STIGMA

CHAPTER 9

Habib was soaked in his blood as he ran all the way home. He ran as far as his legs could carry him hissing and wincing at the pain he was feeling.

Fortunately for him, there was no one at home and he hurried to the bathroom to take a shower. After taking his bath, he packed the blood-stained clothes inside a polythene leather and brought out the first aid box to treat himself.

As soon as he was done, he went out with the polythene leather and took a bike to Damola's house.

When he got there, he narrated every detail to Damola who was shrieking in laughter.

"Why are you laughing? Do you think it's funny? I followed your advice and now I am regretting it", Habib said bitterly.

"You are a big fool!", Damola insulted.

"A girl broke your head and you are looking this pathetic. What do you expect me to do now? Sympathize with you or what? Well, I am not as foolish as you are because no girl can ever do that to me. You are acting like a lady which shows you are not man enough. And besides, you didn't even do what I asked you to do so therefore you are the biggest fool I have ever encountered", Damola said still laughing.

"I couldn't do that. Infact, it was out of anger that I slapped her. I like her so much that it hurts knowing she's hurt right now. I just realized what I did was bad.....very bad of me."

"Idiot! You better leave my house this minute before I bounce on you and don't you dare blame me for anything. You are too foolish for my liking."

"Wait for a second, Dammy do you think she will report me to her parents?", Habib asked raising his head sharply.

"So what?", Damola questioned with irritation.

"They might involve the police", Habib remarked.

"What? Police? Oya come and start going, don't come and pour sand inside my small garri (It's time for you to go, don't use your stupidity tk implicate me). I wonder when you will become sensible", he said pushing Habib out of his one-room apartment.

"Damola don't do this to me. Where do you want me to go now? I can't go back home now because they can easily find me there. Let me just stay here for tonight and I will leave here first thing tomorrow morning. Please", Habib pleaded but Damola was adamant.

"No way, Mr man because right now I need to go and see my new girlfriend."

"That does not stop me from staying here", Habib muttered softly as Damola kept pushing him to the door.

"Ah.....it does, because my babe will be here tonight and we don't want any form of disturbance. So you better leave before I get angry", Damola said and succeeded in pushing him out.

When Habib was outside, Damola slammed the door and locked it from inside. "Stupid boy."

"Damola, this is not fair. God will judge you", Habib said with frustration.

He stood outside for another five minutes with the hope that Damola might have a change of heart. When he was tired of waiting, he started debating on where to go to.

His head was aching badly and he was also hungry. He was about to walk away when he remembered leaving his blood-stained clothes inside Damola's room. He was about to knock on his door when an idea popped up.

"Why bother myself when I can easily implicate this useless boy with the clothes. He claims to be my friend yet he can't help me in my time of need. You will regret doing this to me by the time I am done with you. Idiot", Habib uttered and walked away.