A story written by BukkyDan
(
[email protected])
… I shifted uncomfortably in my
seat, took a quick
glance round the classroom-
everybody seems to
interested in what the teacher
was scribbling on the black board.
I summed Madame Diallo with a
look, I couldn’t
help smiling at her fat legs…
“Le langue Francaise… Repeat
after me.” madame Diallo began.
“Le langue francaise!” the whole
class throated.
I hissed quitely, do we have to
say this? We’re in
J.S.S.3 for crying out loud! Besides, why do we
have learn french this hot
afternoon? I am a
Nigerian! A Yoruba for that
matter…
“Il ya des ecole, eu du mangue.” the teacher said
again.
“Who can tell us what that
means?” her cat eyes
searched the class.
Bisi stood up, I trust her now- over sabi-sabi. I
hissed again.
“it means, in front of the school,
there is a mango
tree.” bisi said smiling like a
donkey “Clap for her.”
I didn’t clap, i looked out of the
window instead.
“Madame et monsuier Akosua,
il habite poto-poto-
brazaville.” I heard her say. “who can translate that?”
I kept my eyes glued to the
window.
“Teju can you help us out?”
I heard her definitely, me
translate french? Rubbish.
“Tejumola Benson!” she shrilled
I jumped up, pretending to be
startled.
“translate that!” she pointed her
cane at the black board.
“Which one of them?” I
scratched my cornrows.
“Teju!” she scowled.
“Errrm…madame…errn, it
means..erm,mr and mrs..Akosua, have
children….errm…called…erm,
poto-poto and brazaville…” I
stammered.
She stared at me in disbelief.
“Teju!” her eyes almost popped out
“You sitting for your Junior
NECO very soon, and
you can’t translate this?”
I looked away.
“I’m so disappointed!” she added.
That one is your headache, I
wonder if french is a
necessity.
“Sit down, class lets continue.”
Rubbish! I hissed “Bring out you notebooks, and
copy these down.”
Madame Diallo ordered before
she started
scribbling some notes on the
board. I copied the note for copying
sake, i had no
intention of reading it. We
copied and copied
endlessly till a bell rang.
“End of period” Ayo- a fat chubby boy yelled from
outside. We all laughed. Ayo-
the time keeper, we
told each other.
“Lets call it a day, aurevoir”
madame Diallo packed her books.
“Au revoir” we all throated, my
voice at its peak.
The whole class became a
noise den, some of
them even played ten-ten. I watched them all, with
no intention of joining them. I’ve
not eaten since
last night, I don’t have the
strength to play…
“What’s the noise all about?” Eric the headboy
roared.
They didn’t even notice him.
He banged a table loudly.
They all came back to their
senses. “Good afternoon Senior”
“What’s good about the
afternoon? Ehn? Why were
you making such noise?” Eric’s
massive voice
thundered. Nobody replied him
“Who’s the class captain?” he
asked again,
infuriated.
I quickly adjusted my skirt,
tucking in my shirt properly.
“I said where’s the…”
“Sir?” I chirped cutting him
short.
“i want the list of noisemakers
now” he ordered “List?” I wore a puzzled look
“oh so you just watched them
abi? Whats your job?”
he queried.
Na today? ThankGod say I no
join them sef, if not this building for fall- I hissed
within me.
“Are deaf or dumb?” He yelled
at me.
“None of the above.” I replied
with a frown. Some students began to giggle
“oh really? Okay, come out
here.” he ordered.
“go and kneel down under the
sun!” he declared my
punishment. Mo kpe! I thought quitely as I
knelt down. This hot
sun plus kneeling down plus
hunger again? I’m
finished.
I didn’t spend a minute kneeling down when I saw
David the assistant headboy
walking towards me.
I looked away, David was very
popular in the
school, he became the assistant headboy the very
day he stepped his foot into
S.S.S.2. Maybe cos
he’s brilliant or cos his father
was rich- very rich-a
senator. Maybe cos of his looks, he is too beautiful
to be called handsome, those
full eyelashes, the
dimples….
“What are doing here?” David
asked “punishment.” I replied.
“Go back to your class, this sun
is too hot.” He
said quitely.
I stood up, murmurred a
thankyou, and walked quickly to my class, who said
my God isn’t
mercifull..
“stop there!” eric roared from
behind me.
“Who asked you to go back to your class?” he
gnarled.
“I did.” David sauntered
towards us. “Guy free the
girl, this sun is too hot.” David
patted Eric’s shoulder.
“Go to your class” he said to
me.
Oh yea! I felt so fly as I hopped
to me class.
I trudged into our flat, as usual Maria-my step
mother was sitting; crosslegged
in the parlour.
“Ekun le oo” I said trying to
sound cheerful
“Maami good evening.” I greeted her again,
She did not reply, she glued her
eyes to the
television.
That’s your problem, I
shrugged, and walked towards my room.
“Oshi!- Devil!” I heard her say, I
quickly turned to
look at her.
“Aje- witch!” she added again.
I became apprehensive, trouble in the air.
“go and tell your fellow witches
that my head is too
strong for them o” she clapped.
Is this woman okay? I asked
myself, I moved towards my room but stoped
again when something
struck my head from behind.
The sharp pain surged through
my body, I let out
an ear-deafening scream- thats my major talent.
She pulled me roughly, “let me
warn you, if you tell
your father anything, I’l kill you!”
I stood still, staring at her.
“Take your winchy eyes off me jare! Oya go and
fetch water for me.”
“okay, let me pull off my
uniform.”
I moved towards my room,
tears streaming down cheeks.
“which uniform? Go like that
jor!” she pushed me
roughly.
I dashed to the kitchen, picked
a bucket and made for the bore-hole, to prevent
more beating and
insults.
The borehole was about 20
blocks from our flat, I
filled my bucket,and made towards home.
I wished my dad would just
come back, he’s gone
for his so-called ‘business
trips’. If he’d been
around, I wouldn’t fetch water, he made sure we
buy from water vendors.
“Tejumola Benson!” someone
called from behind
me. I turned sharply and saw
Bisi my classmate running towards me.
Here comes the over sabi-sabi,
I rolled my eyes.
“So you fetch water too?” she
asked. I didn’t reply.
“you should have changed from your uniform first
now.” she added.
Over sabi-sabi mind your
business now, I wanted
to tell her.
“Thanks for your concern” I replied with sarcasm
“Its alright” she gave me a
donkey smile. Eeewww!
“Let me help you, I’m going
down the road.” she
collectedd the bucket of water, balanced it on her
head and we walked home.
“Teju, you were funny during
french class, that day,
hmm.” she said.
I simply grunted. “You see this house?” she said
as we walked past
a huge mansion.
“yes”
“shey you know David ko? The
assistant head boy, ehen, the house belongs to his
father, they all live
inside.” Bisi explained.
“Ehhn! Tell me something.” I
said in a gossip like
fashion. “Hmm, you mean you don’t
know? His father has
three wives now, David is the
only son, with about
15 sisters. My dear, each of
them have a well furnished room. You know their
father is a senator”
Bisi rattled on.
“Thanks for the info” I was
sarcastic again. Thank
God she didn’t notice “not atall, if you need any story,
just call me, I
know almost everything.” she
said dropping my
bucket of water right in front of
my house. “Thanks” I wore a plastic smile.
Amebo number 1, I wanted to
tell her
“Hmmn, bye”
I watched her leave before
taking my bucket of water into the house.
“How many hours did it take
you to fetch just a
bucket of water?” Maria
snarled.
I turned the water into a drum and made to walk
past her.
She pushed me and I toppled
over, bashing my
head on the floor, I shrieked in
pain. “Idiot! I will make this house
miserable for you, so
far you and your witches won’t
let me give birth.”
“I didn’t hold your womb, go and
ask the doctor who helped you abort so many
babies when you
were a love peddler in town.” I
blurted out, I was
surprised at myself.
Wow! I’m now grown,not the little girl she used to
molest. 14 yrs no be beans, I’m
not called Tejumola
for nothing.
She stared at me surprised,
hate-pain and anger written all over her face.
“Who did you call a love-
peddler?” she marched
towards me.
I backed away slowly, too slow
enough for her to grab me.
She beat, scratched and pulled
my cornrows. I
begged and begged to no avail.
Sensing she might
kill me, i stopped begging. I held unto her tightly, brought
my mouth close to
her ear and screamed with all
my might.
She quickly released me cos
my scream could make her go deaf, it was
piercing and irritating.
I ran out of the kitchen, into my
room. I quickly
bolted it, locked it with keys.
She banged at my door. “Teju open the door, I’l kill you
today.” she yelled.
“Ashewo kobo kobo no market
today?” I screamed
back at her
she fell silent, I could hear her sob, winchy-wincho!
I hissed.
I examined my injuries, just
then I remembered i
was hungry.
There was no way maami is gonna feed me today,
I will wait till she is asleep, then
I’l steal some
packs of indomie.
Man pikin dey suffer! I told
myself after gulping down three cups of water. To Be Continued…