•Kainene•
"Kaineeeee!!!!!" Onome's shrieks met my ears making me almost flinch as I turned back to see her running towards me. I let out a laugh as well as a small gasp as she threw her full weight on me.
Now it was finally feeling like resumption day. Pacific crest(Pacreis) students were forever hyper on resumption days. It was all shrieks,large hugs,helping each other carry our bags to our various hostels and then gisting about every single hour,minute and second of our holiday,sometimes till midnight.
"Jesus,I missed you!" She shrieked again,pulling away from me and helping me pick the handle of my travelling bag which I'd dropped. "I missed you too" I laughed.
"Kainene" Jadesola,my rather more reserved friend brought me in for another hug. "Jade,how are you?" I questioned,hugging her back.
"I'm fine o. Oh baby what did you bring for us naw? Anything for the girls?" She questioned making us all laugh. "First help me carry my things and reach canopy first na" I laughed back as she took my travelling bag from me.
"Have you guys entered hostel? I know this Onome na punctuality prefect,she came since morning" I teased.
"Hmm,my sister,I dont know if that my mother doesnt get tired of bringing me here so early" Onome replied with a sneer.
"I've sha checked into hostel sha. But paying school fees just ate all my time. That Uncle David is so slow ahh" Jade complained as we walked away from the canopy after we'd dropped my bags at a safe corner.
"Ah seriously? Thank God my mother went to pay it herself o. But she will na come and baff(bath) me with shout now. Nawa o" I added as we got to the part of the parking lot where the driver had parked my mum's car.
"This one your mother even came today. Are we safe?" Onome teased as I opened the door to the front of the car and settled myself into the chair.
"That is ehn. She just said she wanted to come today and pay my school fees. I just laughed because all these years she hasnt been coming abi I dont used to pay my school fees?" I questioned making all of us laugh.
"Chaiii..Onome my brother has come back o" Jade said tapping Onome lightly on her arm. "Did he buy the icecream?" Onome questioned,looking to the back of the car to affirm what Jade was saying.
"Kainene we'll come back yeah" Onome informed before they both dashed out of the parking lot and down the slabways of the school. I laughed inwardly at how we always went mad for ice cream even though we could have buckets at home.
Looking forward and sighting my mother making her way back to the car,I jumped down. "Mommy have you finished?" I questioned,ignoring the slight look of irritation she had on her face.
"Let me sit down first abeg before you start with all your questions" she retorted,pushing me aside and getting into the car. I rolled my eyes before turning back to her.
I took the receipts from her hand and began looking through them. "You cant even say thank you ehn?" She snapped at me making me look back to her.
As much as I wanted to snap back and tell her how she'd outrightly dissed me earlier on,I ended up letting out a "Thank you Mommy"
"What about the sandals you said you carried to school that I want to use?" She questioned further. So that was why she'd chosen to tag along this time,because she wanted to get back a simple pair of sandals from me even though she had a million more back at home.
Did it hurt? Damn yes,it hurt like hell. Even though I didnt want to admit it,I felt a bit happy for that fact that she'd tagged along,it felt good to have my mother do things for me like pay my fees and escort me to school,it made me feel normal in the least. But yet,she'd just crushed everything.
"What are you looking at me like for?Are you mad? I'na y'ala?" She questioned fiercely in igbo after I'd given her a long hard stare "Biko je we te'lum inha kam rapuwa this school! (Go and bring this thing let me be leaving this school). Did I come to sleep here?!" She yelled at me.
Not bothering to argue with her,I turned on my heels and headed for the school block as I recalled leaving the sandals in my locker. I rolled my eyes in anger,fuming with each step I took. She always had new ways of getting on my nerves.
I climbed up the stairs as SS3 classrooms were the only ones upstairs and we'd been made to move to our new classrooms before we vacated. I headed for my locker behind the class immediately I walked in,the angry part of me wishing the sandals would be gone but the part which honestly needed no form of disgrace today wished it would be intact.
In that sense,I felt both disappointed and relieved when I picked out the pair of sandals from my locker and slammed it shut. I was just about to storm out of the class when a whimper of a child caught my ears. I looked back confused at first but then my eyes widened when I realised there was actually a little boy seated at the third seat of the first column.
I approached him slowly,trying my best not to scare him because I'd gathered that I wasnt one who was good with kids. When I finally did though,I felt both shocked and more scared. He sat,clad in a pair of jean pants and a leather blazer,crying out his eyes.
I looked around the class and well as the corridors and I could well agree with my eyes that noone was here so who'd left their sibling in the class.
"Hey..." I started,moving a bit closer to him and gaining his attention. "What happened? Why are you crying?" I asked softly,still trying to gain his trust.
"I....my byother...Dawyl...my byother" he cried and I figured he was too stuck in his cries that he couldnt make good sentences.
"You're looking for your brother?" I questioned from what I felt I could grasp from his cries. He gave a sad nod,looking up to me expectantly. Well, he was the first kid who I actually got along with and didnr give me the silent treatment so I guessed I could try help him out.
"And your brother is Daryl?" I questioned again and he gave me another nod. "Okay,Oya stop crying yeah,let's go and look for him,we'll find your brother" I assured him,offering him my hand.
I smiled as he slid his little hand into mine,wiping his tears off as I helped him off the chair. "Where did Daryl say he was going?" I questioned as I helped him down the stairs,taking one step at a time so he could keep up.
"He say....he..he say I shwud wait for him but I nor see him again so I went to his ckwlass" he explained in what I could tag the cutest sad voice I'd ever heard.
"Dont worry,we will find him now yeah" I assured him and he nodded,looking around the parking lot which we were now approaching. I honestly had no idea if I would be able to find Daryl or how fast I would be able to but I just had to assure him.
After a while of walking around the parking lot in vain,I looked back to the boy in my hands and found him still looking around expectantly in hopes of finding his brother. Just when I was about to turn and head to the auditorium(school hall),a faint retreating figure caught my eyes.
"Daryl!!" I yelled over my lungs so he would hear me but he kept on hastening his steps. "Daryl!!!!" I yelled again practically rushing towards him.
"Dawylll!" The boy yelled this time as we got closer to his brother and I could swear I'd never seen anybody turn so quickly in my life.
"Dawyl!" I let the boys hand slip out of mine as he rushed towards his brother who was now making his way towards him. "Boss Man! Where did you go na? I've been looking for you,ahah" Daryl exclaimed,hoisting the boy up and settling him on his hip bone.
"I was looking for you,I nor see you again" the boy explained his dilemma while I just stood watching them,thoughts clouding my head. Boss Man? Was that really his name? Nawa,Nigerian parents always do the most sha.
"Kainene,shey that's your name?" Daryl's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. After my brain had booted again,I found myself getting irked at his question.
"I dont know for you Uncle o" I snapped back. "Ahah naw,its just a question na" He replied.
"Ehen and it's just an answer. He was crying when I found him in class..." he was quick to cut in. "He cried? Seriously??" He questioned.
"Yes,he cried. Learn not to be leaving your brother anyhow anyhow before one day they will kidnap the small boy" I sneered at him before turning and walking away.
His question alone had reminded me that I'd been angry all this while too,like as if I was some junior student or something,somebody I'd school with for almost 5 years. He is really mad o. The fact that I'd helped someone like him made me angry but then again,I did it for his brother and not him.
As expected,I'd gotten some doses of extra scolding from my mother. Scratch that,I'd gotten scolded so much that I just willed her to leave.
"Chai,Jawal thank you very much. I really didnt see myself carrying that box today" I thanked my classmates who'd offered to help me carry my bags seeing how much I'd struggled with them,Onome and Jade were also nowhere to be seen.
"You're welcome but you know I cant pass boys hostels sha" he told me as we walked down the slabway which led to the hostels. "No wahala,I'll send somebody to come and carry it" I told him.
"Thank you again" I appreciated as he stopped at the junction which led to girls hostels. "You're welcome. We'll talk later na" he replied. "No wahala" I called back as I continued in my way to Western Villa,the hostel I belonged.
After a brief check at the entrance,I pulled my bag down to my room. "Ehen who watched The King Eternal Monarch abeg?!" I was quick to recognize Awele's voice.
"Meeee!!!!" Shrieks from every corner of the block were heard as I realised that room A,B and C girls were currently engaging in the normal joint resumption chat session. "That movie was fresh cheee! I just love Young Ah!" Utim commented.
"Forget Young Ah sef,did you see Lee Min ho?! Ahah! The part where he saved her that he was like....she is the queen of Corea...I wan mad gon!!!!" Awele replied.
"Onome and Jade so this is where you people are" I laughed walking into the room but what I got as a reply to that simple statement of mine was the shrieks of the full hostel followed by the banging of doors as well as fast threading feet.
"Kaineeneeee!!!!!!" They kept shrieking and I felt multiple arms engulf me into hugs in a matter of seconds,all my hostel girls threw me into such tight hugs that I almost thought I would suffocate.
"Abeg make una no kill the girl for me o" Onome yelled,pulling me out from the hug. "Wahala for who no get bestfriend o" Utim added which made us all laugh while others concurred "Azin ehn!"
"Kainene how are you?!" They practically asked in unison,some of them had taken off their daywear halfway so that it now rested freely over their waist while some others had taken theirs off completely.
"I just dey o,my people my people!" I hailed,leaning on the wall of my corner. And just like that,we started from the very beginning again,gisting about every interesting bit of information,movies,relationships,flings,exams,home lessons and everything we could have possibly done during the long holiday.
This was why I loved school,once I was here it was like I'd switched over to a different universe.
•Daryl•
"So Boss man you were crying ehn....I thought you were a big boy na" I cooed at my 3 year old brother after spending some worthwhile seconds watching the retreating back of the girl who'd brought him to me.
I didnt know what I'd done to put her off so instantly or if she was just mad that I'd lost my brother. Despite how she'd snapped at me before leaving,I dont know why I kept staring at her. Putting the fact that most girls practically swoon over me but she didnt aside,something about her just seemed to hit me hard.
"I...I nor cwy o" My babble making me laugh as I walked us both back to the car. "Damola where did you go since? I've been waiting for you" My mum called out as soon as I got to the car. She was the only one who always called me by my Yoruba name.
"I wanted to collect something from Yomi but then I lost Jaden" I explained as I settled my brother in the back seat of the car beside her. "You should have waited na,its getting late and you know Lekki is far from this Ikeja place" she told me.
"Sorry ma sorry" I chuckled which made her chuckle in turn. "You this boy ehn. Abeg take your receipt,abi you can do the remaining by yourself?" She questioned,handing me a set of little papers.
"Normally na" I replied looking through my receipts. "What about your things?" She questioned again. "I've already carried all of them to the check point" I told her. "Oya come this way" she gesticulated for me to come to her side of the car.
Knowing what was about to come,I sighed,walking to her side of the car and then putting my hands in her already outstretched ones.
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" she started the prayer. "Amen" I chorused back. "Father Lord,thank you for today,thank you for the safe journey,thank you for everything Good Father. El shadai,your son is going back to school for his final year,I ask that you guide him Oh Father,poor your blood upon him Lord,give him everything he shall need to complete this year in flying colours...." somewhere in the middle of her prayer,I found myself zoning out.
"Awọn ọta rẹ kii yoo ri i lailai .(His enemies will never see him). I leave him in your hands mighty Father! Oluwa o se. (Thank you Lord). Through Christ Our Lord,Amen" Her switching to our native dialect somehow brought me back to earth just before she ended the prayer.
"Okay naw,let's be going. Harrinson! jẹ ki n lọ (Let's be going o)" she called out to our driver who was currently sitting on a chair some feet away from the car. I watched as he took to his feet and made his way to the car.
"Damola read o! Not that third place you took last time o!" She teased me as the driver turned the car on. "Mommy I've heard na,I will read. Greet Yemi for me o" I called as the car started driving away.
"No wahala. Bye!" She called back to me. "Dawyl Bye!" Jaden called from the other side of the car,waving at me. I smiled,waving back at him and watching the car until it was past the school gates and out of sight.
Turning away,I walked out of the parking lot,heading for the school court which was always used as our check point during resumption but something had me pausing in my tracks before I could get there.
A few feet away from me,Kainene struggled with her box,trying to lift it up to the court. For some strange reason,I actually contemplated going to help her. But I guess my contemplation took too long because before I could take the next step towards her,Jawal had already offered her his help.
What is even wrong with me sef? I grunted at myself inwardly,turning away and continuing in my tracks.
"Bastard!!" I heard a deep voice call just before I felt a hand drape over my shoulder and I laughed knowing fully well who it was. "You dey crase?!" I laughed back.
"Bastard!!!!" He hailed again making me laugh. "Guy,you nor no say you suppose bow greet me?" I teased back.
"Ah sorry o" he laughed,pulling away and giving me a teasing bow. "Idiot" I laughed as we slapped our hands together in a hand shake before hitting our shoulders against each other.
"Yomi my gee! You know say na you be boss na. Wetin you bring come?" I questioned as I finished my clearance and we headed towards the hostel.
"You no see as I dey here so? I bring myself come" he replied with a grin. "You na fool o,abi say you know?" I told him.
He let out a hearty laugh."How far your things na?" He questioned just as we reached the entrance of West Wood Hostel. "Abeg I'll send somebody to come and carry it jowo(please)"
Woosh! First chapter of BSB is up! I know this chapter probably hasnt met up to your expectations but you know what they say. You have to stick with us till the end to get all the thrill🤗 and I hope you do.
Love y'all 💕.