The Soles Of Damini Manor

CHAPTER 5: NINE LIVES AND WINGTIPS

Kola

My mind is in tatters by the time school is over. When we moved here, my greatest worry was finding Mom; now our manor could be haunted, meaning we might not be safe as well.

I'm waiting at the school's entrance as parents drive into the parking lot to pick up their children. A woman in a backless red dress and a blonde low-cut hairstyle is staring intensely at me, her eyes sparkling with recognition. I clutch the shoulder straps of my backpack firmly, not breaking eye contact as suspicion pools in my belly.

After a few seconds of our staring contest, she approaches me.

"You look just like her," she says in awe.

"Like who?" I ask, squinting from the harsh rays of the sun.

"Your mother. You have the eyes of a Damini," the woman says in a soft voice.

"How do you know my mother?" I ask, squinting from the sun's harsh rays.

Her eyes soften into a faraway look. "Your Mom was quite the interesting character. She was the first person that paid me any actual attention as a sophomore in Dark Sole," she explains in a nostalgic voice. "I remember being taunted and bullied, and she always sought out who was responsible...I had her back, though, ready to defend her from whoever spoke badly behind her. She wasn't a saint but who is? She had beliefs, and she stood by them. I hoped to see her again," she finishes.

I smile faintly. "That's the nicest thing I've heard anyone say about her since I got here," I say with gratitude.

"I really hope you find her, my friends from church told me all about it," she says in a reassuring cadence.

I nod. "Do you have a kid here?"

A large grin spreads across her face. "Two, actually," she tells me.

"I'll be sure to watch over them for you just like my Mom did for you," I promise her.

She chuckles. "You're new here, they'll watch over you instead."

My brows inch upwards. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs.?" I ask.

"Mrs. Babalola," she says, stretching her arm forward for me to shake.

I nod, taking her firm hand in one swift motion. She leaves shortly after while I'm still waiting at the parking lot for my forever-tardy sister.

Dad made Kanyin and I promise to walk each other home on our first day, but I know what he really meant was that I should walk Kanyin home.

After waiting a while, the sun changes axis, and the clouds settle just as Kanyin steps out, bouncing on her feet as she walks, her braids swinging in the direction her hips move.

"Someone seems to have had a good day," I say as she joins me to take a right, leading us to the sidewalk.

She scoffs with a deadpan. "Good day? More like an eye-opener," she says.

I suddenly remember, coming to a halt. "Avoid a girl called Yvonne. A guy I met told me she's bad news," I warn.

Kanyin doesn't look the least surprised.

"Too late," she says. "I met Carrot Head already. She's a mean girl and Iroko is a school straight out of Gossip Girl," she points out.

My gaze falls on her black shoes as she explains what went down between her and Yvonne.