Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

chapter 10 : uncle "pep talk"

Life could be cruel at times, you know. That moment when i reached the hall and saw people packing out,I quickly realised I was in a lot of trouble. But I tried to be smart and used my instincts.

I walked past the prep monitor, making it look like I was part of those coming out of the hall.

But of course, unfortunately,I got busted.
Back to my point of life being cruel at times.

"You! Where do you think you are going?". He yelled after me before I could sneak through the back door of the hall. I didn't have a choice, I just had to turn back and ask.

"Are you talking to me, sir?" I asked with the most innocent face ever.

"Yes, you. I know you didn't come for prep today."he said folding his arms.

"Well, sir...". I stammered. What could i say? Maybe something like... 'how did you know,sir?'.

I mean, I once heard gossip from some old students that he had registered the names and faces of all the students in the whole school in his brain.

That's crazy. His brain must be a super computer. I wouldn't want to keep that much information in my brain, for fear that it might burst one day. I hadn't come to believe it yet but what I was seeing now confirmed it little by little.

"So why did you skip prep, Doyin? You are a new student right? I didn't expect you to have adopted the stupid things the old students do so fast".

Yup, what they said was true, he even knew my name! My mind was still blown, and so was my cover.

"Im talking to you!" He hammered.

"She was in the clinic" someone said from behind.

We both looked back and saw the young school nurse that obviously couldn't be anything over seven years older than me.

But this wasn't the first time I was seeing her this night. When I was looking for a class to stay a while ago, I had seen her sitting at the front of the school clinic and had greeted her. She had asked me where I was going and I told her I was searching for a class to stay and read or sleep. She had asked why I wasn't playing with the others or gisting. I told her I didn't feel like. Then, She gave me a slight scolding.

"You know, once in a while, you should try and create beautiful memories with your friends because when you grow older, you would need those memories to warm you up" she had said .

Then she told me to go to the senior classes. I didn't want to hear more quotes from her because firstly, i had no friends at the moment,so I quickly thanked her and left.
I didn't know she would be the one to save me in this moment.

"She had a little cold, so I told her to stay and warm up after I gave her some medicine. I didn't know that time had gone" she said, telling the lie so smoothly that I myself was already believing it, even though I knew so well that I never did any of those things.

Mr Ayodeji looked at me.
"Doyin, this would be your last warning, next time,go to the clinic before the prep starts, do you hear me?".

" Yes sir" I said with relief and turned to thank the nurse for saving me in the middle of that brawl as Mr Ayodeji took his leave.

"Thank you so much ma"

"Please call me Temilade" she replied, smiling.

"I'm not older than you that much, you know, I'm a youth corper and I'm just here to serve, but I try to give certain students comfort in these kind of situations because I know exactly how they feel."

Are you an angel? I said within me.

"That's nice, thanks once again, miss temilade" i said.

"Yeahh, anytime , you should head to your hostel now before you are locked outside, it's already late." she said patting my back.

I ran to my hostel, waving her goodbye.

And that was how I made friends with the school nurse.

*********************

"Uncle Bode!!" My sister screamed and ran to hug our uncle who was standing in front of the school gate. My class teacher had told us to meet him there.
My sister was quite fond of Uncle Bode , maybe because he always provided her art supplies anytime she wanted. I wouldn't blame her though.

I, for one, didn't like him that much, because he talked too much and always made unnecessary remarks.

"Doyin, you won't come and hug your Uncle, you thinkyou're too big abi? I don't blame you, you are even growing as tall as me. Where are you growing to gan?" He said laughing and patting Dara on the head.

I looked at myself and looked at him, who was heavily towering over me with my head reaching his elbow, then I wondered where the lie was.

He extended his hand towards me to give me a warm handshake.

"Thank you for coming uncle, I'll lead you to the vice principal's office" I said, accepting his hand.

"Must you always be so formal and serious?anyways, let's go. I have a meeting after this" he said, looking at his leather wrist watch.

Funny how he thought I was being serious when all I was doing was preventing him from starting one of his pep talks.
He gave Dara some money and sent her back to her class.

"Go and use it to buy puff puff ehn". He said, smiling.

I led him from the gate, through the school's administrative area, to the vice principal's office.

When we got there, we were told to wait till he finished attending to a parent. Without arguing, We sat patiently in the cushioned chairs in the waiting room.

"Doyin," uncle bode called me two minutes later.

"Yes?" I looked to his side.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked.

"Okay," I said reluctantly, sad that I couldn't run away from his pep talks this time.

"Well, I don't really have an idea about what you are about to do. All I know is that I'm to sign an undertaking. But, are you really sure about what you want to do? Have you thought a lot about it? Have you prayed to God about it?" He asked.

I tried to answer those questions in my mind. Well, I had thought a lot about it, even from when I was very young. I was really sure I wanted this more than anything else, but the problem was that I hadn't really prayed about it. I had only thought that if I fought hard enough for it, there would be no problem.

"Uncle bode, I'm really sure about this. There is no problem here. Everything will work out, " I said.

"Are you sure? Because it looks to me like youre out of place".

"It's nothing uncle, i haven't really prayed about it, but i will do so."

He sighed.

"That should always be the first thing to do"

"No matter how out of place things may present, there is one person that knows how everything goes and how everything ends, and that is God. You know that He has your future planned out and his plans for you are perfect, right?". He asked.

"Yes, I do."

"So, whatever you do, as far as you involve him all the way, just know that it's all part of His big, perfect plan for you. You can never go wrong with him by your side".

"Yes, uncle."
I said, suddenly having the feeling that I was on the right path and was completely covered. Anything that was about to happen now won't be out of place again.
"Jesus, I put you in control." I said within me,letting peace was over me like a river.

"You might not get what you want now, but everything would come in place sooner or later, and if whatever you do works out, you shouldn't take it for granted, you hear?" He said.

I gave him a slight nod, smiling.

Looks like his pep talk might have taught me a little lesson for the first time.

"Mr Ojo?". The receptionist called to my uncle.

He looked up.

"You're the next to go in, sir." She said.

He stood up, looked at me, and smiled.

"I'm ready when you are.