Brown Skinned Bet

Chapter XLI

•Kainene•

          The feel of a body pummeling itself into mine had my eyes jolting open and pain seeping into my vertebral column. "Kaine!!! Happy birthday!!!" Jade who had thrown herself on me yelled,causing tingles to run through my ear drums.

         "Kainene happy birthday! Kainene happy birthday!" The wishes were coming from every part of the block as my classmates rushed into my corner and tugging on every part of my body. "Jesus,Awele!" I shrieked amusedly,feeling a hand smack my butt.

         "Happy birthday Ms. Sexy" she laughed. "Oh God" I groaned,burying my head into my pillow. Awele had refused to drop the nickname since the day she'd seen me clad in a simple bra top and pair of shorts. No matter how much I'd pleaded with her to drop it,she'd remained adamant.

         This was more or less the tradition here in Pacreis. Whenever it was someone's birthday,their friends would stay up in midnight so they could swarm that person with birthday wishes at that hour. It was a shame that I'd become that person on a night when I wished nothing more than to slumber peacefully.

          The recent days had been hectic. We were finally as good as done with our WAEC exams. The authorities had made it their life mission to ensure that final year students were frustrated to their very bones. It had been a week since they'd rounded us up and yet,we were still serving punishments. There wasn't a single night I didn't retire to the comfort of my bed without an aching in some part of my body,I was always fatigued.

          The third and final term of the school year had commenced last Sunday and as such,the rest of the students had returned to school. It was now the Thursday of the new week and our punishments were still on going. It had me wondering,Just when was it going to be okay for them?

          "Wake up jare!!!" Oghale laughed,hurling a pillow at my head. "Oh naw" I dawdled,finally pulling myself up. "Kainene,happy birthday!" They yelled in unison as soon as I did. Just then,pillows began to hurl my way from every direction as the atmosphere got filled with giggles and laughs.

          "You guys,thank you naww. Its okay" I lamented admist laughs as I fought to escape the pummeling of their pillows. "Oya,you people should leave her na. Don't kill the girl wo" Utim concurred,throwing her pillow at me thereafter.

          "Utim,whose side are you on?" I laughed,as I finally broke away from their assault. "Sorry sorry" she laughed back,leaping over the divider to pick her pillow up. "We'll be back Kainene,don't think you've seen the last of us yet" Awele stated as they made their way out of my room. Oh,I wish I have.

         "Happy birthday Kaine" Oghale chipped thereafter,flailing her arms around me in a warm hug which Jade joined. "Thank you guys" I chuckled,wrapping my arms around them as well.

          "Omo,Kainene you didn't even say anything about it ehn" Oghale opined as we broke away from the hug. "She never does Oghale,I don't know why she's like that" Jade sneered,with a sway of her hand,gesticulating that I'd be left alone.

         "Its not like that na,its because of all this work they've been making us do" I tried to explain myself. "Na so"It was Oghale's turn to sneer,causing me to laugh as I made a beeline for my bed. From the corner of my eye,I could spot a sliver of Onome's eyes open.

         She lay on Jade's bed watching everything play out. It stung,she'd always been a part of all my birthdays,I wasn't sure if I would be able to spend the last one here without her. With that as my last thought,I rested on the wings of the night.