Valiant

He's going to school

.....
Pharoah rubbed his eyes as the early morning cock crowed for the second time... his low eye bags were a clear indication that he slept late and didn't get enough sleep, and hearing the cock crow brought him back from his dream world where he stood on top of a tall building and there were multiple humans down at the foot of the building bowing down at him,  and paying tribute.......... This cock always had a way of spoiling or interrupting his dreams, and the really good ones too.

"That God forsaken crow??... Not again!!!!! " He whispered spitefully as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his hands to feel for his mom who always lay beside him
" mom??? " He called out after his hands felt nothing..." mom???? " He called louder.
Dianne quickly walked out from the small kitchen with small yellow towel in her palms, wipping her palms gently

" darling... Good morning.. you forgot that your exam starts today??... Oh get up and have ur bath.. I already boiled water and I prepared some sweet plantain for you too" She said with a smile
Immediately, Nicolas opened the front door... Oh!.. He was awake all this while,  Did he even sleep?... He stood tall at the door with his well built body and broad shoulders, dark complexion. He had the perfect characteristics of a bouncer... He wore rumpled brown khaki shorts with a big black leather palms as footwear and had a big torch situated perfectly on his forehead

"son.... It's 5am....its time for business... We have to be at the palm fruit farm early so as to gather a reasonable amount of bunches before it's 7am when the sellers will come out... Get up boy " his deep thick voice ran across the small room
Pharaoh slowly turned and looked at his mom who wore a sad look at her husband... Her eyes became watery as she stared at him

" darling... But... But... Why are u doing this??.. Why are u doing this to us??.. You know perfectly well that Pharoah had an exam to write today,  and it will be a promotional exam to senior secondary school.. Yet you talk about cutting palm fruits???  Oh how mean of you Nicholas!! "

For the first time Pharoah heard his mom call his dad by his name.. The tears in her eyes now flowed out freely down her cheek as she stood and looked into the face of her husband...
Mr Nicholas slowly walked up to her with a smile.. He clapped his hands several times...

"nice one dear... Nice one.. I'm so sorry to make you cry... I'm so sorry... But Pharoah is not going for any exams dear... I can't revoke my words... He is not destined to go to school... Are you blind????  Can't you see from his performances at school??... What is he going to do in senior secondary when he can't even cope with Junior.. I don't even have cash to send him to school... Why don't you understand... He is not going anywhere and that is final!!!... He wants to bring shame on me... It won't work " He said with a loud deep voice and angrily this time
Pharoah quickly stood up and stood in between them....

" it's alright mom... I think I don't need to go for the exam afterall.... The school authority warned me never to show my face in the school wearing my old torn uniform and a slippers... I told you last week about it. They won't even allow me to write wearing that uniform.. " Pharoah said as he looked up at his mom who slowly looked down at him too...
..
The dew drops on the leaves flogged on the skin of Pharoah as he held a big basin on his hand following his dad as they walked to the farm... His mind flashed back to the argument this morning... His wasn't happy to miss his exam, what would his friends, well classmates, say of him. He was pretty lonely in school. He knew his teachers looked down on him already but this would add to approach the 'you see's' and 'Didn't I tell you's' he already faced. Tears fell out from his eyes but he quickly cleaned them.... His father would kill him if he found out he was crying...
They reached the Palmfruit farm and there were many people already there cutting and carrying big bunches of Palm fruits... Torches shone here and there and it seemed like it was a competition of who would carry the most fruit... It was a really big farm and the government allowed villagers to cut the fruits and sell for themselves only twice a year.
Dianne ran up and down in the small room... She wasn't actually convinced on what she was looking for... She scattered everything in the house... And made the house look like a complete mess...

"oh... What am I doing???? " she said as she hit her forehead with her eyes closed tightly... She opened them and quickly walked to a box.. An old rusty box under a wooded cupboard.. She smiled, opened the box and brought out 2 gold bracelets.. She look at it for long but quickly put it in her wrapper and zoomed off, locking the front door as she left
....
(a heavy knock came on Mr Simpsons door...)
"and who wants to break my door this early morning... Eeh! " Mr Simpson barked as he walked to the door with his wrapper to to his waist and with an angry look on his face " aaaah!!... Dianne... What's that this early morning? ... Why are you knocking so early??...is all well at home? " He asked

" yes good morning!! "She answered frantically .." Please buy these gold.. They are original given to me by my grandmother.. Check them out... They are..... "

" Calm down " He interrupted..." let me have a look at them" He took the gold and looked carefully at them... He breathed out...
"how much do you want to sell them?"

" just give me 25 thousand naira for the two of them... It's original gold... Take a look " Mrs Dianne said..

" no.. I can't pay such.. I'll pay 15 thousand and that's final " He extended the gold to her
Mrs Dianne shone her eyes...

" 15 thousand???.. Last time it was priced 25 but I refused... It's worth more than that.. Please add something on it... " she said

" are you selling or not???.. I was busy inside before you came "

" okay... Okay... Emmm... Bring the money " Dianne said with tears on her cheek

" good! " Simpson said with a smile. He walked in to get the money but stopped. He turned his head to look at her sobbing face, shook his head and then kept on walking.
He returned with 30 thousand Naira
....
Nicolas held his matchet tightly as he cut many bunches of Palm fruits... He was skillful so he didn't take up to 10 seconds on any one..... Pharoah picked up the small bunches and ran across the bushes dropping them in a corner and returning to pick some more... It was a real competition and Pharoah already forgot about his exams... He joined his fellow children to laugh and compete who will be the first to pick up a bunch, run and heap it...their parents shouted at them to be careful and not to fall... But the kids seemed to do the opposite, falling, rising and running again.
Pharoah felt a hand dragging him as he dropped a bunch and was about to zoom off...  He felt chills on his body... Who could this be...
"mom??? " He almost shouted....
Dianne held his mouth...

" don't shout.... Here is a new uniform and shoes I just bought this morning... Quick... remove your cloths and change into them now... "

Pharoah couldn't believe his eyes... He couldn't talk...
His mom helped him pull his shorts and shirts... And change him into the new school uniform and shoes... They were bigger than Pharoah... But mom didn't care..

"now run to the exam hall son,.. Go write your exams.. Don't worry i will help ur dad carry the bunches... You have to go... You are late.. " she said with a smile and tears in her eyes...
Pharoah still looking at his mom, cried... And kissed his mom's tears... 

" I love u mom.. Thanks " He said

" God will bless you my son... And make a way for you.. And it shall be well with you " she said...

Pharoah smiled at her.... And then he ran off...
.....