"What's he doing here?" Lola paused.
"And why is my mom's hand on you?"
"Excuse me?" Dean raised a brow.
"Lola!" Adline gestured.
"I thought he was going out with the men, not coming here," Lola pouted.
"I was hoping he could bond with the whole family," Adline smiled.
"And guess what, it's working," Lilly clapped.
"So much for bonding," Lola rolled her eyes.
"Arrgh."
"Do you have a problem with me?" Dean asked.
Lola walked over to Dean, smirked, then raised a brow.
"Yes, and I think the food would taste filthy with those hands of yours helping."
"Lola, what the fuck is your problem!" Lilly yelled at her.
"So you're taking sides against your own twin, over an illegitimate?" Lola blinked.
"You've got serious issues, sister," Lilly pouted.
"I'll call my mom to come get me."
"Hey! Huh, Dean, I don't think you need to do that... I mean, you were having fun with me, right?... She's just going through some hard times." Lilly held his hand.
Dean smiled at Lilly. That had been an embarrassing episode for him, and he didn't want to be part of a family that made him feel like he didn't matter; his life had been better without them. If it were a regular Nigerian teenager talking to him that way, the age gap alone would've been enough for him to expect some respect from her.
Connor and his father startled for a second as Dean walked out of the kitchen, grabbed his school bag, and headed to the door.
"What happened?" Mr Cole stood up, a flicker of dread crossing his face.
"I'm calling my mom; I don't feel welcome here!"
"I welcomed you?" Connor cut in.
"Lola stirred things up a little!" Adline sighed.
"I sense nothing but fake here; I feel like Lola is the only real one," Dean said, shrugging.
"I connected with you!" Lilly cried, pulled off her apron, and ran up to her room. Adline looked a bit confused too.
"Lola speaks for herself; she hated me... I don't know why!"
"Because you're black, you're just the white guy here, but over there where I live, you're black, because your mom's so black," Lola smirked, walking over to Dean, who was an inch away from opening the door.
"Lola, please, stop, just stop it!" Connor roared.
"I knew you were low-key playing the racist game."
"We're all playing the racist game?... no, big brother from Africa... I just felt I should keep it real with you."
"I'm sorry you're pale, and I'm not pale, but I'm sure I could fit in... turns out your father's got a tough gene, I'm perfect, and my mom, don't ever talk about her like that... and just to make it clear, you're in Africa, you're a stranger to us too."
"I'm a god here, brother..." Lola said.
"I'm sorry you heard false tales. Nigerians are smart now; we own our land. You dance to Afrobeats. I checked you out on TikTok, so quit whining and give us a little respect," Dean cut in.
"Son," Mr Cole walked over to Dean.
"I'm sorry, sir. I mean no disrespect, but why did you decide to come into my life when you knew the whole family wouldn't accept me? I was doing fine without you in my life; it was better than someone low-key playing the race card on me and my mother, and my country, while you enjoy coming here for summer!!!"
The house went quiet. Mr Cole was silent, his son silent, but not spoiled Lola.
"Dad's trying to get his act straight, mom's trying to replace her long-lost son, my siblings are probably puppets... and me, keeping it real, and don't bring summer into this," Lola scoffed.
"There you go again... calling me long-lost son, like having a father was ever a problem for me. I was home, and the Cole family came looking for me. Looks like I'm not the lost one; the Cole family is," Dean frowned, opening the door.
"Son," Mr Cole sighed.
"We could talk about this, just me and you, maybe outside, away from your nagging sister. She's just going through a lot," said Mr Cole.
"Well, I'm also going through a lot. Welcome to the teenage years, Lola!" said Dean.
"How about you wait for your momma here? I'll give her a call; I promised her I would. And this is your home too, son, please," Mr Cole added.
Dean smirked, paused, then walked out. The Cole family wore different expressions, some disgusted, others disappointed, others sad.
Almost an hour later, Anita arrived at the Coles' mansion. There her son was, sitting by a flower bed, waiting patiently, pinging on his phone, and about to lose it when she spotted Mr Cole sitting not far away, like an angel watching over a soul. Dean hugged his mother; they exchanged a little talk, more like whispered gossip. She held Dean's hands, and he felt a little shy at being held and led like a kid to go resolve matters.
"Hello!" Mr Cole got to his feet.
"Your daughter was playing the racist game on my son. I won't accept that attitude," 0Anita frowned.
"Máá," Dean cut in.
"You need to calm down, ma'am."
"I am calm, Cole! But somehow I knew it would come to this; I didn't expect it to hit my son so hard, and from your spoiled kid, too."
"Máá," Dean tried again.
"Shut up, I'm not talking to you!"
"Okay, why don't we settle this like responsible adults?" Mr Cole said calmly.
Anita ignored him, walked over to the door, and started banging on it, calling Lola's name. Dean and Mr Cole looked confused. Adline opened the door, Connor five feet behind her, Lilly right beside her, and Lola sat busy on her phone. Anita pushed her way in, standing right in front of Lola.
"If you were my daughter, you would have gotten a serious flogging, or a slap that would give you a serious factory reset." Anita gave Lola a villainous smile.
"Excuse me?" Lola paused.
"Yeah, excuse us!" Adline raised a brow.
"I get that you're mad at my daughter, but don't you ever try to threaten her," she added.
"Actually, that wasn't a threat; it's just a way to awaken a kid's good sense in Africa, slap her senses back to normal," Dean said, shrugging. Connor scoffed.
"She just threatened to hit my daughter. Is that how you treat your son? My husband's kid?"
"Hey, hey, hey, just hold it there, madam. He might be your husband's son, but he's way more behaved than your husband's legitimate children. Look at him: no scars, no bruises, except the ones he gives himself on the football field, and I still spank him and give him a look to set his attitude right!!"
"Fuck, I was wrong about you!" Adline sighed.
"Hmm... ladies!" Mr Cole cut in.
"See, Dad? That's what you brought us here to go through; next, she's gonna call us stupid names," Lola smirked.
"Just stop, Lola; this is all your fault," Lilly cried, running up to her room, Connor chasing after her.
"See? You just hurt my sister!" Lola looked Anita in the eyes.
"You're spoiled, dear. I don't blame you; your momma can't even control you. So sad," Anita smirked.
"Okay, that's enough. You don't get to teach me how to raise my kids. Get out," Adline said.
"Honey, come on!" Mr Cole held her shoulder.
Anita walked to the door; Dean, confused, followed, somehow praying nothing would push his mother into letting the secret slip, though he sensed she was about to, given how heated things had gotten.
"I'm leaving your house to you and your spoiled little girl!" Anita said.
"Stop, Anita," Mr Cole yelled.
"I won't let you talk to my family like that!"...
"Look, I'm sorry my daughter called you black and called Dean all sorts of things. I'm sorry my daughter seems to dislike you and Dean; she just needs time. She's trying to get her shit together. I messed up. Don't blame it on my family; I'm the one trying to forgive myself and fix my shit. Lola is a teenager, please!" Mr Cole added.
"I was wrong about all of you. Dean was better off without you all, and hey, Mrs Cole, your daughter is a racist. Take it or leave it. She looked her own brother in the eyes and threatened to accuse him of rape!" Anita scoffed.
"What!!" Mr and Mrs Cole chorused.
"Yeah, what!" Lola chipped in, shocked.
"My daughter would never do that; you have no shame!" Adline frowned.
"Máá, please don't," Dean pleaded.
Anita walked over to Adline, gave a crooked smirk, looking at both husband and wife, then at Lola.
"I said your daughter is spoiled because she is. You let her say hurtful things to people's faces; meanwhile you stood there watching her bully my son, you and I both know you can't control your own daughter, and she knows even if she does the most stupid thing, no one would punish her!" she paused.
"Did you know your daughter was having sex while a guy watched on video call? Then she looked my son in the eyes and threatened to accuse him of rape if he ever told a soul; maybe that's why she hated him, to put fear in him. If it were a girl in his position, it'd be the other way around, for justice," Anita said, laughing, then held her son close, lost in thought, and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Mr Cole and Adline froze, both staring at Lola with disappointment. Mr Cole walked up to his room, leaving his wife and Lola in a silence so heavy you could feel it, made worse by the fact that Connor and Lilly had been watching from upstairs the whole time.