The Preacher Son

Episode 22

When bell for closing was rung an unusual fear came upon me, maybe due to the fear of the big boy who collected beatings x5 and treathened me.

‘Solo abeg escourt me go house make i dey tell you one action film i watch yestaday’
‘I no wan follow long cut, my mama go quarrel me’

Everybody was avoiding me as the school closed because they were all afraid of the big boy threat.
I waited till everybody and left thinking the boy had also gone home, i started strolling home and then i sighted him running to my direction and i took to my heels.

He was using speed of ferrari sport car while i was using speed of 504car, my intention was to run to my phe aunty’s place but he caught up with me and gave me a slap that got my ears vibrating on jingle bells rhythm.

I then change my approach to diplomatic method.
‘Bros why you slap me na’
‘ow you think that you can make senior too flog me and go free’
‘but you say you like cane na thats why i was testing you’
‘you dey mad, so na me dey like cane abi, or you sef no like cane’
‘Ok sorry abeg na play i been the play, ok wetin you want make i do now’ i pleaded
‘You go the call me baba from now on’
‘As if he was not baba’ i said in my mind. Ok you be baba from now on, i shouted.
So he left me and i got home, ate and quickly ran outside to play my football with chokolo and co. My dad rule then was never allow 6pm to meet you outside and you must bath after coming back from the field.
When i got home that evening, i saw a bowl of nunu(that milky substance fulani women carry on their head around, its made from cow milk) on the table. I wanted to go but one mind said test am small na.

‘No dont test am, no be your own’
‘Abeg joor who dey house, just drink small’
‘If you drink am and them catch you, you go chop koboko today’
‘Just taste am, nobody go know’, i followed the second voice.

What i did not know was that my mother younger sister was watching me in a hidden corner, i quickly drank two spoon and ran away, she came out and drank it till it was almost finished and also covered it without me knowing.
When my dad came back he told me to go and bring the bowl so that he can drink, the second voice was saying you see if say you no drink nobody for give you.

The bowl seem lighter but i did care, when i dropped it and opened it lo and behold the nunu had automatically reduced itself drastically.
‘Who drank this nunu?, my father shouted.
I started thinking if as i was drinking i had a second mouth which was drinking from the other end.

‘I drank only two spoon daddy’ i stood shaking.

‘So who was with you at home when you drank the two spoons’
‘Na devil o,’ i screamed blaming that innocent spirit.

‘So you have started walking with the devil eh, i would beat that devil from your side’
He pounced on me while i tried running and jumping chairs, i wanted asking him if i was the devil because he was beating me instead of the devil.

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‘koko that nunu sweet o’ i hid behind the door hearing everything my aunty was telling my elder sister.

‘You bad o, you come make daddy to dey beat uduak anyhow’.

‘So this people think say them fit decieve my brain abi, so them make me to collect beatings for nothing’ i taught.

There was no way i could go and report them because i already took their beatings but i knew the right thing to do to them in my own small mind.

I went into my aunty’s room and packed all her clothes and took it to the kitchen, i was not seeing where i was going i just kept walking and when i my leg hit a rubber of water i dumped the cloths inside and went my way smiling, part one accomplished.

I then prepare a garri solution and stored two big pepper inside and went outside as if i wanted to drink it.

‘Who send you to put garri’ my aunty asked.
‘Nobody’ i replied like a better pikin.
‘Oya bring it here and go and sleep’.
I brought it to them with my heart rejoicing that my plan was going acco
rding to plan. I left and ran to my room window to watch the super show.