Sometimes, unnecessary stress makes someone add unnecessary
weight. . . such was the dilemma I found myself in. Everything
about me had changed. It was like I have lost the two most
important persons to me. . . No sex in three weeks; so very unusual.
I seemed to have already lost interest in life; couldn’t find savour in
anything. . . I became unexplainably depressed since that encounter
with Jide at the hospital. I have grown to love him but we just
kept dripping apart. Amaka on the other hand is where she is and
they were like all I ever have left.
I decided to take a break from my pity party situation. Haven’t
stepped out in two days, all I had been doing was running hot bath;
my favourite hobby in the world, feeding on anything calories, lying
on the bed, listening to Dido’s “Life for rent” on repeat. . . Crazy
things women do.
It was as if the PHCN had known I was gonna be like this for two
days; the light was unbelievable stable but I was tired of being
unnecessarily miserable when the life around me was going on. I
haven’t even visited Amaka in two days and I’m sure it’s either
she is terribly mad at me or crazily worried for me. Jide didn’t even
buzz my phone at all in two days. How would I even know if he did;
this one that I have switched off my phone for two days. . . I am
sure he never tried.
I was so mad at myself for falling for Jide which was so unlike me
and really, I need to stop beating myself over it. Shutting myself
out of the world, not worrying about Amaka and becoming
unexplainably depressed wasn’t a good way to go about it. I should
learn to move on. I encouraged myself to rise up from the bed. . .
brushed my teeth, splashed water on my beautiful face which never
tasted water in two days, ran my hands through my soft hair, tied
it into a bun, take two glasses of water, changed from my night
wear which I’m sure must be having a foul smell by now; I put on
a black tank top and a black silk stretchy leggings, with my headset
on my head, I opened the door, shut the house and left for April
Government College.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Running through the lawns of April Government College had become
an habit whenever I needed to get in shape. I do a little running,
walking and then jogging. Most times, I don’t do it just for the
weight but also, it’s my way of shedding off weighty thoughts. Let’s
just say, the school lawn was my quiet room. It has a seat that can
accommodate at least three people at a time. The seat also swings
up and down; the kind of seat you find at an amusement park or
lovers’ lawn.
April Government College was a 15km walk down from our house.
The school is very beautiful; the track field was open to the street;
people can see it from afar even while in the taxi. You appreciate
the beauty of the school more from a far view. Eliza also attended
that school. The students are brilliant and sometimes you find it so
hard to believe that’s a school funded by the government. It’s a one
of its kind.
I sat on the seat for like 30minutes. The seat gives comfort and
succour. It’s so sweet and relaxing; the swinging makes it feel as if
I was in a totally different world and nothing around me was falling
apart. I slammed on my headset with Sia’s “Chandelier” playing and
I was humming to it. I remembered the past; both the beautiful
and the ugly but the ugly reminisce carried the 90% of my
thoughts. Life hasn’t been fair but there were sweet moments. I
remembered running through the streets of Mafoluku with my
panties on amidst my peers. The memory brought smiles on my face. .
. I remembered St. Anne Catholic Church; there I had once served
as an altar assistant; they called it servers. I remembered selling
‘dankwa’ which fed and pay for my fees through primaries one to
five. . . When ‘dankwa’ failed, I resorted to selling ‘moi-moi’ and
‘koko’ (a not-too-watery version of pap) to see myself through
Secondary school. I resorted to prostitution when I didn’t make my
WAEC and I have to do external exams like NECO and WAEC GCE.
. . Ever since then, I never stopped.
Sex to me was like shielding oneself from taking the cucumber fruit
all because some people don’t like it and then you don’t like it and
all of a sudden, you tasted an iced cucumber; an experience you
never want to stop having. It might not have a definite taste but it
has its benefits. I was 20 when I wrote JAMB; I graduated at
the age of 25, went to Law School. . . Approximately, I have been
having consistent sex for 7 years now. . .
I was tired of reminiscing things I wasn’t proud of but hardly do I
regret any of those things. . . I wish I had other choices but I
didn’t. I want to be more than the situation around me could dictate
but the question was ‘did I really achieve the way I wanted?’
I ran through the track field of April G. C. over and over for six
times consecutively with my headset replaying Common ft. John
Legend’s “Glory” with so much heaviness and heaves of sadness all
over me. . . the song kinda gives me hope.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Two hours was all I needed to make the house look so pleasant to
the eyes. Somewhere within me, I felt lively, everything seems back
to normal and the aura of hope flushed through my petite face. . .
I had a cool bath and it was so refreshing that I was like ‘what
the hell have I been doing to myself for two days?’
Not knowing what to wear, I slipped into a black jumpsuit. Black is
my favourite colour. I slipped my legs into a flat black Noble Igwe-
like sandal; with a rolex wristwatch and my stud earrings as
ensembles. I sprayed a little perfume, carried my LV petite bag,
combed my hair into an all back situation, use my favourite lipgloss,
no powder and I dashed out of the house to go check Amaka at
the Police Station. I was really hoping I won’t meet her there or
something or even if I did I hope Sola would have carried out my
orders and make everything easy.
I flagged down a taxi and in less than 15minutes, we were there.
The taxi man was extremely speedy that all I was doing throughout
the ride was a silent prayer. He wasn’t smelling alcohol or looking
depressive but he really doesn’t look alright with the manner with
which he drove the car. I can only hope his issues are resolved
before e go crash passengers for inside canal.
I stepped down and I can see that same Corporal I met the other
day staring deeply at me with his eyes focusing on my boobs like a
boobs-starved man and he just can’t wait to tear my clothes if
possible and start over-flooding his face with it.
“Hello. Good afternoon Officer.” I greeted him.
“Madam, it’s still morning. . .” He said growling at me.
“Officer, take it easy na. I haven’t come here to fight you o abi. . .
Anyways, it’s past twelve already. You should check your wristwatch
*that’s even if it’s working* I murmured to myself.”
“Okay, no vex. . . How you dey now? E don tey wey you come here
o! Your friend don dey worry no be small.”
“Eh ya. How is she? I thought you people would have released her
na.”
“Release kwa? Who we go release? Na here she go rot. That bad-
mouth scatter rubbish type of girl.” He said with so much Igbotic
accent.
“Officer abeg na! That one too much. Which one be she go rot
here? Abeg o!”
“Wetin dey worry you too? You better behave o! You are talking to
a Sergeant. I go just lock you up too.”
“Lol! Officer abeg. No dey overhype yourself. Your wetin dem dey call
am wey dey your fifty shoulder pad reads “Corporal”
“Wetin dey my shoulder? Two red ‘V’ s. . . E no mean anything.
“Exactly my point. You don’t have a rank yet so stop hyping yourself.
. . Can I see my friend now?”
The D. P. O. stepped out. He was a cute handsome young man. I love
a man in uniform but I’m so scared of ending up with one. Biko, I
love myself, e too early to dey alone either by death or by transfer
or by travelling about.
“Corporal!” He screamed!
“Yes Sir!” he replied making their gestural greetings.
“Release that young lady you held hostage. . . Amaka Coker or
what’s her name; she’s available for bail.”
“Oga! Bail?”
“Yes! You heard me and make it as snappy as possible. She mustn’t
spend another night here! Do I make myself clear?” he said with so
much authority.
“Yes, yes sir!” he said stuttering.
I couldn’t contain my laughter.
“Why you dey laugh? You this girl, I go lock you up.”
“Oga, bone! Wetin dey do you sef. . . You no see as you wan pee for
body because of that young man wey come here cos you know say
e fit sack you! Young hot boy o! DPO! No pride but ordinary corporal
like you ehn! . . . Make I just shut up.”
“Sergeant! Come and lock this woman up!”
“Hahahahahahahahaha! Corporal you no go kill me o! Ordinary Corporal
like you wan give Sergeant order. Abeg, speed up the bail before I
scream now o and your DPO will just come out and your own don
done be that!”
He left the counter and went in to return with Amaka! The stupid
girl was just smiling but looking tired; all beaten up by mosquitoes. . .
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