(FINAL)Episode 21
“guy which course them give you” I asked Debo as we rested waiting for our turn while we played football early December - the best period to play football in the tarred road.
“Na further maths oh!” He answered.
“you say wetin?” I heard him in the first place.
"I say further maths"
“Hahahahahaha! How them go give you further maths make you study?”
“why you dey laugh?” Debo wasn’t happy at all.
“You which course them give you?” he asked me.
“mehn me na Biochemistry oh!” I answered.
“aaah! That na correct course na!” He said, ”which school be that?”
“Omoh na OAU oh!”
“That na correct school na!”
“Brother how e go be na?” I asked brother Wale that evening, “how will we do it na? I need to start my registration oh”
“see omo ile iwe, the money for your registration and school fees is not available yet”
“I no dey for that one oh, me I wan go school oh! Shebi you don go school graduate, you no want make I go school” I complained.
“Don’t worry you must go that school! Don’t worry you here? I assure you! even if it will cost me my blood”
“Brother registration has already started oh!”
“when did registration start?” He asked.
“It started two months ago oh! And they have already started lectures”
“Don’t worry, you will start your own registration next week Monday” He assured.
“See your mouth like next week Monday, when today na Friday! How e wan take happen?”
All things are possible to those that believe, they say, I couldn’t even imagine it, not to talk of believing it.
“where did Brother Wale go to this night? Me I can not sleep in this house alone oooh!” I sat outside with mosquitoes as my company.
I thought I heard someone entered the house late at night, or was I dreaming?
“shift for me let me sleep!” The person was brother Wale.
Where on earth was he coming from at such dead hours of the night? I asked myself. His recent friendship with Brother Luku and Brother Red loaf saw him coming home late every night. What was the three of them up to? What? I promised myself I would find out.
“Wake up lazy boy!” Brother Wale woke me up early the following morning with a loud slap.
“Brother I have finished secondary school na” Incase he needed me said more.
“I want us to talk!” He said.
Since the death of Baami and Maami, Brother Wale and I haven’t had a tete a tete and talked like the real men we were. I had wanted to talk with him all the time but he would prefer his knuckles talked with my head as to a knock.
“Now listen to me attentively, listen very well” He noted.
“Ok Brother! I hope there is no problem?” I sat on the bed by his side.
“there is no problem, in fact there is good news!”
“Eheeen! Will I be resuming on Monday as you promised?” I couldn’t wait to hear the good news.
“Yes you will not only be resuming on Monday, you will not be poor again!” He announced.
“Really! How?”
“Now listen, Luku is dead! I killed him!”
“Wooooo! What!” I jumped up.
“Will you sit down? Sit down?” He yelled at me.
“Brother why na! Why did you kill him?”
He brought out a suitcase from underneath the bed and said; “I killed him because I want to have this money alone, i did it for you”
For the past few weeks I came to realize Brother Wale was real good friends with Red loaf and Luku; I mean very very good friends. I also realized there was one part of the house Brother Wale refused me sweeping every morning; under the bed.
“Come and see money!” He beckoned.
“wwoooooooa! Owo oooooooh!” My both hands was at the back of my head fidgeting.
“Ssshhhhhhh!”
“This is three million naira, take it! It’s yours” He offered.
“How brother?” I moved back.
“Will you take it!!” He yelled.
“But its not my money na!”
“take it! Its yours now! You will be using it for your school”
“Brother!”
“Seyi take this money, pack your bags, leave this house, go to a far place maybe Osun state where your school is, start life afresh” He handed the suit case to me.
“But brother why? Why did you join Luku and Red loaf to rob?”
“Forget about that one now and do I as I say”
“But if I leave what about you? Where will you go to?"
“Don’t worry about me! there comes a time in a man's life when he has to carry his cross alone, if anybody asks you about me give them this! Tell them I was a soldier that died in an already won battle” He handed over a sheet of paper to me.
I opened the sheet of paper, and it read:
IN THE EVENT OF MY DEMISE
In the event of my demise, in case I don’t see tomorrow
In case I go to see the creator
In case I die
Tell the world I won so many wars,
Tell them I was a drum major for justice,
I am legend.
In the event of my demise,
Tell the world I fell in love with death,
Tell them I lived my life to the fullest,
Tell them I couldn’t see tomorrow,
I am legend and I will always be.
And to my love ones alive; two of you,
You are the best
I love you like I love myself,
If somebody ask you both who I was, say that I was a trailblazer
Don’t you tell them I had a degree in English language, that’s not important,
Don’t you tell them I was a poor boy living in leaking house with my younger brother, that’s not important.
Don’t tell them I did so many bad things, that’s not important.
I want you tell them that I lived a committed life for others.
In the event of my demise.
“Oooh Brother Wale!” I soaked the paper with my tears.
“In fact I don’t want you to go with any luggage so no one will suspect, i have put the money in this Ghana must go bag, Go! Go! Go!”