~Fola~
~Fola~I sat rigidly at the dinning table, the food tasting like bile in my throat. I'd have preferred to eat alone in my room or not eat at all. I'd have preferred to sleep. I felt bad for getting unnecessarily mad at Moji.And for unnecessarily feeling bad at Tobi's words. It was just a very honest gesture, he was just being nice and friendly. At least I wasn't mad at him. I was just feeling bad for all the things that could be but was not.For all the things I'd never be able to be or do."Fola, why are you not eating?"I looked up to see mom and David staring qu
~Fola~When I woke up on Friday morning to see that the time was 7:30am, I instantly went back to sleep. I already overslept so I did not even feel the need to stand up and start dressing up for school.It's not like I even felt like going in the first place."Are you going to ditch school?"I opened my eyes to see my brother sticking his head in through my slightly opened door. I was already dozing off that I did not hear when he opened the door."Yeah."
~Fola~Sunday evening and I was in my room watching a movie on Netflix when someone knocked on my bedroom door. I knew it was my brother so I ignored the knocks. If he likes, he'd enter and if not, he should sleep there.The knocks became more persistent after a while that I couldn't ignore it again."David? Are you high? Do you want to break the door?""It's not David."Came the petite but firm voice. I paused the film and instantly sat up on my bed. I know that voice any day any time."Come in."
~Jamal~I chuckled silently at the thought of Moji who had basically stopped talking to me because I ate out of the chocolate that was gifted to her. That was over two weeks ago and she had started replying me in monosyllables since then.I chuckled silently again at the thought of her. Who would have thought I was going to see her again? When my parents announced that we were moving back to Ibadan, the first thought that came to my mind her. I thought about what she'd look like now, where she'd be now. What I never thought about was that I'd end up attending the same school as her so that first day I entered Mr Williams office and the huge black eye
~Moji~"How about we have a cultural night instead of a cultural day?"I shouted animatedly, drawing the attention of my classmates to us. It was exactly three weeks to our cultural day, which used to come up immediately after our first term exams. I was having a conversation with Tobi about the plans for the cultural when that absolutely beautiful idea popped unto my mind. He was sitting on Fola's seat. The later was reading in the library. I squealed on my seat, expecting approval and administration to lit his eyes but if anything, he looked bored.And a little bit repelled at that idea.Why? It was an absolutely beautiful idea.
~Leke~I entered the convenience store in our estate and my eyes were instantly drawn to the girl leaning on the counter. She wore shorts that even etched up as she put her hands on the counter. I did not even need to see her face to know that it was Moji. No one else has that ability to make the little me jump in excitement just by breathing. One of the guys standing on the other side of the store was openly staring at her and from the looks of things, I knew he was going to want to make a move on her. Well, that wasn't happening.Not with me around.And what right do you have? You just finished screwing one girl's brain off less than 2 hours ago.
~Fola~I sat at my study desk, staring intently at the paper iny hands. It was the list of things I had written as my to-do list during one of our group sessions. My eyes scanned the things on the list and I swallowed for like the umpteenth time today. The cultural night was exactly in a week's time and even though I had gotten an Ankara print, selected a style and had dropped it off with mom's fashion designer, I wasn't planning on attending.The only reason I hadn't voiced that out was because I did not want to give mom a cause to worry and then, there was Moji too, she had me sit in every meetings with her and Tobi even though it was getting really hard to in the later presence.
~Fola~I felt Tobi's eyes on me throughout the dinner or what would I even call the event. We were sitted on a table of four with little Moji looking all dolled up and pretty. I felt conscious thoughtout the program and I could hardly concentrate on a thing; not the pageantry contest, not the drama, not the folklore.All because Tobi was looking at me.Like I was some sort of sacred item in a museum.People looking at me like this always made me angry at them.Him looking at me like this was making me angry too.At myse
~Fola~Preparations for the ECOWAS Oratory Contest started in full force. There were lots of articles to read, lot of things to do. It was rigorous. Lakeview did not even give us a breathing space. It was Tutorials and tutorials and tutorials.The five of us were overstucked with work and in all sincerity, I was starting to get frustrated. I've never been overworked in my entire life. And Peju acting like she already won and the rest of us were just wasting our time wasn't helping matters.It was exactly a week to the Dday and I was already tired. If not for Tobi's constant support, Moji cheering me up and Leke's silent support was all I needed. Even Peju has got nothing on me with this geng constantly supporting me.I knocked on the Gate the Gateman opened the gate. I was in Moji's house. I was meeting her bro
~Fola~Preparations for the ECOWAS Oratory Contest started in full force. There were lots of articles to read, lot of things to do. It was rigorous. Lakeview did not even give us a breathing space. It was Tutorials and tutorials and tutorials.The five of us were overstucked with work and in all sincerity, I was starting to get frustrated. I've never been overworked in my entire life. And Peju acting like she already won and the rest of us were just wasting our time wasn't helping matters.It was exactly a week to the Dday and I was already tired. If not for Tobi's constant support, Moji cheering me up and Leke's silent support was all I needed. Even Peju has got nothing on me with this geng constantly supporting me.
~Fola~The top five contenders names for ECOWAS oratory Contest was posted on the school's newsboard and as I walked towards where it was with Moji, my heart was literally in my throat because I did not want to expect.I don't know if I'd be able to handle it if I did not make it.I sincerely don't know how I'd feel self.Lots of students were gathered in front of the board, checking for their names or for their friends and while some started crying openly, some would shriek loudly and it was so obvious that making this list was such a big deal.We pushed our way to the front and my
~Moji~Leke did not show up in school the next day.And the day after that.Looking into their compound was always futile because there was basically no life there.No laughter, no nothing. He seems to always be the only one at home and that even confirmed the fact that he must be very lonely.And yet, he was always smiling. He never showed anybody a glimpse into his soul and now I was feeling so bad because I knew so little about him.I pressed the doorbell again.
~Leke~Frustrated wasn't the word. I was beyond frustrated. I really don't know any word that would describe what I was feeling. The fact that she was pretending nothing had happened. The fact that she was smiling, talking to me and ignoring me at the same time was baffling. And it was killing me. Because I knew it was all a mask and that she was hurt and that was hurting me too.A whole lot.I'd attempted to corner her and to talk to her but she'd just tell me off plainly. It's like we never existed. I don't know if we ever existed self. I wasn't even sure what the meaning of we was.I was in my room, staring out of the window and staring at her room. The curtains were drawn and once or twice, I'd catch a figure in the room. I knew it was her. I don't know how long I stood there but the next thing I knew was that I was climbing the stairs to her room. It was only when I got to the front of her door, hands poised in the air to knock that I stopped. What was I doing here?Wha
~Fola~We were in the conference room.By we, I mean, the students that showed interest in participating in the intra school competition for ECOWAS oratory Contest. One of the school's administrators and a speech instructor were with us. We were 12 students and it was a question and answer session so they'd lay 7 people off, then the last five would climb the stage next Friday and the final winner would be chosen.I released a shaky breath as I felt like sinking more into my seat. Peju was sitting in front me, pretty in all her glory, eyes blaring and shooting daggers at me. It was hard to maintain my stance under her scrutinizing gaze but I folded my hands over my chest and I matched her gaze
~Leke~Screwed doesn't quite describe what I was going through.Messed up.Fucked up.I've done absolutely nothing since the moment she walked in on us than go think about her expression, the surprise and hurt and disgust and repulsion.I've successfully ruined whatever it was between us. I've successfully hurt the feelings of a girl that genuinely care about me. I've successfully ruined everything.I kept staring at my phone, torn between calling her, then dismissing that thought because I have absolutely nothing to say to h
~Moji~It took me just a few seconds to put everything that was in front of me. Leke with his back to the table, Peju kneeling in front of him, hands inside his trouser.I stared at them in disbelief, intense anger shaking me.For a moment, I was too stunned and too stupefied to move. It was only when Leke jerked away from Peju that I was to blink back into reality and I turned back.It was almost closing hours anyway so I walked to the garage, my foot barely touching the ground until I got to the garage. The driver was already around do I just entered the car, biting the insides of my cheeks to keep myself from crying.
~Fola~I was at the park with Tobi, talking about random things. We were doing that more often these days, talking about everything and nothing. Sometimes, enjoying the absolute silence, our souls talking more in the moment than our mouths.And he'd use that time to probably kiss my neck or even my lips. He was always looking forward to us being alone."Stop it."I mouthed cheekily and I attempted to move away from him but his hand on my waist kept me close, nudging me even closer as he continued kissing my neck, my earlobes and I shuddered involuntarily.Who'