It is like a normal day at school until a dead body is found in the boys' toilet. The school goes on lockdown as the school board opens an investigation. Everyone is a suspect in this story but who would want to kill the school's golden boy and why...
The door to the room slowly creaked as Ifeoma walked in. She changed from her school uniform into casual clothes before walking up to her drawers. She fished out the diary and opened it to read.
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Wednesday, July 2015
Dear diary,
Oh, wait, I'm supposed to introduce myself. My name is Okechukwu Nwaokolo, but you can call me Okeh, oh yeah, I forgot you cannot talk. Well, you see my family, we are closely knit.
My dad is a devout Catholic and my mom is a Pentecostal Christian, she goes to Redeemed Christian Church of God and my sister, Ifeoma, is the best sister ever. I mean we have our moments of fighting and being at each other's throats but Ify...
Today, she bought me a chemistry laboratory set for me to practice on. I hope to be an astronaut when I grow up though. I wonder how the universe would look like. I mean, I have watched space documentaries, but I want to see space with my own eyes, I want to experience it for myself.
Dad says that if I want to fulfil my dreams of being an astronaut then I must do well in my classes, do research and extend my field of view. "It is important to be a well-rounded person, rather than limiting yourself to one field," Dad says. "Broaden your knowledge by learning important skills that can help you survive in the real world. You see, simultaneous linear equations will not feed you, but a basic knowledge of home economics can. So, don't just focus on science subjects alone, learn some skills. Above all, keep your eyes on God, He created you and only through Him can you fulfill your purpose in life".
This is one piece of advice I would follow to the day I die. I don't just want to be "Okechukwu the scientific efico", I want to be "Okeh, the well-rounded student". I don't want to be known for my brilliance, I also want to be an approachable person who listens to those around him and I know I'd be able to do it, so help me God.
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Ifeoma smiled sadly as she read the beginning of the diary. She turned to the next page; it was written on a Saturday of August 2015.
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Saturday, August 2015
Dear diary,
I seriously don't know what is happening to me. I woke up this morning to see spots on my face. They are like rashes, but they are prominent, and they are dispersed on my face. They look like the ones that Ify has every month, I think I'm hitting puberty.
Our Basic Science teacher, Mrs. Adewole, told us that there's a point in time where we would experience some changes going on in our bodies, that it is normal. She explained that it is our bodies preparing us for adulthood and parenthood. I'm scared though I don't want to have kids yet.
Our children's church pastor also brought the topic up. She told us that we would have urges but we are above our hormones and we shouldn't succumb to them. She said we should wait till marriage.
I didn't understand them then but now I do.
~
Mommy saw my face today, she called Dad as she looked at my face. Dad told mom to bring his car keys, that he wanted to take me somewhere. I got in with Dad and he drove us to KFC. There, he ordered a bucket of chicken wings, some fries and some soft drinks.
In the middle of the meal, dad started a conversation about busses and why it is important to wait at the appropriate time to take the right bus or we would go to the wrong destination.
I asked him why he was talking about buses then he made a connection with sex and why it is important to wait for the right time or else it could lead to unwanted pregnancies, STDS and most times death through 'magun'. To cut a long story short, he gave me a "promise" watch as a reminder for me to wait for the right time.
I asked him if Ifeoma also went through the same thing when she was my age and he replied in the affirmative. Mom had also had a discussion with her and that was why she wore a necklace with three question marks engraved on them.
Today was fun. I thought it was going to be that scary talk of how "touching a girl can lead to pregnancy" like some of my female friends have told me. Dad also told me to respect not just girls, but everyone who earns my respect and it is one thing I'd stand by so help me God.
Author's Note
My inspiration for Okeh's diary entry (the father and son talk) was taken from a chapter in the 80's book, What Hollywood doesn't tell you about love, sex, dating and God. This chapter follows the story and it also uses the analogy of a train as the father stresses the importance of waiting till marriage after giving his son a wristwatch. While it is not compulsory to buy a promise ring/necklace/bracelet, I do think it is important to use a symbol for waiting. It is also important to wait for the right person.
Magun: it literally means 'don't climb' in Yoruba and it is a charm used to fish out unfaithful wives as it is thought that whoever sleeps with an unfaithful wife dies either immediately or within days.
Efico: a Nigerian colloquialism for a genius or a book smart individual.
Additional Notes So, I wrote this story two years ago when COVID was not a pain in this ass and I was in a rush to get this done because I dreamt about this story. Now that I have given it more time, I am hoping to expand more on this after my term papers by the end of April.
