Beyond Hate

THREE

Zara.

I sat opposite Mona, listening as she talked about lanre,her boyfriend. Her legs were crossed and her hands held a spoon as she poured cornflakes into the bowl between her legs. The soft matress she sat on sank in as Jacqueline sat beside her.

"I never liked that Lanre." Jacqueline said. I almost nodded in return, but i refrained.

I had liked Lanre for her initially. I had even encouraged her to date him. It would be absolutely wrong if i started antagonizing him.

"I know i said the guy is good oh. That was before, the Guy is a total asshole at this point." Grace blurted from beside me.

Ene walked into the corner, slipping her slippers off at the entrance.

"Maybe Lanre is not only problem." Ene chimed as she sat beside Grace.

Grace turned to her. "How?"

Ene shrugged. "He said Mona rarely talks to him, it's as if she doesn't even want to see him at times."

Mona snorted. "He is just reversing the whole thing. He is the one who keeps acting like that."

"You guys should just talk it out." I suggested.

Ene nodded. "Exactly, instead of all the talking to other people."

Mona looked into her bowl of cornflakes and shrugged. As if remembering something, she looked up. "Biko, Zara, what's with you and Nzerome."

I smiled, amused. "Nzerome?"

Grace laughed. "You know na, Zero and Jerome together. Nzerome,"

I burst into laughter. "Mona ehn."

"Why is the guy always attacking you?" Jacqueline inquired.

I clapped my hands together. "I don't know for the idiot oh."

Ene smirked. "You better know oh. He is Toby's best friend."

Jacq rolled her eyes. "And so?"

"Abi oh. Help me ask her," i smirked.

Ene glared at me, i feared her eyes may fall out of it's socket.

"So who saw when Samuel snubbed Bola." Mona said, lowering her voice.

Jacq tapped Mona lightly, failing miserably to control her laughter. I felt the laughter rising.

"Bola oh. She wanted to talk to him, she now firstly use her nyash to hit him. The Guy now said-" Mona laughed. "He now said. 'Who be this Amoeba wey dey rub garri for my hand!"

Jacq and Mona clutched their sides as they laughed. Ene, Grace and I just stared at them. I had absolutely no laughter to let out.

"Then Bola now asked if he wants to talk by the corner. The guy now said 'you look like marmi water. Shift lemme pass'." Jacq completed.

Only Mona andJacq kept laughing.

I shook my head. "Guys, it's not funny."

Grace agreed. "Yes, For Zara at least not to laugh, it should tell you how dry your gist is."

Mona glared at us. "It was funny in real life."

                          _________

I sat on my sit, listening as Mr John explained the themes in the Amma Darko's  Faceless. His trousers hung tightly around his belly and he kept on pulling it further. Most of us couldn't hold our laughter as he did it. He read a line from the book and pulled the trousers up again.