Chapter 12

In the evening, Richard went to Prof. Grace's house. When he got there, he found Rebecca sitting with her friend on a rest bench on the opposite of their house. They were both going through their phones and laughing at the same time. 

Richard stood still and couldn't take his eyes off Rebecca. Her hair was beautifully plaited falling on her forehead. She wore a black dress that was completely the opposite of her skin. And when she smiled, a dimple appeared on her cheeks. She looked up and their eyes accidently.

Richard quickly looked away with his beating fast. She stood up from the bench and approached him.

"Good evening," she greeted him. "Good evening, how are you?" Richard answered somewhat surprised. 

"I'm okay, you can come in," she said as she proceeded to the door of the house.

She opened the door and entered while Richard followed her. 

When they got into the house, she proceeded to her room, while Richard walked to the dining table. He waited for her for a couple of minutes before she finally appeared with her books. 

She brought the books and placed on the table next to Richard.

She drew back one of the dining chair and sat down on it.

"What did your Mathematics teacher said to you today at school?" Richard asked.

"He didn't say anything," Rebecca replied. 

"I expected he wouldn't," Richard replied. 

"I know you do hate me, and you will never learn from a teacher you hate. So please, if it is possible, you should stop hating me temporarily.

You can continue to hate me after I have taught you," Richard continued. "Okay," Janet replied.

"If want to be very good at calculation, you have to give it all that you've got," Richard advised. 

"Alright, I will try," Rebecca responded. 

"You spare at least 3 hours out of your 24 hours to practise, that way, you will be perfect," Richard continued. 

"Alright, I will try doing that," Rebecca agreed.

Richard started teaching her some simple problems. Unlike before, she gave her maximum attention. Richard was very glad that Rebecca was paying attention. After 30 minutes of the lesson, Richard decided to test her by giving her some exercise.

Surprisingly, she solved all of them.

"Wow! You are more intelligent than I expected you to be," Richard smiled.

"Really?" She asked with a doubt.

"And believe me, If you practise harder, I can make you the best student in mathematics in your school," Richard promised. 

"There are many intelligent students in my school, I don't think that is possible," Rebecca doubted. 

"Any is possible if you believe in yourself. Haven't you heard the story I told yesterday? These were the very words I said to my teacher when she said she will make me the best student in Mathematics in my secondary school. I gave her the same replied and she encouraged me to believe I could do it. And at the end, I was not only the best student in Mathematics, but in order subjects too," Richard revealed. 

"I will be graduating next year, don't you think is too late for me?" Rebecca asked.

"It is only too late after you have graduated. Besides, you have just started your SS 2, there still plenty for you," Richard emphasized. 

"Well, I can try my best to be good. But being the best is something that can never happened. There two students in my class called Hassan and Migrate. Those kids are like the devil, they can solve any problem given to them since during our junior years," Rebecca said.

"That's because they have given it their very best, have your ever given it your best? Studied like you will die tomorrow?" Richard asked and Rebecca shook her head.

"From the way I see it, you have potentials. If you maximise your efforts, you will definitely succeed," Richard insisted.

"Okay master Richard, I will give it my best," Rebecca said as she put her hands and bowed like a Chinese and Richard started laughing at her.

"Should we continue with the lesson is okay for today?" Richard asked. 

"I like it, we should continue," Rebecca smiled. 

He taught for another 30 minutes before he finally concluded the lesson by giving her some assignments to do. As he stood up to leave, Rebecca asked him to wait for her and she ran to the kitchen.

About five minutes later, she came back holding a yam porridge on a plate in one hand and a bottle of coke in the other hand. She placed it on the dining table and removed all the books from the table.

"Thank you so much," Richard appreciated. 

"You are welcome," she smiled.

"Wow! It taste delicious, did you cook yourself?" Richard commented after taking his spoon.

"It taste horrible, I wasn't even paying attention while I was cooking it," Rebecca bragged.

"Wow! Then that means I can forget my name if I taste your best dish," Richard joked.

"I think so," Rebecca replied after she had stopped laughing.

"Let me go to the kitchen first, I will be back before you finish eating," Rebecca said.

"Alright," Richard replied.

About five minutes later, Rebecca came back just when Richard had finished eating. 

"Are you done eating?" she asked. 

"Yes I am, thank you for the meal" Richard replied. 

"Don't mention it," Rebecca replied. 

Richard walked out of the house with Rebecca beside him. It was already dark when they got out. Richard was relieved that he had eaten and he doesn't have to go back to the dormitory to eat before going for his night studies. 

"Alright, I will be coming tomorrow around 10 am, since tomorrow is weekend," Richard announced. 

"Alright, I will be waiting," Rebecca replied.

After he walked out of the house, he decided to go to one of the halls close to him and study.

As he started making his way, his phone started ringing. When he took out the phone, he noticed that it was Paul calling him. But when he answered the call, it a different voice he heard.

Richard: can I know who's on the line?

Caller: I want to know if you know the owner of this phone.

Richard: he is my friend

Caller: Okay, come to Tamuwa ward

Before Richard could ask for what was wrong, the caller ended the call. He began totally scared thinking what might have happened to Richard. Due to the fact that the area that caller mentioned was faraway, Richard had to get some money before he could get there. He quickly ran back to his campus and took his credit card. He returned to one of the ATM machines in the school and withdrew some money. He boarded a taxi that took him to the gate of the school.

After he was dropped at the gate of the school, he boarded another taxi that will take him to where Paul was. When he arrived at the area, he called Paul's phone again and the same person that called answered the called. The person instructed Richard to go a building that seemed to be very old with no light in it.

As soon as he entered the building, he started to smell marijuana at every corner of the building. His hearted beating as he was overwhelmed with fear. He wanted to leave, but he worried about what might have happened to Paul. He then walked into the inner part of the building where red fired of cigarette all over. 

Richard dialed Paul's number, and he heard the phone ringing in the corner of the building. He walked to the corner and found Paul lying on the ground in the mist of some boys. Before one of the boys could answer the call, Richard ended it. 

"I'm here," Richard said. 

"Oh are you his friend?" the boy asked.

"Yes I am," Richard replied.

"Well, your friend took something more that his brain could contain," the boy laughed.

Richard was altogether taken aback in the condition he found Paul. It was if he was the person he knew. 

"Paul!" Richard called out. 

"Don't waste your energy, he can't hear you in the next three days," the boys laughed. Richard asked one of the boys for help, and they helped to carry Paul outside the building. Richard stopped a taxi and he entered along with Paul. The taxi took them back to school to Richard's dormitory.

Richard called one of his roommates and he helped him in taking Paul in and laid him on his bed. After Richard had laid him down, he walked out of the room and sat bench in front of the room. He placed his hands on his head and couldn't believe what was happening. it was then that Richard realised why Paul missed so many lectures the previous semester and why he is rarely seen in the night. Richard felt like he doesn't know him anymore.

He began to think of a way he would approach him if he wakes up. About 30 minutes later, Richard stood up and walked out of their hostel in order to get some fresh air. He then decided to visit the school north club. 

It was where the students in the north campus use in entertain themselves. Some students usually go there to play snooker, while others go there to play table tennis.

When Richard walked into the club, he was really shocked to notice Janet playing snooker in the mist of 4 boys. 

Their class representative was among the boys standing beside her. Richard felt an anger he had never felt before. He watched her angrily as she laughed and play among them. When she looked up, she saw Richard staring at her and her quickly looked away pretending not to have seen him. He quickly walked out of the club and decided to go back to his room in the campus.

He went a little distance when he heard Janet shouting out his name. 

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked after she had finally got to where he was.

"Somewhere you don't need to know," Richard replied with an angered face.

"Why are you like this?" Janet asked confusingly.

"What is wrong with you?" Richard asked furiously. 

"I don't know, you tell me," Janet responded. "How can you mingle yourself in the mist of those boys as if you are not a girl?" Richard asked.

"Are you jealous?" Janet asked.

"No I'm not, it just makes you look less classy and cheap," Richard replied.

"Stop being childish Richard, they just my friends like you are. If you are not okay with that, then I guess we can't be friends," Janet responded.

"I guess so," Richard replied and he turned and left.

***

Around 12 am, Prof. Grace woke up from sleeping and went to the dining room to take some water. She was so surprised to find Rebecca still studying. She had been studying for the past 3 hours. Prof. Grace had never seen Rebecca studying, for that reason, it seemed like a miracle to her.

She walked to her daughter and found her battling with mathematical problems. Prof. Grace smiled and watched her daughter with excitement. Rebecca had never impressed her like she did that day. 

"Good work dear," Prof. Grace complimented. "Thank you mum," Rebecca turned with a smiled.

"Were you given some assignments at school?" Prof. Grace asked.

"Actually not, I'm practising what Richard taught me," Rebecca responded. 

"I see. If you study really hard, I promise will give you a surprise you have never expected," Prof. Grace mentioned.

"I will try my very best mum," Rebecca assured her mother. 

"Alright, see you in the morning," Pro. Grace said. "Goodnight mum," Rebecca replied. After her mum was gone, she stood up and went to the kitchen and had some fried chips of plantain before going back to study. About 10 minutes later, she started feeling sleepy. She packed her books and went to her room with them.