Trending the calm

The man moved an inch further with his stomach quacking at every step. He stopped and stretched trying to catch a glimpse of my truck. He did that swiftly and stood there for a while, saying and doing nothing.

As soon as I noticed his hesitation, I triggered the device as I was instructed and pretended I was going opposite the building to collect imaginary garbage. The man's suspicion suddenly grew and I saw him move quickly in a calculated step, he was neither running towards the truck nor to me. He moved quickly as his stomach throbbed, quaking at every step of the way, forgetting to alert the orders.

I moved quickly in turn, heading into a straight allay. I took off, when I was sure no eyes noticed. I did not run too far before I heard twin booms rocking where I was coming from.

Flora

“I want you to be prepared... you are leaving that school next week.” I said, with my eyes fixed on him.

“The term just begun, Mum!” He retorted with a flash of inexplicable surprise in his eyes.

“I am informed of that! But in these perilous times, i think it’s best for you to leave that school...”

“I understand everything except the money to sponsor this modest venture of yours.”

“Do not worry about the money.” I affirmed as he raised his brows in mock surprise. You should leave that school and that is what matters most now.

“Well... i can’t leave my school now until this term is complete... you do not want me to have a haphazard academic knowledge... do you?”

No, i don’t! I affirmed, allowing a brief moment of silence to breed between us. “You must realize that i don’t subscribe to the distortion that has clouded your education.” I started slowly. “But i assure you this will be the last of it.” I surmised with untold confidence.

“Where’s all this confidence coming from?” he stared curiously at me. i knew he was suspicious, with his eyes grazing for information that might have been locked away in the pastures of my heart.

“I’ve been reinstated.” I announced as i saw a flash of smile, playing around his lips. He tried desperately to suppress the grin that threatened to spread through all the corners of his face. “It’s not like it’s anything to be compared with the former glory but we can always start from somewhere.” I saw him maintain a very subdued silence, playing the recurrent tapes of a mind that lies in between esotericism and thoughtfulness. I stretched my hands across the table and held his hands, caressing and stroking them at the same time. He paused as if his veins had stooped all bloody operations. His face was still inscrutable but i was certain that beneath that mask of shadows of emotion lied ecstasy. I kept stroking his hands, ploughing the softness that exuded from the benign artistic palms. I want to thank you, for being strong. You’ve given me a reason to live again. Thank you! I said quietly, more to myself than to him. The subdued smile written all over his face could no longer hold the fort as it burst punitively into debris of scattered grins. I saw heaven in that smile and i was basically unconscious about the unscripted emotion swaying between us until i saw his playing across my face, wiping out tears that were trickling carelessly away from the corners of my eyes. I must have wandered off, oscillating between smiles and tears of joy. He stood up and reached out to me. He held me as i shook mildly from the tears that began to evaporate from the fortress of my eyes. He allowed me to lean on him as my tears transcended into a harmless cry. I knew i had to let out all the pent up emotions.

As soon as the whole tear sprees were enough, he stroked by shoulders in a manner that soothed me peaceably. I thrust my eyes into his, wondering how composed a youngster like him can be. i wanted to remain in his arms but he left me when he felt i was done. I watched him as he ambled to the mock studio he has developed for himself. He took his time, donning the apron that had hung idly on the canvas. He straddled his brush and painting tray. He took his time before he started caressing the brush across the face of the canvas. I wondered why he learnt all that, within few distance of peril. Although i knew he had a spot for drawing but painting was not some of the specialty that was for all comers. I stood, ogling at him for a considerable stint before my feet moved me to inch closer to him. i sauntered towards his open studio. I wanted to catch a glimpse of what he did with the brush that hugged his hands steadfastly.

I stood there, leaning on the door frame as i watched in awe how his hands wrought miracles on the canvas. I admired his art but his resilience tickled me more.

Now that’s creepy mom... he said smiling.

And since when did watching my son, become creepy? I protested.

Do you want to help? He asked in between short laughter.

I have no idea... how these things work! I chuckled. I’d rather stand here and watch.

It’s pay per view, then.

“Fab! My voice ascended in amusement. You don’t expect me to pay before i can watch my first love’s work.”

“First love? Nahh... I’m not sure about that.” he giggled, taunting me.

“That’s weird! I retorted. So what is it all about?” i said as i moved close to him.

“Nature... it reminds me there’s still hope for the hopeless in God’s green earth...”

“That is amazing... i wish you father was here.” I said thoughtfully.

Not now, mum... please. He said contritely, holing me again. I knew i was distracting him and it would be best to let him concentrate. I smiled at him and urged him to continue his work. He hesitated as he tried earnestly to see me comforted. I gave him the assurance that i am well and when i was sure he would not abandon his work to follow me, i crept away from his presence. I moved away to the lawn, clutching my phone to access the trends on the internet.

The news had become predictable and almost boring with countless bloodletting and bombings at strategic places in the nation. i lost interest in the stories but a flash of a breaking news flashed across the panes of the online news: TRIPLE EXPLOSION ROCK TWIN UN BUILDING. I clicked on it and discovered it was really not a breaking news. The explosion had occurred in the early hours of the day within the time frame of 8-9 a.m.

They were countless hashtags hitting the twitter handle as many condemned the devilish act and showed solidarity as well, sending their condolence messages.

“The nation was no longer safe...” i said to myself. I thought about my son and the risk, we were exposed to, in our daily struggles. I was certain that the temptations to send him abroad started to become real friendly.

Fatou

They had been several reports of bombings here and there. The insurgents were gaining footholds in the distorted security of the nation. The latest was the bombing that rocked the twin buildings of United Nations. I heard Father describing the horrors in the scene. He said he saw scattered flesh and unrecognisable bones flung wide apart from the flesh that hosted them. I had had a tinge to throw up when narrated the severed heads and limbs were scattered around the floor. Father and his friend, Alhaji Inuwa talked so much about the desecrated with passion that they ignored to eat when mother served them, his favourite meal.

“How did we come to this point?” Alhaji Inuwa asked with confusion.

Politics! Politics, my friend! We played politics with disregard to humanity and common sense. Father said aptly.

But we had politics in the early sixties... it was nothing of this sought.

Haba! Alhaji Inuwa... the present day politics is no way to be compared with the sham and mirage, purportedly called politics. Father has a way of confusing his listeners with highfalutin words, especially in the heat of passionate argument. I was sure Alhaji Inuwa had no idea of what he meant by sham and mirage from the look of his face. I heard his education came to an abrupt end in primary school. He was asked to come and take over his father’s business at that young age and he had succeeded in building an empire out of the scrap handed over to him. Now, he is one of the most successful business man in the country but his education had been his setback and that was why he so attached to dad father, who had acquired lots of education, both home and abroad. Although both have been successful in the distinct business, Father had been more progressive in terms of his contribution to the national politics.

“How can we empower thugs and touts to deliver political successes and expect to live in peace?” father continued.

“It is a shame... a national shame... wallahi!”

“The state of the nation had become battered!” father concluded. Both discussed into the night before Alhaji left, claiming the nights have become less friendly. He saw him off and that was the last i heard of anything that night as i obeyed the call of nature.

The morning arrived soon and buzzed with different cacophony of voices. The previous day had been dastardly malevolent especially with the triple explosion that rocked the twin building of the United Nations. But there were not done yet as we heard another distracting news flash.

I was scrolling the twitter app as i sat in the car to school when i saw the distracting breaking news: ABOUT THREE HUNDRED STUDENTS KIDNAPPED FROM SCHOOL. I scrolled the screen of the smart phone down and discovered that hashtags were already created against the devilish acts. Many nations and world leaders had lent their voice in condemning the demonic act. It was indeed a trying period in the history of the nations. We had of the civil unrests in the Far and Middle East but we had no knowledge it would soon creep into our world anytime soon. The dreaded BSH had claimed responsibility for the virulent abduction, threatening the nation with more monstrous actions until their spread their belief to all corners of the nation.

As soon as i entered the class, i realized that i was not the only one furnished with that terrifying abduction. The whole class had been discoursing it, forming rings of discussion groups but i was sure discussed it with social enthusiasm rather than emotional elation. I ignored them and went back to my phone since the class was busy with their uninformed analysis.

There were conflicting perspectives to the abduction. The social was visibly divided into three unequal pieces as critics made claims and counter claims. Some Critical minds, the ones many called ‘heartless pricks’ claimed the whole thing was nothing but a scam, a charade and a virulent sham to score cheap political points. Others threw in the weight behind the abducted girls and commiserated with their families, showing national solidarity. The rest believed it was a scripted movie but I had no idea of what they were saying. I guess i was too young to pay any critical attention to the politics that might have lied beneath.

“A spade was a spade and not the big devil's pruning fork... Everyone should show solidarity at least.” I concluded in my heart.

At this point my class had grown less solemn. Our activities buzzed like the usual. We knew nothing about the implications and were not interested either. We were only concerned with the social value of the whole drama as we were all eager to contribute to the viral hashtags on twitter and facebook. Whatever underlying politics that played was less of our worries because the spectacle could only be familiar with the Hollywood blockbusters but i was part of the twitter community that lent voices against the whimsical abduction of the innocent school students.

I checked for Fabro to see what his reaction was but he appeared out of this world as he locked his face down to whatever he was scribbling or drawing. I had hoped to make an eye contact with him, which would have been huge for me or probably for us. I had gradually become fond of him, since his fight with the class rep as well as the vocal appreciation; he expressed when i returned his bag. We had become friendly. He talked more to me than he did to anyone else. He sought every opportunity to ask me questions whether it was necessary or not and that had made me more comfortable in the class, since everyone else believed i was an arrogant kid. He made me look less like that tag of a spoilt arrogant brat each time he initiated those brisk discussions of his. Although i was aware, i had a stiff competition for his attention. The senior girl from the final year class seemed to massage his fancy more than mine did. Their fraternity gave me a tinge of jealousy but there was nothing i could do about it. It was not in my place to throw myself at a man, whether he held the keys to emotion or not.

I turned for the second time and our eyes met. I suspected he had been staring at me by the way his eyes glued to mine when i turned. He smiled at me as if he was oblivious of what was happening; as if the issues concerned everyone else but him. i smiled back because i had ceased to be rude to him since we became familiar.

“Hello Fatou!” he muttered a greeting.

Hello Fabro!

“Bright day, huh!”

“Bright day?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes... why?”

“You haven’t heard about the abduction of the innocent school girls?” I quizzed him

“There are better things to kill ones head for... we are all aware the nation is messed up!” he submitted. I wanted to ask him what he meant by such assertions but i thought better of it. He might really be facially innocent but he can be mean, a feature of men’s ego. The class activity was not less than what we are used to. Teachers came about their duties, making passive and active comments as regards the state of the nation and when the break, we buzzed off like the bees let off from the hive. The intensity of the national sport festival heated up since we barely had days of preparation.

I found myself walking across the hall to the big field. I was eager to see the highly talked about skills of Fabro. I wanted to be sure he was not overhyped. As i walked towards the field, i saw Fatamata scurrying from the other side of the lawn to catch up with me.

“I never knew you were interested in football.” She taunted as she caught up with me.

It’s the national sports festival... we’re all rooting for our schools, don’t you think? I kept on with my pace.

“O yes, i do! Especially since Fabro is playing in it.” She teased, trying to draw steam out of my boat. I ignored her and moved on, as she lingered behind me. i found a spot under the peach tree to sit. They were other students there as well as Eva and other girls in her class. I was certain, she had come to watch Fabro just as i have come. i knew she was a competition but she paid no attention to me.

Fatamata was always enthusiastic by the way Fabro caressed the ball. She made exaggerated gestures, punching the air at times, which countered her prying eyes. I told her to cut down on her hyperbolic celebrations but she would have none of that. She was enthused at every touch, every skill, every dribble and whatever football Fabro offered. Soon enough, i joined her in the frenzy, oblivious of my surrounding and whatever ill fate the morning might have brought upon the poor school girls. After the game, the usual happened. Fabro being lifted skywards in celebration. He ran towards us after he was dropped and had brief hug with Fatamata and me. We shared his elation but he was quite in hurry to leave us, in order to join Eva. She was already leaving when he ran across to her and held her in her arms. I was ignorant of whatever they were saying but with their cracked up gestures, i knew something was up in the air and it was definitely not pleasant.

I left the field, feeling blighted by Fabro’s action. He had neglected me in the sunshine for the infamous Eva. When Fatamata came along to narrate what she felt transpired between both Fabro and Eva, i had no intentions to listen to her but Fatamata was loquacious, she spoke, even when no one cared to listen to her. She had that knack for being a bug.

Fabro

“You shouldn’t have... do you know how humiliated you made me feel back there, hugging those annoying girls before me!” she remonstrated.

“They are not annoying... they are my class mates... that shouldn’t be a problem! Not for you!”

“Why are you being so mean? All you could do is at least, say sorry!” she clicked her tongue. i watched her expressionlessly, confused as my tongue clicked and hung to the roof of my mouth. Why are you standing there saying nothing? She blurted.

“I have nothing to say to you! I’m tired, weak, and frustrated...” i protested as i began to trudge down the lawn. The euphoria of the field had decimated when i entered the class. Eva had blown the wind out of my sails. I wondered why she had to showcase her miserable jealousy within eyes shot. I felt angry as i sat down, drumming my head on the desk. I saw Fatou’s eyes making me life more miserable than it already was. I should have kept to myself rather than plunge into the sea of infernal jealousies. It was barely one week and Eva was owning me already. Her help had translated to friendliness and i was not surprised when she called me out to Uncle Smart, she had taken her time to study the portrait i was drawing. It became straight fix when she realized the portrait was her.

“This is me!” she had quizzed me when i returned, flaunting the plain paper before me at the lawn.

“I know that!” i smiled coyly.

“And what am i doing in your portrait?”

I once told you, you are beautiful... i tried to collect the portrait from her but she waved to the left, swerving from left to right, matching all my efforts to retrieve the portrait. I sensed she enjoyed it, so i gave up the struggle and saw cast a curious dead stare at me. “See... i am sorry i overstepped my boundaries... i had taken the liberty of our acquaintance to reproduce your beautiful image in my head into my paper...” i pleaded gaily. She kept staring at me for a while, saying nothing. Confusion kept ringing bells in my head as posture was vague and her thoughts inscrutable. I wondered why she acted up because of portrait. “Give it back!” I requested, as i was determined destroy it, if that will soothe her soaring arrogance.

“It’s beautiful...” she finally said, breaking the awkward silence that brewed between us. But it is nowhere near perfection”

“Yes, i was going to apply shades to it before you called me out.”

“You never told me... you can draw this good... the semblance is unquestionable.”

“Thank you... but i do more than drawing. I paint as well.”

“Aww...”

You should let me paint you some times.

Yes, why?

“You are beautiful Eva... I’ve seen girls, not once, not twice but your beauty cannot be compared to any i have seen. I said from the depths of my heart. i saw her blushed uncontrollably, smiling shyly with calculated abandon.

“Why are saying you these words to me? Her words melted into my heart. They were so soft that i doubted if it was the same voice that scolded me few moments ago

“Dunno myself... But I’m certain i want to be close to you all the way. Your image has refused to leave my head, I dreamt about you and everything has become increasingly incoherent for me.” I felt flush of emotions running through my head. I knew I liked her and I was not scared to say it to her irrespective of my naivety, I did not also mind she was my senior, I was determined to write my points expressly in the tables of her heart. I was still rooted to the blind spot of life when I saw her hand move up a bit, grabbing without doubts.

“No one has said nice words to me before... They accused me of pride and arrogance but have failed to see the positive side of me. Fab, you don't need to ask me to be close to you because I don't want ever leave your side...” She winced with a frown as if the words that proceeded from her mouth ailed her. “I never knew I was this charming until I saw this portrait...” I smiled as she kept holding my hands. The feeling was novel but more importantly, it was mutual. Whatever I felt for her, she felt for me. We parted ways by the rousing monotonous sound of the bell, hacking us back to reality as well as reminding us of the environment around us. We waved at each other until we lost sight of each other.

We became talk of the school for the next days. Her classmates and all the final year students increased their hate for me. They saw me as a threat to their reputation because I have taken the captaincy from their class and now most rated girl in their class. Some began to dig deep into my profile, garnering information about me. It was in this process that it was revealed that I was the only child of the slain senator and the former director of the central bank. They also dug up other facts in regards to my former school, which made some of them flush with jealousy, others impressed.

Within few days my real identity was blown to the whole school and love and hate increased sporadically but I had been the positive flame, so ignored haters and moved on with my life. But as my reputation and new found fame grew in the school and my class especially, I found myself in the cold side of Fatou, Fatamata’s seatmate. She had had something for me, I believe but she was a snub. She had given me a cold shoulder the day I was bold enough to say hello. She made a monkey out of me that same day but we got attracted somehow when I heard her bravery in recovering my papers from the final year class. We talked briefly and exchanged smiles when it was necessary but I was sure such flings only ended with pure friendship. She had at various times shown disapproval to my friendship with Eva but I was not fazed by gambits.

It had been barely one week when our amorous professions were laid bare and it has also been barely one week since her overbearing jealousy has caught up with the both of us. But it was certain, I still liked her.

I sat, reeking of sweat and grass. The frenzy had died down in the class and everyone sat almost quietly, waiting for the next class, which should have been the perfect timing for banter and tantrum throwing but strange enough the class remained resolutely calm as if on instructions. Everyone chose to mind his business. It was the perfect mood for the ones that had smarts phones to slip away from our physical world into virtual space: the world has become a global village and some members of my class had enrolled into that village. I was sure that Fatou would be the leader of that group, if there was any designation for my class to be a wing. She plunged herself into her smart phone, her face rooted to it with sheer rapt attention. She was lost within her immediate environment and we knew no one could get her out of that mood. She had chosen to make her phone her best ally. The few she talked were just mere appendages to her phone. She was practically anti-social and everyone knew it.

I had a smart phone but I never allowed its frenzy to pluck me out of the real world. It was always in my pocket but knowing Eva had made the phone a bit useful otherwise chatting and surfing the internet is nothing but waste of time. I picked up the phone from my bag, hoping to see a message from her despite our mild altercation early on but there was none. She was plainly avoiding me and I knew she was hurt. I had walked out on her, when I should have assured her and quell off her doubts and wanton jealousy.

The sports master entered the class, in company with our mathematics teacher, they shared a joke on their way to the class and whatever they shared must be comic because they brought the laughter into the class. When we saw them, we stood up with prompting of the class rep; we stood and echoed our greetings. They responded with a smile and that was when we surmised that they were really in a good mood.

“Good day, wonderful students... The sports master has a piece of information to pass across to you...

“Good day all!”

“Good day sir!” we Re-echoed, as if we have not said words of greeting to him before now. I just have one or two announcements. “You are aware the national sport festival commences four days from now.” We echoed in the affirmative. “Alright then… you should be informed that your class will be taking the leading role in the forthcoming festival since the final year students will be busy with preparations for their certificate exams... We urge you to lead by examples. Secondly, we shall be having rooms for cheer leaders; we encourage volunteers since it’s voluntary. And perhaps you are interested in volunteering, please meet with Eva, in the final year class. She is the head of the cheer leaders and you are already aware of our school captain...

“Yes!” They echoed in unison, turning their eyes to me.

“That will be all for now... Thank you for your rapt attention.” He concluded, as he shook hands with the mathematics teacher, who has been smiling away sheepishly half the time. The sports master left and there was a moment of brisk madness as the class lost the consciousness of the presence of another teacher in the class. I am sure the noised irked him over to the edge as he banged callously on the desk in front of him with the short robust wood, he called a cane. The class was lulled back to sanity by that infernal bang as all attentions went swiftly back to him. We discovered his dead stare towards us and our quietness became more solemn.

He turned and began to draw annoying figures on the board. For all the subjects in the world, I always wondered why mathematics. I hated it with passion and there was no gesture of good deeds that can turn my face towards it. Mum had always told me to be patient with it. That it's only patient that can unlock the love and the potential for mathematics in me but I was definitely determined not to delve into that patience because I don't have it anywhere. I would rather divert that patience to my craft and become amazingly great with my shards and brushes. I always dreamt of surpassing the glory of Monalisa with a touch of an impeccable genius of my own and mathematics had nothing to do with it. I think that resolution had been responsible for my below average performances in all the subjects but I least cared because I was focused.

The mathematics teacher kept confusing me with equations upon equations, formula upon formula, delving from one point of confusing illusions to another. I gave up and picked my phone up discreetly. I had to endure the class again as usual and doing that will be fostered by an unfriendly friend, my phone.

“Hello! Congrats...” I buzzed Eva but she refused to reply my chat, even when I was sure she had read it: read icon had popped up. I waited for a while and decided to drop the phone after giving up.

“I’m in class... I am sorry.” She buzzed back.

“Same here... I buzzed to endure the class with you.”

“Okay... My teacher just rounded off.”

“That's awesome... You can help me endure this intolerable class.”

“Don't be deceived, I've not forgiven you and besides you have to see out the class. You have to learn something.” She asserted.

“O come on!”

“I will ask you what you learnt, don't forget that... Ciao. See you after the class.” She declared and logger out. I was nonplussed; my final hope has failed me. In the Misty heat of brawling mathematics, I was offered no option but to persevere. I looked on blankly, moping at the blackboard and the man standing before it. He had drawn, solved, wiped, drawn again, solved wiped and again and again. I was totally lost. My navigatory compass had gone AWOL.