The busy streets of Lagos Island passed me as I looked through the window. Apart from light traffic at Ajah under bridge, the road had been traffic free. As we moved further, the streets got noticeably cleaner and wider. Soon we had passed Lekki, and were at Victoria Island, looking into the golden windows of the Oriental Hotel, heading to school at Ikoyi.
Interhouse Sports day was here. I had spent weeks practicing for this day, the anticipation left me jiggling my feet with nervous energy. I had barely slept last night, fraught with excitement and worry. The last time my house won, I was in Jss2. Since then, we had been condemned to second place. Blue House were the defending champions and I was sure they wanted to lift the golden cup again. Not this year.
Jumoke sneezed. Apart from me, her and Oby, the other occupants of the bus were Uncle Ben and Aunty Florence. The event was not starting till 10am, yet all of us representing our houses in activities had been asked to come early.
I looked again at my reflection. Iya Risi had been called upon last night. With the help of copious amounts of hair gel and a fine-toothed comb, my hair had been styled into a sleek bun. The black hair extensions attached at the end contained blonde highlights. I had been showered with compliments on entering the bus and now I twisted my neck, trying to get a better image.
The tote bag on the seat beside me contained all my necessities: yellow tee shirt and black running shorts in a polythene bag, black trainers with yellow laces, my rechargeable fan, air pods case, tube of lip gloss, handkerchief and wallet. My phone was in my hand.
At school, I quickly headed to the large field behind the senior block. In the middle of the field, an area had been demarcated marked with white paint running the length of the field. This represented the race tracks. Today the area had been transformed. White canopies were being set up on opposite sides of the tracks. Standing on the tracks, the left side was for the judges, sound systems and band. The right for spectators, students, parents and invited guests.
The set decorators were on ladders, hauling clothes and ribbons across the field in a crisscross pattern. The canopies were being set up under watchful eyes, decorated with more ribbons and cloth, colours of the six houses. Under the canopies, some students assisted in arranging chairs.
The canopy for the judges table was set opposite, instead of the plastic chairs it had wooden chairs. A few metres in front, on the field was the three-step-stair for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions, recently repainted and glistening in the sun. A table had been set up close to the judges table, here the medals and trophies would be placed. Some vendors had already arrived and were setting up their stalls, behind the canopies for the houses. The sound system was up and running, the band were practising.
I breathed in the air and smiled. There was an energy, a hum in the air that always filled the school on Interhouse Sports Day. I felt it carry me, to the yellow house canopy where Mrs Ibekwe, our house mistress was in a deep discussion with Miss Oka and Mrs Dele.
"We already have enough medals. If we win all the races today, we have won."
"Don't forget the March Past." Mrs Dele added.
"That's true. These girls are really impressing me. They're trying."
I greeted them as I came closer, they all smiled in response.
"Good morning dear. Hope you rested well, and you're ready for action!"
I saluted, making them laugh.
"See how fine your hair looks. So you've been hiding your beauty from us Kelechi." Miss Oka teased.
"Don't mind her." Mrs Ibekwe laughed. "How's your mum?"
"She's fine ma. Think she'll be here around 9."
"Okay, that's fine. We really appreciate her, for everything she's doing."
"Yes oh." Mrs Dele smiled. "We are thanking her for all her support."
Every Interhouse Sports, mummy made monetary and material contributions, in form of energy drinks, and costumes. Our house was one of the most equipped, and I know it was mainly because of her.
I never really knew how to respond to compliments about my family well so I smiled and motioned to the students behind me.
"Let me help them set up."
"Ah! No. Abeg, don't do anything. Just preserve your strength for when you're on the field, okay?"
I laughed. "Yes ma. Let me check on the junior runners, I told them to wait for me here."
"Oya go. Good girl." I waved and made my exit.
As I walked past them, I could still hear snippets of their conversation.
"I so much love this girl." Mrs Ibekwe said. "Always helpful, so humble! Even with all the money her parents have. Unlike some of her classmates who think teachers are their slaves." She kissed her teeth.
"Are you minding these badly trained children? Did I tell you what Deborah Ogunniyi did in my class last week? That silly girl ..."
The field was abuzz with dust and the sound of stamping feet. I coughed as I walked on.
Last minute practice and preparation was ongoing, I stopped in my tracks as the red house team marched past me. I noticed they were not marching uniformly and smiled to myself.
"Left! Right!"
"Left! Right!"
"Higher your legs!"
"About turn!"
"What is wrong with you people? What is actually wrong with you people? Is it difficult? Simple marching you can't do." I heard Jessica shouting. "Hey! You there. If you look at me with that stupid eye again, I'll come there and slap you. Idiot!"
She wasn’t the only one struggling to control her house members.
"Do you want to kneel down? All of you will kneel down! You think I care? I don't give a damn!"
"If you try that nonsense again, I will remove you."
"No! No! HALT!"
"What's the meaning of this rubbish? Is that what I taught you? Are you okay at all?" Jasmine shouted at two students in the third row. When she turned away, they were nearly in tears.
The cheerleaders; balloon and pom-pom girls were practising their cheers and moves.
"Two four six eight! Who do we appreciate? Not the players, not the Queen! White house is the winning team! GO WHITE HOUSE! GO WHITE HOUSE!"
"Give me a G," "G!" "Give me a R," "R!" "Give me an E," "E!" "Give me an E," "E!" Give me a N," "N!"
"WHO ARE WE?" "RED HOUSE!" "WHO ARE WE?" "RED HOUSE!"
I located the track team and we took laps around the field to warm up. The other houses noticed and soon joined us on the field.
I stayed outside till mummy came around 9am. I greeted her and she responded with a frown, wanting to know why I hadn't changed out of my practice clothes into the Interhouse wear.
I and some other students helped her carry out the cartons of glucose and packs of Lucozade Boost from the car, as well as other snacks. She wore a yellow tee-shirt which said Yellow House parent at the back and had our school crest in front, at the left side of the collar. Her tee-shirt was knotted at the waist and she wore fitted three-quarter shorts and a pair of white converse. On her hair was her signature straight wig, this one blonde and flowing gently down her back.
She spoke to Beatrice, our house queen. "Sit down let me do your makeup. After you can change."
Mrs Ibekwe squealed. "Thank you my sister. Daalu rinne." (thank you so much)
I headed to class to change. My classmates were in various stages of undress, Simone only in her bra top and shorts was on her phone, sitting on her desk.
"No! You're doing nonsense." Olivia squealed. She scowled at the mirror in her hands.
"I told you I don't have your foundation colour, you said I should do it like that." The girl complained.
"I didn't know it was going to be this bad." Olivia moaned. "Please wipe this thing off my face, I'm not doing again."
I chose a corner of the class and squatted between the desks. Quickly, I changed into my sportswear, being careful when lifting the top over my head.
"Kelly your hair is nice." Simone smiled.
I smiled back. "Thank you."
Her compliment brought the attention of my classmates to us and I got several compliments on how neat and cute my hair was. I was still smiling when I left the class.
More parents had arrived, next week was mid-term break and some boarder's parents were already loading their children's bags into their cars. Mummy was still applying Beatrice's makeup so I waited for her. Close by, Miss Oka, along with another teacher in our house were applying makeup for the junior students making up the queen's court- the princesses and flower girls.
I sat in the front seat, scrolling through my phone. I couldn't understand a word of Mummy and Mrs Ibekwe's conversation since it was majorly in Igbo, but I heard the president's name come up followed by angry hisses.
When Mummy was done, she handed Beatrice a mirror.
Beatrice squealed and hugged her. "Thank you so much ma."
"You're welcome my dear. Oya go and change there's no time."
"It's already 9:40. Please let them change." Mrs Ibekwe motioned to the other teachers.
"Take them to my classroom. Their gowns are there."
"Where is Kelechi?" Mummy called.
"Ma?"
"See your mouth like ma. Come and sit down here let me do your makeup."
"Mummy I'm running."
"And so? Come here now. Osiso." (quickly!)
Frowning, I dropped my phone and headed to the back seat.
"See your mouth running like tap. Don't even give me stress now."
"If you continue blinking like that, I will knock you." She warned.
"Ah! Ma please oh. She has not run for us yet." Mrs Ibekwe laughed.
Mummy joined her. "Tell her to behave herself. So I won't beat her here."
"Oya Kelechi please, just stay let her make you up a little. So you'll be shining as you're running."
"Don't mind this girl. Every time I want to make her up, she'll be squeezing her face. Meanwhile she likes it oh."
To no great surprise, the event did not start by 10am. The chairman of the day arrived late, as well as some invited special guests. By the time the teachers were able to chase all the students from their classes, and the seats began to fill up, it was already 10:50am.
Miss Oye, our dance teacher was the M.C., no huge surprise there, she had been doing that for all school events as long as I could remember. She wore an orange tee-shirt like her house members, with blue jeans flared at the bottom, white trainers peeking from underneath them. Her black braids were held back by a white visor.
She smiled confidently as she spoke into the microphone. "A very good morning to you all. I welcome you all to this fine day, the 30th Interhouse Sports Ceremony at St. Claire Girls College!"
Applause followed her statement. "Please keep clapping, 30 years of nurturing athletic prowess in our young girls. It's not easy." She waited till the applause subsided before continuing.
"We thank God for his mercies on our lives and that of our daughters. Thank him for this beautiful, sunny weather. Thank you all for your presence here, look at the rows of colours, how bright and magnificent!"
"If I say orange is the finest, you'll say I'm biased." She teased.
"Without further ado, I would like to call on a wonderful woman. A powerhouse. A woman who has dedicated her life to God's service. An educator, a disciplinarian, a woman of substance, our mother. The Very Reverend Sister Mary Anne Okeugo, to give us the opening prayer."
Applause filled the air as Sister stepped out. She prayed for clear skies, minimal injuries and a successful event. After that, she walked off to another round of applause.
"Thank you very much Sister, for that lovely prayer, God bless you. Next, I would like to call on our esteemed guests, the members of the high table, the judges for this event. If you hear your name, please, walk majestically to the high table."
She called six names and gave a short speech on their accomplishments. They each walked up to a round of applause. After that, she called on Sister Mary Anne again for the welcome address, after which the chairman gave the opening speech which emphasized on the importance of sports in development of children.
After his speech, the school band picked up a beat. The six judges, including Sister Mary Anne, stepped into the field. Six junior students, each one dressed in one of the house colours, smartly marched out, a flower garland in their right hand. They stopped in front of the judges and saluted. The judges stooped as the garlands were placed around their necks, to applause from spectators. After that, the students took a step back, saluted the judges and marched off.
"We have officially begun!" Cried Miss Oye. "It is time for our highly anticipated March Past! I hope all the houses are in position. Quickly, we're already behind schedule."
"Are they ready?" Some metres down the field, the marching teams were already marching at a spot, lined in alphabetical order.
"Band are you ready?" Miss Oye called.
The band members responded by playing a lively beat.
"We begin with the defending champions, Blue House." The blue house canopy erupted in cheers. They marched into the centre of the field, right in line of sight of the spectators and gave an (I had to painfully admit) impressive performance. When they were done, they marched off to cheers from parents and applause from the judges.
"What an amazing performance! As always, blue house set the standards high. Let's see which house can top that."
"Up next, we have Green House!"
So it went on till it got to the last house.
"Last, but certainly not least, Yellow House! Make some noise!" Our canopy erupted in cheers, as they marched forward. Most people had their phones out to capture the moment.
I waited with bated breath, so far, no house had topped Blue House. Hopefully, we would be the ones to do that. The marchers wore yellow tee-shirts similar to mine, with the school crest at the right side of the collar and yellow written in block letters at the back. Instead of shorts, they wore skorts, a style of skirts with shorts sewn inside. Everyone had similar hairstyles, hair packed in a bun, tied with a white headband. Those with cropped hair had the headband tied around their heads. They all wore white sneakers with yellow laces and white socks.
"HALT! ONE! TWO!"
"ONE! TWO!" The marchers responded.
"Attention!"
"At ease!"
"Attention!" They responded to Jasmine, who was shouting into a microphone.
"LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! RIGHT!"
"YES SIR!" They cried stamping. They repeated this about five times.
"LEFT! RIGHT! ABOUT TURN! ONE! TWO! LEFT! STAMP! LEFT STAMP! LEFT! RIGHT!" They did this twice, turning 360° as they marched in tandem. Nobody was out of the line. Jasmine had really done a number on these kids.
"Formation Stage One Commence! ONE! TWO!"
"Forwards Attention! Backwards Attention! At ease! Attention! At ease! Attention! ONE! TWO! STAMP!"
At her command, those in the two middle rows entered neatly into the rows at the ends, dividing the lines from four into two.
"LEFT! RIGHT!"
"YES SIR!"
"LEFT RIGHT!"
"YES SIR!"
"HALT! ONE! TWO!"
"ONE! TWO!"
As if on command, the cheerleaders lined up behind them ran forward, shrieking as they waved yellow and white balloons and pom-poms in the air. They ran in a clearly practised move between the marchers without touching any of them, and created a four row formation in front of them.
"We're yellow! We bellow! We're jolly good fellows! We've come to dance and sing, and make your heart mellow! We shine bright, just like golden halos!"
"Go Yellow! GO Yellow! Y-E-L-L-O-W! Y-E-L-L-O-W! YELLOW!"
"Formation Stage Two Commence! ONE! TWO!"
The cheerleaders arranged themselves in groups of three, leaving gaps between them. Two stood at the back, just at the gaps. The three groups while chanting, arranged themselves into pyramids, with the largest one in the middle. Once they were up, they waved pom-poms and balloons to the cheering crowd.
The two girls at the back ran cartwheels in the gaps and split on the floor in front of the pyramids, waving pom-poms in the air.
The girl on the largest pyramid cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Yellow is the winning team!" She clapped her hands three times, saluted and she and the two other girls fell backwards into the waiting arms of their teammates.
The crowd went wild.
"If you are not clapping, you are wrong! In fact, you are jealous." Miss Oye teased. "Please encourage these girls, it's not easy."
"Formation Stage Three Commence! ONE! TWO!"
The cheerleaders arranged themselves into two straight lines, the same position as the marchers.
"Salute the Queen!"
Two flower girls walked first, dropping confetti on the floor. Following them were the two princesses in bright yellow dresses, hands on their waist.
Beatrice was next. Her yellow dress fit like second skin, flaring out just below her knees, giving a mermaid silhouette. Her makeup was tastefully applied, not too elaborate, a classy and subtle look. Atop the blonde wig on her head was a silver crown. She walked softly, one hand at her waist, the other waving to the crowd.
Behind her, two bodyguards dressed in black tees and cargo pants and yellow berets, walked in an attempt to be menacing, hands crossed at their backs.
"See how Beatrice is just feeling herself." The girl besides me hissed to her friend. "Everybody knows the only reason they made her queen is because she's Mrs Ibekwe's niece."
"Abi oh!" Her friend replied.
Beatrice wasn't among the popular students in my set, she was quiet and mostly kept to herself. Today, it seemed like we were seeing a new Beatrice. A Beatrice not everyone was pleased to see.
It didn't stop her from glowing. The marchers saluted as she walked past them. The cheerleaders raised their balloons and pom-poms to form an arch over her.
I watched mummy run out to take pictures of Beatrice as she walked by. Beatrice paused to blow her a kiss and the crowd cooed.
I knew it was for advertising, mummy needed the pictures for her Instagram account. It didn't stop the pang of something uncomfortable I felt in my chest. At that moment, I agreed with the previous speakers, Beatrice was doing too much.
Beatrice and her entourage paused in front of the cheerleaders. She was directly facing the parents then. She turned and blew them a kiss and they went wild with cheers.
The girl who spoke earlier kissed her teeth loudly.
"Formation Stage Four Commence! ONE! TWO!" Jasmine continued.
The entire squad jumped and turned to face the judges table.
"Salute the judges!" "Alpha! Beta!"
On her command, the marching team starting from the first row fell forward to the ground. The cheerleaders alternated between bowing with their right hand raised in salute and kneeling down while saluting.
Beatrice and her entourage walked to the judges’ table, followed by Jasmine. They shook hands with the judges and presented the gift from our house, as other houses had done. I knew our gift was a small gift basket with yellow themed fruits and snacks. It had been donated by parents.
She stepped back as Jasmine and the other marching instructors marched up to the judges and saluted.
"Good day Sir! Yellow House reporting for duty sir! Kindly grant permission to proceed, sir!"
For the sixth time today, he responded, "You may proceed."
"Thank you Sir!" She barked and saluted again before marching back into the field.
"Formation Stage Five Commence! ONE! TWO!"
The marchers jumped to their feet while the cheerleaders stood in position. On her command, they marched back into four rows.
"Forward March! ONE! TWO!"
"SLOOOOOOOWWWWW MARCH!"
"UP-FEET-KICK-STAMP!"
"HEY!"
I knew then that we had won. The slow march was brilliant. Best of all, we were the only ones who did it and there's no competing with that. Like the command stated, they raised their feet, kicked it in the air and stamped on the ground. One after the other, creating an illusion of marching forward slowly. Mrs Ibekwe had warned the marchers not to tell any of their friends in other houses about it. I was sure next year; all the houses would have incorporated it into their routine.
They did the slow march for a minute before they paused and continued marching, arms swinging forward. The applause was thunderous.
"That was wonderful! I'm short of words. Yellow House did not come to play this year."
"Please give a round of applause for our amazing girls. They all did so well. St. Claire's girls are unique. I'm sure you're proud to be a St. Claire's parent, aren't you?"
"Yes we are!" The parents cried out.
The band played as parents cheered. Mrs Ibekwe and some other teachers danced and hugged themselves.
"Up next we have the Calisthenics team. Are they ready?"
It took about ten minutes for the dancers to organise themselves on the field. Some of them also participated in the March Past for their houses and had to change their outfits. They were dressed in black, with different colours of bandanas tied around their wrists. The opening notes of City Boys by Burna Boy blared through the speakers and the crowd yelled, students rushing forward with their phones out.
"Sit down. Everybody sit down. You can take videos from your seats." The teachers’ words went unheeded.
The dance routine was similar to last years, just different songs reflecting current trends. I left my bag in the hands of a trusted junior student and walked out of the canopy.
Food was usually served late on Interhouse Sports Day, maybe it was a deliberate move because the food stalls were packed. Parents of boarders embraced their students, taking pictures.
I jogged to the end of the field, where the race tracks started. The races were next. I jogged on the spot, trying to do some warm up exercises. As the notes of the song ended to applause, more runners ran up to where I was.
"Senior Kelechi you're already here." Mirabel said with a mischievous smile. I had told them to head to the field once the March Past was over.
I ignored them and continued jogging. We were soon joined by Coaches Ify and Becky, along with runners from other houses.
I noticed Tife bouncing around with nervous energy and held her arm to stop her.
"Senior Kelechi, I am soooooo nervous." She moaned.
"You're going to do great." I replied dryly.
"What if I fall down?"
"You'll get up and keep running."
"What if I throw up?"
"You won't. Just keep running till the finish line. And stay in your lane."
I opened the can of glucose with me and poured generously into their palms, they licked it greedily.
"Alright. 100m get into position." I patted Tife on her back and she nodded and jogged unto the tracks.
"You already know what to do, abi? Run! Run fast, it's just 100m." Coach Ify spoke as she arranged them into position. "Run in your lane oh. If you cross your lane, it's disqualification. Immediately!"
They waited for a signal then Coach Becky turned to them. "On your marks! Get set! GO!!!" She blew her whistle and they took off.
"200m is next. Where are they?" I nodded at Mirabel as she ran up, alongside the others.
"How far." Alex was beside me.
"I'm good. You?"
"Your match past was nice."
"It was better than yours." Dami, a member of the senior track team retorted.
I smirked. "She didn't lie."
"Whatever helps y'all sleep better at night." Alex shrugged.
I glanced at Coach Ify again, taking in her blue top with grey sweatpants and red pair of crocs. Of all colours!
Dami followed my gaze. "I know the colour is off right?" She laughed. I nodded. For some reason, her outfit bothered me.
The last junior race was the 300m, the relay races were one of the last activities for the day. After the races would be the 'orobo' races; which as the name implied was a race between the plus sized students, the lime and spoon races; where junior students had to run 50m while balancing a lime on a small spoon in their hands. If it fell off, it was immediate disqualification.
Next would be the sack races, where students ran while inside sack bags, holding them up to their neck. The three-legged race would be next, then the ‘Going to school’ race where clad in singlets and shorts, junior students would don on their uniforms, complete with school bags and run 50m to the finish line. The relay would come next, then the teacher and parent races after which results were called. All in all, a very busy day.
I was taking the 600m race and the last lap of the relay. Dami and Fiona would take the 200m and 400m respectively. Alex was taking the 200m and 600m for her house. I was betting on her being exhausted from the previous race, which would give me an edge over her, and other runners. I was the only one in the 600m line-up only taking one race.
My bet paid off. Once the whistle went off, I jogged for the first 200m, not minding as I lagged behind. Once I passed the 200m mark, I was flying across the field.
"Stay in your lane. Stay in your lane." I muttered to myself.
I loved the feeling of the wind hitting my face, I could feel it lifting my hair extensions behind me. Before I knew it, I was at the finish line, slapping Coach Daniella on her palm.
"Gold!" She cried.
Alex breezed by just a few minutes after hands raised.
"Silver." Alex fell to the ground after her words.
"Bronze." Moremi, an SS1 student from orange house came next.
I heard a whoop! Mummy stood close to me recording with her phone.
"That's my baby! A gold medallist! That's on period." I waved and blew her a kiss.
My legs felt like jelly, so after taking some pictures with mummy, I headed back to my seat to rest for the relay race. My house members cheered as I sat down. I learnt we had won 4 gold medals out of the six races. Which was impressive. I watched the other activities till I got bored. I headed to where Miss Oka sat, keeping guard over our coolers. After some minutes of effusive praise, I picked two bottles of Lucozade Boost and went in search of Alex.
I found her on one of the cement slabs in the midst of the vendors, a pair of earpiece was in her ears and she bobbed her head to the music.
Wordlessly, I sat beside her and handed her a bottle.
She paused her music. "Thanks." She emptied the bottle in three gulps and shot it into a nearby bin. It entered.
"She shoots; she scores ..."
"And the crowd goes wild." I completed.
She smiled at me. "Congrats on the win. Your house really needed it."
"Thanks. You still have the relay race to prove yourself."
She cut off laughing. "Wait! You know all these stuff is just bants, right?"
"Definitely!"
"Like I'm fine if you win, which will be nearly impossible considering the other games." Blue House had won all the indoor events; the chess, scrabble, table tennis and ludo games. So far, they were still first place.
"But, you've worked your ass off, considering everything that happened. So if by some far-fetched chance you win this competition, I’ll get off my high horse and congratulate you." She ended with a wide smile, hand on her chest.
"Wow! Thanks for that heart-warming revelation. I'll do the same if you win."
"Good. Let's shake on it." We shook hands solemnly then burst out laughing.
"So ... how far your parents? Did they come?"
"Umm ... no. They have work. Also my house is far, I'm sure you noticed."
"Oh!" Mummy was also busy at work. I know she was booked months in advance yet, she never missed any of my school activities. Just then, I appreciated her a bit more.
"Wait! Why don't you stay in the hostel since your house is far? I mean it would save transport, I've been hearing fuel is expensive."
She gave me a close-lipped smile. "I can't afford to stay in the hostel."
"Oh!"
"Yeah. My parents aren't the ones paying my fees. They can't afford it."
"So who pays it?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. "One of my aunts abroad. She's an old girl."
"That's nice of her." I nodded.
She shook her head. "Yeah it is."
"So you'll follow your school bus back home? Since your parents didn't come."
"School bus ke? I don't follow school bus; I follow public transport." She smirked.
"Oh!"
"Yeah ..."
"That's ... dangerous. Right?"
"Oh really?"
"Well ... I mean. If you've been following it since, I guess that's okay?"
She shook her head. "I never know what to expect from you."
"If there's anything being in this school has taught me, it's to always have my guard up. Because rich kids are cruel." Her eyes challenged me to deny it."I just gave you more than enough ammunition to use against me and you just responded calmly. Like it's nothing."
"Are you even real? Like I know the shege I have seen in this school in the hands of your friends. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for this school, and all the opportunities walahi. If you told me when I was younger that one day I'll attend a school like this, I'll have burst out laughing." She smiled.
"Sometimes though, I wish I just stayed in my place."
I have never been the most eloquent person in situations like this. I knew students who didn't come from rich homes didn't have it too rosy at SCGC, especially at the hands of my friends, I must admit, I never bothered about it. Until now.
She was still looking at me so I said the first thing that came to my mind. "You can follow me and my mum home. She's mentioned you once or twice, I think she likes you." This was not a lie.
"I'll appreciate that." Her voice was silent. "Thanks."
"FYI, my parents have an agreement with the driver. So it's not like I'm jumping buses. He drops me at school and picks me close to my house. So it's not how you're thinking."
"I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that." I placed a hand on my chest to emphasize my point.
"Rest abeg."
We sat in compatible silence.
"So ... do you want to get something?" I noticed her gaze on a student a few metres away digging into a sharwarma wrap.
"They're selling sharwarma for 7500. And it's even the small one."
"It's alright. I can pay ..."
She held my arm as I reached for my wallet.
"That's nice, but no thank you." Her voice was calm, but firm.
I shrugged and placed my hand back on my lap.
"I'm sure they'll soon start sharing food. Don't know why they're delaying."
I shared my theory with her on how I thought the school deliberately served food late at such events so we would get tired of waiting and patronise vendors.
She gasped. "That makes so much sense! Why did I never think of that?"
We were still talking when a shadow fell over us.
"Guy! I've been looking everywhere for you. I called you. Even your mum called you."
I was shocked to see Jesse grinning at me. He was in his school uniform, which consisted a pair of white trousers, a white shirt and a navy blue tie and blazer. On the blazer was a neatly pinned badge reading, Assembly Prefect.
"Jesse! Hi!" I squeaked and stood up. I still hadn't cleared all my doubts about him concerning Theo's case. It would have been so much easier if he didn't look so good.
He laughed. "The look on your face is priceless. In fact, it's worth coming to your school."
"You didn't tell me you were coming."
"You never asked." He smirked. "Although, I think I tried to mention it at the procession."
"Anyway, it's nice to see you." Despite my misgivings, I was still happy to see him. It seemed my crush on him never fully went.
From the smile he gave me, I knew I said the right thing.
Someone cleared their throat behind him. "Oh sorry."
It was then I noticed the three guys in identical uniforms behind him.
"Kelly meet Steven, James and Ade." He pointed to each guy as he called their names.
"Guys, this is Kelly." I waved shyly.
"This is the part where you introduce us to your fine friend." Ade spoke up.
"Oh sorry. This is Alex." I turned to her, "Alex this is Jesse, and his friends."
"Pleased to meet you." Ade stepped forward and held out a hand to her. "I saw you on the field, you were incredible!"
Alex blinked repeatedly. "Oh ... err.... thank you."
"Kelly is the real star here though, she won the race after all."
"You ran earlier; I'm guessing you were exhausted. You're in really good form though, I run track, so I'm not saying this lightly." He sat beside her.
"That's nice. Thanks."
I turned away from the budding couple to Jesse.
"So ... "
"So ... "
"You're obviously not running."
"You got that right. I'm a honoured delegate of the patewo committee." He clapped his hands to demonstrate.
"Nice one." I turned to James and Steven. "What about you guys?"
James laughed. "Is there a committee called ‘I came to see fine girls’? Because that's why I'm here."
Steven clapped his back.
"Well, I appreciate the honesty."
"Speaking of fine girls, where has this mugu been hiding you?" He teased.
"Err ... I live in his basement." The four of us laughed.
"Honestly, you were amazing on the field. Don't mind Ade, he saw woman and his mind scattered." Steven whispered the last words.
"Na your mind go scatter. Idiot." Ade scoffed.
"Ah! You're listening to us? Better focus on the fine girl in front of you." James turned to Alex, "you see this guy doesn't deserve you. You're talking to him and his mind is elsewhere."
"Don't listen to this motherfucker." Ade kissed his teeth.
"We're not even anything yet, and you're already telling me what to do?" Alex teased.
"Total red flag!" I wagged my index finger.
"Hey, Kelly abi whatever they call you, mind yourself. Don't pour sand in my garri." His eyes twinkled as he spoke.
He turned back to Alex. "How can I tell you what to do? It was just a suggestion. See, these guys are idiots. Big fools. I've known them for five years, I can beat my chest and say it."
"But they're your friends. You know what they say, show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are."
The boys howled, except for Ade who shook his head.
"I can't even fault that. Nice one."
"She got you good guy." Jesse laughed.
"For real though. You guys were amazing on the field."
"Guy! It was like flash!" I blushed at the praise.
"This one is headed for Olympic gold. Either running or basketball." Jesse placed his hand around my shoulder. I glanced around quickly, making sure no teachers were close by to see him.
"Wait oh! It was you guys who beat Queens?"
"I don't mean to brag," Alex brushed invisible dust off her shoulders. "But yes, it was us."
"Omo! Comot body joor! You guys are bad! No cap!"
"See, you can't pay me enough to play against that school. If they call me walahi, I will run."
"I should play those girls? With complete muscles and beard!"
"Those girls dey fear me! I don't know what they feed them in that school."
"Honestly speaking, that was the toughest match I have played this year. Dem knack ball comot my hand tire. But at the end of the day, we were the champions." Alex grinned.
"Mad respect honestly."
"Did your school invite them?"
"I think so."
"Ah! Gbese!" (trouble)
It was a normal practice during interhouse sporting competitions to invite track teams of other schools to run a friendly race against each other. That explained why Jesse and his friends were here in uniform.
"I like your hair." Jesse fingered the extensions. His fingertips touching my hair sent a thrill all the way down to my feet.
"Omg! Stop it!" I giggled. Jesus! See what this boy had turned me to.
"Don't mind this bush man."
"Kelly Hi!"
I frowned at Jessica and her friends. Why was she talking to me? We hadn't spoken since that day at the hall.
Obehi and Sandra flanked her, three of them had knotted their tops at their backs, making it fitted and emphasizing their busts (especially Obehi). Though they weren't on the track team, Obehi and Sandra wore shorts. Jessica's sweatpants clung to her skin. Tami shuffled awkwardly behind them. Her top was too tight, as well as her sweatpants.
"Hi." I replied stiffly.
Jessica hugged me, giving everyone a clear view of her bum as it jiggled.
"I've been looking for you." She squealed. "Congrats on your win."
"Thank you?"
She had already turned to Jesse beaming at him."I'm Jesse." He held his hand out.
"OMG! Same! I'm Jessy. With a y." She laughed.
"Serious? Mine ends with an E." She laughed harder like he said something hilarious and introduced the others. Now it made sense why she approached me.
"So you actually have friends Kelly?" Jesse teased. Everyone laughed except for me and Alex. Jesse stopped when he noticed my frown and folded arms.
Jessica turned her attention to Alex, she sat beside him and tried to engage him in a conversation.
"You look like you work out. You're into sports right?"
"Yeah he runs." Alex said absentmindedly.
"I wasn't talking to you."
Obehi and Sandra spoke with James and Steven, who didn't look at all unhappy with their conversation partners.
Tami stood at an awkward angle staring uncomfortably at her shoes while I avoided Jesse's gaze, I was angry with him for his earlier comment.
"Hi Tami right? How are you finding today so far?” Ade tried to bring her into the conversation.
"Oh Tami is definitely not into sports." Obehi laughed. "Maybe if it were Interfood festival, she'll be more interested." She, Obehi and Jessica laughed loudly.
Tami glared at them and walked off.
"That wasn't nice." Steven said hesitatingly.
"She'll get over it. We say worse things to each other all the time." Sandra rolled her eyes.
Since when was Tami chummy with Jessica's hostel friends? I wondered. Theo hated them and we had made fun of them countless times.
Alex had gone back to her phone, leaning Ade to Jessica. He tried unsuccessfully to bring her into the conversation.
"OMG! Alex is that your phone?" Jessica shrieked as she snatched the phone from her hands. She turned to the back.
"Gionee? What's that?"
"A phone brand. Thought it was obvious, with it written at the back and everything. I'll like it back." She stretched her hand but Alex moved the phone farther away.
"Of course it's a phone silly. But eww! Who uses Gionee?" She scrunched her nose. "Like how do you even pronounce it? Where are they finding all these lame brands? Everybody uses IPhones or Samsung."
"Not me. I use Google Pixel." Ade shrugged.
"Now that's a phone." She touched his shoulder with one hand. "Not this box."
"Can i have it back?"
"Sure." Jessica threw it back at her with a mean smile. Alex rolled her eyes as she caught it.
"Gionee makes nice phones too." Ade smiled at Alex. She didn't respond to him.
"You guys!" Obehi called out."Do you know their Midterm break is also next week? We should definitely do something!"
"Maybe go to Rufus and Bee. Or Circle Mall."
"That's not bad."
"That's calm, quite alright. But we have to be considerate." Jessica turned to Alex. "Where do you live again? Awoyaya right? That bush place that's far from everywhere. I can't even imagine how much the transport will cost you. Not to talk of the entrance fee for Rufus and Bee." She shuddered.
"Awoyaya isn't that far, haba!" I frowned. "It's just because of the road they're fixing."
"My grandma lives at Lakowe, that's AFTER Awoyaya. Trust me, there's nothing bush about that place." Ade stated.
"At all oh." Jesse supported.
"So there was no need for all that." I frowned. Jessica and I scowled at each other.
"You guys stop attacking Jessy. She's just trying to be nice. Awoyaya is actually far, whether you admit it or not." Obehi frowned."Alex follows public transport to school, so we know she probably doesn't have the money for an outing." She shrugged.
The four boys turned to Alex, an expression of horror on their faces.
"It's not like that ..." I started weakly.
Alex held up a hand to stop me. "That's okay." She folded her arms. "Yes, I follow public transport." She looked directly at Ade as she said it.
"Wait. So you stand on the road to wait for buses?"
"Of course not." She rolled her eyes. "There's one of the gardeners, Mr Emma, he has a korope. You guys know what that is right?"
"Why won't we know?'" James laughed.
She put out her hands in defence. "I know I'm talking to ajebo children. I just said let me ask." (nickname for people from rich homes)
"Me I don't know what that is oh. I can't even pronounce it." Sandra frowned. If I was being honest, I didn’t either.
"Those small white buses. I'm sure you've seen them before."
"Ohh! Is that what you people call them?"
Alex ignored her. "He lives a few streets away from my house. So my parents made an arrangement with him to carry me to school and back."
"Just you?"
"Nope. There are some other students following us. Teachers too. We're not much shaa, just six."
"So basically a school bus." Jesse shrugged.
"We pay daily, not per term. I don't know about that."
"The bus takes you to school and brings you back home, with other students and teachers. I think it's called a school bus."
"That one is not school bus oh." Obehi laughed. "It's koro whatever she said."
"Please define a school bus." Ade argued.
"You guys, let's not get into an unnecessary argument. Let's all just agree it's a school bus." James stated.
Ade clapped his hands. "Wisest thing you've said today bro."
We all laughed, I ignored the searing glare Jessica threw my way.
"We're not even talking about the important things. Is Kelly actually going to appear for this outing? Because this one love her house scatter oh!" Jesse teased.
"I mean, my fridge is full, there's Wi-Fi and Netflix. What the hell am I leaving my house for?"
"You have a strong point. Maybe we'll do the hangout at your house." Steven nodded.
"Don't encourage this girl. You need to leave your house to meet people. Make friends. See what life has to offer. Broaden your horizons."
"If that’s the case, I do leave my house. I'm not in my house right now, am I? And I go to church."
Jesse shook his head. "Where did they bring you from?"
"Hold on! You guys met at church right?" Jessica interrupted. I had a very bad feeling about this.
"Yes?"
"LOL! You're the Jesse she has a huge crush on." She laughed.
I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Maybe the embarrassment I felt would reduce. I fixed my gaze on the floor as I felt my cheeks burning up. From the wide smile on Jessica's face, I knew she had gotten exactly what she wanted.
Jesse broke the silence that followed her announcement. "Err, I hope you're right. Because I kind of have a huge crush on her too." His friends shouted and my cheeks burnt harder.
Alex whistled. "Wahala for those of us nobody has a huge crush on oh."
"Who said nobody has a huge crush on you?" Ade teased.
"Ah ah! How many couples do we have here?" Steven teased.
"Just look at both of you." Coach Ify suddenly appeared. "You better get to the field right now! Did you forget about the relay race?"
Alex jumped to her feet, cursing as she shoved her phone into her bag. I took her bag from her and handed it and mine to Jesse.
"Please help me give it to my mum." I couldn't meet his eyes.
Once again, my mind was drawn to her footwear. I shook my head as Alex and I jogged to the field.
The junior relay race was on and I could hear the crowd cheering. I took my place at the last lap of the race and tried to gather my thoughts. All I felt was anger and embarrassment, and maybe a little bit of hope. Damn Theo! I was sure she was the one who told Jessica about my crush on Jesse. I had never mentioned it to anyone, it meant I had not been as subtle as I thought. I kissed my teeth.
Why on earth would she tell Jessica? I gritted my teeth as I imagined them gossiping about me, laughing at me.
What about Jesse? Did he mean what he said? Or was he just trying not to embarrass me any further?
I shook my head. I had a race to win. The cheers grew louder and I turned to see Fatima running towards me, arms outstretched.
Once I held the baton, I was off running like my life depended on it. I tried to channel my anger towards my limbs and pushed myself toward. Fuck Jessica and her stupid friends. Fuck Theo for telling Jessica I liked Jesse. Fuck her for all the times she flirted with him in front of me, knowing I liked him. Fuck her for faking her kidnapping, for dying! For getting me involved in her mess.
Somewhere ahead was the finish line, I raced towards it with everything in me. I saw a flash of red in the distance. Like a thunderbolt, it hit me. I was so stupid. Red crocs. Of course. It had been right in front of me this whole time and I didn't see it.
I didn't realise when I passed the finish line. I kept running till I felt hands holding me back.
"It's okay. It's over. You've won."
No, it was not okay. It was not over. Not by a long shot. Things were just getting started.
