More Than A Friend - Season 1 - Episode 2

6 years ago

More Than A Friend - Season 1 - Episode 2

“Grannnnn! Grannnnn!! Grannnnn!!!…”

My alarm clock dutifully rang out loud violently;
“Ooooh! What kind of noise is this for God’s sake? What is that thing making that noise again! Was it not 20minutes ago that I slept off? So, this alarm noise means it’s morning again?” That was all I could murmur in an hypnopompic manner before I fully gained consciousness from sleep, when I discovered it was really morning and also Monday (my 1st day in SS1), I was a bit excited, that gave me the eagerness to get off bed, I checked time and it was 6:02am, I could hear my sister praying in her room.

“From 9:30pm to 6: 00am is now as short as 20minutes, nawa o” I wondered in complaint and knelt down facing bed to say my morning prayers, after that, I dashed out of the room for the necessary house chores, in some minutes I was done, off to bathroom, took my bath, as at exactly 7:05am, I was through with everything:

“Mummy, I’m leaving for school” I announced .

“Oh, oko mi, se jeje o (Oh, my husband, play gently/carefully)” she responded and smiled as she saw me with my big school bag, we had argued the previous night about me going to school with bag on the first day of resumption which I reluctantly agreed.

“Alright ma” I responded, stepping out of the house. Off to school.

The school security men were on duty, some covered foodstuffs were on the tables at the school canteen while the vendors were no where to be found yet, some whitish water (dew) were on the field which changed the natural colour green of the grasses to something like “whitish-green”, the morning breeze was so cool as the sun was about to resume duty, I checked my wrist watch it was 7:23am;

“I knew it! Students will come late on the day-one of the resumption” I uttered audible enough for only myself to hear, I could see some students hanging around afar in junior school, about five male students sitting in the school hall discussing the previous Sunday premiership matches, I looked back and saw a set of seniors coming without school bags;

“Over-serious too dey worry me, see me see this heavy bag now as I know say we no go do anything today, see students coming without school bags, na my mama cause am, I for no carry bag come school today self, mtshhhw” I murmured to myself and hissed.

The senior school environment was still somehow strange to me, I didn’t really know where to head to again and my friends have not come, I located under a tree, dropped my bag on one of the tyres half-buried to form circle round the tree in decoration and sat on another tyre, I brought out my brick-game and began to play game-A (hope you can remember that game). I stopped playing game when students began to arrive;

“See Henry over there” I heard David’s voice from not too far, looking up, I saw five friends of mine approaching me with big grin on their faces, (David, Roliat, Deborah, Felix and Salamot), among them all, David whom we call Dave was my closest friend while others are normal friends, I call him Divide whenever I want to tease him.

“Henry the serious student!” David teased and continued; “I know you won’t disappoint me, I told them that we would meet you in school no matter how early we come” He jeered again as they kept coming closer; “Where are your four school bags? Abi na only three you bring today? Wey your drawing board and T-square na?” Dave was teasing me as they were coming nearer, while others were just laughing, I stood up.

“Divide!, your sickness don migrate go brain, you no con well at all, na me dey bring four bags to school abi?” I responded jokingly as I was laughing and moving closer to them;

“Paaaaa!” David and I had a resounding clapping handshake and used our right shoulders to touch eachother;

“O boy! you no wan tall again? Try tall small na, mad boy, Bet9ja don take your height finish” I jested David, he just stood-still looking at me and laughing as I was about to greet others, I knew he had my response but he didn’t talk, I greeted Felix the gentle boy, Roliat and Salamot looked fatter yet prettier than before;

“Hmmmmmmm see babes” I said with smiles on my face, I had handshake with Roliat and Salamot, Deborah was busy looking at me and smiling – Deborah is a portable girl, somehow short, fair in complexion, V-shape face, white and well arranged set of teeth.
Before I stretched my hand to Deborah for handshake, she had already opened arms for hug, no dulling, a brief good morning hug took place for some seconds, we chatted for a while, Felix left us there to greet some others;
“Is that not football those Junior School students are holding?” David asked without waiting for response, he sighted Quazeem – one of our friends;

“Quazeem! Quazeem!!” He screamed his name and quickly added; “Deaf hears” as Quazeem finally heard him, David pointed to the direction of the boys holding the ball (health), he knew that Quazeem could quit his wedding for a football match:

“Don’t tell me you want to go and play football this morning o” I queried indirectly.

“No. I want to go and borrow Maths textbook from them. “ David responded sarcastically ”

“Assuming you can play the ball well now, it’d be better, but it’s a lie, na dance you go dey dance on top ball” I mocked and laughed.

“Orin yin ni o… e maa koo lo… (It’s your song… continue singing it…)” He spat back nonchalantly and quickly asked; “How far, you dey play? Oh! I don forget say na woman dey your front, ‘alaye’run’ (broken-life fellow), continue your mission, it’s just that you won’t make our heaven with Jesus.” He yabbed jokingly.
(laughs out loud) “Your heaven indeed, “olokan’doti” (dirty-minded being), go and dance with the ball on the field as usual and come back, check me at the school canteen.” I responded still laughing while Deborah chuckled.

David went to the field as decided, Deborah and I began to chat. One thing about Deborah was that, she’d let out a charming smile along with every word coming out of her mouth.
“Why don’t you want to play football with them?” Deborah asked.

“You mean early this morning? And as we’ve not even known how to move, where to stay and how to dwell here?” I responded in hypophora

“Is true sha, don’t tell me you brought that very big bag o” She said, grinning.

“OK” I responded nonchalantly.

“What is OK? Did you bring that bag? I asked.” She protested

“You said I should not tell you that I brought it” I reminded her and smiled, she beamed.

“OK, now tell me the fact, who brought that big bag? Smiling.

“Madam! Pease leave that bag alone, are you jealous or what? Do you want me to give you or buy you the same type? “ I grumbled non-violently.

“Oya, buy me the type” She dared, rolling her eyes and smiling.

“Hehehe” I let out a mocking laughter; “OK, when I’m coming tomorrow, I’ll bring yours……” I deceived her; “…and I’ll wake up from my dream.” I added for her to know I was not serious.

“Mtshhhw” She hissed, “I know, it’ll be only in your dreams that you can buy anything for anybody. You’ll even be provoked to wake up.” She assured.

“What do you mean? Oya let’s go to the school canteen.” I boasted emptily.

“You know am ready to follow you.” She responded determined.

“Ehn, let’s go then, I’ll order food for you and you’ll pay.” I turned her expectation down ironically and laughed.

“Hahahahaha” She laughed in the manner LIKE-I’VE-KNOWN; “I know you can’t pay for me before. Change your ways and be saved.” She joked.

We both laughed, held each other’s hands and off to school canteen.