The Birthday Wish

CHAPTER 1: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE ONE

"Ayo! Ayo wake up or you'll be late for school again!" Nanny Ti yells from downstairs and the alarm clock in Ayomide's room is so tired of ringing.

"Ughh!" Ayo groans and with sleepy eyes, she reached for the alarm clock and swinged it to the wall, just then Nanny Ti entered Ayo's room and saw the scene of the damaged alarm clock.

Nanny Titilayo is a middle aged woman of 57 years old. She has been working as a nanny for the Wales for more than 30 years, from taking care of Ayo's mother, Simi, when she was a teen, to caring for Ayomide from birth.

"You have to learn to stop breaking things, child"

"I didn't mean to break it, Nanny"

"So you said about the last two you broke, this is the third alarm clock you broke in just a week" Nanny Ti replied pointing at the broken clock.

"What's the big deal when it can always be replaced, besides Mom and Dad wouldn't go broke if they replaced it"

"But that doesn't mean you can go around damaging things because your parents could always replace them"

"Ughh, Nanny leave me alone!" Ayo covered herself from head to toe trying hard to get rid of her nanny and maybe sleep a little longer.

Nanny Ti called for a maid to clean up the broken clock. After it was taken care of, she closes the door and approached Ayo who is already irritated by her, she looked at the bed which looked like no one is there because of the lavender blanket Ayo covered herself with.

"Child, it's 7:52 already, you don't want to be late for school, right?"

"Oh, I do" Ayo replied from under the duvet

"You don't mean that, now get up and get ready, when you're done come downstairs for breakfast, okay?"

"mhmm" Ayo moans in reply.

"And happy birthday little star"

Ayo appeared from under the blanket and smiled at her Nanny, and with excitement in her voice, "You remembered!?"

"Of course child, why would I forget your birthday?"

Ayo smiled this time with her teeth and hugged her nanny

"Thank you, Nanny"

Nanny Ti patted her back and smiled in response.

"Now, hurry up and get ready, I prepared a gift for you!"

"Oh Nanny, you shouldn't have"

"Nonsense! I'm glad I did" Nanny Ti waved her hands in the air.

"I'm glad you did too"

"That's my baby girl!"

"Oh, c'mon! I'm not a baby anymore.

I just turned sixteen so I'm basically an adult, a full-grown woman" Ayo replied with all manner of certainty.

They both laughed at Ayo's joke.

"Okay, hurry up now, it's already..." Nanny Ti peeped at her pocket watch which was a gift from Ayomide, "...past 8am! my goodness!"

"Okay okay, fine!" Ayo dashed out from the bed to the bathroom to freshen up.

Nanny Ti smiled to herself, she stood up and left Ayo's room.

***

Ayo's room was simple and moderate, for a teen her age one would think her room would be decorated with bright pink colors, posters of her favorite music band or her celebrity crush, but come to think of it, she was never a girlie girl neither was she a romp.

Her room was deep purple with a little touch of forest green from her wallpaper. Her bed was small with just the right amount of space for only her or maybe one more and on it laid her lavender bedsheet and blanket.

Ayo quickly, brushed her teeth, showered, wore her school uniform and went downstairs for breakfast.

The maids, cook, gardener, gatekeeper and butler were all on standby to sing the happy birthday song for her and they were lead by Nanny Ti who was holding a newly baked cake, it was a two layers cake of lavender color which was Ayo's favorite color and it had the figure 16 at the top.

"Suprise!!!", they all chorused as Ayo came down the stairs all clad in her school uniform and a beautiful bright smile plastered on her face.

"Wha... what is this!?" Ayo exclaimed.

"All these for me? woah... this is crazzyyy". she couldn't believe her eyes neither could she hide her excitement.

The four sitters dining table was occupied with various dishes, from jollof rice, egg sandwich, fresh fish pepper soup, fried plantain, to puff puff and samosas and many more.

"Of course child, who else's birthday is today? it's all yours, now come come", Nanny Ti gestured for her to come down the stairs and they all started singing...

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday happy birthday, happy birthday to you!"

"HIP HIP HIP, HURRAY!"

The workers sang and all clapped for her as she was all smiles and thanking them for their kind gesture and she walked towards Nanny Ti.

"Happy birthday Miss Ayo", the head maid wished her, followed suit by others,

"Happy birthday Miss Ayo, you're looking lovely today".

"Oh, that's so nice of you guys, thank you so so much", Ayo appreciated.

"May you age gracefully Miss Ayo and live a very wonderful life", The Butler who is in his late 60s wished her a happy birthday. He has served the Wales for more than 35 years and he watched Ayo grow to a mature and responsible teenager and one could tell that he's proud of her.

"Thank you Sir Ade, it's really nice to hear such words from you" Ayo smiled and responded with a grateful heart. She looked around trying to spot her parents but couldn't she them, Nanny Ti noticed that she was looking for her parents, she quickly beckoned on her...

"Now hurry up and blow the candle or you'll surely be late for school!" Nanny Ti ordered, Ayo smiled, she closed her eyes for 3 seconds and blew the candles and they all clapped for her. Nanny Ti sets the cake down on the dining table and hugged Ayo while praying briefly for her.

Ayo looked around and asked, "Where is mom and dad?", the they all went silent.

The workers stared at her not knowing what to say, She turned to Nanny Ti and asked for the whereabouts of her parents that supposed to be present on the morning of her birthday.

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