out of the discussion with his mother. He slumped on the bed and pulled out McKenna's picture from his wallet.
'What are you doing now, Oma?'
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone