Kenechukwu don't forget your school bag!! My father shouted after me as I dashed back into the house for a last minute check.Oh shit my school bag!!
Maybe it's the advantage of being the last born.my parents already knew what was likely for me to forget.
"If you forget anything that means it's till midterm break ooo"My mom quickly added. She didn't have strength for incessant stress going and coming again.
Earlier on my two sisters had called me via zoom to wish me good luck. They were already married,The oldest married and Based abroad in Canada while the second which is directly older than me, married also and based in Lagos. I was born much much later than them about fifteen years to be exact. So I didn't grow up playing with them in the mud or listening to their gossip.
I grew up mostly alone under the keen eyes of my parents and reading Books became my pass time.
Luckily I found the bag easily and put it around my shoulders. I was about stepping out of the room to rush back downstairs because I was sure that my dad was getting impatient.
I turned and saw my Birthday Jotter.
It was given to me by Tobenna, my best friend last year and i never seemed it useful till now.It was brown and big and it was those sort of formal jitters they give you at meetings.Maybe this might come in handy "I think to be myself and put it into my bag.
"Kenechukwu!!!!" I hear my mum scream.
"Ewo !I'm coming mum"I call after and I hurry down the stairs. It was too early to begin to anger the gods.
"What were you doing there eh?
Do you think we have all the time in the world.I have meeting by 3pm oo"She said yanking my ears. Enter the car right now!"She said meaning to sound as strict as possible. But her eyes betrayed her.They were as soft as freshly fried puff puff. It was the eyes of a mother who for the first time ever won't see her son for three months.
Thomas open the gate Biko she said gesturing to our gateman.The gates squeaked open as if not wanting to open either and let me go. It was as if giving out it's own farewell cry.
Daddy crawled out of the driveway carefully manaeuvering the car to ensure not even a single scratch was indented on the body of the car.
"Jiri ya nwayo Okey" (Take it easy Okey)my mum said quicky sensing my dad was getting pissed. We are not yet late.
As we went down the bumpy road my eyes met Chibuike my old childhood friend back in the days. I and Chibuike were practically inseperable when we were younger .We used to go around and sneakingly pluck gauvas from our neighbour Mrs Obiageli. She was around Ninety years and although she had warned us millions of times to stop plucking her gauvas ,we nevertheless didn't hesitate to Jump over her fence when she wasn't looking and pluck as many as we could.Sometikes when she heard the shaking if her branches she would come out screaming. "Stop Stop Aru!!!"and shake her walking steak violently at us but by then we were already halfway up her dwarf fence her rants drowned by our Childhood laughter.
Since I began middle school,I and Chibuike had stopped talking. Party because well putting it lightly,I and Chibuike didn't fit into the same class anymore. He went to a government Middle School while I went to a Private Middle School, Possibly the best in the State. It wasn't as if I had pushed him away or anything,It was just that I started hanging out with my Private School friends and he started hanging out with his classmates too.
He hardly came over anyway. Last year He had asked me If I was up for Soccer and I had declined.
It wasn't that I had bad feelings or anything,It's just been too long and I don't think there's any hope of catching up any longer.
Now,he looked at me and waved.
From our tinted glass,I was greatful he didn't see my eyes get scarlet red.
The Journey was silent.Too silent if you ask me. I wanted to ask if we were heading in the right direction because at a time the road became way too lonely as we neared the outskirts of the city.
"The school is really far oo"My mum said finally abruptly putting an end to the silence.
"Yes" my dad answered with a nod of his head.
I wonder why he wasn't chatty today. It could be that work was troubling him or it was that he was just tired. My dad works as a Civil Engineer. He is way too old to do any actual on- site work, so his work nowadays basically constitutes approving projects and signing papers. He was due to retire years ago,but just couldn't bring himself to do it. He feared that retirement means you've lost your purpose in life and you're just counting down to your death day. People often told him that is life becomes Just a daily routine after retirement. Waking up to start watching football,Drinking beer nonstop and Reading outdated boring newspapers. This lifestyle will definitely Result in a large protuding belly in less than one month.
To be fair, my dad had a point. Uncle Chimezie, My father's cousin's protruding belly is kind of amusing. You won't be surprised if you notice how excessive he drinks alcohol and sleeps throughout the day. His belly is as round as a football which needs to be pumped and it bounces up and down whenever he laughed. He often did laugh whenever commenting of how good Messi is, showing his brownish- yellow teeth . He visited quite alot,often to ask my dad for extra cash but my dad eventually fed up and warned him not to step his feet in our house until he got a real job. Up till this day I doubt he had any luck finding one.
Our car screeched to a stop.Itvwss one of those police check points From the look of he check point it was obvious they weren't checking anything but just looking for a way to collect bribe. It was a shame they didn't know my father yet. "Good afternoon sah!!" A dark tall police man said approaching my dad."Anything for the boys?"he quickly added smiling wryly.
"Not today gentlemen "my dad said reaching into his pocket to bring out a two hundred naira note."But just use this one and buy purr water"
"Thank you sah"a brown skinned one added.it was obvious that he was born light skinned but excessive exposure to the sun had tanned him brown with some fair patches.He reminded me of that condemned tie and dye I had created in primary school.i had accidentally dipped my already died dark brown fabric into bleach and the rest was story.
We sped off soon and my mom was using her handkerchief to mop her face.daddys a.c was on and working, but it was no match for the scorching heat of the beginning of the harmattan season.
We drove for what seemed like hours until I was almost certain we were lost because not even a single car was in sight.
then suddenly we saw my school sign board"This way to Great Minds school"and then out of nowhere two massive gates appeared
Yes of course,right in the middle of nowhere
Shit, this is it!
