The Lovelorn

Chapter 6: Varied in a Jiffy

I had to stay at home all day long after school because my mum had been suspicious of the malaise that revolves over my skull.
  Last Saturday;the eldest of our siblings who happens to be the only one I had lived with in the town where I migrated to study caught me murmuring hatred and swear words with tongue and hand signals. Though my hands were relaxed on my homework which I hadn't ink any blue. It's the same week,the week of my malaise and dramas with Jane,the devil in my veins. He may had thought maybe I had  started to go after these town girls that  flaunts heartbreak like volleyball or maybe I had fought with a fellow or maybe I had problems at school that I  hided or whatever his thoughts may be. I knew that he'd called my mum and that he had told her about my later alters and earlier this morning,my mum had came all the way from the village because of that and had shunned and  warned vivaciously. And warmed the heaven and hell with her eloquent and surmounting voice.
She said " Maybe that's the same reason why I'm no longer retaining the desired performance at school". And I had wondered the times I had ended any session with an undesired result. Fourth and third position, is that poor?. Well. I blamed no one and I don't have to. It's Jane. The devil in my vein. She had sucked my roots and drew all the joy within out of sight and left only chaffs and holes.
  Toast? How on earth?, where on earth will I had summoned the efficacy to stand before her and...,and say a word. I never toasted any girl throughout my whole life,till I have grown to this extend,I can swear to it. That I'm sure of. Maybe my childhood Pentecostal believes that were inflicted in us by our parents triggers that but I'm sure I hadn't. I know that I can't conscious be on my toes affront a girl and utter a word,I may try it tomorrow but now  and the  previous,it had been so. That the concentration of my shyness. And that makes my mind to bleed and lost the more because all these happens like a trance. But it's fine.
   
Some weeks had gone and within those weeks,I had been at peace. Yes, and my mind had been vivacious. Jane's awkward attitudes seems to be varying. But I chose not to care a dou. But I can feel it and it's so. Sometimes she had came to me and request for my novel,if I should borrow her;I will nod and give to her. Another time she had came looking for pen; I don't like saying no and I rather keep mute or nothing, I will had gave my pen to her too. Sometimes I did peep at her and had caught her glaring at me and I threw off my eyes as agile as I could be.  Like a whirlwind. And we did that continuously. Sometimes I had tried to forget those dark nuts on my head  but the words won't stop haunting me. "I hate you" how's that? How can someone hates another that she doesn't even knew. Though I think that's genuine hatred, and I thanked her for being honest. She hates me,yeah. I hates her too. That's it and that's how it should be.
     At the point, I saw the close door  opened slightly and widely. It's our English teacher, Aunty Leah. She's in her best today, I thought.
She wore a black skirt with fitting black silver glass like heeled shoe and black long sleeve with Gucci label at the chest length. She appeared prettier today with her sturdy waist and soft big chin that held her average height upright. She  smiled at me and I saw her teeth,it's shined like a sparked lighting on fixed wires silvery. I  wanted to wish her to had been my mother but that's just an infants wishes. But wishes ain't horses.
    "Everyone gather here", She ordered and the   whole class B and A joined us and the classroom had no more space for an ant to breath. That's how the does it at times. When we have only one teacher in dealing on a subject. And now we has only Aunty Leah as the English for JSS 3 and she do gathers the three classes together to teach a topic at once instead of moving from this class to another. And that ways,it lessen the stresses and emphasis.
  She had asked for a chair and I had gave out mine and stood on my toes.
  " Now our readings today happens to be a dialogue so you have to merge yourselves in twos. I'm I understand ". Everyone accepted with a  of " Yes ma and tumults heeded.".  She sent Jane out  to get her something I could figure out and she ordered everyone to be quiet and the order was taken immediately.  She's already a friend to Jane I think, maybe because she'd been the most eloquent English speaker in the class and also had it as her first language. I recalled when she had a background discussion with Laurette, her best friend and she had stated that she grew up in an English speaking areas.
  I sat on my chair,balanced and cheerful. I knew that I'm the best reader in the class and all the students knows that too and they had been disputing  for who'll go with me. I only glare. And that's what I can only do. Anyone is fine with me,as much as that person can read and cooperate. Cooperate,that's my first factor of consideration. Yeah.
I glared at a dark girl at my left hand side. It's Jeni. Jeni's also good. She reads perfect but she do respects me too. Also another girl at class A who always bear a beaming and cheerful face. She happened to be the only girl I had admired in the whole class but It's only hided within me. I hadn't and I won't dare to  spit it out. And they were also grudging for who would go  with her till everyone quietened on Aunty Leah's bark.
Ned's already with me and everything had been set. Aunty Leah rose to write the subject on the whiteboard. She wrote  "ENGLISH STUDIES" at the center of the top lines of the board and at the right ,she wrote "9/5/2017". And she turned again.
" Okay, let's start; who and who will hit the first rod". She asked glaring at the students who were pointing at me and Ned. And Ned shrieked and I understood the feeling. He wasn't happy with it but there's nothing he can do,it has to be so and I loved it so. I studied the words,it's a drama made up of ten Characters. I chose Tobe's role . A king's guard who had went in search of the prince who was said to have left to hunt in the forest. And he saw a ghost who threatened to end him if he ever step his foot in the forest again to search for the prince. And he ran back and spread it to the king and his cabinets.
    Jane banged in immediately with two makers in her right hand. And aunty Leah appraised her and asked her to chose a partner and the hard inquired if there's anyone free and the class was quiet ,and the quietness had gave her the answer. She wanted to fill something on the board and Jane interrupted "But I chose to stay with Daniel" and she held her like that of a pampered baby that  had been apologized for the offence she committed. It wired me like electric. And my soul asked 'what?' And I know I don't have an answer to that. Though I hadn't looked up at the whole processes. I acted like I knew nothing and have heard nought. Leah looked at her and pointed at Ned in a way that utters ' Can't you see that this one's with him?'. Then I tried to throw a sharp glance which I did and she looked at me with the same face a last born used to beg her mother for meal or maybe for bread or money or even sweet licks.
Aunty Leah caught us but she termed it as nought ,the same way I did too. But I knew that Jane's serious. I saw the signals of meanness. She wanted something and what she  wanted,I don't know.
She stepped aside and only glare.
   After we were done we were done with the readings, and when Aunty had went out.   As usual, the boys played football, and throw balls and did hide and seek or had contested for the most muscular. The girls played whot and picked out boys in a sketch on a book and danced too.
I felt a tap on my back.
"Lets recite those drama" ,I heard and I knew the voice. It's her.  I glared at my back and I did asked "what?" as if I hadn't heard the first statement and she repeated the sentence and clearer too. Now I can't ask what or say pardon but when I glare at her forehead; I do saw the sentence ,they displayed bold and clear "I hate you" but I can say no though. I'm not used to or maybe I don't know how to. I nodded. She grabbed a chair and draw it nearer and it made the 'frrrreeeeewwr' sound. And it's disturbing. And she sat near my locker that her leg touched mine but I ignored that and we started the recitation.
At a point I glared at her and caught her eyes pure and direct to mine. I flopped down my eyeballs to the drama book.
  "Why is hard for you to maintain an eye contact", She had asked and I disagreed with her in a mildest way and she decided to pick up an argument and that muted me.  I couldn't  concentrate on the book anymore,neither do she and I knew that. I thought but I didn't knew what I had thought about. My mind was just wandering in gaps and she kept staring at me and playing with my pen. Anything I tried to raise my head,my eyes will caught up with hers and I will pull my face down in highest expertise of averting shyness. I tried that couples of times and it repeated so I decided to face her eye ball to eye ball. We glared at each other for about two minutes or more  and I can feel a mild smile emanating in her cute face till it erupts to reality and she said
" your eyes are so big"  and laughed wild this time but in her most amiable manner. First,I didn't hear it well,but with time,it sounds more clearer and harder to my eardrum. My mood changed.
   Laurette came in and asked whether I got any spare novel,I reached for my bag and gave her 'Othello' a novel by the legendary William Shakespeare. She promised to return it on Friday and I nodded. She glared at me,then at Jane,and at me again and she smiled and turned to leave ,Jane followed her and she did waved at me.
   I counted all those actions that involved her. She's not any good. I knew she's not. I refuse to think and I zipped up my bag ,I pushed it inside my locker and head to class A to find something  worth doing instead of sitting down and think hell.
    The bell for break time ranged, I ran out to get some snacks  with a 100 naira note   I gained from a project I drew for a JSS 1 student.  I'm not the best drawer but my best is ok, not with only me but everyone else that witness it. It's like the rain in the summer, when it pours,the ground rejoice, but when it seizes,the sun make the ground regret ever rejoicing for the rain. Quite unfortunate.
  I discovered that a little queue has been formed affront the canteen. I hurried down to meet up with the top ten position.
   I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned and face I saw was totally new to my eyeballs and I wondered why he tapped me,maybe a mistake or sort of.
I wanted to ask question and he knew what the question has to be so he pointed at a woman standing in front of the physics lab. It's Mrs. Kate. I wonder why she needed me. I thought maybe..., But no ,I couldn't remember anything. Maybe to mark books, but which books? I decided to hear from the horse's mouth.
   As I approached the lab,I heard conversations, she said to a man she stood with,    "This boy is very wicked "
  I got close enough to see them brightly and hear them clearly. And can read their eyes. She glared at me maliciously,
   "You know you're very wicked this boy!, you are wicked. Just to forgive your friend, your closest friend, How many times had I pleaded to you? Heh. See,you're good in other areas but this your unforgiven attitude will endanger your efforts. I'm not causing you but be wise and do right thing. I'm done with you". I glared all through as she vomits and demonstrates them with her hands like debators. She turned the other man she'd stood with and they moved a bit and she continued again without halting.
##   " Imagine this boy, I called him and his friend for negotiation when I heard that the quarreled. I appealed to both of them to forgive their selves and continue the way they had been and they agreed. I tempted them with their both class exercise books , The other boy gave him  his deserved score and this boy marked his own zero and went ahead to stole my record and fill the zero in and returned it. I just noticed it now" she then turned at me and uttered
  "So you have been faking relationship with him,and if you had chance to kill him,you can? I don't know what you guys a made of sometimes"
The man he narrated the story to   had shrugged, He's as muted as I'm. And he's throwing a hard look at me that signifies 'really' at the end of any sentence.
  The already moved farther and those whiles ,she had been moving and narrating and I had heard the man said that at least I should retaliate any offense with the class record book. And I stood affront the locked lab gazing at nothing.
    It's all through though, she tried to rehabilitate my relationship with Jerry. But how will it work? It's better now that I know that he's no friend but an enemy and I better retain my distance because accepting him as a friend means enthroning my self an enemy to myself. That's my will and it's so.
   I ran to the canteen and the Queen had been elongated. I couldn't have answered her call had it been I knew that she only had this trash to utter. I wish I knew. I only wish.