NINE

Ola hadn’t said much to his father, ever since their fallout about Jazzlyn. Neither had he seen him much. He avoided him whenever he got back, by eating in his room and coming only after to wash the dishes. He was cool with his mother though.

Who just simply wanted to talk about anything but that, like how his days went at school, and how he was fitting in. How he did in his first tests.

And Obi.

Conversations revolving back and forth around school and friends was what kept them. His dad never asked those, so they hadn’t said to each other and it soon begun to worry Mary.

Especially these days, that Akin was down with an illness. Olamide wouldn’t know, not that he was any interested. But Akin had spent the last two days at home, in the care of his wife. Malaria was no difficult to diagnose, with the fever and the aches.

So he was an tablets for the next three days, where Mary advised he just stared home, while she took care of him. “You’re getting better” She said, holding up a wet flannel to his forehead. And he let out a soft groan, moving under the sheets.

“I have rice for you now because you can’t take any more vegetables” Mary whispered as she looked to the clock. “Ola would be back soon” She added and she got up the bed. Akin scoffed at the mention of that name, knowing she only said intentionally.

“You should speak to him” She said, dipping the clothing in the bowl of water. “What?” Akin replied and she rolled her eyes. “You’re his father. He’s only a child. He doesn’t know what he says” Mary had a frail point and her husband just turned away.

“He sounded like he did. Telling me i changed” He could remember the argument word for word. And it just made Mary to smile, his pettiness. It was what she fell in love with. And the little pout when he was angry that she was right. She stood, getting the bowl in her hands. “I’ll get your food” She said.

And Akin watched her walk away, knowing deep down he was nothing without this woman. And he couldn’t lose her. He knew he couldn’t lose her.

So he lied, and pretended to be under the weather, anything but tell her what was really going on. The door closed on that thought, and so did his eyes.

The winds rustled in her frizzled hair, Fiyin, as she walked on rocks with an empty bottle in her hands.

“So—“ Ola said, watching her from below. She’d taken him to the back of the school where there were rocks and a puddle of shallow waters. Fiyin turned to him, both her hands in the air for balance.

“So how about Obi?” He needed to ask, and she just let out a sigh from her lips. “What happened to Obi?” She asked, with pretended naivety which caused Ola to roll his eyes. “I haven’t seen you talk with him since i got here” He replied.

And she hopped down from the rocks. “Obi” She echoed. “We grew. Nothing much or hard feelings though. It was one summer we spent apart, not talking and there was just alot to catch up on. So we just fashied it” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Let it go” She rephrased that one word, once she remembered he might not know any Nigerian slang.

“One summer?”

“Yes, one summer break. But we have nothing against each other” She said, purely. “So why didn’t you just make up for lost time—“ She stretched her finger to halt him. “It’s my turn to ask a question now” She said, and he’d forgotten it was a game that even started this conversation in the first place.

“What are you doing here?” She plainly asked and he let out a scoff chuckle. “Here? As in here” Ola whispered. “Nigeria, this school, and here” Fiyin said. “What are you doing back here when everyone wants to flee this place?” She scoffed.

“My parents” Ola said, as if that was enough reason. Her raised eyebrow showed she wanted more but then she realized, that was all he could say. All he wanted to say. She of all people, knew that everyone had their own secrets—

—so she let it go, finally dropping the bottle of drinks on the grounds. For a second, their hands brushed together but they fashied it at the sound of the bell. “I think it’s you that has the fancy friends” Ola suddenly said and she turned to him.

“What?”

“Nothing” He said, realizing it was one of those audible thoughts he had. “It’s just, Obi thought the reason we stopped talking was because i had fancy friends abroad but it’s you really” She didn’t know how to feel about that statement so she just scoffed.

“Anna?” Came the name from his lips. They’d known Anna since primary school. Daughter of a popular local government politician.

“You’re best friends with her now?” He added and she just shrugged. “Not bestfriends per say” She replied him. “But yes i guess” She surprisingly said.

“You changed” Ola whispered and she smiled.

“That doesn’t always have to be in a bad way” She subtly said, taking a step forward. “You did too” Her hands went to the side of his face as she brushed against his skin, and half beard. “You did”

“You did, too” She whispered back and Ola pushed a lump down his throat, at how much close they got. But as she inched closer, the final bell rang and the fearful students plunged past them—

—forcing them to pull away from each other. Fiyin cleared her throat, looking away. “I should” She pointed to where the students where were headed.

“Yeah” They both chorused. “Yeah” And she brushed past him, going up the rocky stairs and leaving him with one more question he wanted to ask. He palmed his face, and followed right behind.

“Where is Obi?” He gritted through his teeth.

His hands met the edge of the sink, the ring on the index finger giving it a clink sound. He faced below the mirror and just let out a deep sigh.

He couldn’t help but just hate today, because it brought back alot of memories that still haunted him. Right from when he was six, he hated this day.

Because it reminded him of his father.

There he was, doing it again, remembering that as much as today was his birthday, it was also the day he lost his father in that plane crash. And then tears welled up in his eyes as he went back into the stall.

The toilet stall where he had spent all lunch and the rest of fifth period. At the sound of the final bell, he couldn’t even bring himself to come out because he looked a mess. God forbid he begun to cry in class or even the hallway again. He didn’t need another reason to get bullied. So his safest bet was here.

Right here, his back against the door of the stall as he muffled in his arms. But just then, the bigger door barged open, the one that led into the toilets.

And there was a thud against the ground like something had fallen, like someone had fallen. The door closed as the steps drew closer to his stall, he could see several feet from underneath.

He just stiffed himself, shifting away so no one could get a glimpse of him. “Shut the fuck up” A voice raged the bathroom as someone stood at the door. Obi just raised his palms to first wipe his eyes, and then cover his lips. It was then, he’d sighted who had fallen to the ground—

—it was who he spent the entire morning looking for. It was Abdul, in the arms of none other than Ayo. He had his fists to his neck, while the others kicked him in his stomach. Obi shut his eyes as it made contact with Abdul’s. He turned away from his burst lips. “Is this what you want?” He yelled.

“Gay ass” He let go of his collar as Abdul fell to the ground with blood next to him. “Come on Ayo, the students are already upstairs” The accomplice said as he backed away, looking around the stall. Obi knew now, more than ever that he had to remain quiet. He knew how it worked around here, and he himself, had been beaten in the bathroom more than once.

By these jerks.

The door opened as they ran out cowardly. Abdul still laid there, before trying to get up on his feet. The last of Ayo’s words still ringing in his ears. It always did for Obi. “Tell anyone about this, and you’re dead” It was always that.

Once the doors had closed, Obi rose to his feet and climbed out of the one stall, rushing to Abdul to help him up. He immediately rushed to the sink to wash out his bruised lips. Obi just had to help—

“I’m sorry” He said, breaking the silence. “Don’t be” Abdul replied back, rinsing his whole face in the water. And then he pulled away from his helper.

“I understand. I have b—“

“No you don’t” Abdul said, in a voice that showed he held a lot of tears back. How couldn’t he? Obi could not even imagine the pain he went through.

Maybe actually he could, because sometimes when they’d kick him like that, it would feel like an organ had burst inside of him. And he’d just lay in that spot, rolling and telling himself that he’ll be fine.

He’d dared not go to the school nurse because that would incite a lot of questions. One day he did, and you could tell what happened after in the hands of Ayo. Now a senior, he’d gotten too used to it.

Used to the pain that most times, he didn’t feel anything. It was not supposed to be, but what could he do? In an alternate universe, maybe he could dare to stand up to him. And get killed, maybe.

But here, he just had to tell himself each time, that in a few months, he’d be out of here. And he’d never have to face Ayo his entire life again. And maybe if he did on the outside, he just might kill him for all the pain and bruises he caused, his entire life. “Abdul” Obi finally said, looking to him.

He had gotten the situation under control as he still had water dripping down his face. “If anyone asks, i’ll tell them i fell” He straightened his posture and walked past Obi. “For how long?” He asked.

“What?” Abdul halted. “How long are you going to lie?” It felt hypocritical that Obi was the one asking that and it made Abdul scoff a little bit. This wasn’t how Obi planned that they’d meet.

Maybe somehow, just like he did, Ayo or someone else had seen him on that app. It was why Obi went under a disguise and a fake name, but Abdul, who seemed a little naive even added his pictures.

There are some level of precautionary measures you’d get used to in Nigeria, and now Abdul had learned the wrong way. He wiped the corner of his lips that still oozed blood. “You ask that?” He said.

And Obi stepped back. “Why didn’t you say anything when he hurt you?” He asked, finally seeing from an another perspective how much hurt those boys caused. “Why don’t you?” Abdul snapped, holding unto the handle of the door.

It was a fair point, to be honest. And Obi couldn’t even say anything as he walked out, closing the door on him. His eyes could only dart to the stain of blood on the floor. “Oh my God” He whispered.

To be continued…