Ngozi; The Hero Within

5

      "Òmó dada, fine pikin see as she be like angel." Oga Bola says as I pass and I hiss. "Ngozi no be you I dey talk to?" He asks and I turn around "Wetin?" I ask and he smiles "Ahn ahn, we dey fight nii?" He asks and I frown "Oga Bola wetin?" I ask again and he laughs.
     
      "I wan cook coconut rice, but I no know how, and me I know say you fii do am because you fii cook wells, shey you go come help me?" He says and I eye him "You no well. Me enter your house when I no mad?" I say and he frowns "Why you dey talk like this naa? Wetin go do you if you enter my house ehn?" He asks and I look at him "Wetin no go do me?" I counter and he laughs "Okay naa, but at least help me use that your quick leg go buy me sweet corn, I go wait for you inside." He says.
      
       "Naa now I know say your madness don ripe finish. Oga Bola how many times wey I don tell una for your rapist association, and all the men for this compound that make they no go send me any errand dey go make my two legs carry Mr enter their house ehn? Wetin?' I ask and he frowns " Who you dey call rapist?" He asks and I hiss "You no be rapist?" I ask as I begin to walk towards my house but he pulls me back.
   
       "Oga Bola leave my hand." I say but he tightens his grasp "Fìmíle ooo, I will scream ooo." I threaten but he doesn't let go.
   
        " Scream naa, you will now tell the neighbours who the rapist in this compound are." He says pulling me towards his house while I struggle to break free. "Oga Bola free me ooo or else." I say in a steady voice while my heart was palpitating, if you're going to survive in a neighborhood like this you've got to learn to Show No Fear. " Or else what?" he asks "Oga Bola free me or you won't like what I'll do to you ooo." I say and he laughs "I'm sure I'll like what I'll do to you shaa." He says.
     
      "You won't release me abii?" I ask "When we're through I will." He says "Okay naa." I say relaxing and he smiles "I know say you go use your brain and do well." He says moving closer before his face contorts in pain.
     
        Tightening my hold on the bulge in his pant I ask " Will you release me now?" and he nods frantically taking his hands off me "I've left you abeg leave me.." He says groaning in pain but I only twist it tighter. " Yeeee!! Ngozi abeg naa, I'm sorry I was just playing oo." He begs.
     
        "Playing abii? Let me tell you something now,after you'll inform your fellow rapists, if you or any of them touch me anyhow or yarn to me anyhow, I will take this thing between your legs, chop it off and cook it in coconut rice for you all and you'll eat it. You dey hear me so?!" I ask and he nods frantically and I release him, then just to make sure that my message sinks in well I ram my knee into his solar plexus leaving him I walk towards my house.
    
       Seeing my aunt's slippers in front, I slip I'm through the back door and head to my room after making sure my aunt was asleep.
   
         Flipping on the light I land softly on my bed and look around the cramped quarters I call my room. Books where everywhere, stacked by the wall, on the floor, the bed and on the table and chair Aliyu refurnished for me two years ago.
     
        And before you say anything and jump into conclusions like my aunt, Aliyu is not my boyfriend, he doesn't want to be also, he's just a friend that's more like an older brother, that's all there is to it ooo.
       
        Talking about Aliyu, I bring out from my pocket the small pen knife that he gave to me when I went to see him this afternoon.
       
        "Zi how far naa?" He asked as I walked in "I dey ooo, who she be?" I ask motioning to the girl next to him that was well dressed.
     
       "Na my girl be that. Babe meet my younger sister Zi." He said to the girl and I waved. "So naa she be this abii?" I saidsitting down on the couch "Hmmn." Aliyu said. "She fine shaa." I said and the girl smiled "Thanks." She said in a sift voice and I grinned.
   
       "Naa ajebutter she be sef, Aliyu you too like better things oo!" I teased and he laughed "You nko, you no like better things?"he asked and I smiled.
   
           " I didn't know you had a sister." Beth ; Aliyu's girlfriend said as she turned to him, "Oh, I adopted her." He said pushing my head bag and I frowned "Or I'm the one that adopted your?' I questioned and he scoffed " See this one ooo, who you adopt?" He asked and I laughed.
     
          "Here have this, if I had known about you, I would've bought something for you. Next time I will." Beth said handing me a thousand naira note  as she wore her shoes and after some fake protest I accepted.
     
       "Zi I dey come, make I see her off. You fii chop the rice wey remain to hold your belle." Aliyu said as he wore his slippers and I nodded waving to them as they left.
     
         "You don chop?" He asked and I nodded "Your babe fine oo." I said and he smiled "She fine pass you abii?" He teased and I scoffed "I don tell you say that in this whole world no one fii fine pass me jare!" I said and we laughed.
         
      "You can kill chicken can't you?" He said and I knew that he probably wanted to say something important or talk about something that worried him, he spoke perfect english then.
    
       "Yes naa, you wan buy live chicken?" I eask but he didn't reply or even smile, instead he handed me a small pocket knife. "Its new, I bought it for you after giving it a lot of consideration." He said.
     
        "Why?" I asked as I picked it up, "I heard about what Papa John did again. Ngozi keep that knife with you always,if they try anything use it to cut the thing between their legs. Do you understand?" He asked and I nodded "Are you sure?" He asked "Yes eee, I've heard you." I said and he smiled.