His hands were clammy with sweat, and spikes of anxiety shot through his body in what he could describe as acute nerves. Akpan ‘AK’ James, wiped his sweaty palms against the worn fabric of his trousers as he walked towards the shady Dogoyaro tree in the middle of the school compound.
Springfield Academy was a beautiful school amongst its peers, and AK knew he could only afford to go to such a prestigious school because of the scholarship he was on; a fact that didn’t hesitate to make him ashamed. He wasn’t particularly ashamed or averse to his background, but schooling with the children of the upper community, made him wish his parents weren’t on the lower part of the food chain.
Trying to calm his nerves, he checked the time on his brand new wristwatch-a gift from his best friend; Kojo. He had a few minutes to complete his mission before the bell for the end of recess would ring.
The source of his anxiety sat, holding court like the queen she was, at the base of the big tree. She was surrounded by a few members of her squad, while her closest two cohorts listened and hung on every word she said. No one was pretending to listen to her, because she effortlessly had their attention. AK knew why.
Moyosore Adegun was beautiful, and it did not hurt that her father, Senator Bode Adegun, had just been elected to the House of Senates. Moyo’s beauty was a confirmation that
one did not have to be light-skinned to be considered beautiful.
As he approached the group, AK’s heart failed him, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to talk to her at that moment. Not when she was surrounded by her fellow rich kids.
Thinking it ridiculous to suddenly turn back, he decided to pretend he was on his way to the Tuck Shop, which was just a few minutes away from the Dogoyaro tree. The raspy but
melodious tinkling of her voice floated through the air, right into AK’s ears. How could one person have it all? He wondered silently.
Whoosh! Something hit him on his shoulder. It was a squeezed piece of paper. AK bent down to retrieve the offending object, as mocking laughter rang out around him. He paid no attention to the sound, and focused on the object that had interrupted his aimless walk to the Tuck shop. His heart raced in its cage, as he slowly unravelled the bunched paper. He knew what it was, even before he finished straightening it out.
It was the letter he had written and passed to Moyo, during the chemistry class.
“Hey, scholarship.” One voice called out, from beneath the big tree.
Akpan knew they were referring to him. “Me?” He asked them.
A snort came from Moyo, but she said nothing, while her minion continued. “Uh, yes, you. Do you see any other poor lad around here?”
Akpan was silent, refusing to let them bait him, but they were relentless.
“Where did you learn to write so well?”
“Probably took scholarship lessons from Shakespeare.” A boy laughed.
“Maybe he’s read too much Romeo and Juliet.” The minion eyed him with malice. “He’s starting to get disconnected from reality.”
Laughter followed her words, while Akpan found himself unable to move away from the humiliation.
“Does he look like he can afford those books?”
“Don’t be dense, Matthew.” Minion rolled her eyes. “There are libraries around.”
“Hush people.” Moyo finally spoke.
Akpan raised his bowed head, to look at her with hope. She had just defended him from her friends. Maybe there was hope after all.
“AK, right?” She asked him.
Akpan nodded.
“Your letter is so…” She gave him a condescending smile. “Ridiculous. I mean, what makes you think I would want to go out with you? I mean, eww. Does it look like I run a charity
organization for strays or something?”
The echoed laughter barely registered to him, as he stood there sweating under the full glare of the mid-day sun. Someone grabbed his hand and led him away from the spot, but he was not paying attention to whomever it was.
“AK.” The voice called.
“AK!” The voice snapped.
“Kojo.” Akpan whispered, as he stared into the blue eyes of his albino friend.
Kojo was his closest friend, even though he was the son of a business magnate. Being an albino made Kojo susceptible to bullying and wisecracks. It was what brought them together, and deepened their bond.
“Why would you stay there and let them humiliate you like that?’ Kojo asked. “In fact, why in God’s name were you writing a letter to Moyosore Adegun?”
Akpan looked down pitifully, rehashing her words in his mind. “She’s out of my league, yeah?”
Kojo sighed. “Look, AK, no one is out of your league. Because she’s rich doesn’t make her better than you.”
“Of course she’s better!” Akpan snapped. “You all are. I’m just the son of a bus driver, and I’m probably going to end up driving one of you later on. I am nobody, Kojo. Nobody.”
“How can you even say that? Is that how low you think of yourself?”
“It’s just reality.” Akpan’s voice was rising. “You people get richer, while we remain stagnant.”
Kojo did not know what to say, as he stared at his friend quietly. After a few heartbeats, he pressed something hard, into Akpan’s clammy palms.
Akpan looked at the object. “What’s this?”
“That’s a rosary.”
“I know that.” Akpan deadpanned. “I’m asking, what I’m supposed to use it for.”
“I usually count the beads whenever I’m frustrated or sad. It makes me feel better.”
“You’re not even Catholic.” Akpan answered, while shaking his head. He stared at the chaplet, rubbed it in his palms and felt oddly relieved. “You know, I wish Moyosore Adegun would wake up one day and live my life. Maybe she would know how it feels to be on the receiving end of such bile.”
Kojo clapped a hand on his back to comfort him. “Come, let’s go to class. The bell will soon go off.”
Akpan nodded and followed his friend back to their classroom.
***
“Please, leave some food in the warmer for your father.” Anita Adegun called out to her daughter. “Maybe when he’s finally done with his whores, and counts us worthy of his presence,
he’ll come home.”
Moyo was silent, as she served herself from the food flask on the dining table. Lillian, the house help, served her juice, and she muttered an inaudible thank you.
Anita made her way to the dining room, with a glass of wine in her hand. Her glassy eyes and foul mood told Moyo that it wasn’t the first one for the evening. Moyo couldn’t wait till the usual passing out; then she would have peace.
“I quit my modelling career for him. I used to be so beautiful. You got your looks from me, by the way.” She continued her wine-induced rant, while Moyo ate. “He wanted me to stay
at home and be is trophy wife, popping out babies. But when your pregnancy almost killed me, we realized it was better we stopped. And how does he repay me? By carrying whores and sleeping with everything in skirt.”
Moyo sighed, but refused to answer.
Sniffing and chugging down wine, Anita sat down beside her daughter. “Don’t ever quit your modelling career for any man.”
“I am not going to be a model, mum.”
Anita blanched, hiccupped, and snorted. “Then, you want to be a doctor like your father wants?”
“No.”
“Then what do you want to be? Because your father and I are not spending a fortune on your education, just to have you pounce around with some silly notion.”
“Mum.” Moyo sighed. “Let me find out who I am, please.”
“What is that supposed to mean? You know who you are. You are Moyosore…” She was interrupted by the opening door.
Senator Bode Adegun stepped into the house, looking immaculate in his crisp white buba and soro.
“Welcome Daddy.” Moyo greeted.
He grunted a response, with his eyes glued to his phone. He climbed the dais without looking up, but was suddenly unable to proceed when he discovered a body in his path.
Looking up with tired eyes, he sighed. “Anita, I am not in the mood tonight.”
Stepping closer to her husband, Anita belched, while he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“When will you be in the mood then? You reek of woman perfume.”
“And you reek of alcohol and sweat.” He retorted. “Go clean yourself up and stop making yourself look so worthless.”
Anita bunched his buba by the neckline, while tears ran down her rough cheeks, and snot came from her nose. “Why don’t you love me anymore? Ehn Bode?”
Moyo pushed the half-eaten plate of food away from her, having lost her appetite. She downed the cup of juice, ignoring the ruckus going on around her.
“Please Anita, stop crying.” Bode placated his wife. “Let’s just go upstairs.”
“No. you have to tell me why you keep carrying those whores of yours around the city.”
“Goodnight Daddy.” Moyo called to the arguing duo. “Goodnight Mummy.”
She wasn’t expecting a response and she did not get any. The sound of their back and forth followed her traipsing up the stairs, and all the way to her room. With a heavy sigh, she shut the door, rested her back on the wall, and surveyed her room with roving eyes. She couldn’t wait for the weekend to be over, so she could return to school.
It was the only place she experienced a sense of normalcy. She did not know who she was there either, but she could pretend to be someone, and be seen.
Not in the mood for online socialization, she climbed her bed, fluffed her pillow, and closed her eyes; letting the dregs of sleep lull her to a happier place.
When her body opened its eyes in the morning, the eyes that surveyed the strange room belonged to the boy that had made a wish the previous day.
