Chapter 4 - A Discarded Manuscript, but who is he?

The night with him was amazing. Tolani thinks about it sometimes. He is brave, strong and handsome. He is the kind of man she wanted. He is the definition of bittersweet that fits exactly to her preference like The Weeknd’s songs. She writes about it in her diary.

Dear diary,

‘I had a fairy-tale fantasy come to life. I was the princess and he was my hero. I fell into the deep with the devil but he raised me up into his comfy warm hands. He is sexy and tastes like liquor. He smells like vanilla and it gets me turned on. His kiss on my lips unleashed a burning desire in me. I wanted him so bad but kissing him was a sweet victory to breaking the ice. I can’t wait to see him again.’

Tolani penned down these words in her diary while exempting his name. This has been the way she writes in her diary for so long since the first time she started using a diary since she was 12 years old. It all began when she realised her only companion when her father was away on the road is her diary. Dear diary is her closest friend that keeps all her secrets. She goes to bed sleeping like a happy baby.

The next day was a wakeup call. Every local news outlet broke the news. Tolani’s father was devastated. It wasn’t what he envisioned in the drug business. He is a professional that keeps his drugs away from minors. It was about drawing attention away from the authorities. When a minor gets caught with drugs or substance of abuse the society begins to raise questions. The authorities would be forced to react which is bad for business. Her father knew this which he avoided for so long. A minor overdosed on ghost at a high school gym. ghost is the street name for his drugs. Confirmation of the teen high school student of his health status was unknown. The media says he is fighting for his life at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the DEA set a priority to eradicate the drug on the street. It was time to pull the plug on the business before the heat burns him and destroy his plans for Tolani’s to have a normal life. He activated plan shut-down. Every player in his distribution gig knew the drill. They got compensated for their work while burning the rest of the ghost. Just like a ghost the drugs appeared to disappear like a myth as traces of it vanished in the street without a trace. The drug lived up to its reputation as a ghost. The street tells tales about ghost. Crack heads created conspiracy theories that ghost was sold by a vengeance ghost but the drugs vanished after it finished its mission to take the life of a minor.

Her father after quitting the drugs business decide to go clean from the criminal world. It was a tough decision. Foregoing all he knew to be clean. The withdrawals were hard in the first few weeks without engaging in criminal activities. It was like a drug. But Tolani gave him strength. All he ever did was for her. His pride and jewel. He on the path to set things straight – to be a role model.
Her father became a car salesman. He made enough money from the drug business that he took this new career path slowly. This helped him to draw away any form of suspicion. He grew a reputation for himself as his business began to boom. He became a wolf in the cars selling business because he is a smooth talker coupled with his street smart. He became a respectable member of the community which grew his confidence to live a good life.

On a certain night, Tolani returned home at the dead of the night. He tried to reach her but her phone was a dead end. He feared for the worst for his baby girl. The sound of the car that pulled up on the driveway brought some relief. When She came walking into the house looking splendid like an angel with a message from above. She was barely able to get a grip of her composure as she leaned to the way.

Good grief! She sighed.
To her surprise, her father didn’t notice she was struggling to balance on her feet.
He embraced her like it was the first time seeing his daughter who was for a long time. He cried out to her saying all he ever wanted to say to her. He promised to do well by her and to protect her by giving her the life she deserves. The kind of life he never had. He kissed her on the forehead before departing to his room. Tolani found her way to the couch barely understanding a thing he said. She was wasted from the liquor at the club. It could have been worse if she had some drugs but since the DEA has been on the toes of dealers. Drugs became scarce on the street and expensive.

Although she couldn’t make out the words of her father, she felt like crap. It wasn’t her finest moment but it was worth spending every passing time of the night partying with him.