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Bamidele Coker.
The same one she saw in her dreams every night. The same one she imagined her first kiss with. The same one she would blame for her happiness. The same one she always drooled over during gym class. The same one she was seeing now.
Holding Chioma Igwemadu's hand.
Heartbreak.
She sighed at the way they looked into each other's eyes. She felt so heartbroken when she found out that they were in a relationship last session. Even though she knew things couldn't happen between them, the fact that he chose Chioma pissed her off at the thought of it. For crying out loud, Chioma seemed too wild for Bamidele's calm nature.
Everyone thought they looked good together. I mean, who wouldn't. Bamidele was the captain of his school's soccer team and Chioma was the head of the school's spirit squad. Their positions earned them recognition and respect from their peers and Juniors. They were also really good dancers.
Typical high schools. The pretty ones hung out together and the "weird" ones were left behind. The students of Esosa High were not exceptions to this idealogy.
He doesn't deserve this, she always thought. It was so obvious that Chioma's "love" was just an attempt to get close to his more handsome older brother, Ayomide who had secretly tried to woo Chioma to fall for him. He finally gave up when he left home for the university. What he didn't know was that his methods worked.
He deserves someone else.
Like you? Hell no!
She watched them move towards the gate while waving to everyone around them. At that moment, everything that happened next occured in slow motion.
Soothing romatic music played in her head as she watched them go in. An invisible breeze danced through the locks of Chioma's beautiful black braids thus making them more beautiful. They were now seniors so such hairstyles were allowed.
Although she wasn't proud of it, she had always envied Chioma. She couldn't stop comparing themselves.
Chioma was fair. She was dark.
Chioma was tall. She wasn't.
Chioma had a slim structure. She was fat.
Even her lips. She actually envied her full, pink lips that were always on a journey with that of Bamidele. The thought of it brought shivers and goosebumps to her skin. Hers seemed flat and thin even though they were pink too.
Chioma was popular and attractive. She was struggling at the bottom of the popularity chain and believed she wasn't.
Her eyes lingered to Bamidele's attractive stature. She smiled as she saw his light brown skin shinning clearly amidst the sun's bright rays of light.
He was tall and blessed with dark attractive nappy curls, hazel eyes and a beautifully proportioned body. When he smiled, his dimples came out, complementing his handsome face. Remembering his high perfectly sculpted jaws, his full and succulent dark lips always took her wandering attention. Sadly, she couldn't see him in all his glory now because she was behind him.
Her mother's car drove into the school's compound and her eyes never left the windows.
A few of her classmates were already at the school entrance, welcoming the students back to school. Amongst them were Laura Samuels, Chidi Okoye, Deji Adediran, Hameed Mohammed and Chiwendu Okafor.
She remembered these five students clearly as they always took time in discovering new methods of making her feel bad about her features.
Why does Bami hang out with these mumus.
She mentally snorted as she remembered this fact.
"Awelewa." Her mother's voice sounded as the car's own stopped simultaneously.
"Ma?"
Her mother turned and faced her.
"This is your last year. I know that you're struggling with a lot at this age but I want you to never succumb to making decisions you'll never make. You are perfect the way you are and do not let anyone treat you or make you feel otherwise."
She looked at the seniors, glared at their cookie cutter smiles and continued. "All of them are not worth your emotions and you know that. Stay away from them and their enticing but terrible lifestyles."
"Yes ma." Awelewa stated absent-mindedly.
"Enjoy your day my dear."
With that, her daughter slowly opened the door and took a step, feeling a slight rush of the wind on her face. She was relieved that her mother gave that statement but she believed that it was going to take more than a few words of advice to make her feel better about herself.
She turned and waved to her mother who replied with a wave and had already started turning on the car engine. She watched as the car sped off and left the school compound.
Just a year left Ewa, just a year left.
The journey to the entrance of the school's hall was one that required wits and courage. This was something Awelewa struggled with as she moved slowly while starring at everyone around her.
Everything seemed normal. The juniors were scurrying around with their best friends not even caring about cries of the math teacher, Mr Olumide who was clearly trying to do his job. Last year, the school's principal Mrs Oyin-Sisi gave him the job of monitoring the halls. He always complained saying that he wasn't cut out for such meagre responsibilities. He believed that this role was an insult to his qualifications.
"Are you okay? If I slap you ehnn, you'll leave this place!" He hollered.
The students were still laughing and running. They were obviously enjoying his display of frustration.
They seemed like Year seven students.
Awelewa watched as she remembered when she was at that level. When things like looks and money never really mattered. When no one felt this coated infatuation called "love" that managed to pull young people into a world of wrong beliefs and crushed hopes. Everything was going fine until the hormone monster decided to strike, giving everyone new and different personalities.
Her memories were interfered with when she felt a huge blow on the back of her head and saw herself and her bag on the floor. From the looks of it, she didn't zip the bag so her books were sprawled on the perfectly tiled floors. She dazingly looked up and saw the short, high-waisted skirt of Chiwendu.
She found out that the fair demon wasn't alone as she saw Laura and Munachi Eze walk up to the scene. With a little amount of eye power left, she looked around and realized that there was no teacher in sight. The junior students weren't there anymore.
"Awelewa! Shey you'll not walk fast ni. If you like, add weight and be walking like a pregnant snail. Shaaa don't block the way for the normal ones." Chiwendu's mocking voice sounded.
"Biko tell the idiot! I don't even know how she does it with her stunted growth and her amoebic shape. She'll be taking all the space. Tufiakwa!" Munachi added with her annoying Igbo accent, while flicking her fingers to show disgust.
"Orobo! See, just go and drink SlimTea and help your useless life. Fool!" Laura spat out.
With a kick by Chiwendu's thick and long legs on Awelewa's aching body, they left with their menacing laughter hung on the air.
Not again!
Fighting and preventing hot tears from flowing from her filled eyeballs proved abortive when they eventually did.
Why the hell do they do this to me? What have I even done wrong?
After a few sniffles and whimperings, she made efforts in packing her books from the ground.
Until,
"Awelewa what happened?"
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YOU ARE READING
Awelewa's Tale
Spirituel"Their recurrent threats to make things worse if a soul knew what she was passing through changed nothing even when she never told anyone. Her daily pleas and cries fell on deaf ears as they continued hurting her physically and emotionally." ...
