Asàké

4

Dedicated to: Christopher ayomikun netufo
And
Ebube Daniel igwegbo

“who’s ayomikun” I asked as we reached the house. Adunni laughed and knocked on the gate.

“he's my boyfriend ” she said before screaming ‘baba’, the gateman to open the door.

“boyfriend?” I asked in shock. I was surprised and I didn't get why because teenagers in the village had boyfriends. My friend ayinke even had two.

“yes na, he's in my school, you'll see him on Monday” she said and I nodded. The gate finally opened and baba came to view smiling and showing his space teeth. We walked inside after greeting him.

Boyfriend? How must it feel to have someone that will make you blush at interval. I smiled when I remembered wale whispering good bye to me and how I felt. Chai.

After the ewedu and amala was ready, we wrapped uncle yinka’s amala in a white nylon and dropped it inside a cooler to keep it warm.

He came back tired late at night after we had all eaten. So he quickly ate and went to bed.

While the three children stayed up watching the marathon of spongebob square pant.

---------

We had all woken up pretty early. I was dressed in a black long sleeve shirt adunni had given me to match with a pair of blue jeans I owned.

My black braids in a rubber band as I wore a pair of white socks and a black pair of shoe that my aunt had just bought.

When we had all prepared for school, we had toast bread and a cup of tea. I just took bread and water because the tea would make me throw up.

“gbefun eh o collect, owole owo net, kpakam body too correct”  sensima a song by skiibii rang through the speakers in uncle yinka’s car as he drove us to school.

“ she say she love me, eyan loveth” uncle yinka sang along while rocking his head.

“ahahn, daddy you know the song” adunni asked she sat at the front seat while me and tobi sat at the back.

“ why won't I know the song?...am I not a nigerian” he said his hands tapping on the steering wheel as he drove.

“ but you're old na” she said again and everyone in the car laughed. Somehow I began to get comfortable after laughing.

I watched the streets we drove through as people had already started their day. Children walked to school and adults to their various place of work.

“Adunni drop that tab down” uncle yinka’s voice rang through the air and I turned to see adunni drop a big tab back in the dashboard.

“you touch things that are none of your business ” he said again.

I turned back to the window. We were approaching the school. The school was big. Tall brown walls stood facing each other and in front of us stood a big black gate.

A huge banner stood on top of the gate. Renics international college written on the banner.

The big gate opened after the loud horning from  uncle yinka’s car.

The slim young gateman in a blue overall uniform saluted as we drove in.

“all these gatemen ehn” tobi said with a smile. He was probably happy to be back in school.

We came down from the car and uncle yinka gave each of us 500 naira. He waved us good bye and left.

We stood watching the pupils on the assembly ground marching and screaming “gold is good, silver is good”.

“shey you know where you wrote your entrance exams, in that place you will see the admin office just collect your books and come upstairs”  adunni said with a smile.

“you cannot wait for me ni?” I asked her feeling nervous again.

“ehehehn o” she said and I pouted.

“you nko”  I said to tobi who barely spoke.

“I'll wait for you....in front of the class” he said smiling and I rolled my eyes and walked to the reception.

Four days after I came from ondo, my aunt took me to the school to register and write exams to enter the school and I passed by 78%.

I walked into the room and found the admin office. A young woman sat beside the desk clicking the computer nervously as her glasses kept  slipping down her face.

“yes?” she asked as I moved towards her.

“I'm asake...I'm a ....I'm a new student” I stammered.

“so?” she said and I raised my brows was she possessed or something.

“i came to collect exercise books”  I said again obviously annoyed.

“ walk to that office...the librarian would attend to you” she said not sparing me a glance. I walked to the office she pointed at and met a man there who gave me the notes and I walked away.

I went up the stairs in search of my class. ‘Ss 1 a...ss1 b....ss1 c..ss2 a....ss2 b....ss2 c.’...I called any time I reached a class.

When I reached a class that had to be ss3 I began to pray that tobi was really waiting for me but he wasn't and I almost cursed him.

“yes, are you in my class, young lady” the teacher said and I watched all the heads in the class turn to me.

“yes sir” I said trying to gain confidence

____

Skiibi ft Reekado banks - sensima