Sing Of A Tree In The Wild

Worth Fighting For?

20:33

Dennis

Whenever I get home after a bad day, I either listen to music or watch television, or both. Ironically, I can do neither today. The songs on my playlist are now tiring to listen to. As for television, the rest of my family are encamped in front of the television, watching Zee World. I wouldn’t mention this if the cable T.V connection in my room was working.

And you heard this from me first: Zee World is the worst thing to ever happen to DSTv since Telemundo.

What my mum and sister see in it, I do not know. To make things worse, my father has mysteriously taken interest, thanks to the combined efforts of my two least-favourite people in the world right now.

Play FIFA?

That has gotten tiring as well. In fact, everything has become tiring for me at the moment, including life. For a second, I had my life together. I was a star player in the football team, a fundamental part of a golden generation of players. The next second, I’m disgraced out of the team thanks to the combined efforts of my loving family and a girl who just had to break my heart in front of this same family, on the day of an all-important match.

If I’m ever going to make it back to the team, I might have to forget about her for a much longer period.

But that would just render the past two months a waste.

Come to think of it, why would I sacrifice something I’ve devoted almost two years of my life to for something that has lasted for just two months? Cutting her off wouldn’t be fair of me, considering how she’s already opened up to me and given me her trust. If I choose her over the team, I’ll lose on both ends because I’d have basically given up on something I could have returned to, to fight for the heart of a girl who doesn’t feel the same.

Who also doesn’t believe in love or anything related to love.

And yeah, I’ll be the laughing stock of the school. I’ll be known as Dennis Asiegbu, the boy who got used and dumped by two girls in four months. If I chose the team, everything will get back to normal, the way it was before February 21 – at the expense of a wonderful friendship.

This is one of the hardest choices I’ll ever make in my life.

The vibration on my bed has brought me back to reality. Funny enough, it’s Elfrida. This is where I make my decision. This is where it begins.

“You made the past two months of my life memorable, but I’m sorry. I have to do this.” I cut the call and switch off the phone before tossing it back to the bed, my heart beating wildly. Taking a deep breath, I step out of my room to get some things downstairs.

“Arti is not that beautiful, Amarachi. She’s just there.”

“Who else could they have chosen for Married Again? She’s pretty! She and Yash make an adorable couple.”

“And Ishita is an equally good antagonist.”

I pass by the living room, overhearing a discussion between my mum and Amarachi concerning some of the series' characters.

If only they knew you existed.

Funny enough, that’s what they’d tell me if they saw me yelling over a football match. I get to the fridge, where I extract a bottle of unfinished Sprite and a pack of Oreo. I’ve almost successfully passed by the family unnoticed before my witch of a mother singles me out of obscurity.

“Dennis! You couldn’t even greet any of us.” She stands up. “What are you going to do with those things you’re holding?”

I’m going to eat them, apparently.