Hell In A Cell- A Tall Tale

When Slugs Challenge Cheetahs

A day before that day…
The primary school headmaster called me into his office.
“What will you do if your mom was to take blood?” he asked standing in akimbo and then walked around his square office.
“It’s her decision Sir, not mine. But my belief is against such and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t.” I said in fear and picked my words gently.
“Your house master had just returned from the hospital and he said she needs blood. So you mean she wouldn’t take blood? Is this how your religion waste lives? Get out of my office. Now!” He shouted pointing at the door.
I took the stairs and headed to the last floor, to my reading room (The exam hall) where I kept my books and bag at a corner, which was where I sat with an open note and textbook at my front. I found it hard to read a word. The tears that dropped from my eyes on the opened textbook magnified the words.
“Why must it be now? My exams are just some days time away and all this has started happening?” I asked myself, I was about slamming my palm on the table when Janet entered.
“Kola hope everything is alright?” She asked, seeing me placing back my hands gently on the table.
“Oh! Yeah! I-I was about killing a fly close to my book.” I adjusted and quickly cleaned my eyes with my blue cardigan.
“Your eyes are reddish, Kola were you crying?”
“Cry? No o, I dosed of while reading, I just woke up” I lied.
She walked towards my reading table and looked at the books on it, she looked around me and then said,
“The fan is On, you don’t have any bottle of water around and how come your books are soaked? How?”
She was then looking into myself, making it hard for me to quickly cook-up another lie.
“I actually…” I was saying,
“You don’t have to lie to me Kola, there is nothing happening that I don’t know, and I know how you would be feeling about it.” She said looking into my eyes and putting her left hand on my shoulder.
“You are the closest friend I have ever had and most times you were my inspiration, you made me feel this whole block that looks like a cell is not but a trial building of which everyone is given scotching test of which they must pass.” She said looking at me eyeball to eyeball by a distance not more than 30 cm between our lips.
“I’m sure you would overcome this, don’t let this bring you down, leave the rest to God. He knows best.”
After she said those words, I couldn’t control my inmost emotion which was pain. I forgot I was a boy. Sorry, a guy as all we male teens all claimed to be, I cried and after a while she gave me a tight hug, letting my tears soak her blouse. She whispered into my ear again,
“It’s all right, give God the chance to change things.”

      Space and time are like a brother that travels like war chariots. Nights were always calm to me as though I had already lost someone. I couldn’t be hypocritical that I was myself. Dinner passed, prep followed, and it was siesta. I tried sleeping early, trying to forget everything and focus and forcefully sleep came.
                                                                      ***
      Four men in black danced as they rested a coffin on their shoulders. Trumpets played burial songs and everyone looked extremely grieved. Grandma held my sisters hands, and they wept seriously, people walking slowly at their back. Aunty Bola was like she was already mad, with people telling her it was enough and begging her to stop rolling on the dusty floor. After a while, I was called to say my farewell on the coffin which was now in an opened grave.
“No! No! This is not real!” I screamed out from my sleep.
                                                                       ***
The previous inter-house sport day…
         Everyone looked adorable in his or her inter-house sport wears. Without any questioning and judging by the texture and quality of the clothes, parents and guests knew it was imported. Students walked all over the field, filled with excitement on their faces.
That day I was going to attempt the long jump, relay race and the football competition finals. Tosin, Fikayo’s elder brother jogged all over the pitch. He was famously known for his streak records when it comes to races. Simi a fair skinny tall boy, who was still looking moody after he gave a junior of his a slap over refusing to date him, he said she suddenly became rude towards him. He was Tosin’s major challenger and he sat at one corner of the pitch, staring at the girl as she walked around smiling with her friends as though nothing happened.
       I was imagining how I was supposed to win all these long-legged athletes in a race, I was nothing compared to them when it comes to physique and height.
       The program started some hours later and the primary school section began with ‘put-the-balls-in-a-basket’, ‘pick-up-the-lime-with-a-spoon’, sack races and other juvenile games. After theirs, the seniors started stretching their legs, knowing quite well that they are next.