Prologue
Prologue
“The lake is finally covered with ice!” Iyanuade squealed excitedly, holding her skating shoes as she grinned widely at the little boy trailing after her like a lost puppy.
“Wait!” The little boy cried out, trying to march at her pace, but she stopped on her track, turning to the little boy, smiling happily.
“Aww, my little baby,” she ruffled his hair playfully, liking how her hand ran through his hair smoothly. His hair had always been so soft. She reached out to his cheeks and stretched the baby’s fat adorably. “You want to follow me, Raffy?” Iyanuade asked the obvious. She knew Raffy always signed up to follow her wherever she went— both were like a snail combined — always carrying its shell around.
She stared at the little boy’s cute baby face — he was adorable like a hamster.
“Yes,” Raphael nodded excitedly without missing a beat as Iyanuade chuckled; she could literally see his imaginary tail wagging. Her heart pulled at his cuteness.
So adorable!
Her little doze of sweetness!
She stared at his sparkling eyes again and felt her heart tug, maybe she should ask Mrs Smith to give Raphael to her. Or permission to have him, Iyanuade thought.
Raphael was the only child of a single mother living beside her house. Iyanuade practically knew Raphael since he was 3 years old when his mother came into the small town 5 years ago.
The first meeting with Raphael was so hilarious whenever Mrs Smith teased about iyanuade crying to take the baby - Rapheal home. Since then she had been welcome at Raphael’s house and Raphael to hers also.
They were already like a found family because sometimes Iyanuade stayed weeks in Raphael’s house whenever her parents were out of town.
“Before you tag along,” she raised her brow, grinning, “have you informed Mrs. Smith?” Iyanuade placed her hands on her waist in an akimbo manner, looking at the little one, who turned away from her gaze.
“You didn’t inform your mother, but you want to follow me?” She shook her head and pulled Raphael toward the familiar compound.
Iyanuade stood at the doorway. “Mrs. Smith, I’m taking Rapheal to skate with me at the lake,” she hollered, picking up her skate.
“Don’t stay—” they didn’t wait for Mrs. Smith’s response before they picked up the race while laughing out loud.
The evening was cold, quiet, and chilling, which made their noses tingle. Iyanuade looked at Raphael, who was rubbing his red nose, and she felt like a meany for taking him along. She removed her scarf and wrapped it around Raphael’s neck; maybe it could keep him warm.
When they reached the frozen lake, it was glistening with ice and stretched out in white. The lake was completely covered.
Iyanuade ran through it, rolling on the ice happily before putting on her skate shoe, leaving Raphael to tackle his own skate shoe. She glided excitedly across the ice, and her skates shaped a pattern on the frozen lake.
“Come on, Raffy! Keep up!” she called, teasing as she danced around him, her arms spread like a bird wanting to fly. She loved the feeling of the chill wind brushing past her.
Raphael, who was left behind, puffed his cheeks, “You are too fast!” He grumbled, but there was a laugh in his voice.
He liked watching her on ice. She always feels like a different person. How effortlessly she moved and how graceful it was. He wanted to keep up with her, but his little legs—he huffed in dissatisfaction. He couldn’t wait to grow up and challenge her on ice skating.
She laughed, skating closer to Rapheal, and held out her hands for Rapheal to take as she guided them through the ice, skating in circles.
Full-blown happiness would be an understatement; the winter in their small town was always mild yearly with only a few snowfalls in a year, but last night and today, the snow fell harder, which made the small lake freeze and was a perfect time to skate.
Iyanuade moved in a rhythm that Raphael synced immediately to the pattern with the help of Iyanuade holding him.
“You know,” Iyanuade broke the serene silence between them as Raphael automatically raised his head to look at her. “I’ve always liked winter because it brings ice along, and it’s easier to play hockey. I want to play hockey,” her voice came out as her brows ceased in thoughtfulness.
Her voice carried with the winds, white air dispensing from her mouth.”I liked watching the highlights with my dad before he went away. Watching them was always good, fun, and thrilling.” She said, her eyes staring into the distance.
“And I wanted to do something to be close to my dad.” Iyanuade looked ahead. Her daddy’s smile, laughter, and cheering flashed through her head as she remembered her father. She would practice hockey for him, and she knew he would be happy for her doing what he was unable to do. It was her father who taught her how to skate despite her mom’s warning and shouting.
Hockey is for boys.
Iyanuade released Raphael’s hand as she felt tears brimming in her eyes and skated forward while Raphael tried to keep up.
“Then why don’t you play it?” she laughed dryly at Raphael’s response. His confused yet clear question.
“Well, this town rarely has snow or an arena to practice in, and my mom said hockey is not for girls.”
“Oh!” Raphael frowned. He didn’t understand why girls couldn’t play hockey, but he didn’t like the sadness on Iyanuade’s face, and he said, “And I’ll play hockey for you!”
Iyanuade stopped and whipped her head to look at Raphael, who had a serious and determined expression on his face, but it was adorable. The sadness she was feeling earlier disappeared as she glided to Raphael.
“Aw, my sweet boy,” she ruffled his hair again. “So do well to grow up nice and play for me, because I’ll be watching and cheering for you.”
Raphel grinned, “I promise I’ll be the best and make you proud.”
“But before that,” Iyanuade stretched his cheeks adorably, “try to catch up with me in skating.”
Raphael grumbled, “Let me grow up; I’ll catch up.”
Iyanuade laughed, but her smile vanished when she noticed something strange. The ice beneath them seemed to be shaking; she heard a faint crack, and she glanced at where the sound came from. It was from beneath Raphael’s feet, and she felt her heart thumping wrenchingly.
Another crack, “Don’t move,” she yelled, jumping to where Rapheal was as the ice split open. It happened suddenly; the ground shifted as she took her might to push Raphael away from the cracking ground.
Cold water surged around her, pulling her down. Iyanuade gasped, her lungs filling with cold water. As she struggled to make her small legs stay afloat, she reached out frantically, her hands slipping against the wet ice as her heart was thumping.
“Raphael!” water rushed into her mouth, eyes, and nose as she gurgled; her eyes stung painfully.
“Mom, she’s here!” She could hear Raphael’s panicked voice, and she wanted to tell him she was okay, but her body was getting numb from the pain in her heart.
Suddenly a shadow loomed over her; her vision was blurry from the cold, but she could make out Mrs. Smith’s figure.
“Hold on,” Mrs. Smith’s voice sounded distant yet was filled with fear and full of strength. She extended her arms for Iyanuade to hold.
As Iyanuade willed her body to grab the stretched hand. Iyanuade’s wrist she pulled over, yanking her out of the cold water.
Mrs. Smith, carrying Iyanuade out of the frozen water, the ice started to crack tremendously; the cracks were catching up to Mrs. Smith’s steps, and Mrs. Smith, thinking what she could do, threw both Iyanuade and Raphael over to the shore before she slipped and couldn’t keep up with the ice beneath her.
“No!” Raphael screamed, reaching out, but Mrs. Smith had been pulled under, swallowed by the freezing water.
Iyanuade’s body was weak; he couldn’t do anything but watch in horror.
The next thing Iyunade remembered was waking up in the hospital, with an IV connected to her wrist. The smell of the hospital filled her nose as she blinked, disoriented, and couldn’t remember why she was in the hospital.
She looked around to see Raphael sitting next to her, pale and trembling, and his eyes were red from crying.
“Iyunu,” he cried, “please don’t leave me to—” his hand gripped her hand tightly. “Please wake up.”
She blinked, not understanding why Raphael was crying and why he said she shouldn’t leave him. Iyunade’s heart ached at his face, tightening her hand that he was clutching and using her other hand to pat his head, which made him immediately throw his arms around her neck.
“You are awake,” the little boy cried.
“What happened?” she asked, hugging the little boy back weakly.
Iyanuade didn’t remember her being sick or her coming to the hospital, but for Raphael to behave like this meant she gave him a huge scare.
She looked around but didn’t find what she was looking for. “Where’s my mom and Mrs. Smith?” she asked, seeing no adult in the room while Raphael flinched before burying his head in her jugular.
The door to the room opened, and an older man stepped in. The man was old yet tall, dressed in a black, imposing suit, which made Iyanuade pull Rapheal closer. The man’s eyes scanned the room before his cold eyes fell on Raphael.
“I’m your grandfather,” the man introduced, staring at Raphael; his voice was so authoritative that it made Iyanuade want to hide. “I’m taking you back home.”
“Taking him back?” She asked, her voice shaking, “He’s not following you.” Although she was scared.
“No, I won’t go with you; here is my home.” Raphael clutched the Iyanuade hospital cloth, and she wrapped her hands around his trembling body.
“He doesn’t want to go with you.”
“His mother died last week,” the man’s emotionless voice cut in as she felt her body run cold and her heart tighten at the revelation. Iyanuade looked at Raphael, who turned away from her.
“What?! How?! When?!”
“His mother—” The grandfather started but was interrupted by Raphael’s loud sound.
“No, I won’t go without Iyunade,” he cried loudly, still wrapping his arms around Iyanuade’s neck while the grandfather looked unfazed by the tears.
Iyanuade blinked; she was torn. Raphael needed to go with her grandfather; there was nothing here for him anymore but her. Her mother was still here.
“Raphael,” she called softly, “my mom is still here; I can’t leave—”
“Mrs. Williams—” Raphael hiccuped, “she died while saving my mother,” he announced, shooting a glance at his shocked grandfather before crying out again.
Iyanuade’s hands trembled; she didn’t know what to think; her mother died. Her mother died while she was in the hospital. She wanted to ask how it happened, but no words came out of her mouth. Even her eyes were dried.
The room was heavy with Raphael’s words, and for a moment, Iyunade didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to feel; it didn’t feel or sound real. To lose both people she counted as family died.
Something must have happened, but—Raphael, she looked at the small, weak boy, trembling, and felt her heart tug. It must have been harder for him.
She pulled him tighter; the situation had changed; she must protect the weak little boy in her arms.
“I’m not leaving you, Raphael,” she finally whispered, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.
“But I can’t go with you. I’m not... not part of your new life.”
Raphael shook his head violently, his tears streaming. “I won’t go without you,” he repeated, his words filled with an intensity that made Iyunade’s heartache.
Raphael’s grandfather remained silent, watching the exchange with a steely gaze, but Iyunade didn’t care; she must be with Raphael. She was the only thing he had left that felt like home.
And she vowed within herself to always protect and put Raphael first.
