IBIM
Mofe and I were sitting in one corner of the prep hall in the hostel that afternoon. She was busy copying the notes she had missed when she was away in surgery and well, I just didn't copy notes."Floxy, she said something so weird. I think she's abroko, ask Tochi. Guy she was weird...really weird".Mofe dug into her bag of plantain chips and chewed noisily while listening to me talk."I always suspected her but what's her connection with the whole thing sef. See at this point I just want to graduate from Ogan and never step my feet back here", she said."I swear ba... the school is tiring". I said and ran my hand over my face."So what did she say exactly?"."She said that Mina and Malik deserved the cloak and she somehow expected me to know why they deserved it".Our phones buzzed.Mofe looked into her screen, it was a screenshot of a message between two people. Abroko has struck again.<Let's visit our main guy Rhema. RHEMA I kept zooming into the video on my phone pleading the image to change from Malik to someone else, I didn't want to believe he had killed her or had a hand in killing her. We were like siblings, he was always around us and now all of a sudden he killed her? My insides were doing flips. I want to be anywhere but here right now, Chidimma and Sarima are talking on and on about the video giving their theories and I just seated here in denial. "Are you okay?", Sarima asked and that's when I realise them staring at me. "Why?".
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.' -Hele
Maths class was a breeze over, since it's the first day back; Mr. Alestide our calculus teacher just did a revision of last term. "This term is going to be good", he said. "I will be making sure of that". I know he means this term's work but excuse me for thinking he was talking about Lola's death. When the lunch bell rings, everyone starts scampering out of the classroom very noisily, the thing is when one sense dies, the other ones sharpen a lot."We should go", I signed in her direction. I imagined her nod before standing to her feet noisily."Hey, Mofy", Manny's voice was firm and deeper that what I remember from last year. "Happy new year"."Hey, Emmanuel", she replies. She holds my hand and gives it a squeeze.
"Hope is being able to see a light despite all the darkness"
If you live for seventy yearsI hope to live for sixty-nineSo I don't get to feel the sting of your absenceHappy birthday, Best friend.She was found dead on the night of the same day she gave me this. I still keep the card under my pillow, very absurdly it made me feel so close to her."Hey, we need to get to school", Malik's voice was hoarse. "You be dressing up like a female, my Man, you've been at it for twenty minutes".Laughter erupts from my lips. "Says the boy that has a skin care journal"."Guyy, No loud am nau"
IBIMMrs. Yakubu asked us to stay back, I knew that the lawyers where coming but I thought they would at least let us settle down in school first. These Abereyes were not having it anymore."I don't care who goes to jail, I must get to the bottom of this", she said so loud, it was literally booming off the wall of the assembly hall."Lola's Mom is looking at us like she's gonna kill every last one of us", Mofe said."Are you serious?", I signed."Deadass".I wrapped my arms around myself, I remember Lola vaguely, she was the drama girl as Mofe called
The chill of the water hit me and I nearly collapsed, I was tired of hearing the voices, tired of feeling this weight in my heart. I badly want this to end. I'm sorry Lola sorry your death can't be given justice to because I'm such a fucking coward.I turn off the shower, wrap myself in my towel like a cocoon and walk out of the shower stall . No one was there, I was alone no other person was wiling to have a bath today, I guess. I set my toiletries bag on the sink top and get out all the things I need for my hair when I feel a presence behind me. I turn swiftly giving myself a whiplash. Standing there is.... is...."Hello, Ibim".How am I seeing her?"Lola?"
Stab the body and it heals but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime. MINEKO IWASAKIRHEMA