To be honest, I had no idea that today was going to end up the way it did. I just had no idea why Goodness preferred staying at home when he could go out there, do something crazy, get caught and run away until he could no longer run again. Though Goodness never complained, I understood perfectly well that he was a loner like Uncle Max.
Today, I watched as Goodness loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt absent-mindedly as if he was preparing for a big party outside of town. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He acted as if he didn't hear me.
"You are going to a special party?" I asked aloud. I watched as he flinched and moaned like a woman facing her heat period. His eyes refused to meet my eyes. He didn't want to answer me when he was struggling to fix his tie properly. "Look at me, Goodness. Tell me where you are going this evening. I would like to know," I said.
After some time, he muttered. "I am going somewhere."
"I am sorry, Goodness
Today was another Sunday that Uncle Max persuaded me to follow him to church. Of course, I agreed to go with him, hoping that I would find solace in the midst of godly people.The church service was the usual boring long talk of a vicar with the selfish interest to extort money from the congregation by using enchanting words that played bitterly with the heart. I wasn't touched by the vicar's words at all.Offering time came. Godly people formed two to three straight lines and marched in uniform as they walked towards the vicar. I was far behind them, sitting alone in the back seat with folded hands. I was sitting on a pew.Having spent more time talking to Uncle Max who was trying to convince me to ignore all the things I have heard about God, I felt exhausted.In silence, I and Uncle Max sat. For seconds that slowly turned to minutes, I stole glances at a godly woman who passed our pew. She was not adorable in her black skirt and brown shirt
Thinking about two days ago is like opening a pathway to a place that you don't want to be discovered. The approach to the threshold of the imagined building is like plucking nests from trees without a reasonable purpose.For most of the times when I have placed Uncle Max in a difficult situation where he can't do anything but succumb to my will, I feel like I am to be blamed for all of it. Uncle Max can be authoritative sometimes but he respects my decision on a lot of issues. I appreciate him for doing that. I know that I have to do something to make him know that I am grateful for everything he has done for me. But what can I do? Tell me! I am listening!
The first day of the month always brings a special kind of relief. The relief that comes with knowing that you are starting a new month again. February is known for a lot of wonderful things. It has Valentine's day on the fourteenth day. It also debates on whether to extend its days to twenty-nine days or stay twenty-eight days for a while longer. I am going to do something awesome today. I am going to tell you a childhood dream that I had when I was young and played happily in the rain. It is about a flower. A special flower. It is about a Rose flower. A Rose is a red flower with the joy of two or three playful babies. It has a simple birth and a simple death. You plant it and watch it grow; and when your greed is matured enough, you pluck it. Rose was my first love. It happened when I was thirteen, when i sang Christmas songs and kicked every weed that came on my way. Her lovely charm lifted my first year of teenage hood and turned it into an unforgettable fun. Her body was an irre
When Mark Twain said that kindness is the language the dead can hear and the blind can see, I guess he was thinking about something so deep in his mind that he had to express the importance of being human. The necessity of being kind.Today I visited Katy. I choose to miss school because I was sick. I wasn't really sick to the extent where I couldn't move my legs from one place to another. I was just sick to the extent that I was unable to drive my whole body to school.Katy's room was lovely. She had her cylindrical music box turned up to its highest volume as she blasted some trending songs. She smiled as I reminded her of the night we spent together with Delaney. I know she wasn't really happy with Delaney joining us even though she didn't say it.There is something I have been noticing these days and I think it may be true about me. Whenever I am around Katy, I think better because her voice soothes my eardrums and makes me feel alive. But today, even when s
I saw a lot of faces today. Faces that I thought I have not seen in a long time. There were pieces of white chalks all over the class. It was as if someone had bought a whole packet and felt it was best to litter it around the class to prove to our physics teacher that his lessons were no longer worthy to take forty minutes of our time. I am glad that my physics teacher was sick today because I would really hate it if he came to our class only to see it in an unwelcoming state.The school bell rang when it was break-time not recess, because recess is not commonly used in Nigeria just as we call the final year before tertiary institution as the third year of senior secondary school and not the final year of high school as it is said in America and in a lot of parts in Europe.To most of us who gets tired of listening to a man talk about Nigerian politics and its upheaval, break-time to us meant liberation. The short period of time between midday and thirty minutes past
Goodness dropped by in the evening. He brought some of his notebooks along with him. We had discussed earlier at school that we were going to spend time studying together so we could make good grades together as friends."I forgot to ask you at the beginning of school," I said to Goodness. "What was your position in our class last term.""I took the second position. Slightly behind you."I was shocked but I did not show it. "And what was your average?""Ninety-four point two percent. What was your own average?""Ninety-four point three percent," I said. "A little ahead of yours.""I agree with you.""Do you think we could make a perfect score this term?"Goodness stopped what he was doing and faced me. "No! It can't happen.""Why? Anything is possible as long as we work harder than before.""That is not what I am trying to say. This term is the second term of our final year in secondary school. That is true but un
Everywhere was calm. The rain was slowly coming to an end and I felt at peace with myself. It was drizzling slightly as I crossed the busy road with my school bag. It was the second day of the week and the first working day of the week. I placed my hands on my face as I thought of all the work I had to do before the end of today. I had to make sure that all my notes were complete. I had to do my assignments, copy out figures, and draw diagrams for my biology class presentation. Too much work for me!The lady who sold at the largest bookstore close to our school had a sour expression on her face when I arrived."What can I do for you, young man?" She asked."I would like to have some white cardboard paper, a 5B pencil and an eraser," I replied.The lady's child smiled at me as he watched his mother listen to all I had to say before going inside to get what I wanted."This is everything you asked for," the lady said as she dropped the items that I ha
Today is Valentine's day. A day set aside for lovers to express their affections towards one another. I tried looking for someone to have some fun with today but it turns out that there is no single person in this world that is single and willing to mingle that I know."I am going to take Miss Bisi to a special restaurant," Uncle Max said to me in the morning. "Do you want to come with us?""No! I am fine. Thank you for asking anyway. I will just sit at home and watch TV till it is time to sleep.""Are you sure you will be fine?""Yes I will be. Enjoy yourself."