The Lovelorn

Chapter 5: what we share in common is disguise

It's 10 in this morning, time for the next section and the  first Monday in the month of May. The last section had passed and that's the only joy that flaunts in me. It was the English period and I'm the best reader in the class and the cynosure in that field. I tried to shine with the little opportunity I had acquired and I  did read till everyone envied me. Mrs. Glory, The English teacher gave me a sealed token which I unsealed after she left and the content overwhelmed everyone. It was a wrapped sum of Three thousand  naira note. I flaunted it continually to pass on all eyes and it did reached everyone, even Jane too and I was satisfy like I had finally been offered a seat in heaven. I was so happy and jubilant. Finally the class cheered me up and made me the new God. The same class she made to had been a cage for Daniel.
  "Good morning sir!" I glared at the door and Mr. Buga had already stood arms akimbo like women affront the door waiting to caught up with an unlucky fellow. He pointed his cane. I looked at the back,it seems that everyone greeted. I saw it on their eyes,no guilt, no pretence. Jane tried to laugh but noticed Buga's eyes and swallowed it. I knew it,I'm the unlucky bird. He had trapped me numerous time and I averted them,now I failed to his snare. The next minute were beyond my explanations, The pain reorganized my brain box. He had raised his cane and had stretched his body at full length and had landed it on my back in numbers I count. The pain didn't didn't let me. He's so fond of that;wounding people,this one. I felt tears in my eyes and it's trying to crawl out but I'm not crying and my face show know pain,why the tears? Maybe within me,I cried and yes,my soul did. I headed whispers of "sorry" ranting from the crook and crannies of the class room. Laurette returned a novel she collected from me few weeks ago 'The Narrow Ride'. I hadn't even read it but I couldn't think of that. She donated her own sorry in her softest possible way and made for her seat.
I don't blame them. people,that's all they can,sorry,that's all. When you head's broken,what you get is gallons of sorry. When your hand got amputated, you'll hear sorry. When your throat were being sliced people will still appears with sorry. That's what they would offer ,nothing more,as if they cared. Even when you were dying and they knew that,and they knew that you can be raised by just raising a piece of stone,They will come with sorry instead and feed your lifeless body with it. What does it that sorry really mean?.
   I'd heeded closely. I  heard a voice like that of Jane's and it whispered the same sorry,it was unclear and imaginations does the same too,even more. I waited to hear it again but no. It seems like I'm right,imagination; yes,it does the same, it makes a dragon lie down near the clean tap and spat fire and the fire fade with and open eye. And a child would fear it. It can make a demon to descend behind you in your father's house just immediately the light went off. It had brought harmless but fearsome ghost to stand on our back immediately we turns away from the shower. Yes,imaginations; it does the same also.
  "Daniel sorry", She whispered again and this time it's cleared because I saw the words coming out of her mouth with the mildest move only the color I can't explain and now I had a better reason to ignore it. Yes,because she's a devil in my veins. When a devil tells you sorry,the veins will be restless because he would either be up for the worst plan or maybe the sorry will lure you. And I know,with Jane,it's so but I can't be lured. Not now.
#    I already had my notebook on my locker. I won't receive this pain again. Never. I glared at whiteboard, it had already been filled up,Buga's serious and mean. 'You have lots of work to do',I  said to my self and reached for my pen and my fingers carried on the rest.

A minute after the dismissal bell, I had already  set up my belongings  but this time I became confidential and I didn't want to run down the stairs before others like I usually does since Jane came around to elude their abusive and bullying words of the awkward class mates. I decided to maybe wait for Jerry inside the classroom. I waited for another minute and I got impatient, I don't what the bird I bear it feeds was singing to. Hunger can cause that though. I decided to check him up before I give myself the final order. He'd been into ball throwing game,with Ned and other guys. It's a kind of gang game as I learnt. Ned and Jerry with Chidi,another playholic guy from class A were the same gang. I can't even remember the last time I had been in this class,this boy just reminded me of that, I had only been here when a teacher assemble the whole students of the three classes to learn at once,and I can't remember the last time, but class A,I had only been there once. I'm not used to out and out plays and again ,we were most competitive among three class . Whenever JSS 3 had competition, they do select most participants from Class C and that's why I lacks interest in other class because I don't see any interesting stuffs there. Maybe out and out play,or maybe ball throw or maybe there more specialties that others beheld in them.
  "Dan,Come and join our gang" ,Ned called out immediately he saw me.
   "Yeah,come" Jerry added.
I do like to play though not all the time like Jerry and Ned but this time, I do. I had to try and see if I can drive portion of the pleasure they drive in them.
    I joined and exclaimed "ok ,pass the ball to me".
The ball is in Jerry's hand, he ran around, circled a locker  over and over  and another short boy from the other class was so serious at his back at all labour to bring him down. He threw the ball so hard at me and it's fierce and  also,because I'd been watching them all mindedly and unaware of the fierce approaching ball,it flew over me and landed in the verandah and ricocheted to the corridor.
" weakling,go get the ball" ,Jerry shouted at me with laughter. Everything she utter to me, I took them as friendly word so I ignored it and rushed after the ball. I bent to pick up the helpless ball and something hit  me  on the waist. I failed backward with my eels  the  only pillar that held the rest of my body. Damn,it's a ball. But no,this one's as hard as a  stone. I peeped up ,It's the town's Senior football team, and they were in preparation of tournament that will hold around 4. I saw the dude that made the monster shot. They were throwing swear words on him. I got glared though. I wish they had hit him with few blows. idiot. I got up to return our soft ball and I discovered everyone in the class in laughter not excluding Ned and Jerry my so called friends.
   "Guy you are woman I swear", Jerry uttered mockingly and continued " No wonder Jane called you a puppy,you went to toast who's neater that your mum".
  First,it itches my eardrum. I heard those guy throwing mocking questions.
How did I toast her?. I know I didn't, I can even swear to that.
Jerry is an idiot,now I know better and I hated him with my life from the second he uttered those rogue.  I hated  Jane. And I will never have anything to do with her in my life. Not ever.  I know she didn't care though.
  "My guy,drop our ball now,is this one also among? No wonder you went to toast your ma'am" ,
The short black boy that had been trying to  subdue Jerry for the ball uttered it.  And Ned waved on them to stop and continue their stuff. He's unconcerned, like everyone.
#   I couldn't bear it anymore. It rattles in my mind. Worst still,it retrieve back the tragic memory of Jane,The devil in my veins. Now my day had been chattered. I wanted to utter something. What's there to say. I later warned Jerry to mind his business and avoid anything that has to do with me. He had asked whether It's a threat and pushed me fiercely,I staggered and recovered a bit. Then I pushed back and the next minute, he'd already landed me on an iron chair and it crushed my back. I vow never to do anything with Jerry again. He's not a friend;that one. A friend that unveils the covered sorrow of his friend,is that a friend? I rather do my stuffs alone. I regret to ever had shown them the content of Jane's letter. It's not my fault though, I thou they were friends. I thought maybe a friend will understand and help enlighten the burden. I hated Jane. I hate her.