Chapter Five

"You don't have to pretend to be unaware or dispute it. The video has been trending, across all social media platforms since yesterday. I suppose you are unaware, because you have not been online since the incident happened."  His father said. 

He then realised that his father, and virtually everyone might have been aware of what had transpired.

"Did you also know about it, Mum?" He asked, turning to face his mother.

His mother didn't look at him as she nodded in affirmation.

"How did you do that, by the way? Like, it's incredibly unexpected and enigmatic." His father said. 

"I don't know. I assume I was just meant to save her." He muttered , hoping that his father would end the conversation.

"Well, be careful next time. Your safety should be your priority before any other's." His mother warned.

Okay ma," he replied. 

He could not bear it anymore and left the kitchen.

"Mum, I'm sorry to leave you with this cooking,  I need to do something in my room." He told his mother, as he headed to his room from the kitchen. 

He heard his parents arguing, immediately he reached his room.

"Can't you come up with a suitable way to say it?" His mother voiced concern.

How was I supposed to phrase it, then? His dad responded.

"It seems his mental well-being is unimportant to you. You would not have said that if you really-."

"Woman! Your point is not valid at all." His father cut in. 

He picked his phone which was on his bed, immediately he got to his room, to verify if what his father said was true.

Verily, the video was trending on all social media, proving that his father was correct.

"Why do Nigerians enjoy filming and sharing videos of both positive and unpleasant incidents on social media?" He pondered, before recalling a horrifying and gruesome accident from the past, that was captured on camera and posted to social media.

"He ought to have assisted the victims by either contacting the emergency line, or by bringing them to a local hospital, instead of recording the occurrence while the victims were laying hopelessly in the incident and struggling for their lives ." He thought. 

He laughed out loud after reading an amusing tweet on Twitter, one of the social media platforms. 

"OMG! Do superheroes exist in this county? If yes, that will be interesting, since we now have people like him to rely on, whenever an insurgency happens." The user tweeted. 

He wondered how others would view him, in light of what had happened.

He was still on the thought when his phone beeped to notify him that he had a new W******p message.

He opened the noticification icon and saw that it was a message from Brian. 

"Why did you leave that way? I hope you are good, by the way?"

"I'm fine, and I apologise for abandoning you in that state. I assume we'll be going to school together tomorrow, right?" He responded to him immediately. 

"Of course. Just make sure you get up early." Brian texted back. 

"No problem." He responded, and then turned off his phone.

He thought back to what had transpired in the afternoon and wondered what had driven him to save Charlotte in the first place. Some persons would have said, it was as a result of reflex action, but he knew that it was beyond that, been a science student he was. 

His mother called him from the kitchen, to tell him that dinner was ready.

He dashed to the kitchen to get his favourite meal, because that was what he needed at the moment.  

He took his meal to his room, instead of eating in the dining room with his parents, as usual. 

"Where to?" His mother asked him, when she realised that he was taking the food to his room. 

"To my room. That is where I wish to eat my delicious and favorite meal." He smiled as he replied, realising that was the reason his mum asked him the question. 

"Okay. Just make sure to return the plates to the kitchen, when you're done eating." His mum instructed him. 

"Okay mum." He replied and went to his room with the food. 

He woke up very early the following morning in time, and got ready for school. 

He was optimistic, contrary to his mood the previous day. 

He did not care of how people would act towards him, because of what happened the previous day. 

He came out from his room, and met his mother in the kitchen preparing a meal. 

"Good morning Mum." He greeted his mother.

"Good morning. Hope you had a nice night?"

"Yes, I did. " He replied, as he left the house.

"Don't you want to wait for your meal?" His mother asked him, before he finally left house.

"No, Mum. I'm good." He replied, and his mother sigh, as he left the house. 

He deliberately ignored having breakfast at home, because he wasn't ready to converse with either of his parents like he had the previous night.

He decided to skip breakfast and eat brunch at school instead, with the weekly allowances, his dad do give him every Sundays. 

Alex got to Brian's house and met him waiting impatiently for his arrival. 

"What's up bro?" He greeted Brian, as they exchanged hand shake. 

"I'm good. I've been waiting for you for some minutes now. What took you long?" Brian asked. 

"Why the rush? It's not like we're late already." Alex replied. 

Brian mimicked what he said and called Alex, "late comer." 

"Lol. That's your problem." Alex replied, as he smiled. 

There was a moment of silence between them afterwards, as they walked to school. 

"So...about yesterday..." Brian tried to search for the right word to use, as he scratched his head, just like Alex had expected.

"Yes?" Alex cut in. 

"What really happened yesterday? Do you know someone took a video of the incident and shared it on all social media?" He asked Alex.

"I know. it has been trending since yesterday," Brian nodded in affirmation, as he spoke. 

"I don't even know how I did that, to be honest. I do not know, if it was as a result of reflex action or not. All that matters is that I saved Charlotte, and both of us are still alive." He continued.

"Yes, that's right. To be honest, I'm not sure it was as a result of reflex action at all." Brian said. 

"Same as what I thought, but whatever it is, I do not want to think about it at all." Alex replied. 

"Maybe, it's a sign that you are going to become a superhero, someday." Brian said, jokingly. 

"Idiot." Alex said, while laughing and tapped his head, and they both laughed. 

The two of them had become so close, that they tell each other things, that they do not tell their parents, sometimes. 

Their friendship began when Alex and his family first moved to Lagos from America, and he was sent to buy something at a nearby supermarket.

He got lost on his way to the supermarket, but he was lucky enough to meet Brian and asked him how to get there. To Alex's surprise, Brian took him there instead of directing him.

"Are you new in this area?" He suddenly asked Alex, while they were on their way to the supermarket. 

"Yes, I am." He reluctantly replied, as he does not like talking about his private life with strangers.

"No wonder, It's obvious, because the supermarket is so popular for a person that has been living around its environment, not to know where it's situated." He said, while they walked to the supermarket. 

Alex was very bored with his conversation, and was happy when they got to the supermarket. Finally they said goodbye to each other, and Brian departed. 

The second meeting was when Alex resumed at Greater Heights College.

Alex met Brian, as he alighted from his father's car, on his first day of resumption. 

"Oh, uhm..." He scratched his head as he tried to remember Alex's name.

"Alex." He reminded him, fumingly. 

Alex's dad got out from his car, as the conversation was going on.

"Good morning, sir." He bowed his head, as he greeted Alex's father.

"Good morning, how are you?" Alex's father asked, with a smile.

They walked into the school compound, as they conversed. 

Alex was annoyed, because he thought Brian was trying to get intimate with him.

"I am fine, sir." He replied. 

"Do you still remember mine?" He asked Alex.

"Remeber what?" He replied, confusedly. 

"My name." He said, giggling. 

"Brian, right?" He replied, frowning, without looking at Brian. 

"I guess you have a retentive memory, than I do." 

Alex father cut in, before they could continue their conversation. 

"Brian, you will continue having this conversation later. We have to get to the principal's office now." Alex's father told him. 

"Okay sir." He replied. 

"By the way, how do we get to the principal's office?" He asked Brian, before they departed each other.

Brian directed them to the principal's office and left.

What made them became intimate, was because there were in the same class, and because their house is just some feet away.

N. B : Bowing of one's head when greeting an elderly person, is a sign of respect towards the person in Nigeria.