Senior Emeka

Monday na serious day for me. Na di start of new week. And as di oga wey I be for school, nothing fit miss for my dressing. For Sunday night, I dey make sure sey I don polish my shoe, mek e shine well-well—na Papa teach me dat one. I go kon iron my shirt, mek e stand gidigba, mek di lines dem sharp. My hair nko? Baba Solo go don shape am for me on Saturday. I no dey cut am for Sunday becos if I leave am till Sunday, by Monday, all di line for wer di clipper cut me go still dey show. Na after JSS2 I learn dat one. I don upgrade.

Papa get one perfume wey e dey use only for special occasions. E no know but every now and den, I dey spray di perfume before I go school. Me sef gat smell nice. Di thing don dey finish small-small. E mean sey time don reach mek I buy my own. I no want di man wahala.

I look my watch. Ye! Time don gó. I rush do my tie. I go brush my hair for road. I carry my bag begin dey gó. I no even get time put something for belle. I go buy buns for tuck shop. As I dey gó, I see Chike for road. He come my side, and we begin trek together.

“Haw far nau? Yu watch match yesterday?” Chike ask me.

“I dey o, haw body? I no watch o. I get test today so I dey try cram some things. Wetin be scores?”

“O boy, na three-two o. Di match sweet no be small. Yu fit come my side after. Dem go show am again for evening.”

I consider am. Papa no go quick come back today so I fit gó.

“No wahala nau, we go see.”

Awa school no far, and before we close eye open am, we don reach. I be class prefect. So wen I reach school, na gate I dey stand, mek I for see as all di students dey enter. Anybody wey I see with dirty uniform, or wey no wear di correct shoe or socks, na to send am go back house. I no dey take nonsense. Everybody sabi dat one. Na wai I dey always make sure sey my own uniform dey shine. Mek nothing stain my white.

Emmanuel na my regular customer for dis gate. Something dey always miss for im uniform. If no be sey e wear wrong sandal, e go be sey e no wear socks, abi im shirt dirty. Di guy dey always do anyhaw. But today, as e dey walk come my side, I scan am see sey everything déy intact. E shock me o.

“Emma, shey na yu I dey see so?”

Di boy begin dey smile. “Senior Emeka, na me o. I no want mek yu send me gó house today. In fact, I don buy new shirt. Yu no see as e white?”

“I dey see am o. Yu try no be small. Keep am up o. I no want send yu gó house again.”

“No wahala, Senior Emeka. I don change”, he laugh as e dey waká gó.

All di students wey pass, dem do well today. Abi we dey do something for school today wey I no know?

As I dey finish my duty for gate, time for assembly kon reach. For assembly, I dey stand with my classmates for line. Principal begin address us. As usual, na my class collect.

“SS2 B!!! Una wahala don dey plenty. Di reports wey I don dey get don fill cup. I no go take all dis rubbish from una. Una wey suppose be example to di junior ones-dem. Instead, na una just dey make shame catch us. As from today, una déy on manual labor. All of una go cut di grass wey dey field. After dat one, una go clean all di toilets wey dey for dis compound. Once una do dat one finish, I go find anoda work give una”.

As class prefect wey I be, I no think sey dis punishment go reach my side. Na im I raise my hand, mek I ask. Principal just clear me straight. “Di punishment na for yu too, Emeka. Everybody join for dis one”. Na so everybody begin laugh. I no just understand di man. Me wey be good student. Na even me tell di man di things wey some of my classmates-dem dey do. I don mess up. I go gó meet am after assembly. After e read announcements, e talk sey assembly don end, mek we dey gó class.

My friend Femi begin dey waká with me as I dey gó class.

“Haw far nau? Wai princi go do yu like dat? E no sabi sey yu be prefect?”

“No mind am joor. I go gó see am later. Hope sey yu déy okay.”

“I dey o. Hmm… e be like sey yor girlfriend dey come o. Check back!” Femi dey smile as e dey talk am. I turn back see sey Amara dey waká come. She no be my girlfriend but everybody sabi sey I like am. Na wai dem dey always joke sey she be my girlfriend.

“Guy, she no be my girlfriend.” Femi just laugh waká leave me for der. Amara tap me for shoulder.

“Emeka, haw far?” Ha voice be like pap wey dem just komot from fire—e smooth die. I dey alway shy to follow am talk.

“I… I dey fine, Amara. Haw yu… haw yu dey?” I dey sweat.

“I déy. I want sey mek yu no vex as people dey laugh yu for assembly ground. Yu know haw e dey gó.” She dey smile at me.

“Ah no, I no dey vex. No wahala.” I no sabi weda to put my hand for pocket abi to fold am for chest. Di whole thing just dey make my body do jiggy-jiggy. Me and Amara neva talk for long like dis before, na just greet I dey greet am.

“Ehen, me and my friends dey gó Chikky’s after school. Yu go like come?” Chikky’s na one buka wey déy town. Students dey like gó der on a regular. Amara dey ask me mek I follow am komot. Abi I dey dream? I no fit believe am. Na for dis kind important time my voice like to stop to dey work.

“I, err, I go…”

Na so I begin cough. Today of all days na di day dis cough kon come. Dis one na serious cough. Na di one wey no matter wetin yu do, e no go stop till e don do complete.

“Emeka, wetin happen? Yu déy okay?” Amara begin dey tap me for back. Dis cough no stop. E remain small mek I cough out my intestines. People begin gather us. Wich kind embarrassment be dis one?

“Senior Emeka, wetin happen?”

“Mek somebody bring am water.”

“Give am space, give am space.”

“Hu get fan o? Mek we blow am breeze.”

Na so people just dey talk, dey do different things around me. Di only thing wey dey my mind na haw I go tell Amara sey yes, I go follow am gó Chikky’s.

Writer: Itseme Akede; Illustrator: Oritseshemaye Onakpoya