More Than A Friend - Season 1 - Episode 7

6 years ago

More Than A Friend - Season 1 - Episode 7

The brief hug I had with Deborah blew away all the F9-burden in my heart, I felt like something great just happened to me, I could not stop thinking about her and I’d smile anytime I did.

I got home, showed the result to my mom and explained to her how the English failure happened, the same thing to my sister on phone, they were not totally satisfied but they believed me… the 4th day which was Monday, I went to David’s house, without letting his parents see me because they’ll ask about my result and start using it to abuse him, we got eachother, we talked, laughed and even quarrelled, I told him I’d be travelling to my dad’s place in Lagos the following week, he was a bit sad on hearing that, I later talked on his result, how disappointed I was, and I advised him to start lesson with me and my other friend who was in SS3 in another school (Hammed) we nicknamed him (SOH CAH TOA), David responded well to my advice and thanked me for my concern, we hugged and departed, I went to PS2 shop, I was a wizard at playing the game then, I played three matches which was N50, I beat the owner of the PS2 shop twice (5:0 and 4:0), one guy paid and collected the game pad and I ‘raped’ him also (4:2) as he first-scored two goals. I went back home and Deborah’s thoughts entered my heart again, I took my mom’s phone, smuggled it into my room, opened my school bag and checked the back of my computer note, that was where I wrote the numbers of my friends that had phone, I dialed Deborah’s number (visafone) (…ringing…)

Deb: Hello, who am I speaking with?

I: Hi, It’s me, Henry.

Deb: Wow… Opeyemi… (I could feel her smile even on phone), you now own a phone right?

I: Wrong. This is my mom’s phone, I stole her phone to call you. How are you doing?

Deb: I’m very fine thank you. What about you?

I: I’m doing well, I just called to tell you that I will be travelling day after tomorrow (Wednesday) to my dad’s place.

Deb: Owww…why naw… OK let’s see tomorrow before you leave then.

I: No, we can’t, I have many things to do and many places to go tomorrow. I’ll be back on Sunday or Monday morning latest, we shall see on Monday, I’ll come to your mom’s shop.

Deb: Can I later ca…

(She has not said “call” when the automated robot from the network provider suspended us with “one minute remaining”). I quickly ended the call so as not to finish my mom’s airtime, I knew what Deborah was about to say, “I pray she does not later call my mom o” I said, not too loud as I returned mom’s phone.

I began to prepare for my journey little by little, I was missing my lovely mom already… later in the night, dad called to confirm if I was still coming, I told him I would be arriving like Jesus the next day,

“I would have said your mother should follow you, but you’re no more a kid, a fool at 10 this computer age, is a fool till Jesus comes, besides ,you are more than ten, so, don’t let your small stature deceive you. Leave home early o, Lagos is not like Ogun state,” my dad said to me on phone and I responded
“Am a big boy sir, I’ll leave home early.”

“Give the phone to your mom” he said while laughing to the big boy I mentioned earlier. I excused their conversation and went to the sitting room.

***fast forward***
It was on Wednesday morning, I had woken up earlier than expected so as to leave home early as my dad wanted, house chores was not my problems again, my sister has trained me with force and troubles, I finished all I had to do, took my bath and dressed up, I was putting on an Arsenal Jersey on a Jeans trousers, with white all-stars and my N200 wristwatch, I backed my bag after my mom ended the prayer, I was so happy, the first time only me would be travelling that far without anybody lapping me on the bus, I brought out my “sakomended” eye glasses that looked like the one Davido used in the video “Gobe”, that got my mom laughing as I was going,

“Alangba kan’go (Lizard on glasses)” she said and still smiling,

“bye bye mom” I uttered and off to the main road, I took bike going to Motor Park as I would wave hand to anybody I knew beside the road, just to let them know that (na me! Only me dey travel! Big boy don come, level changed!), I entered the bus going to Atan (Iyana Agbara) as the bus conductor was just staring at me like “this boy dey run comot for house”,

“Chai! It’s a bad thing to be short o! See how this mumu dey look me like say Shtt dey my body” I was saying in my mind and looking at him too, I seriously felt like slapping him or dupe him to prove to him that I was only short and not dull. From Agbara to Ketu, then straight to Iyana-Era… off to Benjamin street.

“Lagos! Here I come!” I said out when I knew that nobody was hearing me,… I got home, relaxed, and ******fast forward****** my dad came from work later in the evening,

“The Henry” he hailed me, when I was approaching to greet and carry his bag, he dropped the bag on something and wanted to carry me up, in my mind I was like “for where?! I don chop up tey tey!” he later applied enough force and was able to lift me up to like (15-18) cm from the floor, I was just laughing when he dropped me and felt weak, I carried his bag in and the gist began. My dad could talk for hours and he was very funny,
“your age is now…. ” he has not concluded before I interrupted, “…27years old sir” I said and was laughing.

“Hahahahaha…, that means you’ll soon be older than your mom and not me,” he said and continued laughing, his phone started ringing, he picked it and was on phone,
“PHCN, una no wan release light tonight?” I said, not too loud and went to take my brick-game.

On Sunday morning,

“so early! You’ve even dressed up and ready to go, so you have started missing your mom right?” My Dad said while he was still in bed, he looked up to check time,
“oh! To-eight, time has gone o, I will be late to church today if care is not taken, won’t you wait to attend my church here before you travel?” He asked,
“No sir, I have an appointment with someone at home by 12noon” I said with serious face,
“Hahahahaha… appointment with the white men I guess” he asked indirectly and I smiled.

“Check that end, you’ll see a school bag there fill with books, those are the textbooks your sister texted to me that you’ll need for the session”, he said, pointing to one corner in the room, I rushed there and saw a new school bag full of textbooks, I opened to check and discovered I already had two out of the nine textbooks, I thanked him and he gave me some amount of money, I was about to leave when he called me back,
“Wait let me drop you at the junction” he offered,
“No, don’t go late to church, I can trek it, thanks sir,” I declined politely,
“My regards to your mom, and give the other envelop to her” he said while I replied
“Definitely sir”. “Oh! I forgot to pray!… Lord, as am going, go with me, let your Mercy follow me, in Jesus name I pray, amen” I prayed silently and said the amen out without closing my eyes, off to Ketu Junction.

I was already missing Deborah, my mom and David, I got to the junction, crossed to the other side…

******fast forward******
Plus Lagos traffic, plus bus conductors’ problems and some other delays on the road, I got home around to-one, my mom was still in church, I relaxed for a while and slept off ******fast forward******. The day ended.