morning feeling really tired (of sleeping).
I could feel slight pains on my waist as I
just kept rolling on the bed. It was still
raining and I wasn’t in a hurry to leave
the bed. Time check 4:45am
I checked my mail box to see some mails
from some of the company’s clients
whose projects I was handling and two
from my own personal clients.
Turning on my laptop, I started by
replying those that needed just replies
before attending to those that involved
my addressing certain issues.
Not until 6:45am did I exit the room to
see mom preparing to leave the house
for church. Calling out to Favour who
was in the kitchen, she asked her to take
two of those yams from the kitchen to
the car for her.
I asked Fay why she was taking the yams
along with her. She replied saying it was
customary to take two yams to the
church on new yam day, then bring back
one after they had been blessed by the
priest so the one brought back home
would extend its blessings to the ones
yet to be harvested in the farm.
I went back to do my morning hygiene
and take my bath. Came back out to the
living room around 9 just about the same
time mom returned from church. Sitting
across from dad who was on a couch, I
began to ask him questions about the
new yam celebration, what Fay had told
me about the rain and its significance
and just about anything.
Breakfast was boiled yams and eggs
sauce, with only I and dad on the table
arguing about politics as we ate. Save
for different people calling in with
prepared food (pounded yam and soup),
“melon cakes”, and some with yam
tubers, the rest of the day went
uneventful during,which time i slept and
also did some with my Pc. Food
exchange is a norm in such celebrations
in this part.
By 4:45pm we were on our way to the
residence of the family that had invited
my host family for the new yam
celebrations. Dad drove, mom in front
while I and Fay sat behind. Good a thing,
Favour had warned me to prepare to eat
pounded yam all through that day.
We drove for about 15 minutes before we
got to one huge gate. Dad honked, and
seconds later, the gate was thrown open
as we drove into the very big compound.
A number of cars were parked inside, just
as music was playing from loud speakers
outside the main building. Table were
arranged outside and most were occupied
by other guests.
We made our way into the building, with
dad and mom saying hi and laughing
with different guest at their tables before
finally going in. I and Favour just tagged
behind sheepishly. Minutes later, we met
with chief and his wife (the host) with
the four of them laughing as we sat in
the vast living room. Two other guests
were present inside with two pre-teen
girls. Obviously their kids.
The wife went into the kitchen and came
back out to join us. Minutes later, i
noticed three girls begin to move in and
out the kitchen to and from the dinning
table. While the hosts talked and laughed
with dad, mom and the other couple, I
and Favour sat next to each other silently
watching the giant tv screen same way
the little girls did.
After a few minutes, the wifey got up and
went back into the kitchen, came back
out and announced to us it was time to
hit the table. Chief led everyone present
in the living room to the dinning table.
An open food flask containing pounded
yam wrapped in white nylons, a closed
flask obviously containing the soup, an
open bowl containing fried chicken while
another contained boiled goat meat.
Four wine bottles at different points,
bottled water and flat plates by the 10
dinning seats, hand wash bowls, wine
and water glasses. Boy, this was the first
time I was gonna partake in such
expensive dinning setting.
As we took our seats, the wife kept
looking at I and Favour opposite her and
mom like perhaps I was Fay’s fiancé or
something. In a bid to quell her curiosity,
I noticed her bend towards mom and
whispered into her ears, to which mom
smiled shaking her head. It was at that
point she introduced me to chief and his
wife as son to their friend in Lagos and
classmate with Frank who had come for
the new yam celebration. Unfortunately,
Frank left town yesterday for PH for an
aptitude test.
Mom, Mrs and the other lady all stood up
after a brief prayer before meal led by
one of the little girls and began dishing
out the food. Soup was afang, and as I
later found out, contained lots of stock
fishes and “kpomo”.
Chief opened the wine closer to him and
poured for himself and his wife, dad and
the other man did same for themselves
and their wives. When I wouldn’t touch
the one closer to me, chief specifically
called out to me “young man, that
wine,is supposed to be open”
“yes sir” i said as I grabbed and opened
it. Fortunately it was non alcoholic, so I
stood up and poured a glass for Fay, the
two girls and finally myself.
Mrs at some point in a bid to bring us
into the discussion asked Fay how work
was going and me where exactly i stay in
lagos, state of origin, my course study in
unical, what I was doing for work, etc.
Corrected her I about the school with her
saying but she thought Frank attended
unical. Yes I said, we were classmates at
FGCV. Then one if the little girl spilled
her wine, to which Mrs called out “who’s
there, Rosemary… Bring me a towel
quickly”
Seconds later, Rose emerged from the
kitchen with a towel to which she
directed her to clean the girl’s dress and
then the table. Not until she was about
living did she realize I was the one
seated there. But on a second thought,
with the way she looked away like she
had just seen me for the first time, I
began to feel she must have seen me
before then having realized that Frank’s
parent were the guest when we entered
the living room.
The rest of the meal went uneventful till
we returned to the living room. A few
other guest had arrived with chief going
out to receive them.
I had to ask Fay why we had to get the
honor of dinning with chief, to which she
responded by saying chief and dad had
been friends right from their days in the
university, while the other couple were
their godchildren.
I had hoped to see Rose again, but she
didn’t come anywhere close to the living
room till we left.
On our way home, Frank called mom to
tell her about the test and how it went.
Called him myself later when i was in the
room an he told me how everything went
and that he would leave for Calabar the
following day, to be home on Monday. I
told him we had just returned from
Rose’s aunts residence and also filled
him in on what transpired from Thursday
with Ella, my meeting with Rose and
finally her attitude when we met at her
aunt’s.
The rest of the evening went uneventful,
tv, chatting and sleeping.
*****
Sunday morning, I woke up with running
stomach around 5am. Damn i thought to
myself, I’ve always had problem eating
pounded yam. Having eaten it the first
Saturday when I had arrived and was ok, I
felt everything was ok within my system
so I had really taken my time to enjoy the
meal yesterday at chief’s residence.
The was no way I was going for mass in
that state. Mom and dad left for the first
mass, and I explained to Fay my
predicament. She laughed saying perhaps
the wine had contributed. She offered me
a drug containing syrup Loperamide
which I took and began to feel better. But
my mind was already set for evening
mass at St. Charles parish.
***Fast-forward
I left the house somewhat around past
3pm telling Fay I was going to hang out
with Jude and go for mass with him.
By 6:20pm, some 20 minutes into the
mass, I was already bored with the
priest’s homily and was looking for a
way to leave the church when my phone
rang. Call was from an unknown number.
Since we sat behind, I picked the call to
which the caller was asking where i was.
I couldn’t hear the person (a female)
clearly because of the loud music in the
background so i ended the call. Then
during the offertory procession, instead
of returning to our seat, I and Jude
stepped out of the church.
Heading towards gate, I dialed the
number and discovered it was Juliet. She
asked where I was, and wanted me to
meet her at “Friends Class” (a joint) so
she’ll buy me a drink since Frank told her
keep me company in his absence.
Told her I was with Jude and she asked
me to come along with him. Jude wasn’t
with his car so we took a bike there.
Getting there, she spotted us at the gate
and ran up to give me a hug and then
Jude. Two other girls followed her
shouting my,name after her “Fury Fury”
as the also jumped on me when she
moved over to Jude.
Juliet had another pair of Isabel Marant
sneakers on, the two girls had Nike Air
max sneakers on. All three wore some
seriously short bump jean shorts and
crop tops. Obviously they were all high,
save for Juliet who looked coordinated.
One of the girls had a lit cigarette on her
hand while the other had a bottle of
Smirnoff.
Their shouting attracted the attention of
a couple of guys in the crowded place
who kept staring at us as Juliet led the
way to their table. The Table had all sort
of empty alcoholic drinks on it. Juliet
called the sales girl and asked me to
place an order. In not wanting to ask for
a soft drink, I had already resolved to
take Smirnoff. But fortunately, it was
outta stock so I settled for a bottle of
fayrous instead. Forgotten what Jude
took.
Now the table was in a dark corner, both
when we came in, I noticed a girl whose
head was on the table. As Juliet as her
friends danced and rocked themselves
like dykes to the appeal and cheers from
seemingly high guys, the girl whose head
was on the table finally sat up and to my
surprise I discovered it was Rose.
She stood up, smiled at me,and then sat
on my legs and began to rock me. I was
confused as she did this until she kissed
me unexpectedly did I realize she had
been smoking and was also partially
drunk. Then she stood up and pulled me
up and started to rock me, but I couldn’t
move. Firstly, I suck at dancing, not to
even mention in public and secondly I
just felt Rose wasn’t her self.
As she dance, she began to say crazy and
funny stuffs about wanting to fvck me
right then. I quickly realized what ever
she had been taking was finally taking
control of her, so I led her to a corner
according to one guy who suggested I
get cold water for her.
As the sales girl went to get the cold
water, she kept shouting “Fury I want to
fvck you right now”, “Fury just take me
right here” “She thinks I’m fvcking you, so
lemme just do it” “Fury just fvck me”,
“Fury my love” etc etc etc…
I became really worried and sent for
Juliet and demanded what happened.
According to Juliet, she (Rose) and her
friends (Ella and co) had planned a trip
to the ranch, but somehow they left her
behind. So she joined her (Juliet’s) own
group to the ranch. But since her group
weren’t going up the hill, they ended up
swimming at the pool down the ranch
and then returned to town. That it was
when they got back to town that Rose
finally succeeded in reaching Ella (who
was up the ranch) to demand why she
was left behind after she paid for the trip
and had even prepared some snacks
when according to her, Ella told her to go
and keep fvcking you (me), that she
betrayed her and couldn’t afford to hang
out with her..
I was like wow! wtf.. So I asked her what
Rose took and,why they allowed her
because obviously she hadn’t taken those
things before. Juliet said she took XYZ
and to the substance they added in their
drinks and partook in some of what they
smoked. Said she didn’t know the girl
wasn’t into such, and that her problem is
she doesn’t know the girl’s (Rose’s)
residence.
Told her I knew the place, and together
we lifted her and placed on a bike after
finding her key in her purse. I sat behind
her as she slept all through the trip
home. Getting to her hostel, I lifted her
and took her inside. Telling her next door
neighbor what happened, I suggested the girl take her into the bathroom and clean her up and she had puked severally at
the joint. I gave the neighbour her keys
and left.
Time check, 8:20pm, I saw 3 missed calls
from Fay and called Jude and told him I
was heading home from there. To say the
least, I was angry wirh everyone I could
think of, myself inclusive.
Was thinking of the explanation to give
when I got home for staying out this late,
but fortunately dad and mom weren’t
around. I just told Favour after mass, I
and Jude hung out with a some ex FGCV
guys including Guy 1 and 2. Having put
my phone on silent from church, I didn’t
hear the phone ring.
To Be Continue
