“Mr Niyi announced on the estate chat group that Monica Babalola is visiting Bridgewater. She’s covering the Estate Easter Fair on her show. And guess what. There will be interviews!”

I joined Angel on the bed. “Doing an interview with Monica Babalola is like, I don’t know… HUGE! All those big events she covers on her show. I mean last week she was even at the premier of that new Netflix movie.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, I’ve thought about what I want to sell at the fair. I’m going to have a book sale. What do you think?”

“You want to sell your books?” Angel got up and went to my bookshelf which contained every single book I had ever owned. From the picture books that Mum had sporadically read to me when I was little, to my precious Princess Diana biographies. “You mean like, all of them?”

“Yes, Angel, all of them. I’ve read them all like a million times, so...” I shrugged. “I’ve decided that this book sale would also make a great item for my PAL.”

Angel laughed. “Nita, you’ve come again. Which one is PAL?”

“It means PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT LIST. My new achievement will be raising enough money to pay for the online writing course I told you about, instead of just asking my dad to pay for it.”

“Wait o. So, which is the real reason you are having the book sale? To add to your PAL or whatever, or is it just to be on cable TV?”

“Erm... both, I guess.”

“It’s a lie. It’s about being on cable. If it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t even think about selling your books.”

I scowled. “Not true, I really want to show how responsible and independent I am…”

“You’ve come with all this your long talk. But guess what. I do not believe you,” said Angel, clapping loudly in my face.

“I said don’t make noise!” I glanced anxiously at the door. “Adesuwa, remember?”

Angel grimaced. “Sorry,” she said and lifted herself off the bed. “I’m happy for you, but I have to go home now.”

I followed Angel downstairs and said goodbye at the door, with a satisfied smile on my face. Things were looking up for Nita Isime, thirteen-year-old future superstar. The path towards my glorious future as a WORLD-FAMOUS BEST-SELLING AUTHOR was being carved out one accomplishment at a time.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I went and opened the front door to Mr Niyi, the estate manager, who stood stiffly under the portico.

“Good afternoon, Sir,” I said.

“Ehn hehn, my dear, how are you? Is your mummy at home?”

“NO SIR.”

“Hmm. How about you father?”

“He has travelled. Sir, if it’s about the Easter Fair forms, you can give them to me.”

“Eh, that’s why I wanted to see your mother. There’s been a new development.”

I stared at him. My pulse quickened. I had a feeling that this ‘new development’ was something I didn’t want to hear about. But Mr Niyi went on speaking, and as he did, my silent fears became an earth-shattering reality.

“A NEW FAMILY IS MOVING INTO GD55 TOMORROW,” he said. “I’m afraid it will be their

turn to use the Junior's Stall at the Easter Fair this year, NOT YOURS.”