Episode 21

I felt rotimi’s knee on my legs and it appeared she wanted me to continue what I had started but I was too scared to do such due to the fear of being caught.

I, Fayose and Rotimi were all laying on the floor and the light of the TV was directly facing us, any attempt for Fayose to stand up would result to me being busted!

I didn’t wanna take that chance so I kept ignoring Rotimi even when she was pricking me.

It went on for sometime until she realised I was no longer interested in the ‘play’ and she eventually went to her mom’s room to sleep.

Few seconds when she left Mrs Rotimi came and switched off the TV and told I and Fayose to go to bed.

We obliged.

The next day my mom and I went home and the rest of the weekend went well.

———————————-
Monday:
I was feeling reluctant to go to school due to the heavy down pour which started at about 6am but mom insisted I’d not miss school due to exams fast approaching.
I got to school at about after 9 and it appeared I was rather early.

My class was half empty maybe probably pupils decided to stay at home due to the heavy down pour. We were about 24+ in primary4 and we sat in pairs. .
On that particular day we were barely upto 14 so our form teacher told us to fill up the seats at the front since most of our pairs were absent.

None of my closest friends were present. Nonso and Tasha were nowhere to be found, Emma (The bully) was also absent. . The only friend in class I was familiar with was Esther and we’ve stopped being close after our fight.

Class went on smoothly.
Few hours later the bell rang for break and the cloud appeared like it never rained, everywhere had suddenly appeared to be bright and clear. I reluctantly came out from the class to watch as pupils play around the ambience of the school.
I hedge my back close to one of the guava tree that was close to our school’s entrance gate thinking about my friends who were absent and what they might be doing at that moment. . Probably playing or watching TV.
My eyes began scanning through the entire school compound realising how much the school was growing quite fast, students scattered in every corner engaged in one activity or another.

My eyes caught a glimpse of Dupe. * Dupe was a class higher than me (P5), obviously the most popular girl in the entire Primary section (I wonder how). . She wasn’t that pretty neither was she very intelligent, but everyone in school knew the girl called ‘Dupe’.
She had lotta friends and all her pairs seemed to be subject to her..

I and Nonso used to think she was a witch. During break girls from various classes usually flocked around her doing what-I-know-not.*

My thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
”Missing your friends?”
I turned by my side to catch a glimpse of who had such a tender voice.
” you’re lonely right?”
I looked straight to the eyes of the person speaking and noticed it was Bisi..

Bisi was a class behind me (P3), she was one of Tasha’s closest friends due to the fact that they lived close to eachother.

.
Me: am not lonely, am fine as I am. What do you want?

*I replied harshly toward Bisi because she once insulted me sometime ago while we were practising for something I can’t remember.

I do remember I was very embarrassed because she insulted me in presence of my entire class mates, juniors were also present. .

And they laughed crap outta me. Ever since then, I’ve always avoided her and she knew we weren’t cool.*

Bisi: I thought you were lonely because Tasha haven’t been in school since last week Friday.
.
Me: Tasha is not my only friend. .
And I don’t really care if she’s in school or not.
.
Bisi: you’re lying, should I tell her what you just said?
.
Me: Go ahead!
by the way.. I told you never to speak to me again, so why are you here?
.
Bisi: but I told you sorry that day, I didn’t mean to call you a b—–d.
.
Me: Just get out . . Do not speak to me every again.

I replied while I attempted to leave

Bisi: wait. . Tasha sent me to give you something.

She replied while holding my hand in attempt to stop me from leaving

Me: c’mon leave me alone! Don’t ever touch my hand again.

I replied while pointing to her face

Bisi: Okay.. am not gonno apologies to you again. . Am only here to hand to you what Tasha brought to my house yesterday to give you . .

Bisi replied while stretching her hand to hand me a paper, seemed to be a letter..

Bisi handed me the letter but I was reluctant to receive it,

I thought she may had been playing a prank on me. But with much persuasion, I yielded.#

”Am serious Leke( Leke was my nickname back then and almost everyone called me that). The letter is from Tasha, she came to my house yesterday evening and instructed I give it to you. . Look here (opening the letter), its her handwriting.” -Bisi assured.

• I took the letter from Bisi and took a glance in order to scan through the handwriting, and it was indeed Tasha’s. *

I was about reading the letter when the bell immediately went off for break-over. . I neatly folded the letter into my pocket and headed immediately straight to my class leaving Bisi behind without saying a word to her.

Class commenced and I was really itchy to know what was in the letter, I thought about courteously reading it in class but the fear of being caught exceeded my thought. So I sensibly took out the letter from my pocket and placed it inside the inner pocket of my bag. I resulted to the ideal that I’d read the letter when I got home.

*The lectures seemed to be taking forever until and I almost leaped for joy when the bell finally rang for closing. I immediately took my bag and bid some of my classmates farewell and zoomed outta the school’s premises.

On my way to the house, I didn’t take the usual cut I followed home cause it appeared the heavy rain that fell earlier on had caused a terrible erosion. So I took Nonso’s root and decided to say hello to him before heading home.

Nonso lived in a fine apartment and they had two gigantic dogs. so any time I went to visit him from school, I’d always shout out his name from his gates.

”Nonso ! Nonso!!!!!!!!!!!!! ” – I shouted severally but no one came out. .

After severally times of calling on Nonso with failed reply, the mom then came out. She greeted me and said she sent Nonso on an errand nearby and asked if I’d like to wait for him, I politely objected and said I’ll be back later during the day.

I had already walked half way from Nonso’s house when I saw him coming out from a little kiosk holding a nylon bag, he immediately alighted me and walked swiftly to where I was.#

” hello Leke, are you coming from my house?”- Nonso.

” yes. I’ve shouting your name and my voice is almost cracked.” – I replied
” my mom sent me to buy onions. how was school?” -Nonso.

”Boring! Non of you came to school.. I was all alone.” -I replied

”the rain was too heavy, so my dad said I should remain at home..

So tell me,,, was Emma in school?” -Nonso.
”No. . The embarrassment from last week is probably too heavy for him to show up anytime soon.” -I replied while I and Nonso laughed.

” I really do hope he never shows up in school ever again.. His own is too much!. . .

Anyway, why don’t we go to my house, I’ve gathered alot of cover bottles, I now have upto three different teams” – Nonso.
back then Nonso and I used the cover of bottles to play a football table game.. What made ours fun was we used paper to wrap the cover bottles and wrote the names of players of different teams on it

”I can’t go back to your house, my mom would be back sooner. . Besides, Tasha sent me something.” – I replied while smiling.
” what did she send you?..” -Nonso asked with a broader smile.

” A letter, and don’t ask me to open it here…. I won’t!” -I replied.
”hold on…. you mean you haven’t opened it? What are you waiting for?! -Nonso flared.
” I don’t want anyone to see it with me, am gonno open it when I get home. . Am leaving now, bye.” – I replied while moving away from him.

” Leke wait na. . Lets read it together.” – Nonso replied while trying to follow me.
” I thought your mom sent you to get something for her, you better go and deliver it now!

I’ll tell you all about the letter tomorrow. .Bye!” -I uttered while I ran from his presence.

I walked home briskly and eventually arrived at my compound. My mom had not arrived from work so I went to the usual place we kept our key..

I got the key, opened the door and immediately dashed my bag on the table to open where I kept the letter.

Lo and behold. . The letter was no where to be found!

‘what?!.. I’m sure I kept it here’ -I thought within myself.
*I scattered the entire bag and searched all the pockets.

I also checked page-by-page of all my books including my uniform pockets.*
I couldn’t find the letter.. .
By this time, anxiety had already gripped me!