The Preacher Son

Episode 25

YEAR:2006
LOCATION: MAKURDI, BENUE STATE
CLASS:JSS 2

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We arrived at Makurdi on a hot afternoon, with our belongings and we went to the church parsonage and packed our loads.

After that we went round the state and saw river Benue, e.t.c.

‘Mehn if Makurdi sweet as it looks i no mind to stay here for ever’ i tot.

We went to our senior pastor’s place and i met his children watching destiny kids vol 1.

‘This old men and women no dey tire to call themselves kids’ i said rather too loudly and then an angelic face turned and look at me, all my hatred for girls melted and could not help but utter ‘wow’.

‘My name is mercy and yours’
‘Uduak’, i said. I later found out that she was only a week younger than me, not bad at all i taught.

Her younger brother’ kolobo’ but kolo for short was a very sturborn boy, as he just saw me the first thing that came out of his mouth was; ‘you sabi play ball’.

‘Yes na, i be okocha sef’ i lied proudly. He was glad somebody had shown up to be friends with because he was the only son his father had.
Kolo was the complete opposite of chokolo(their name rhyme sef), his was slim, with dry legs and he had a big head that could put big show head to shame.

‘Atleast i go fit beat this one’ i thought silently while scrutinizing him. One thing that rhymed with kolo was his sturborness and silly character, maybe he was born in a physcatric hospital which made his mother to give him that name.

He quickly took me downstairs with a football and we started playing like two mad he-goats, after that we went into the church and started teaching me how to play drums.

Back in the church in akwanga any small child that nears the choir stands always goes back with a solid knock but in makurdi the pastor’ children were allowed to do as they wish.

‘Not bad atall for a big place’ i tot.

We went in later and ate and watched that dry destiny kids songs(thou it was fun then because we were following them to sing ‘joy, joy, joy, it was our favourite back then).

We later went to the church for evening services and other stuffs, we gisted and played that night and i also got mercy to start calling me her husband because the rate i read the bible verse that was called in church that day gave me respect and other girls started noticing me.
‘next tomorrow we are going to register you in your new schools’ my dad told us about one week later.

‘I hope is the same school with mercy’ i asked with excitement in my mind.

‘When we go there, you would see’ he answered his normal answer.

I slept with alot of good dreams in my mind and anticipation to start school.

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‘Sir this are my childern’ my father introduced us to the proprietor of the school we were about to enter’.

I remembered him now, he was the same person that my sister was going to his school while i was inside belly. He took us to write a small exam and my dad paid everything and purchased our uniforms; a blue trouser and skirt and a white shirt for i and my sister.

We went home in excitement and we were in a hurry to start schooling again.

On the monday of resumption, my dad took us to the school and i saw as they were trashing some students we passed safely without anybody touching us and went to the vice principal office who was our church member.

My dad left us there and the man took us and showed us to our classes, i, jss2 while my my elder sister jss3. It was because i wrote my common entrance in primary four thats why i followed her in class.

I look around and i saw new faces, some Fulani kids, Tiv boys, Ibo boys, Jukun boys with their dirty uniforms etc.

Then someone bumped into me and i turned to see a fat girl that could give birth to me standing by my side smiling sheepishly at me.

‘Why na every class i dey i go dey see mama and papa inside’ i taught.

‘So whats your name’ she asked smiling with her gap tooted teeth.

‘Am peter’ i said and went to seat in the only vacant desk i saw.

She came and sat wi