distant | jadon sancho

next stop: heaven

"i've got a surprise for you mum!"

ama handed her mother an envelope, she opens it and inside was a first class ticket to nigeria.

"you've been talking a lot recently about how you want to go and visit your mum, but never actually gotten round to it" ama said.

"my dear thank you but what about my work?"

"i'll take care of it don't worry"

amas mum had a small business, sewing and repairing clothes.

"i still don't understand how you are down in london? don't you have to be in manchester?" her mother questioned.

"i'm still not fit to play, they've let me come down until i get better, but let's go and pack the flight leaves tomorrow"

...

once her mother was occupied and up to neck in clothes and suitcases she went to tolani's room.

*knock knock*

"come in"

"hey, what are you doing?"

ama stood in the doorway, her little sister was also packing suitcases.

"im packing for my gymnastics camp"

"didn't you just have one?"

"yes...but if i want to become an olympic gymnast i have to get myself in every competition to show everyone what i can do"

"how long will you be gone for?"

"a month."

"one month?!"

"yeah long i know, mum almost had a heart attack when i told her, we'll be travelling around the country and im going to do my schoolwork online, i'll be safe"

safe. the one thing ama wanted. she knocked on tolani's door not knowing what she was going to do to get her away from the house, from london, away from harms reach.

"when are you leaving for the camp?"

"tomorrow"

"ok i'll drop you"

ama closed tolani's bedroom door, relieved that she didn't have to worry about her sisters whereabouts.

she went downstairs, and knocked on true guest room that fayo was staying in and didn't even wait for him to respond before she opened the door and threw a suitcase on the floor.

"pack your bags"

fayo got up off his bed and tried to argue.

"i thought we agreed we were all staying here"

"we didn't agree on anything fayo, pack your bags"

"what so you think me leaving the house is going to solve the problem"

"we're all leaving, no one's staying here"

"what do you mean?"

"mum's going to nigeria, tolani's going on a gymnastics trip and you are going to your girlfriends house"

there was silence, until ama looked up to see him looking down at the floor.

"problem?"

"she broke up with me when she found out what i did to get out"

"i don't blame her, then you can go to nigeria with mum, that probably makes more sense anyways" she scoffed.
"you have no choice" she further stated before turning to walk out the door.

"why don't i get a say in this at all?" he kissed his teeth.

a sudden fit of rage filled her body and she calmly responded.

"you lost your say when you got handcuffed that night, i had told you countless times before to stop hanging around those people, and you never listened, you are the reason we are in this situation right now. when mum was sick i was became man of the house, something you failed to do when dad passed away, your little sister couldn't even remember your name, i don't know you oluwafayo, and i'm sure you don't know me, but one thing is i call the shots around here"

she closed the door softly and walked to the living room where she sat on her phone talking to aaliyah.

aaliyah was in the kitchen with chibz and jadon, when chibz came up to her and hugged her from behind.

"who's that?" he asked.

"ama, just seeing is if she's alright?"

"what's she saying"

"she said she's flying her mum and brother out and her sister is going on a gymnastics trip"

"what about her?" jadon asked.

"lemme ask"  she said and started typing.

"she said she's staying in the house..."

"what?! ask her why" jadon pressed.

"she said she'll take them on"

jadon left the kitchen and got his phone from the his bedroom he called ama and she picked up.

"ama why are you staying in the house?"

"they can come, maybe if they'll listen i'll talk"

"ama. these people are not ceo's of huge companies, they are local drug dealers - did we not watch top boy together, they shoot before they speak"

it was true, the reason she was trying to get everyone out of the house was because she was afraid of what they could do to her family. what was she thinking she's not invincible.

"go back up to manchester" he continued.

"fine, but im not leaving until everyone else has"

and she hung up the phone.

...

"bye have a nice time"

ama dropped her mum and brother just outside the airport because she was very conscious of leaving tolani in the house by herself but she refused to go, claiming she had last minute things to do before she left.

fayo and his mum were sitting in the airport, waiting to board their flight when fayo had his ticket open in his phone and his mum's on her phone open to double check the tickets.

they were both going to the same place, his mums was a round trip ticket, for her to leave now and return a month later. his was a one way ticket, for him to go to nigeria, and not for him to return.

he knew his sister had done that on purpose, she wanted him to stay in nigeria and not come back. he couldn't blame her, he might aswell, he had nothing going for him in england. no girl, no house, no job. maybe it was a chance for him to start a new life somewhere else. he didn't let his mum know though, she would try and buy him a ticket back and maybe he didn't want to come back...

ama got home, her sister was fine and she dropped her at her clubs training facility where there was a coach waiting outside taking attendance before they set off on the road.

ama breathed a sigh of relief once she got back home and got her suitcases ready to leave for manchester. she turned all the lights off, turned the heating off, locked all the doors and shut all the windows before opening the front door ready to drive to the train station.

she took the key out of the door she'd just locked and turned around to find hers face to face with a man in a balaclava he hit her across the head with an blunt weapon and she was knocked out instantly...