Big Bro's Home

It had been three weeks since Bliss wrote her National  Common Entrance Examinations and she was waiting for her results. During this period she had relentlessly pestered her mom into taking her to work on a daily. Mrs Jones was a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre. 

Today however was the day her elder brother Bradley was coming home. He was thirteen and in JSS3 in his school. He was a tall and lanky boy, taller than his peers and very sassy. 

Mrs Jones had decided to go and pick Bradley from school since she didn't want him to take the buses plying that route. Her parents had reached a consensus that Bradley would only be allowed to come home alone from his SSS1. 

Bliss spent a few hours seeking convincing reasons to get her mom to let her go with her to get her brother. It was a 2 hour ride in the absence of bad roads, traffic congestion, road accidents or other issues. However Bliss had closed her eyes the moment the car pulled away from home with the excuse of wanting to conserve energy for talking to her brother. Bliss claimed that talking to Bradley was a sure way to burn brain cells. When the car pulled into the gates of Wilcox College, it was a few minutes past 12. Mrs Vera had signed in at the gate, but instead of driving towards the field which doubled as the car park on days like this, she drove towards the administrative block. 

Parking just behind the admin block, she gotten out of the car, leaving the sleeping Bliss inside the car and heading off to go and meet Bradley's guardian. She wanted to know if Bradley had any issues during the past few months and if there was anything they needed to watch out for. She whipped her phone out and called the other man telling him to come get her.

Just as she got to the steps of the block, someone greeted her

"Good afternoon ma"

"Good afternoon Alex. How have you been?"

It was Alexandra Uche, Bradley's guardian. He was a non teaching staff of the school. He was the secretary to the Principal as well as a member of the school's editorial board.

"I've been good, what about you and family?"

"All good"

The little chitchat continued for a few extra minutes as they walked down to his office.

"So Alex tell me, how has Bradley been? Did he get into trouble with anyone?"

Alex smiled

"Well apart from sassing a few seniors and two teachers which landed him in various punishments, he has been fine. The school will obviously not give him that much of punishment considering that he is one of their best students and the number one contender for this year's Cowbellpedia and the junior level of the Science competition as well as the debate team. But, if there is anything you can do about his sass, it'll be greatly appreciated."

Mrs Vera sighed

Bradley's sass was the result of his Father and school had actually amplified it. She really could not do anything to him and had no plans of trying anyways.

"Alright, do you happen to know where he is?"

"Let me send a student to get him"

Mr Alexandra opened his window and called a young boy who was skipping towards the staff room.

"Hey boy, come over"

The boy turned, and with a dramatic sighwalked up to Alex 

"Good afternoon Sir"

"Good afternoon drama Lord. Go to the Maths department and call Bradley Jones for me"

"Yes sir"

With that the boy left heading towards the classrooms.

Barely 10 minutes later, Bradley came bustling through the door.

"Good afternoon mom I really missed you. Good afternoon Sir Alex and how have you been?"

"I'll be better as long as no one brings another report to me"

Bradley chuckled, giving his mom a hug

"How much of a brat have you been?"

"Awwnn mom, you've not seen me for a little over a month and you don't even show some enthusiasm" Bradley muttered, looking all depressed.

Mrs Vera had merely looked up at him quite expresionlessly.

"Let's go"

"Thank you very much Alex, I appreciate."

"You don't have to be so polite. It's my pleasure"

With that Mrs Vera got up and headed towards the doors.

Bradley followed after her running past the moment he hit the doors to go stand before the car. 

Mrs Vera got to the car and opened the back door, stretching out to change the disc in the music player when he realized that there was someone in the passenger seat.

"Hey, little idiot, why are you in the car?"

He only realized that the reason why his sister did not come to the office was because she was sleeping.

'Should I change her name to little piggy or little piggy idiot'

Bradley sighed, changing the CD he had intended to change to his favourite playlist.

"Mom, aren't you going to ask me how my term went?"

"Are you going to tell me how many teachers you've provoked, how many days of punishment your school is adding for when you finish your SSS3 or how many seniors are planning to gang beat you"

And Bradley gives the one answer that most students give whenever they are questioned

"It's school life"

Mrs Vera had merely cast an inexplicable glance at her precocious son. Anyways she shouldn't bother herself. It wasn't like she was the one going to be beaten up. Chances are that she'll never see the beaten up him. She could probably just not come for one or two visiting days.

In reality, Bradley should have returned home about two months ago when he finished writing his Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) for entrance into Senior Secondary School but he and three other were asked to stay back. They were to continue their training for the upcoming competitions which were soon to kick off.

"But, you know you could ask how my exams went, how many times I was named first in my cohort and so on"

"Yeah I could, but considering that I have asked that question twice already I won't bother"

Bradley sighed, every other parents would be anxious when they hear their children would need to face punishment but mom simply did not care. Anyways, who made it such that his parents had both attended boarding schools when boarding schools were actually tougher.

He simply closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat.

As they drove up to the school junction, Mrs Vera had stopped at the third shop to buy some sausage rolls and fruit drinks for the two with her. Then she steeped on the accelerator as she headed home. Bliss who insisted she wanted to see her brothers school had slept till the car got back home.

As soon as his mom packed the car, Bradley got off and carried his backpack off the car, his foam and cupboard had been left in his guardian's office and his box had been carried home earlier by his mom. He moved over to the front passenger seat, opening it and carrying his sister away before his mom woke his sister up. It had to be said that despite Brad's love for angering his sister, he had a serious sister complex.

But just as Brad entered the house, the little pig in his arms stirred

"Stay still or I'm going to have to dump you in the ground"

"Mom, leave me I want to sleep some more. I need to recharge before big bro comes back"

Brad stared at the girl in his arms for a full minutes, considering dropping her on the floor and leaving. But he simply could not do it so he carried her up to her room.

As soon as he laid her down , the girl turned her back on him and continued sleeping but baring 5 seconds later, she turned back, her eyes wide.

"Big bro, you are back"

"Yes I am, little idiot"

"But, didn't mom and I go to pick you up? Why am I on my bed? Was I dreaming?"

Brad sighed, he was sure he was going to lose a few brain cells before the end of this holiday.

But before he could reply, he girl hugged him

"I missed you"

His anger disappeared instantly

"I missed you more, little one"

Bliss instantly bristled "I'm in no way little"

Defeated Brad acquiesced "Sure"

Soon Bliss had him seated while telling him all that had happened in the past weeks. They talked for more than four hours, laughing and joking around.

It had been a long time and Bliss was really happy regardless of what she claimed.