Beyond Hate

FOUR

Toby.

Jerome had left me behind to talk to Afam. What their discussion was about, I knew not. Afam and Jerome were childhood friends, Infact, they were best of friends when i arrived in SS1. Then, they were inseparable, doing everything together. However, things changed when I started walking with them or rather trying to be in their clique. Afam didn't like me (I think) and Jerome as usual was welcoming. A month after, a huge fight ensued between them. They'd exchanged a few punches with strings of insults and that was the end. The next day Jerome started calling me his best friend. He and Afam never spoke until SS2 first term, and their fight had been in SS1 third term. I had no idea how they started talking or what even caused their fight.

Although Jerome seemed closer to me, and he called me his best friend, I still felt that we could never have what he still has with Afam. Most times I'd catch them talking privately, smiling knowingly or exchanging glances. There were certain things he shared with Afam that we never had.

As usual, the boys dorm smelt horrible. Perhaps the boys who were assigned to wash the toilet had not. As I stepped in, and sighted Jerome with Afam. They stood at the entrance to sapphire house, laughing. I walked towards them. I watched as Afam tapped Jerome, telling him about my approach. Jerome quickly turned.

"G,sup." He smiled.

I shrugged. "Just tired."

I walked past them.

"Black, I'll see you later!" I heard Jerome say.

Black was a name he'd given Afam. Afam was as black as kwame ( chris Attoh) in tinsel. People often asked if he was Ghanaian. Afam was black and surprisingly handsome as well, very handsome.  When I arrived in SS1, everyone often called Jerome and Afam 'Black and white squad' because Jerome was fair skinned, compared to Afam's black colour. I had no idea Jerome still called him Black. It made me feel uneasy.

"Alright na, carry your white ass dey run." Afam snickered.

"Bastard!" Jerome laughed.

I felt him beside me before I could even look at him. His perfume was hard to miss.

"You guys now, this stuff is not funny. Be washing the toilet na." He spoke.

Wale, the acting house captain turned. "Jerome, you! You are giving speech, you didn't even clean when it was your turn."

Jerome raised his hands in the air dramatically. "Am too fresh for that."

Wale chuckled. "Cocky bastard."

David whistled from the corner. His tiny voice filled the air. Wale and I exchanged glances. David was an unash. He was dirty, annoying and puny. I found it funny that he even responded to our talk.

Wale shook his head."Dave why are you whistling?"

"Abi?" I chirped in.

Jerome ignored us and walked into the corner. He took off his daywear shirt and trousers.

"Dave!" Wale called, trying to annoy him.

"Free me oh. Man has freedom." Dave responded.

Wale snickered. Ignoring David, he walked over to my corner. His white heart boxers had already been stained with oil. He gestured for me to come in. I walked in and stood in front of him and jerome.

"You guys are going out tonight?" He inquiried, his voice merely a whisper.

Jerome turned to me. "You want to go?"

I shrugged. "Yes na,"

Jerome nodded to Wale. "Sure."

Regan boys were regular customers of Iya Kemi, a woman who owned a restaurant outside of school. It was a tradition at Regan memorial school that some boys -who were rebellious - jumped the school fence and escaped school at night to catch fun or to get better food,  better than the ones given to us by the school. Almost all boys did this,  even some in the third class.