******When Beauty Becomes A Crime Continues******** Banji was planning to meet Oyinkansola. He wished he could warn her against a touch from any strange masculine hand. isn’t that a ridiculous idea? He wondered. Would Oyinkansola ever listen to him? A girl he had never talked to. He had never noticed her until Felix called his attention to her. Now he felt a hand on his back, still under his pretentious search. It was Felix. “Beejay, I never know say this Olumide get sense like that o,” Felix said. Banji stood straight only to find out that Olumide and two other boys were missing. He asked of their whereabouts from Felix and he told him they had gone to call the senior boy for their release. “Have you been looking for something?” Felix asked on the observation that Banji had fetched nothing out of the grass after all his shuffles. “Yeah…I’ve been looking for the five hundred naira I kept in my front pocket, but I can’t find it,” he ended the statement with a note of disappointment in his voice. Felix offered to help him search for it. Banji asked him not to bother himself. “So, wetin you think about that charm thing nah?” Felix paused briefly as if awaiting Banji’s opinion, then continued, “me I no fit wait o. “ Banji wished he could warn Felix against the plan there and then. But he knew Felix could broadcast faster than a TV station. He had confided many things to him before and regretted it. Besides, he thought Felix might be envious of him if he decided to propose to Oyinkansola. “You are funny o. Are you supposed to be asking me that again?” Banji said enthusiastically, passing his hand across Felix’s shoulders, “who no go like good thing. Abeg, make we pack this grass into the pit jor.” With that, Banji withdrew his hand from his shoulders and they bent down over their respective labours. **** Later in the day the bell rang for long break, but Banji’s heart rang louder than the bell in his desk. He thought the closing time was drawing near and he’s yet to form a good plan. A thought occurred to him as some of the students trooped excitedly out of the classroom. He thought he could search for the ring in Olumide’s bag. His seat was on his row—three desks behind. Majority of the students, including Olumide, were still writing the biology note that had been scribbled on the chalkboard, but Banji had finished writing. The teacher had hurriedly left the class as soon as he finished with the note. A student on a recommended glasses walked close to the chalkboard and fixed his eyes on the scribbled words as if peering into a dark room. He used his index finger to trace the words as if to rub it off. A cry burst out from the students behind him. HEY! HEY! HEY! “Hey you little pepper! You better leave the board before I fling you out of the window!” One of the rascally boys at the back of the classroom taunted him. The boy had the smallest stature in the whole of SS1 and was the youngest. He was 17 years of age. Most of the students looked full grown and many, including Banji, were above twenty years of age. The boy walked back to his desk, unruffled. Some minutes later the classroom became scanty. Olumide was just leaving and he asked Banji if he wasn’t going out with him. “I will join you soon. I have to finish with this note,” Banji pretentiously opened another leaf of his ‘Olympic exercise book.’ “If you can’t find me at the food shed,” Olumide said, paused, then extended his index finger, apparently reflecting on where he could find him, “Okay. I will be on the field.” Olumide pulled out his shirt from his knee- length shorts, then ambled out of the classroom. Olumide was a tall, fair lad with a low haircut. Banji was fairly chocolate in complexion, and a little taller than Olumide. Banji observed the classroom when Olumide had walked farther away. There were only two students, the youngest boy was reading a novel and the other girl had placed her head on her desk, obviously deep asleep. He moved over to Olumide’s desk, opened it gently and searched through his black folder. He brought out the books and combed the nook and crannies, but couldn’t find it. Frustrated, he tapped his middle finger on his teeth, wondering if it was in his pocket. Just then he glimpsed Oyinkansola and one other girl along the verandah of his classroom. He felt his heart gallop within him. Proposing to her was no longer his primary aim. To save her from the danger was the priority. He adjusted his tucked-in shirt, contrary to what other boys would do. Most girls would rather go for bad or rugged guys, and leaving out the shirt was one of the ways to show this. He delved his hand in his pocket for a wooden comb and shuffled his afro haircut. He dusted and cleaned his brown leather sander with a foam. He didn’t want to appear as a bad boy, for majority of academic girls preferred decent boys. He began to trace Oyinkansola and her friend until they stopped at the teeming food shed behind the SS3 block. He watched her buy yoghurt beside the file of food sellers. Immediately she walked over to the fruit sellers Banji decided to make a move. He had three hundred naira in his pocket. He walked to the fruit seller and stood next to Oyinkansola. Sense of humour is another trick to build up some webs with girls, he thought. He wasn’t gifted in that and he wanted to try his luck. “Mama Shege, Shege!” Banji hailed the fruit seller who was normally called ‘Mama Shegun’, “I swear, na your fruits sweet pass for IGS. Your ‘agbalumo’ don dey finish sef. When are they importing another one for you?” Banji asked, twiddling the cherries in his right hand. His hand was placed beside Oyinkansola’s on the tray. “Shegun don dey import am come,” Mama Shegun responded with a smile. “I dey sure say na from Dubai.” “No,” Protested Mama Shegun, “na Ota market nah.” “Mama, you don disappoint me,” Banji said, glancing at Oyinkansola’s face. Oyinkansola and her friend glanced back at him almost at once. Her friend smiled, but Oyinkansola’s face was expressionless. Banji thought the girl was amused probably because she was an acquaintance to him. Aisha, as long as he could remember her name, had her desk behind his friend’s seat in SS1 H, but they had never spoken a word to each other. When Oyinkansola gave Mama Shegun fifty naira, Banji asked if she had more in her wallet so she could change some for him. Oyinkansola stared scornfully at Banji’s six feet height beside her own Five-and-half. “I don’t have anyone left,” she muttered and frowned. “Okay, okay,“ Banji mumbled, and by then Oyinkansola and her friend made to leave the fruit seller’s counter. He then ventured, “hello, please, can I see you for a moment?” Aisha glanced over her shoulder and asked if Banji was referring to her. “No,” he responded rather brusquely, “your friend.” Oyinkansola walked farther as if she heard nothing. When Aisha called her she halted without turning back, then rested her left hand on her hip. Banji walked confidently to her. She glared at him from head to feet as if his body was stained with faeces. “See me for what?” She asked coldly. “Just give me a moment to talk to you in private,” Banji said, his hands stuck in the pockets of his shorts, and his face was sober. “Please, I don’t have time for that,” Oyinkansola snatched Aisha’s hand, urging them to leave. As they walked away Banji swiftly crossed their way. The two friends stopped abruptly. Oyinkansola turned her face elsewhere this time. “Please, just hear what I have to say…I‘m afraid there might be a disaster if you wouldn’t listen.” Oyinkansola wore a small smile, yet her face was distorted in annoyance as she turned to Banji. Meanwhile Aisha couldn’t stop shooting seductive eyes at him. Oyinkansola thought Banji was trying to persuade her. “… there might be a disaster if you wouldn’t listen,” echoed in her head as the funniest tactic to make a girl listen to a guy. Oyinkansola then burst into laughter like one in a fit of fresh madness. She started clapping her hands as if pouring something from one palm to another, “There might be a disaster if I don’t listen to you?” “Yes, I want to prevent you from something dangerous,” Banji responded assuredly, his face masked with confidence, but his heartbeat echoed the fear that Oyinkansola wouldn’t hear him out. He was also dismayed that she seemed to show no interest in him. “Please, just get out of my way!” she fluttered her eyelashes and spewed a long hiss. With that, she threw her hand around Aisha’s shoulders, and off they went. Banji’s feet melted to the spot in distress. He rubbed his hands over his head as he watched them recede into distance. As Oyinkansola and Aisha headed to the classroom, Aisha started orientating her about the qualities that must be seen in students before they could be made senior prefects. As she went into details, Oyinkansola’s mind diverted. She was responding to Aisha’s discussion by grunting and nodding her head. She seemed to like everything about Banji..... Next Episode is coming in hot!!!!! Stay tuned Anyone following????
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 21:53:34 +0000
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