The commotion that had sprouted from the little chaos caused by 'you know who' had died down a little and Ebose decided to go ahead with the next set of activities. Although she knew the parents wont be coming along for the door to door visitation but she could do it without them, she did not want Christmas to be all bad.

"Hey," her voice came out as a whisper and she had to clear it to get the attention of the young people who still sat in the sitting room even after the movie had ended. The little children ran around the sitting room in an attempt to rid themselves of the brewed boredom that had come to stay already.

"Hey," this time, her voice was loud and sharp enough to get the attention of all, they, including the youngest persons, all turned towards the direction where she stood. Slowly but carefully, she marched on with her talk.

"So we are going ahead with the next activity and that is to visit some houses around here and give them a signed card." she forced a smile up her face as they contemplated whether or not to go with her idea.

"Alright," Eghosa was the first to peak up as she got off the chair she was seating on to and beside her sister. She was grateful she had someone like her who could sense the pleading in her voice. Soon enough the rest followed like they were waiting for a scapegoat or a leader to lead the way. Either way, Ebose was glad but not so much since Asike was still among those in the house.

She looked towards the stairs and the thought of inviting the elder ones on the little voyage crossed her mind but she feared greatly what they would do to her as she opened her mouth to speak. One thing she was sure to get from her Mother was a resounding slap, so loud Jesus would come down to earth to beg her Mother. She wanted to avoid that and it was best for the children to go out and do this specifically with themselves alone. She hurried to the study room to get the bag of cards that would be shared to the houses they visited. It was ten in number and each one was decorated in white and red with glitters beautifying it and the words 'From Us, to the Coolest Family' grazed the inner page of the cards. She hurried back down to meet everyone who was to partake of the event outside the house awaiting her, even the smallest children bounced around happily, they, unlike the older ones looked forward to the activity.

"Ose,"she called out to the eight year old, " you will hold this and give one card to the person who opens the door we knock on, alright?" the girl nodded and struggled to keep the back out of the hands of her youngest cousin who seemed jealous not to have gotten something to hold.

"Aunchi Booboo," she looked at Ebose with very sad eyes that demanded where what she hers was. Ebose grunted silently because she had not prepared to give Chetachi something to hold at all.

"Here take this," it was Asike who came to the rescue as he handed to Chi his phone to hold. She would have been grateful if it was someone else but she made it a point to ignore his gesture of aid.

Goodluck getting that back, she stepped to the front of everyone outside and gave a brief and detailed talk on how they would go about the walk, what houses they would go to and with that they ventured on what Eboseremen called 'The Christmas Walk.'

She appointed Efosa to be the one to knock on the house that belonged to the Oluruntobis. Because houses in the area raised no fence, they were able to all walk, in a disorderly, shameful to Ebose manner, into the compound. The door was answered by the head of the family and his big tummy protruded close to the face of Ose as she gave out the card with a smile.

"Merry Christmas little one," the man smiled down at Ose and then smiled at all of them.

"Are you Father Christmas?" Asike smiled at the man who seemed to take the question as a joke and then squinted his eye at the boy.

"Aghogho?" It dawned on Ebose at that moment that Asike would be known because he had lived in the area before. To some families Asike was seen as a sweet Angel Child while the opposite to other families. She hoped he had been an Angel to the Olurntobis.

"Sir?"

"Come here," Asike did as he was commanded and walked towards the man. Efosa and Ose gave way for him while Ebose awaited the ugly.

The man used his eyes to examine the boy and his stern face changed to a smile. "You are now a man o, you look a lot like your father," the boy stiffened as he replied the man with a thank you. Ebose had no idea what to make of the awkward situation but kept quite nonetheless as the man merrily talked on and on before he let them leave. The worst part was that they all stood outside all through the time.

"He didn't even invite us in," Omoruyi complained as they walked to the next house,

"Imagine if he did, you'd spend your Christmas there," Nnenna chuckled as they got closer. There went through the same process with everyone who remembered Asike being extremely nice to him.

Kind to a devil, Ebose thought bitterly.

Five houses later, the older children had began to complain about how their feets had began to hurt them for standing so long as they waited for someone to open the door and attend to them combined with the love and affection showed to Asike. They also complained about the sun being too hot and wished the country had winter like they would be able to cope with snow and cold. They did not forget to add how Eboses boring activity for Christmas will make them sick of Christmas all through. The girl ignored.

An idea popped into her head as they came towards a particular house. She still wanted to take revenge on Asike for the last deadly prank he had pulled off.

"See what you all want to teach these small children? how to be lazy abi? I wonder how you feel when they are teaching your children how to be lazy back." Ebose finally made a comment as they approached the house. She had struck the house of the list because she, personally feared the occupant. He was always an angry retired soldier. She had little idea of his history but with his attitude, her sisters and her had always feared him and she hoped Asike did not remember the house and who lived in it because this was the only way she could get back at him, hard and bad.

"Why are we facing this house Ebose?" Efosa asked her, a brow raised. Apparently, growing up does not take away the fear one had during childhood. Olasupo, Omoruyi and Nnenna looked at Efosa as they expected a following explanation to the question she had just asked to clear their confusion. Asike on the other hand acted nothing like he knew the place.

"Asike is going to give the owner of the house a card," Ebose smiled, a warm smile on the outside but an evil one on the inside.

"Me?" Asike looked like he had been chosen to skin a very aggressive dog, she had the feeling he knew the house where he was being sent to.

"No, someone else that looks like you," she decided to not let the fear of him knowing get the best of her. She remembered vividly the day he had been dared to throw a stone at the mans window and the issues that went down. His friends, whom she decided were as evil as he was, told on him when the man came out and he had escaped his wrath but one statement still hung in the hair even after the man said it ; "The day I catch you, I will break your hands."

"Okay, watch the boy make his moves, I hope there are fine girls living in the house." He took a christmas card from Osemudiamen and bounced towards the house. Asike rang the door bell and played with his hair, if he had been blessed with a long, soft silky hair, the effect of his hands on his head would have been evident. For the present moment, it was a waste of strength.

"Who lives in this house Ebose?" Olasupo asked her, he knew the way Ebose had not asked any of them to go behind Asike, it meant it was a danger zone.

"The most wicked of persons," Efosa became her mouthpiece, she looked from her sister to the boy by the house, half expectant she would call him back before situation gets out of hand.

"He has a gun that he uses to shoot passing Lizard," Eghosa spoke up fear evident in her voice, "Common Lizard, he hates everything and I'm scared that this boy may die today."

"It Christmas day, he should be in a good mood," Supo was not sure of what he said but he did.

"On his birthday, he stabbed a rat he found in his bin."

"His he like mad?" Nnennas eyes looked scared.

"No one knows."

"Does he know?"

"He should na, he lived in this area longer than we did. He would not have a short term memory, would he?" Ebose smiled mischievously at one of her older sister. She braced herself to hear his scream, that would be the most satisfying thing to come from him since the past hours they had been together. Instead, when the door opened, a girl of about sixteen years came out and although their voices were inaudible because of the distance, she knew Asike had started to sweet talk her. She smiled and giggled as he gave her the card and take it back playfully. Things were not going according to plan.

Of course it wouldn't, Ebose thought bitterly, its Asike isn't it?

Eboses blood boiled, she felt the sun heat her more than the normal it had done as she marched towards the house with a very angry look etched on her face.

"Give her the damn card and lets get out of this ugly house." She hadn't mean't to phrase her words like that but she had said those exact words by mistake. A mistake too big to correct.

"Ugly house?" The girl had a panicked look on her face as a man with white hair grazed all over his head, eye brows and chest stepped out, his muscles were buffed and his face hardened from years of experience, military experience. Anyone who had grown up in the area would have known who exactly he was one look at his lips. It had a very visible scar that caused him to look like he had a bad operation on it. One time, while they were still kids, a rumor spread round her mates that the wicked soldier had kissed a 'mami water' that's why his lips were like that.

Ebose was lucky not to have gotten near the door or she would either have been punched in the head or shot in the same head. Although he held no ammunition.

"I will break that neck of yours if I catch you," that was both Asikes and her cue to run out of the compound. They did not bother using the mini stairs embedded to the balcony as they leaped off it towards the rest of the team who had also began to run as they saw the two running.

"Go, go, go, head for the house," They ran without a glance behind them to see if they were being pursed or they were just afraid. All the boys were ahead while the girls tried to hold the little ones to run. Not long into their fearful race Chetachi fell and a scream erupted from her chest. Not the scream Ebose had hoped to hear.

"She has injured herself," her sister carried her off the floor to examine her graved knee as the little girl cried bitterly and loudly. It had turned into a catastrophe because her Mother and Nnenna's Mother would be angry at her, it was not supposed to happen on christmas day or any day at all. She had made the little girl mark her fresh skin.

"Why did you not just give the card to the girl?" She turned her anger on Asike, he was after all the sole cause of the slowly destructive christmas she had began to have.

He shrugged but had a smirk on his face. A smirk of triumph. It dawned on her then, she had just been pranked by her own prank. 

°°°

Sorry Six came late.
Seven will follow right after now.

Lots of Love
Emmanuella.