Ade's
Chronicle 37
The students trooped out of the hall
immediately th principal and guests stood up. They had headed to Dr. Tanimowo's
office. The teachers too lurked around, mostly the junior ones. By the time Dr.
Tanimowo arrived at the office, he could hardly find the door, they all loved
his lecture and yearned to have a private session with him. The principal then
knew that indeed, a counsellor was needed in the school.
The Dr had barely settled down in his office when the patients, as he called them began trooping in. Each spent like thirty minutes and they usually came out smiling and thoroughly relieved as against the scared faces they went in with. I and Rotimi were the gate keepers who made sure that the air of strict confidentiality was maintained.
The teachers and other members of staff including the principal arrived for their turn around four in the afternoon and after three hours of consultation; I announced to the remaining students that they should come the next day. They grudgingly left. These were mostly students who barely waited after the official closing hours of four p.m. They had waited till seven p.m that day and were willing to wait longer just to see the Dr. Priority indeed lies in the mind.
Dr. Tanimowo came out at around seven thirty p.m. He wished to see Bunmi's parents and that of the other two girls. The three girls had gone home but we all entered his car and zoomed off to Mushin.
Fortunately for us, Bunmi's parents were around and were surprised to see three teachers from their daughter's school and a complete stranger. They welcomed us and Dr. Tanimowo wasted no time in addressing what had brought us. He expertly blamed Bunmi's parents for their love for material things at the expense of their daughter. He however, did not reveal all the girl's crimes but he advised them to create more time for her to avoid a calamitous ending for her. He then took the startled Bunmi into her room for a private session. When they came out of the room, she was a changed girl. She held Shola and wept at her feet and did likewise for Rotimi. I stood aloof and watched as she cried on her parents' laps. Her parents were grateful for the visit and promised to adjust.
Bunmi took us to Bola's house where almost the same thing happened before we headed to Bimbo's home. She was also surprised to see us. Her parents too were stunned at the revelations made about their angelic daughter. They wept and wept. The session was not too different from the previous ones. But the difference was that we ate at Bimbo's house after her parents had seriously insisted on it. They said they would forever be grateful for what the school and the Dr had done for them and their daughter.
I was very happy at the way Dr. Tanimowo solved the mountainous challenge that had bedevilled us in the weeks past. He had not told us we would do a family counselling but he had done it and now we only suffered slight inconveniences. The man is a genius!
We got back to Shola's house at around two thirty a.m having stayed longest at Bimbo's house. Rotimi got a text message from Bunmi thanking him for bringing Dr. Tanimowo to the school. She also said that he should thank me for her because she is afraid that I might be hostile towards her. I received a similar one form Bola nd Bimbo. They had apologised and thanked me for making them realise their mistakes and making them sensible teenagers.
Shola set up a spare room for Dr. Tanimowo who refused to sleep until we had entered our room. But the curiosity in me got the better of me as I left the room after fifteen minutes and tiptoed to the door linking the sittingroom to the bedrooms. I gummed my ears to the door to eavesdrop on the conversation between Dr. Tanimowo and Shola. Shola thanked him profusely for coming to our aid. He, in his characteristic manner, told her all thanks belong to God. He said that it is now time for her own couselling. He adviced her to keep our company as we would always be her watchdog. Then he told her to confess her past actions to her boyfriend to have a healthy relationship with him, else, she would be as guilty as anything. He also told her that whenever she sees teens, she should remember that she is their role model, thus, she would get over her paedophilic instincts gradually. She thanked him again and asked that what if her boyfriend takes it the other way. He smiled and asked who she truly loved to get married to. Her reply was hushed and I was not able to hear that but I heard the Dr say, that it was a good choice and that the person was right for her. She was happy and prayed it would go well between her and her boyfriend and if not, it would pave way for her to get the man of her dreams.
They came towards the door and I ran back to our room. Rolling over and over on the bed wondering who Shola's dream man was...
© Yettocome™ 2013
The Dr had barely settled down in his office when the patients, as he called them began trooping in. Each spent like thirty minutes and they usually came out smiling and thoroughly relieved as against the scared faces they went in with. I and Rotimi were the gate keepers who made sure that the air of strict confidentiality was maintained.
The teachers and other members of staff including the principal arrived for their turn around four in the afternoon and after three hours of consultation; I announced to the remaining students that they should come the next day. They grudgingly left. These were mostly students who barely waited after the official closing hours of four p.m. They had waited till seven p.m that day and were willing to wait longer just to see the Dr. Priority indeed lies in the mind.
Dr. Tanimowo came out at around seven thirty p.m. He wished to see Bunmi's parents and that of the other two girls. The three girls had gone home but we all entered his car and zoomed off to Mushin.
Fortunately for us, Bunmi's parents were around and were surprised to see three teachers from their daughter's school and a complete stranger. They welcomed us and Dr. Tanimowo wasted no time in addressing what had brought us. He expertly blamed Bunmi's parents for their love for material things at the expense of their daughter. He however, did not reveal all the girl's crimes but he advised them to create more time for her to avoid a calamitous ending for her. He then took the startled Bunmi into her room for a private session. When they came out of the room, she was a changed girl. She held Shola and wept at her feet and did likewise for Rotimi. I stood aloof and watched as she cried on her parents' laps. Her parents were grateful for the visit and promised to adjust.
Bunmi took us to Bola's house where almost the same thing happened before we headed to Bimbo's home. She was also surprised to see us. Her parents too were stunned at the revelations made about their angelic daughter. They wept and wept. The session was not too different from the previous ones. But the difference was that we ate at Bimbo's house after her parents had seriously insisted on it. They said they would forever be grateful for what the school and the Dr had done for them and their daughter.
I was very happy at the way Dr. Tanimowo solved the mountainous challenge that had bedevilled us in the weeks past. He had not told us we would do a family counselling but he had done it and now we only suffered slight inconveniences. The man is a genius!
We got back to Shola's house at around two thirty a.m having stayed longest at Bimbo's house. Rotimi got a text message from Bunmi thanking him for bringing Dr. Tanimowo to the school. She also said that he should thank me for her because she is afraid that I might be hostile towards her. I received a similar one form Bola nd Bimbo. They had apologised and thanked me for making them realise their mistakes and making them sensible teenagers.
Shola set up a spare room for Dr. Tanimowo who refused to sleep until we had entered our room. But the curiosity in me got the better of me as I left the room after fifteen minutes and tiptoed to the door linking the sittingroom to the bedrooms. I gummed my ears to the door to eavesdrop on the conversation between Dr. Tanimowo and Shola. Shola thanked him profusely for coming to our aid. He, in his characteristic manner, told her all thanks belong to God. He said that it is now time for her own couselling. He adviced her to keep our company as we would always be her watchdog. Then he told her to confess her past actions to her boyfriend to have a healthy relationship with him, else, she would be as guilty as anything. He also told her that whenever she sees teens, she should remember that she is their role model, thus, she would get over her paedophilic instincts gradually. She thanked him again and asked that what if her boyfriend takes it the other way. He smiled and asked who she truly loved to get married to. Her reply was hushed and I was not able to hear that but I heard the Dr say, that it was a good choice and that the person was right for her. She was happy and prayed it would go well between her and her boyfriend and if not, it would pave way for her to get the man of her dreams.
They came towards the door and I ran back to our room. Rolling over and over on the bed wondering who Shola's dream man was...
© Yettocome™ 2013
Ade's
Chronicle 38
Sleep overcame me due to weariness
from the activities of the last seventeen hours or so. My alarm never woke me
up much to Rotimi's relief. He never set alarms, I was his alarm. Hence we both
slept like wood logs till a knock woke us around six thirty five. It was Shola.
She came in with breakfast and told us that Dr. Tanimowo was ready to hit the
streets. It came as a surprise to us because I wondered if he slept at all. We
rushed the breakfast of toast and tea and rushed to get set for school.
At 7:05 a.m, we stepped out of the house after convincing Dr to leave his brother's car at home. We trekked and chatted all the way to school asking if he slept at all. Shola said that she too had wondered because she had thought that we would all get to school late but she was surprised when Dr knocked on her door at six already dressed and asking for a spare toothbrush. We all laughed but he said it wasn't his fault because life as an academic usually robbed him of sleep once in a while till he got used to it. All our conversation that morning was in pidgin.
We got to school and headed for his office but it was from the gate that we noticed lots of cars parked. Parents were around. The principal came in some minutes after us and told the Dr that parents had come to see him and thank him for the spontaneous changes noticed in their wards under twenty four hours. He told the principal to gather them all in the school hall for a brief session before the assembly.
The brief session lasted an hour and all the parents who were there never remained the same. They all got imparted one way or the other.
After they left, Dr. Tanimowo attended to the students I sent home the previous day before attending to any other person. His rule was 'first come first served.'
He then requested the presence of the remaining of Shola's casualties. Folake and Ronke, then Kunle, Remi, and Dolapo. He spent an hour each with them and at the end of the sessions like those before them, their eyes and faces told the tale of what went on in the office.
He attended to other students who kept trooping in in their multitudes. I still think till date that the advice and attention he gave them that day made the students come as they did. He was nothing but a father and a mentor.
He ended the day that friday around eight p.m. The school generator had to be put on because some students had left earlier to call their parents at his request. Also, he had told all Shola's victims to stay behind till he finished. What he wanted to do he never told us till everyone had left and it remained them (Shola's victims) and Rotimi and I. There in front of his office, he told Shola to apologise to them one after the other. Tears flowed again ceaselessly from each of them as they all forgave her and themselves for the kind of life they had lived prior to that day. Rotimi and I looked at ourselves and gave ourselves a 'hi five' because right before us was our solved problems. We were gay and ecstatic; happy was not the right word for what we felt that night.
After the tears session, they all left and we once again headed home after the principal had profusely thanked Dr. Tanimowo and offered him a cheque of fifty thousand naira which he vehemently refused. He had said that the principal should use the money to set up a counselling clinic as he had described in the manual he left with him (the principal). He said also that we, Rotimi and I, are his boys and we are not rich enough to pay for his services, so taking the money, to him, is like collecting money from his poor students. He, however, told the principal to feel free to call on him for consultancy services and training for the counsellor who the school will employ and he jokingly added that by then, he would 'charge' the school for the service. He then rounded off by saying that the standard he had set in the school, should not allow to fall and any parent who needed his help should be given his number to call him anytime, anywhere.
With that we left the school and happily went back to Shola's house who stuck to my side like a leech calling me her life's saviour.
She prepared a dinner of rice and stew- which was very palatable, even better than 'Dara's cooking of same- with ice cold bottles of J&W sparkling non-alcoholic wine.
By ten p.m, we sent Dr to bed because he has a nine o'clock flight to catch and has to drop his brother's car at home. After the headlines, we all slept like babies till the cockcrow woke us.
We left Shola's house by 7:30a.m and headed to Dr's brother's house. We dropped the Camry and got a cab which took us to the local wing of the MMA. After he had checked in and his flight confirmed, we all thanked him immensely and chatted till his flight was announced and we waved him goodbye with tears in our eyes promising to call him in about two hours when we were sure his plane would have landed safely.
On the way home, Shola dialled a number..
At 7:05 a.m, we stepped out of the house after convincing Dr to leave his brother's car at home. We trekked and chatted all the way to school asking if he slept at all. Shola said that she too had wondered because she had thought that we would all get to school late but she was surprised when Dr knocked on her door at six already dressed and asking for a spare toothbrush. We all laughed but he said it wasn't his fault because life as an academic usually robbed him of sleep once in a while till he got used to it. All our conversation that morning was in pidgin.
We got to school and headed for his office but it was from the gate that we noticed lots of cars parked. Parents were around. The principal came in some minutes after us and told the Dr that parents had come to see him and thank him for the spontaneous changes noticed in their wards under twenty four hours. He told the principal to gather them all in the school hall for a brief session before the assembly.
The brief session lasted an hour and all the parents who were there never remained the same. They all got imparted one way or the other.
After they left, Dr. Tanimowo attended to the students I sent home the previous day before attending to any other person. His rule was 'first come first served.'
He then requested the presence of the remaining of Shola's casualties. Folake and Ronke, then Kunle, Remi, and Dolapo. He spent an hour each with them and at the end of the sessions like those before them, their eyes and faces told the tale of what went on in the office.
He attended to other students who kept trooping in in their multitudes. I still think till date that the advice and attention he gave them that day made the students come as they did. He was nothing but a father and a mentor.
He ended the day that friday around eight p.m. The school generator had to be put on because some students had left earlier to call their parents at his request. Also, he had told all Shola's victims to stay behind till he finished. What he wanted to do he never told us till everyone had left and it remained them (Shola's victims) and Rotimi and I. There in front of his office, he told Shola to apologise to them one after the other. Tears flowed again ceaselessly from each of them as they all forgave her and themselves for the kind of life they had lived prior to that day. Rotimi and I looked at ourselves and gave ourselves a 'hi five' because right before us was our solved problems. We were gay and ecstatic; happy was not the right word for what we felt that night.
After the tears session, they all left and we once again headed home after the principal had profusely thanked Dr. Tanimowo and offered him a cheque of fifty thousand naira which he vehemently refused. He had said that the principal should use the money to set up a counselling clinic as he had described in the manual he left with him (the principal). He said also that we, Rotimi and I, are his boys and we are not rich enough to pay for his services, so taking the money, to him, is like collecting money from his poor students. He, however, told the principal to feel free to call on him for consultancy services and training for the counsellor who the school will employ and he jokingly added that by then, he would 'charge' the school for the service. He then rounded off by saying that the standard he had set in the school, should not allow to fall and any parent who needed his help should be given his number to call him anytime, anywhere.
With that we left the school and happily went back to Shola's house who stuck to my side like a leech calling me her life's saviour.
She prepared a dinner of rice and stew- which was very palatable, even better than 'Dara's cooking of same- with ice cold bottles of J&W sparkling non-alcoholic wine.
By ten p.m, we sent Dr to bed because he has a nine o'clock flight to catch and has to drop his brother's car at home. After the headlines, we all slept like babies till the cockcrow woke us.
We left Shola's house by 7:30a.m and headed to Dr's brother's house. We dropped the Camry and got a cab which took us to the local wing of the MMA. After he had checked in and his flight confirmed, we all thanked him immensely and chatted till his flight was announced and we waved him goodbye with tears in our eyes promising to call him in about two hours when we were sure his plane would have landed safely.
On the way home, Shola dialled a number..
© Yettocome™ 2013
Ade's
Chronicle 39
According to Shola, her boyfriend,
Tokunbo, was a cantankerous and aggressive individual whose tenets and view of
life could be said to be warped. She had met him at Oyingbo in his younger
sister's shop. Nike, Shola's former course mate, had taken to selling
provisions at the Oyingbo market immediately after service and her business was
doing fine.
She had happened to be visiting Nike that day, two years before then, when she had met Tokunbo almost beating up his younger sister because she had refused to give him some money he requested for. Shola had played the Good Samaritan and had given him the money to sue for peace. He had collected her number and later called to say thank you and then things had progressed from there till that time.
She described Tokunbo as a fair and handsome young man who was already in his marriageable age, - every girl's dream man- tall, muscular with six packs abs, hairy with a neat goatie and always spotting a clean shaven skull. She had stuck to him because she thought her actions can't leave her if Tokunbo should find out and leave her, hence, she had been putting up with all his ill manners. Tokunbo had read Business Administration and had squandered the capital given to him by his parents to set up the business he had dreamt of owning. After Shola came into his life, she had also set him up twice, the first one going down the drain while the second is now what he is managing with three employees to his name. He deals in electronics and mobile phones at the Alaba market. He adored Shola who in turn had been coping with his deeds till her dream man entered her life, she had said.
She had refused to tell us who her dream man was. She just added that she was fed up with Tokunbo and his antics. He had almost beaten her up on four occasions and all he could say was sorry. She said she had stuck to him because she was getting happiness elsewhere (that was in her pedophilic acts) but now that those had stopped, she needed to take a decision on her life with Tokunbo. She then told us what Dr. Tanimowo had told her the previous night I had eavesdropped on them. She concluded saying that he ought to have proposed to her to show his seriousness but she did not know what had been holding him back and each time she had broached the subject with him, he had always called her a desperate chic, which always hurt her. She prayed that he gets annoyed and breaks up with her after telling him her past action because if he should do otherwise, he would torment her with it all through the rest of their lives together. She said she preferred to be single and free of guilt than living with someone who will torture her to death with extant memories which she was trying to bury.
Rotimi and I had just been looking at her as she talked as if she dropped from heaven. Shola was indeed free. My heart tingled at her prayer. I prayed it was answered and that her dream man come for her. Then I chided myself for the prayer. ''What's your business?'' I had said to myself.
Then she had brought out her phone to call him.
''Hello dear,'' Shola said as she touched the speaker icon on the screen of her Samsung phone.
''Hello ma boo,'' Tokunbo shouted.
It seemed that he was somewhere where he could not hear her properly.
''Where are you?'' She asked.
''I am in the market o but I will soon leave jare. Those boys I told you about complained about the new product I just ordered, so I want to go to those people's office today and complain too.'' He explained.
''And I need to see you o and it is very urgent. Can we see today?'' She asked an obviously wrong question.
''Mba o. We can't see today. Since you said it's urgent, let's meet at my place tomorrow after church service. Is that fine by you?'' Tokunbo offered.
''It's okay. Tomorrow then. Take care of yourself o. And don't do what I won't do.''
''You too take care o. I will do what you won't do o. Cos dem no even born you wella make you try am.'' Tokunbo said jokingly.
''I know say I no fit o. Love you dear.'' Shola said.
''I am at work. I won't reply that sentimental bullshit. You are too romantic. Bye bye jo.'' He said ending the call.
Shola heaved a sigh and gave me a 'didn't I tell you' kind of look. She smiled and shook her head.
''Why are you shaking your head now?''
''Tomorrow won't be holy, Ade, how I wish you guys would go with me.'' she said sounding worried.
''We would go with you, but we would hang around while you go in to meet him.'' Rotimi said and she brightened up.
We got home, freshened up and had another decent meal before hitting the streets in the evening cool air for a stroll that eased off all tensions of the last few weeks totally out of my being. How I loved that cool evening breeze!
Night came and so was dinner. It was eaten, forgotten as we played games.
What Shola had said about Tokunbo seemed to me like a child's play and I never understood what her fears were until the next day after the meeting with Tokunbo.
© Yettocome™ 2013
She had happened to be visiting Nike that day, two years before then, when she had met Tokunbo almost beating up his younger sister because she had refused to give him some money he requested for. Shola had played the Good Samaritan and had given him the money to sue for peace. He had collected her number and later called to say thank you and then things had progressed from there till that time.
She described Tokunbo as a fair and handsome young man who was already in his marriageable age, - every girl's dream man- tall, muscular with six packs abs, hairy with a neat goatie and always spotting a clean shaven skull. She had stuck to him because she thought her actions can't leave her if Tokunbo should find out and leave her, hence, she had been putting up with all his ill manners. Tokunbo had read Business Administration and had squandered the capital given to him by his parents to set up the business he had dreamt of owning. After Shola came into his life, she had also set him up twice, the first one going down the drain while the second is now what he is managing with three employees to his name. He deals in electronics and mobile phones at the Alaba market. He adored Shola who in turn had been coping with his deeds till her dream man entered her life, she had said.
She had refused to tell us who her dream man was. She just added that she was fed up with Tokunbo and his antics. He had almost beaten her up on four occasions and all he could say was sorry. She said she had stuck to him because she was getting happiness elsewhere (that was in her pedophilic acts) but now that those had stopped, she needed to take a decision on her life with Tokunbo. She then told us what Dr. Tanimowo had told her the previous night I had eavesdropped on them. She concluded saying that he ought to have proposed to her to show his seriousness but she did not know what had been holding him back and each time she had broached the subject with him, he had always called her a desperate chic, which always hurt her. She prayed that he gets annoyed and breaks up with her after telling him her past action because if he should do otherwise, he would torment her with it all through the rest of their lives together. She said she preferred to be single and free of guilt than living with someone who will torture her to death with extant memories which she was trying to bury.
Rotimi and I had just been looking at her as she talked as if she dropped from heaven. Shola was indeed free. My heart tingled at her prayer. I prayed it was answered and that her dream man come for her. Then I chided myself for the prayer. ''What's your business?'' I had said to myself.
Then she had brought out her phone to call him.
''Hello dear,'' Shola said as she touched the speaker icon on the screen of her Samsung phone.
''Hello ma boo,'' Tokunbo shouted.
It seemed that he was somewhere where he could not hear her properly.
''Where are you?'' She asked.
''I am in the market o but I will soon leave jare. Those boys I told you about complained about the new product I just ordered, so I want to go to those people's office today and complain too.'' He explained.
''And I need to see you o and it is very urgent. Can we see today?'' She asked an obviously wrong question.
''Mba o. We can't see today. Since you said it's urgent, let's meet at my place tomorrow after church service. Is that fine by you?'' Tokunbo offered.
''It's okay. Tomorrow then. Take care of yourself o. And don't do what I won't do.''
''You too take care o. I will do what you won't do o. Cos dem no even born you wella make you try am.'' Tokunbo said jokingly.
''I know say I no fit o. Love you dear.'' Shola said.
''I am at work. I won't reply that sentimental bullshit. You are too romantic. Bye bye jo.'' He said ending the call.
Shola heaved a sigh and gave me a 'didn't I tell you' kind of look. She smiled and shook her head.
''Why are you shaking your head now?''
''Tomorrow won't be holy, Ade, how I wish you guys would go with me.'' she said sounding worried.
''We would go with you, but we would hang around while you go in to meet him.'' Rotimi said and she brightened up.
We got home, freshened up and had another decent meal before hitting the streets in the evening cool air for a stroll that eased off all tensions of the last few weeks totally out of my being. How I loved that cool evening breeze!
Night came and so was dinner. It was eaten, forgotten as we played games.
What Shola had said about Tokunbo seemed to me like a child's play and I never understood what her fears were until the next day after the meeting with Tokunbo.
© Yettocome™ 2013
Ade's
Chronicle 40
It is Sunday morning and we are not
in a haste to get out of bed. We all eventually met to the sitting room around
ten o'clock. None of us was in a hurry to go anywhere. We had not even brushed
less having a bath. We were really hungry.
The three of us headed to the kitchen and after one hour of cooking and frying amidst bantering and chatting and even backslapping, we came out with boiled plantain and fried eggs with steaming mugs of beverage.
We settled as usual on the rug, in front of the cable teevee and tucked in the food while watching the programmes they had to offer. After eating, we were sweating like Christmas turkeys. We all sprawled there and slept for God-knows-how-long.
We woke up to the loud ringing of a phone. It was Shola's. Tokunbo had called her thrice and she had not picked his calls. Immediately she picked it, she put it on speaker as usual.
''Hello dear,'' She said sleepily.
''Don't dear me, what did we agree on yesterday, you have refused to pick my calls since.'' He complained bitterly without a pause.
''I was sleeping...'' She tried to explain but he cut her short.
''What sort of sleep is that? Did you die? Ah ah! You will burn in a house with that your foolish sleepiness. Your phone's ringing was not enough to wake you abi? And you expect someone to marry a bad sleeper like you. Okay o, you have found a husband o.'' He tongue-lashed her.
''Are you now at home?'' She said after sighing.
''Mba, I am in your house sleeping like you. If you won't come lemme know o. I have places to go.'' He said and ended the call.
Shola looked at us and smiled. Her mind was made up. What sort of a man would not listen to his partner's excuse? Tokunbo was far worse than my friend in terms of anger. While Rotimi will listen to yours before exploding, Tokunbo just blew up without listening to anyone's reasons. Too bad for a man who claims he will get married.
We went to speechlessly after the call to the bathroom to shower and prepare hastily for the journey ahead. By the time we came out to the sitting room, it was well past two in the afternoon.
Shola was looking very cute in the long green dress she wore. Her feet were in a black slippers and she draped a black scarf round her neck. She was just too beautiful. I could not help but stare at her. She caught me staring and smiled, I felt ashamed of myself. To cover up, I complimented her dressing and she said I wasn't looking bad too in my green and black striped tee shirt on my dark blue denim wear. Rotimi and I loved plain materials, we believed that those with drawings or too many writings on them are for touts and exuberant teenagers. Hence we go for plain tee shirts, polo, and round necks. Rotimi on his part looked at us and laughed at us he had also caught me staring at Shola and knew that I was getting more interested in her by the day. I was just being cautious and biding my time before making any move. That day, Rotimi's fiancée would be proud of him in his plain white round neck tee shirt and his black jeans wear on his beloved black moccasin. He dresses better than I do, I give him that.
We stepped out of the house and hailed a taxi which took us to the Ojuelegba residence of Tokunbo. Shola had a car but hated driving and we are still learning to drive hence the need to charter cabs around town. All on the bills of Shola.
She told us to stay in the local cafeteria not too far away from the house as she made her way to the green three storeyed builing which had black gates. The area spoke of the mixed statuses of its residents. Tokunbo's house seemed to be occupied by middle income earners and the rich ones who are waiting for their houses to be completed.
We had been at the cafeteria for close to two and half hours and counting nursing our second bottle of malt drink when Shola came out of the house eyes puffed and nose bleeding. Hot on her heels was the guy I believed to be her Tokunbo shouting at the top of his voice for her to wait and receive more beatings. The neighbours were restraining him and he was shouting to be allowed to deal with her the more. He shouted obscenities at her and exposed as much of what she had just told him as possible.
I stood up from my seat, headed towards her, walked past her and cleared the crowd. I met with Tokunbo held his shirt and gave him a head butt on his nose. We were separated but I left him with a cut mouth and bloodied face and a lesson not to beat up a woman again in his life. The bastard could not fight his fellow man.
I rebuffed all those holding me, joined Shola and Rotimi at the cafeteria. By then, people had gathered to know what happened but I told the crying Shola not to utter a word. Her wounds were cleaned at a nearby pharmacy where the idiotic Tokunbo lay as one who had had an Okada accident. I never looked at him twice as people pointed at me some saying he deserved it and others hailing me.
We got another cab and headed home...
© Yettocome™ 2013
The three of us headed to the kitchen and after one hour of cooking and frying amidst bantering and chatting and even backslapping, we came out with boiled plantain and fried eggs with steaming mugs of beverage.
We settled as usual on the rug, in front of the cable teevee and tucked in the food while watching the programmes they had to offer. After eating, we were sweating like Christmas turkeys. We all sprawled there and slept for God-knows-how-long.
We woke up to the loud ringing of a phone. It was Shola's. Tokunbo had called her thrice and she had not picked his calls. Immediately she picked it, she put it on speaker as usual.
''Hello dear,'' She said sleepily.
''Don't dear me, what did we agree on yesterday, you have refused to pick my calls since.'' He complained bitterly without a pause.
''I was sleeping...'' She tried to explain but he cut her short.
''What sort of sleep is that? Did you die? Ah ah! You will burn in a house with that your foolish sleepiness. Your phone's ringing was not enough to wake you abi? And you expect someone to marry a bad sleeper like you. Okay o, you have found a husband o.'' He tongue-lashed her.
''Are you now at home?'' She said after sighing.
''Mba, I am in your house sleeping like you. If you won't come lemme know o. I have places to go.'' He said and ended the call.
Shola looked at us and smiled. Her mind was made up. What sort of a man would not listen to his partner's excuse? Tokunbo was far worse than my friend in terms of anger. While Rotimi will listen to yours before exploding, Tokunbo just blew up without listening to anyone's reasons. Too bad for a man who claims he will get married.
We went to speechlessly after the call to the bathroom to shower and prepare hastily for the journey ahead. By the time we came out to the sitting room, it was well past two in the afternoon.
Shola was looking very cute in the long green dress she wore. Her feet were in a black slippers and she draped a black scarf round her neck. She was just too beautiful. I could not help but stare at her. She caught me staring and smiled, I felt ashamed of myself. To cover up, I complimented her dressing and she said I wasn't looking bad too in my green and black striped tee shirt on my dark blue denim wear. Rotimi and I loved plain materials, we believed that those with drawings or too many writings on them are for touts and exuberant teenagers. Hence we go for plain tee shirts, polo, and round necks. Rotimi on his part looked at us and laughed at us he had also caught me staring at Shola and knew that I was getting more interested in her by the day. I was just being cautious and biding my time before making any move. That day, Rotimi's fiancée would be proud of him in his plain white round neck tee shirt and his black jeans wear on his beloved black moccasin. He dresses better than I do, I give him that.
We stepped out of the house and hailed a taxi which took us to the Ojuelegba residence of Tokunbo. Shola had a car but hated driving and we are still learning to drive hence the need to charter cabs around town. All on the bills of Shola.
She told us to stay in the local cafeteria not too far away from the house as she made her way to the green three storeyed builing which had black gates. The area spoke of the mixed statuses of its residents. Tokunbo's house seemed to be occupied by middle income earners and the rich ones who are waiting for their houses to be completed.
We had been at the cafeteria for close to two and half hours and counting nursing our second bottle of malt drink when Shola came out of the house eyes puffed and nose bleeding. Hot on her heels was the guy I believed to be her Tokunbo shouting at the top of his voice for her to wait and receive more beatings. The neighbours were restraining him and he was shouting to be allowed to deal with her the more. He shouted obscenities at her and exposed as much of what she had just told him as possible.
I stood up from my seat, headed towards her, walked past her and cleared the crowd. I met with Tokunbo held his shirt and gave him a head butt on his nose. We were separated but I left him with a cut mouth and bloodied face and a lesson not to beat up a woman again in his life. The bastard could not fight his fellow man.
I rebuffed all those holding me, joined Shola and Rotimi at the cafeteria. By then, people had gathered to know what happened but I told the crying Shola not to utter a word. Her wounds were cleaned at a nearby pharmacy where the idiotic Tokunbo lay as one who had had an Okada accident. I never looked at him twice as people pointed at me some saying he deserved it and others hailing me.
We got another cab and headed home...
© Yettocome™ 2013
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