Running Away Solves Everything

Chapter 8- Elvis

White and blue is the cloud above my eyes. Just before Vivs struts in on the rainbow. She slides down Indigo and Violet wings with an orange white board marker, and without warning, we’re in Year 5 Bamigbose. I’ve never seen Vivs this pretty. I’ve never seen her with makeup on. Her cheeks are rosier than the flower garden in front of the class and her eyes are brighter than the sun pasted on the ceiling. I thought this was everything I ever wanted until Mum and Dad sit at my left and right.

“Good morning, Miss. Vivian,” they chorus.

Vivs smiles at them, then sets a kiss afloat. It’s drifting in the air and heading my way, but I don’t wonder why it’s visible or why it develops Mickey Mouse's hands just before it grasps my right cheek. I don’t want it to disappear, but it tells me it has to. “Good morning Parents and Elvis. Today, I am going to tell you all I know.”

Mum and Dad’s eyes fly wide open in shock and so do mine, because right now, this was all I ever dreamed of. All I ever wanted.

“You thought I couldn’t talk? Well, I’ve been pretending. I love you, but I had to do this.” As she talks, her face, like a switch, flips from a smile to a frown so many times it’s hard to keep up. “Mummy, it was a text that made you to drive us to that place that we had an accident.”

Mum's face is blank. She knew Vivs was right, but she says, “What accident? We’re okay. Can’t you see?”

I nod. Dad nods. Frankie from I Am Frankie nods.

Vivs is surely proud of her white teeth, because she makes sure to show them no matter what. “Daddy is on a business trip. And someone said he was there with us. The police are coming, just sing Satan be gone. O esu beleke. Do you want to cry? Just dance.”

Pounding Buckets. Blue, green, grey and white.

Choral Chanting. Help me. I can’t open every door. And every window. So get on, get on, get on Satan. Oh oh oh! Satan be gone. 

Hamzat on the blue. Emelie on the green. Nneoma on the grey. Dotun on the white. Banging to the rhythm of a slow song I don’t remember learning… I am calm, because I see Mummy and Daddy dancing, so I snap my fingers. Am I in heaven? It’s probably this thought that brought the police.

They begin to kick the buckets and my friends fall dead. And I’m alone with four police officers; Mrs. Ejeta, Miss. Kachikwu, Aunty Eseose and Mrs. Ajayi. I was surrounded, because I had done something wrong, but I couldn’t remember anything apart from swimming with atilogwu dancers.

Mum, Dad and Vivs are in a cage, but they softly sing, “Stand up and smile, Elvis!”

“No, don’t! How could you say that? F… Where did you learn… TV?” I yell out apologies, and I recall. I think they wanted to flog me, but they carry me and tickle me until I gaggle.

Volcano. Rope on my leg. Ah! They’re letting me down. “No! I’m sorry! I will help those children in the orphanage!” I am feeling the heat of the lava. “I will donate my clothes! I will go there every Saturday till I die!” The boiling lava spills on my lip. “I won’t be ashamed of my sister! I…will!”

In conclusion, my eyeballs see fluorescence.

“Bad dream?” A lady is leaning over me and that leaves me confused. She dampens my face with a warm towel and I can’t understand how refreshing it makes me feel. “Don’t worry. It can’t be real. It’s all beautiful here.” I believe her, because I could see for myself. It was all beautiful here.

Not until I see bandage on someone’s leg. Tracing the leg to the face, I find out it’s Vivs. She’s sitting on a bed opposite me, fiddling with the mattress. It’s there and then I know I am in a hospital. Jesus is Lord! The lady restrains me from lifting my neck.

Mum is beside me and she’s awake too, but has a white bandage on her head. “Son, you’re awake.” She’s forcing a smile. A blind goat could tell. “Did you dream?” If she could stretch her hand to mine, this was the moment for her to.

“Where am I?” At this second, the panic attack was about to emerge. Firstly, I would feel like I was suffocating, then I would tear my hair out, but when my attempt would fail, I’ll rip my cloth in shreds, starting from the collar. In this case, it would be Emelie’s grey Quicksilver shirt.

I cry as I’m about to explode up to the second I feel fingers move from left to right on my troubled forehead. “Hi Elvis. I’m Tomilola. It’s okay. Everything is okay.”

It was magic, because I was okay immediately she said that. My stomach clenched, my heart warmed up and my head was cool. My fist opened up, my veins stopped stressing and I didn’t want to tear the shirt anymore. I’m the peaceful ocean lying here, and I don’t know what I hear that makes me close my eyes and return to Dream World.

Did you even notice?...