₦airaland Forum

Intended age group: Secondary school students, especially the lower classes.
Genre:Young Adult.

Questions
1. Are there any parts you wanted to skip ahead or put the book down?

2. Which part should be expanded?

3. Which part should be deleted?

4. Which character(s) did you connect to?

5. What aspect caught your fancy?

6. What do you want more of?

7. What's missing?

8. Where were you bored?

9. Any opinion on the story's structure or its organization.

10. Anything else you want me to know?

Chapter 25
Boys Don't Cry

Omo promised to do something about Bidemi being at home for the remaining part of the term. Usman couldn’t concentrate in school. After school, he would rush off without even talking to his buddies. But they didn’t have to worry because they were both aware of his plight. Upon getting home, he would be happy to meet Bidemi somewhere other than with her.
After a while, he pleaded with her to enrol Bidemi. She agreed but not before he gave her a regular dose of her desire. Bidemi went to school with him after Omo managed to convince Mr. Danjuma that it was still early in the term so he could catch up easily. As luck would have it, Bidemi too was brilliant enough to cope with them. Various teachers celebrated his brilliance as he answered their questions without ado. They really enjoyed the way he was ready to teach people around.
As much as he would love to show his own prowess too, Usman couldn’t take his mind off the things he had to do with Omo just to remain in the school. It was an excruciating way of life, but he had to endure. Meanwhile, Japheth said his Aunt called in from the USA, and surprisingly, she believed his story. She promised to do something about it on her return.
The principal kept questioning the boys, and even the three of them had an argument because Olumide committed a ridiculous act and pinned it on Japheth.
One day as they finished the last paper, the bell rung and the timekeeper shouted that they were all to gather at the ‘village square’. The principal flogged her and made her change her words to the Assembly ground. Usman couldn’t shake off the funny comparison that came to his mind as he walked out. The timekeepers were like the village town criers in their books. He sauntered to the assembly. He, like Japheth, now lived as if life meant nothing. Olumide always gave them the motivation they needed.
‘Eyes on the Prize,’ Olumide would say, and they would nod. He couldn’t tell what Japheth’s mind was settled on, but he wished he had an Aunty to talk to like Japheth had. It would have really given him a bit of hope just as Japheth had.
‘Straighten your lines,’ one of their class teachers shouted. The students obeyed. Unlike their former school, Usman understood the leniency they had in this school was high. Yet, the students had a way of staying composed.
Two senior students dragged Japheth forward. At the same time, a car was honking at the gate. Japheth shouted, 'I wasn't the one.'
The principal yelled him down. ‘You’re very unserious…’
After two strokes of the cane on the head, Japheth stopped shouting. The car honking at the gate belonged to the Proprietress. She drove into the compound, got out, and beckoned to one of the counsellors, and they began to talk quietly.
The principal glanced at them and looked away. Then, he began to describe how Japheth had raped Romoke.
‘Mr. Danjuma, please come’, the Proprietress called. The principal gestured to the students to greet her. They obeyed him as he rushed to her side. They argued for a while, and she shrugged.
As they started flogging Japheth, Usman couldn’t take it anymore. He glanced at Olumide from his row and expected him to talk, but he didn’t even flinch. Although in his own case, Bidemi had refused to come out because that was what Usman had wanted him to do. It was his choice. This one wasn't.
 Japheth wouldn’t want to rat them out, but Usman couldn’t just stand it anymore. After he had taken the fall for Bidemi, he only wouldn’t allow another person to go through the pain.
The principal was already saying he would suspend him. Usman remembered when Olumide told him about it. He said he and Japheth had a pact that he would replace him. They would forgive him because he had been raped before. But Japheth couldn't answer him straight. And that caused their fight as Olumide believed he hasn't been truthful.
 Usman closed his eyes and shouted, 'Sir, he isn’t the culprit!'
He gritted and refused to look about as he was sure that the eyes of the whole school would be on him that instance.
The principal held back his hand and glanced at him scornfully. ‘Who said that?'
'I did Sir'. Usman said, stepping forward.
Mrs. Iloh walked forward slowly. Her scarf really matched her dress. 'Don't mind him, Sir. He's his friends’.
Mr. Danjuma repeatedly nodded as he rolled the arm of his shirt. 'Yes, Counsellor, I can remember. We interviewed them together'.
Mr. Danjuma gestured that the boys holding Japheth should hold him firmly, and the cane began to flow with the principal’s anger again. Usman edged closer to the podium but this time, other students tried to shut him up and draw him back. He didn’t budge; he wouldn’t be a party to someone going through pain for what they didn’t do.
'Sir, it was the Head boy,' Usman shouted and pointed at Olumide.
‘ Olumide Idowu? Nonsense!, Mr. Danjuma said and hissed.
Olumide glanced at him, and Japheth couldn’t stop crying. Mr. Danjuma raised his hand again to flog Japheth.
'Sir, he told me himself,' Usman responded. ‘He said he would pin it on Japheth because Japheth had been raped before. I tried to tell you, but you didn't want to hear me in private'.
This time, the principal’s eyes had a mixture of guilt and anger. 'Shut up!’
'Don't tell him to shut up,’ the Proprietress said as she climbed the podium. The students wanted to greet her in unison again, but she gestured for them to keep quiet. ‘My young lad, why will you make such a claim?’
‘Japheth was raped.'
Many of the teachers scoffed, but he wasn’t fazed.
The Proprietress used her hands to urge him on. 'I am listening.'
'He told our counsellor, Mrs. Iloh,' Usman continued.
Mr. Danjuma became uncomfortable and shifted from side to side. Then, he came closer to them and said in a low tone, 'Madam... This is not a public matter.'
The Proprietress gave him a cold glance and shook her head,' It's too late for that now. Didn’t I tell you that before? You wanted to teach others manners, right? Now you have just what you desire'.
She pointed at Usman to continue, and he got the cue. 'So, from that day, he tried to keep it to himself. That was how he started drinking to stop the pain. The person was always…. Having sex with him…'
'How do you know all this?’
‘I joined them to drink…'
'Senior Japheth and the head boy too’, Usman was happy to get this out of his chest.
‘Any witnesses?’ The Proprietress asked. Usman swallowed hard. He never expected this.
'I am my own witness ma,’ Olumide said from his line and came out. He avoided everyone’s eyes.
'Head boy?' exclaimed a few numbers of persons. Murmurs rang in the air. The Proprietress gestured for him to come closer. Even Usman never expected that from Olumide. The shock of this reality lingered on his face.
Like one on fire, Olumide explained everything. 'I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it, ma. She was taunting me. She wanted me to have sex with her’.
People exclaimed.
‘She called me all sort of names because she tried to have sex with me, and I refused,’ Olumide continued. ‘I told our class teacher, Mr Fajesinmi, but he laughed about it and said that it was an opportunity for me. Because I didn't have sex with her, she went about to tell everyone that I was Okobo… ‘Impotent’. The students, many of them, call me Senior Okobo. I also told the counsellor, but she wouldn't believe it’.
‘Is that so?’ The Proprietress asked and spun towards the assembly ground and back at Olumide immediately.
‘Oh! So true Ma. Many of them don’t do it openly, but it is public knowledge. So, I ganged up with some guys outside and we… raped her'.
'Wow...’ The Proprietress said and nodded at the principal. ‘All these should really be made private. Oh, my God! What kind of school am I running? Hot students; ignorant and flippant staff. I can’t believe this. We need sex education'.
'They do it, ma,' the principal interrupted.
'Only for the girls', Japheth said at last. 'When I was the social prefect before I was stripped off it, I told them we wanted sex education for boys. But they claimed that boys do not need it.'
The principal became furious. 'Do they? Look at them? It's the girls that should run from you lots. The devil resides in each of you, and I will ensure I kill that desire in you before you ruin my life'.
The Proprietress stared at them in surprise. She pointed towards the principal’s office. ‘Let's go somewhere private.’
A few days later, Romoke was firstly public pleaded with as Olumide was given a four-week suspension. Romoke was also suspended for a week. Japheth and Usman were only flogged. Lucky for them, no one talked about their thatched house. So, they could sneak there once in a while to still talk. After the Proprietress heard both of their cases, she reprimanded Mrs. Iloh. But the counsellor kept lamenting that she just couldn’t believe them because whenever she refused to have sex with her husband, he always forced himself on her. To her, men were naturally dogs, and it was in their blood to have sex, anyhow and by any means.
When Romoke got back from her suspension, Usman sometimes walk-in on her and Bidemi discussing something, but immediately she saw them, she would let Bidemi go. Usman would question Bidemi to know what they were doing, but he would change the topic.
Bidemi was becoming homesick and would always pester Usman about going home. He would always tell him how his mother would never stop looking for him.
But Usman would help him realize what he was missing. ‘You don’t want to waste this term.’ The week they awaited their results, Bidemi was more than happy that he was returning home. Usman would warn him incessantly not to let Omo have a hint that they wanted to go home. He had to help him escape. Although she promised to let them go, he didn't trust her.
He was ready to forfeit his education for Bidemi's sanity. He would return to his uncle's place, and they would forgive him. If his Aunt wanted to sleep with him, he wouldn't mind as long as another boy didn't face the same thing he faced.
On the eve of the last day in school, Omo had locked the door. She was in her room for a while. Their plan was always that Usman would make sure Bidemi was asleep before he came out for her. Bidemi got off the bed to urinate. He said he loved the guest toilet because he would be able to look out of the window for a while. That gave him hope that his mother would save him from his Aunt’s anger. He hated that his parents gave his Aunt authority over him.
Usman understood this plight but couldn’t help out in any way. After Bidemi returned to sleep, Usman waited until he heard that deep snore. With no time to waste, he hurried out of bed. Since he reduced his alcohol intake, the pleasure he got from Omo became more real. Despite his hatred for it, it was becoming an addiction. And that was one thing about any addiction, they tended to linger on.
Omo pulled him to the chair and whispered. 'We have the parlour to ourselves.'
‘What if he wakes?’ Usman asked, glancing at his room.
‘He won’t wake… Life is about spicing things up.’
‘I hope.’
He focused on ways to make them escape on Saturday, seeing that she loved going to markets on Saturdays too. They were soon lost in their desire and didn’t go far before someone shouted, ‘ah!’
Usman jumped off Omo and saw Romoke with a knife and torchlight. 
'Oh, my God! Ah! Deaconess! Deaconess!' Romoke yelled and sprinted for the door.
Not bothering to cover herself, Omo ran after her. Usman too followed them.
'Don't come near me. I will kill you', Romoke yelled. She ran out of the compound, shouting. Omo chased her. Usman stopped at the door as he couldn’t decipher where they ran to.
Returning home dejected, she went straight to her bed. Usman locked the door of the house behind her and went to his room. Bidemi slept like a log of wood.
The next morning, Usman couldn’t understand how it would be to look at her face. After what had happened the previous night, Romoke would go about the world to tell them what she saw. With the fear of the way he would now be referred to in addition to the rape case, he sighed.
Bidemi was ready for school, happy and excited to see their results. Unlike before, Omo wasn’t there to hurry them up.
‘Where’s Aunty Omo?’ Bidemi asked.
Usman glanced at her room. She must be praying again. She was fond of that whenever she had done something wrong. He was sure she would be fine. He had a little money with him. They would use that to cater for whatever they would eat in school that day, and when they returned from school, she would refund him.
‘Let’s go. She is tired’, Usman said and nudged Bidemi toward the door. However, when they got to the gate, he could shake off the feeling that something was wrong. No matter how scared or guilty Omo felt, she always wanted to ensure they were alright.
He paused and stared at the house.
‘What’s wrong?’ Bidemi asked.
‘I don’t know… I’m coming’, Usman replied as he hurried into the house. He knocked on her door repeatedly but got no response. After repeatedly knocking with no response, he shouted her name but got no response.
‘What’s happening?’ Bidemi asked.
‘I don’t know… But I fear something is wrong!’ Usman said and knocked again. Bidemi joined him, but she didn’t respond. Knowing her, she would have answered them by now. Usman pushed the door, and they took turns, kicking it down.
They kicked the door down until it eventually opened. They rushed into the room and met a surreal sight. Omo was hanging from a rope. Usman yelled, raced to her, and grabbed the chair that was in the room.
‘Get a knife,’ Usman yelled.
Bidemi ran for the kitchen knife, returned with it, and they used it to bring her down. Usman ran to the street to get a nurse. Popularly called Aunty Nurse, she was the home doctor of most people in that estate. They called her at odd hours, and she would still heed their calls.
When she finally checked Omo, she shook her head. ‘She is gone.’
Usman cried his eyes out, but it couldn’t raise the dead. She wrote a long letter telling Usman and everyone how sorry she was. She dropped a large amount of money for Bidemi and Usman. They called her sister, who came, and wouldn’t stop crying. She even promised to avenge her sister’s death on everyone. She claimed they pushed her sister to commit suicide, leaving her without a baby.
Usman didn’t understand her motivation, but he and Bidemi left for home. Upon getting home, his mother saw him and couldn’t stop crying. Usman couldn’t tell anyone what he had faced. So, he kept the information to himself.
As expected, Bidemi’s Aunty came and raved a lot. She flogged him and took him away to her place. His mom couldn’t stop crying, but his dad felt it was the right thing for Bidemi. His mother decided to keep Usman at her place since his uncle refused to accept him.
At first, Mr. Adeoti didn’t support it, but after a little persuasion and quarrel, he had no choice. Usman requested that Mrs. Adeoti took him to his school where Omo had enrolled him. She indulged him.
When they got to the school, many of the students were around for the prize-giving ceremony. Christmas carol night. Usman couldn’t stop the tears that flowed from his eyes. When he got to school, they went to the principal’s office. He could hear noise from the students indicating they were aware of the news of the ordeal with him.
The reception from the principal was great as he now stared at Usman with great tenderness.
‘I would like to ease myself, Sir,’ he said.
‘Oh! Please, do’.
Every of the teacher he met talked to him in a piteous way. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that they all were aware of his plight.
‘Usman,’ Olumide called from a corner.
Usman stopped in his tracks as he turned to see him. Olumide looked sad.
‘Let’s go somewhere.’
‘Someone is waiting for me,’ Usman replied.
Olumide patted his back. ‘One more time, for the last time. It won’t eat into your time’.
Usman hurried after him and met Japheth there, waiting for him with another person. This person had a camera.
‘We need to take a picture of this place together…’ Olumide said. ‘For memory…’
‘How would I get it,’ Usman asked.
The girl with the camera winked. ‘It’s for my great grandfather. The pictures will be printed out immediately’.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Come here before I smack your head,’ Japheth said and dragged him. As they held each other, tears dropped down Usman’s face. He couldn’t stop crying even when he returned to the principal’s office.
They tried pacifying him, but it wasn’t something he could talk about. On the way home, Mrs. Adeoti asked him what was wrong many times, but he could barely answer her.
He just couldn’t reply her. As they got out of the house, he couldn’t hold the pain any longer.
‘Big mummy, Aunty Omo forced herself on me. I was raped…’
Bidemi’s mother stared at him for a while and pulled him close to her. He couldn’t understand why he was crying so much but as he let his pent up pain and frustration go and wept inconsolably into her dress, he felt relief wash over him with a pleasant tingle that told him ‘All would be well’.


THE END

MichaelBlake40:
This is getting bizarre,Divepen1 you keep on surprising me, keep it up
By the way is the story actually yours or are you ghostwriting?

I ghostwrite for people.And no one can actually tell Fortune City stories like I want. In English: they are mine...

Thanks for the comments thoughm

Chapter 24
Liars and More Liars!!!

Usman dragged Bidemi to a corner of the room without even looking at Teresa twice. As soon as she told him about Bidemi, he hurried into the room with a lot of venom in him. Bidemi was now looking haggard.
'What are you doing here?' Usman asked without wasting time for pleasantries.
Shocked at his harsh tone, Bidemi replied, 'You! We have been looking all over for you; Gladys and I. A lot of things have happened – at home and in school.'
'What are you doing here?' Usman asked again and glanced at Omo.
'I was at the market when I asked for his parents. He said he ran away from home. So, I will let him stay here till we find a way to take him back home. I just felt he needed rehabilitation before I took him home. I never knew the two of you know each other’, Omo said and rushed out. Usman gestured at Bidemi to remain where he was as he followed Omo.
Usman entered her room in anger.
'You can't have sex with him,' Usman growled as soon as they were out of Bidemi’s earshot.
'Shut up!’ Omo yelled and spun towards him with bloodshot eyes. ‘Who said anything about sex?'
'But we need to leave for his house,' Usman replied.
'But he would tell your Aunt and Uncle you're here,' Omo retorted. She walked over to her cabinet and began to rub her face with a skincare cream. Usman was raving and ranting at her. She glanced at him intermittently. 'Even if you go, where would you live? Do you want to go to your uncle, who tried to kill you or would rather stay with me? I am giving you the pleasure of a lifetime'.
She winked at him.
Usman swallowed hard as tears welled in his eyes. 'You should be ashamed.'
She laughed. 'Yes. I was ashamed, but I accepted the fact that I would die a sinner. I’m a sinner'.
‘You...are a devil.’
She looked at him and shook her head. Usman edged towards the door and peeped to be sure Bidemi wasn’t eavesdropping.
‘So, the other time, you were saying you wanted to leave? You know if I don’t have you, I’m going for that innocent boy in the room’.
Usman raised his hands in desperation. The look on her face was disastrous, and he wouldn’t trust fate to take any course of action against her at that period.
‘Don’t worry… I’m getting over this soon. You will be free to go. And remember that I’m an adult. No one will believe you’.
Usman sulked as she walked out. He refused to make any meaningful conversation with Bidemi, who was bent on telling him his ordeal, especially the fact that he had been suspended from school too. Usman took the news without any concern. Omo sat around in the room, giving him little or no ability to say anything significant in the room.
After she had given them food, she sat opposite them and watched Usman. His mouth had a sudden hatred for the mixture of Okro and Egusi soup they were eating at that point.
‘Usman, Bidemi will be staying in the other guest room,’ she announced.
Usman had to swallow the morsel of fufu in his mouth. ‘Why can’t he stay in my room?’
The other guest room was very far from his place. She would have all the opportunity to crawl to Bidemi while pretending to wish she could control herself.
‘I can stay at Usman’s room till we are ready to leave,’ Bidemi concluded.
‘What do you mean by ‘ready to leave’?’ Omo asked.
‘Yes, we need to go back, Usman and I. So Usman can prove that he didn’t do what he was accused of and for me to go home after all these days in the streets’, Bidemi said.
‘What did Usman do?’ Omo asked curiously.
‘Nothing…’ Usman interjected and gave Usman a cold glare. Omo glanced at him scornfully and focused on Bidemi, who seemed to read meaning to Usman’s fear. He sat up and swallowed hard.
‘He’s…’ Bidemi continued.
‘Shut up!’ Usman grumbled. ‘Let’s eat.’
‘Yes. Usman is right. You will discuss this tomorrow. The two of you ought to eat now’.
Usman felt like the world was crumbling under him. There was no way he would allow any of such things that happened to him, happen to Bidemi. Usman ate in silence as he watched Bidemi beam and eat his food with great concentration. Enduring her had been the worst pain, but watching Bidemi fall into a trap would leave Usman hurt inside.
After their meal, Omo followed them into the room, trying to raise a topic of discussion among them. After working hard to let it go, he couldn’t resist asking the question. ‘Why did you come here?’
‘I actually ran away from home to avoid my Aunt after the ordeal at school, she may have killed me if I went home… I also decided to use the opportunity to search for you,’ Bidemi said and slumped on the bed. Omo walked over to Usman’s wardrobe, ransacked it for a while. After a while, she brought some of Usman’s clothes.
‘This should fit you,’ Omo murmured as she kept gauging the clothes. She handed them over to Bidemi, whose face radiated with happiness.
‘We will get you something better.’
Luckily for them, Omo’s phone rang from the parlour. Usman heard it first, and that gave him time to plan his move. She noticed a change in his countenance and stared at him quizzically. Then, she heard her phone ring and dashed out of the room.
Usman pulled Bidemi to a corner of the room. ‘Why did you follow her?’
‘I came to find you!!!’ Bidemi retorted and looked away.
‘I don’t believe you.’
He shrugged. ‘I was cold, and no one wanted to help me. I had no food. I ran away from for over a week and had been leaving with some boys under the bridge…’
What of Gladys?’ Usman asked.
‘She…’
‘Usman,’ Omo called from outside.
Usman urged Bidemi on. ‘Talk.’
‘Usman…’ Omo called again. ‘Are you deaf?
‘Ma…’ Usman replied and stomped his foot.
‘Come here,’ she called.
‘I’m coming,’ Usman yelled and slumped on the bed. He wished this was a nightmare.
‘Right now,’ Omo shouted.
As much as he wanted to resist her, he felt the urge to remain on the bed. But the consequence of that dawned on him. Gritting, dragging his feet, and leaving a bemused Bidemi behind, he headed for the parlour.
‘What are you doing with him? Hope you are not putting any ungodly thought in his mind?’
‘What do you mean ungodly thought?’ Usman yelled. Omo looked scared. She glanced at the door to his room and at her phone. Throwing the phone on the cushion, she dragged him to her room and banged the door behind her.
She pushed him towards her own bed. ‘Don’t you dare shout at me again. I’m older than you’.
‘Why did you bring him here?’ Usman reiterated. ‘Why did you want him to sleep in the guest room? You can’t do what you did with me to him’.
She sighed and rested against the door. ‘Who said anything about doing anything to him when the good lord would be angry at me?’
‘Really? He wasn’t angry when you raped me?’
‘Shut up!’
‘I’m not shutting up!’
She stared at him and moved near him. He stopped breathing as she moved nearer. The scent of her soap had a significant effect on him even as she whispered, ‘then you are forfeiting ever going to school. You’ll leave this house, and that would be it’.
‘Yes. Let me stop going to school. I can’t allow you do that to him.’
She scoffed. ‘That means you would live under the bridge and just like your father. It would be a painful ordeal. Has Bidemi told you what he faced under the bridge? He told me they had to sleep without food for days’.
Usman stared at her. She kissed his lips.
‘You’re a wise boy and know what will happen if you ever decide to be so unwise. What’s there to lose?’
Usman allowed her to play with his body as his mind wandered off and tears dropped down his face.

germaphobe:
is it our own bidemi or another?

I don't even know..

dawno2008:
Ha which Bidemi again? So Omo wants to turn her house and down below to runaway boys heaven abi?
Thanks for the lovely update

No mind am.. You're welcome

Chapter 23
Welcome, Trouble

Now that he was in her clutches and met her desires, Omo pampered Usman. Before, he tried to help out with the house chore, but now, she didn’t even bother him at all. As much as he didn’t like the act, he concentrated better in school. He had thoroughly learnt the way Japheth and Olumide maintained a pleasant demeanour despite drinking bottles of alcohol, and he did the same.
They had few friends. Most of the times, they used it to scheme how they would make some girls think they wanted to be friends with them and keep leading them on. This method had given them an opportunity to ward off ladies. Sometimes, they pretend to go fasting to make them seem like they were very spiritual people.
It worked on the girls. They didn’t understand them. Sometimes, they thought they would call them people that loved God, but some other times, they would act weird or angry throughout the day. It made them fun. Some other times, they would prefer to be gentle. They always ended up in their hut to discuss it. After a while, they added after school hours to it.
The place became their solace. Usman now had a community where he didn’t have to feel guilty for doing the ridiculous things he did just to remain in school. Since he had the same height as Olu and Japheth, no one saw his association with them as abnormal. Ironically, no one could place him in a single position. He was always seen with the most notorious, Japheth, and then the most serious and revered student, Olumide.
At closing time, he would go home to console Omo the best way he could. And he was beginning to love that norm because it made him concentrate in class. It was the best way to overcome his fear. Whenever he wanted to revert to fear and crying, he would find solace in alcohol.
So, when the principal sent for him one Monday, he thought he was in the clear. Exams were around the corner. That was the time most teachers deemed it fit to send students on errands. The only fear that crept into his mind was the fact that someone had finally seen them in their secret place. Yet, they had created a good alibi.
Upon entering the office, he met Romoke, the girl that called Olumide Okobo, and her mother. Romoke kept crying. Mr. Danjuma’s angry face made Usman pay full attention. Mrs. Iloh, the counsellor, was seated in the second chair opposite the principal’. He couldn’t take his eyes off her hands that kept tapping the table.
 You sent for me, Sir?' He said as his steps faltered.
'Can this be him?' Mr. Danjuma asked Mrs Iloh.
Sir?' Usman said.
'Romoke, is this his height?' Mrs. Iloh asked.
'Yes. This is height, but I'm not sure this is him. He’s not as thin as this'.
'There is one other person I suspect then,' Mrs. Iloh said. ‘Although it can’t really be true.’
'Who?' Romoke's mother asked.
'Who is it?' Mr. Danjuma asked as he edged to the tip of his chair.
'Go and call Japheth,' Mrs Iloh said.
'Okay ma,' Usman said as he hurried away.
'And come back with him,' Mr Danjuma shouted.
He left to call Japheth. They hurried towards the staff room.
'Why am I being called?'
'I don't know,’ Usman said with clenched teeth.
'Ehn! I'm always prepared', Japheth shrugged.
'Boy scout.'
They both chuckled. But Usman couldn’t help being fearful. His eyes dashed from one place to another. When they entered the office, the principal, still looking perplexed, stared at Japheth.
'Is this him?'
'It looks like him too... I don't know it can be any of them', Mrs. Iloh shook her head, confused.
'Mrs. Iloh, how do you know they are the one?' Mr. Danjuma asked.
'Sir, we all know this boy,' she pointed to Japheth.
‘I know he’s a rogue but…’ the principal interjected.
'Of course, his reputation precedes him,' she said and sat straight. 'The two of them had been seen walking together, but her description pointed out that one of the perpetrators, the animals, had the same height as these boys, while the other was short.'
Usman stared at her as if she was speaking German or some other foreign language.
'I agree with you, but I'm yet to come to the full understanding of your basis for choosing them,' Mr. Danjuma said.
'The two of them have come to tell me they were raped.'
Mr. Danjuma stared at her for some time and burst into laughter. Even Romoke's mother hissed.
‘Mrs. Iloh, you know this boy?’, Mr Danjuma said and shook his finger at Japheth.' You know he is such a nuisance.'
'That was I thought but what if...'
'And this one, we've not really known him. He is young, and the way I saw them walking to my office, the two of them are pals. Are you two, not friends?'
Japheth mumbled something. Usman nodded and glanced at Japheth, who was now scowling and at the principal.
'What are you saying?'
'We're-' Usman wanted to say.
'We're not friends sir,' Japheth responded. 'We are...'
He flipped his hands towards him and Usman.
'You are what?'
'Acquaintance.’
'Shut up! You two are friends', Mrs. Iloh shouted him down. 'Japheth came first, and then Usman came next. I mean, how can you say a woman raped you? That's preposterous'.
'That's what I'm saying. These guys are stupid. I'm sure it is one of their numerous pranks', the principal said dismissively.
'Ah! Principal…’ Mrs. Aderibigbe replied. ‘Aunty Counsellor, don't say that again. Anything is possible'.
‘Thank you, ma,’ Japheth answered.
‘Shut your trap!’ The principal scolded.
'Madam… It's a lie. See them. Even if someone raped them, which is impossible, they enjoyed it.'
At this time, Usman was squirming with pain. He folded and folded his fist. If fate would have it, he would have rammed his fist into her mouth. At least, her teeth would have a story to tell.
'I'm not lying...' Usman said.
'Shut up! What are you saying?’ Mrs. Iloh yelled. ‘You…? Who would want to rape you?’
'Principal, he might be telling the truth...' Romoke's mother said.
'No, madam. That is a lie. These boys… No. I don't believe a word from their mouth. They are a nuisance'.
‘See, this is my daughter. Someone raped her. Somebody did it – one of the boys in the school.’
'Madam, we will handle this. We're handling it.’
'Please o. The person must not go. The person must be punished'.
'Sir,' Mrs. Iloh said. 'Principal, these guys shouldn’t just go. If for nothing's sake, for the fact that she placed one of them as the same height as the culprit'.
The principal adjusted his glasses and pinched his lower lips.
'You're right.'
'So... Tell me. Who has ever accosted you or demanded sex from you?'
'Tijani,' Romoke replied.
'Labour Prefect?'
'Yes sir. He still tried...He was cuddling me yesterday at the library, but I slapped his hand away', Romoke cried.
The principal adjusted his glasses again, bewildered.' My God! What's this school turning to?'
'You, boys, go. But you're still suspects in this case'.
'It's not me sir,' Usman said.'
'Shut up and leave before I descend on you, riffraff.'
‘You, Japheth,’ Mrs Iloh shouted in a condescending tone. ‘Call me Tijani Moshood.’
They returned to their classes. During Break, they all went to their joint and drank with Olumide. He complained about the things he had had to face and the evil he had been made to do at this tender age because he was a boy.
Usman wondered why life could be so mean to them and walked tiredly home. When he got back, he met Omo in the kitchen. Needing his space, he turned towards his room after she had rubbed and kissed his head.
‘We have someone else in the house, he would be staying with us,' she said.
Usman nodded tiredly and turned towards his room.
'His name is Bidemi!’

Chapter 24
Welcome, Trouble

Now that he was in her clutches and met her desires, Omo pampered Usman. Before, he tried to help out with the house chore, but now, she didn’t even bother him at all. As much as he didn’t like the act, he concentrated better in school. He had thoroughly learnt the way Japheth and Olumide maintained a pleasant demeanour despite drinking bottles of alcohol, and he did the same.
They had few friends. Most of the times, they used it to scheme how they would make some girls think they wanted to be friends with them and keep leading them on. This method had given them an opportunity to ward off ladies. Sometimes, they pretend to go fasting to make them seem like they were very spiritual people.
It worked on the girls. They didn’t understand them. Sometimes, they thought they would call them people that loved God, but some other times, they would act weird or angry throughout the day. It made them fun. Some other times, they would prefer to be gentle. They always ended up in their hut to discuss it. After a while, they added after school hours to it.
The place became their solace. Usman now had a community where he didn’t have to feel guilty for doing the ridiculous things he did just to remain in school. Since he had the same height as Olu and Japheth, no one saw his association with them as abnormal. Ironically, no one could place him in a single position. He was always seen with the most notorious, Japheth, and then the most serious and revered student, Olumide.
At closing time, he would go home to console Omo the best way he could. And he was beginning to love that norm because it made him concentrate in class. It was the best way to overcome his fear. Whenever he wanted to revert to fear and crying, he would find solace in alcohol.
So, when the principal sent for him one Monday, he thought he was in the clear. Exams were around the corner. That was the time most teachers deemed it fit to send students on errands. The only fear that crept into his mind was the fact that someone had finally seen them in their secret place. Yet, they had created a good alibi.
Upon entering the office, he met Romoke, the girl that called Olumide Okobo, and her mother. Romoke kept crying. Mr. Danjuma’s angry face made Usman pay full attention. Mrs. Iloh, the counsellor, was seated in the second chair opposite the principal’. He couldn’t take his eyes off her hands that kept tapping the table.
 You sent for me, Sir?' He said as his steps faltered.
'Can this be him?' Mr. Danjuma asked Mrs Iloh.
Sir?' Usman said.
'Romoke, is this his height?' Mrs. Iloh asked.
'Yes. This is height, but I'm not sure this is him. He’s not as thin as this'.
'There is one other person I suspect then,' Mrs. Iloh said. ‘Although it can’t really be true.’
'Who?' Romoke's mother asked.
'Who is it?' Mr. Danjuma asked as he edged to the tip of his chair.
'Go and call Japheth,' Mrs Iloh said.
'Okay ma,' Usman said as he hurried away.
'And come back with him,' Mr Danjuma shouted.
He left to call Japheth. They hurried towards the staff room.
'Why am I being called?'
'I don't know,’ Usman said with clenched teeth.
'Ehn! I'm always prepared', Japheth shrugged.
'Boy scout.'
They both chuckled. But Usman couldn’t help being fearful. His eyes dashed from one place to another. When they entered the office, the principal, still looking perplexed, stared at Japheth.
'Is this him?'
'It looks like him too... I don't know it can be any of them', Mrs. Iloh shook her head, confused.
'Mrs. Iloh, how do you know they are the one?' Mr. Danjuma asked.
'Sir, we all know this boy,' she pointed to Japheth.
‘I know he’s a rogue but…’ the principal interjected.
'Of course, his reputation precedes him,' she said and sat straight. 'The two of them had been seen walking together, but her description pointed out that one of the perpetrators, the animals, had the same height as these boys, while the other was short.'
Usman stared at her as if she was speaking German or some other foreign language.
'I agree with you, but I'm yet to come to the full understanding of your basis for choosing them,' Mr. Danjuma said.
'The two of them have come to tell me they were raped.'
Mr. Danjuma stared at her for some time and burst into laughter. Even Romoke's mother hissed.
‘Mrs. Iloh, you know this boy?’, Mr Danjuma said and shook his finger at Japheth.' You know he is such a nuisance.'
'That was I thought but what if...'
'And this one, we've not really known him. He is young, and the way I saw them walking to my office, the two of them are pals. Are you two, not friends?'
Japheth mumbled something. Usman nodded and glanced at Japheth, who was now scowling and at the principal.
'What are you saying?'
'We're-' Usman wanted to say.
'We're not friends sir,' Japheth responded. 'We are...'
He flipped his hands towards him and Usman.
'You are what?'
'Acquaintance.’
'Shut up! You two are friends', Mrs. Iloh shouted him down. 'Japheth came first, and then Usman came next. I mean, how can you say a woman raped you? That's preposterous'.
'That's what I'm saying. These guys are stupid. I'm sure it is one of their numerous pranks', the principal said dismissively.
'Ah! Principal…’ Mrs. Aderibigbe replied. ‘Aunty Counsellor, don't say that again. Anything is possible'.
‘Thank you, ma,’ Japheth answered.
‘Shut your trap!’ The principal scolded.
'Madam… It's a lie. See them. Even if someone raped them, which is impossible, they enjoyed it.'
At this time, Usman was squirming with pain. He folded and folded his fist. If fate would have it, he would have rammed his fist into her mouth. At least, her teeth would have a story to tell.
'I'm not lying...' Usman said.
'Shut up! What are you saying?’ Mrs. Iloh yelled. ‘You…? Who would want to rape you?’
'Principal, he might be telling the truth...' Romoke's mother said.
'No, madam. That is a lie. These boys… No. I don't believe a word from their mouth. They are a nuisance'.
‘See, this is my daughter. Someone raped her. Somebody did it – one of the boys in the school.’
'Madam, we will handle this. We're handling it.’
'Please o. The person must not go. The person must be punished'.
'Sir,' Mrs. Iloh said. 'Principal, these guys shouldn’t just go. If for nothing's sake, for the fact that she placed one of them as the same height as the culprit'.
The principal adjusted his glasses and pinched his lower lips.
'You're right.'
'So... Tell me. Who has ever accosted you or demanded sex from you?'
'Tijani,' Romoke replied.
'Labour Prefect?'
'Yes sir. He still tried...He was cuddling me yesterday at the library, but I slapped his hand away', Romoke cried.
The principal adjusted his glasses again, bewildered.' My God! What's this school turning to?'
'You, boys, go. But you're still suspects in this case'.
'It's not me sir,' Usman said.'
'Shut up and leave before I descend on you, riffraff.'
‘You, Japheth,’ Mrs Iloh shouted in a condescending tone. ‘Call me Tijani Moshood.’
They returned to their classes. During Break, they all went to their joint and drank with Olumide. He complained about the things he had had to face and the evil he had been made to do at this tender age because he was a boy.
Usman wondered why life could be so mean to them and walked tiredly home. When he got back, he met Omo in the kitchen. Needing his space, he turned towards his room after she had rubbed and kissed his head.
‘We have someone else in the house, he would be staying with us,' she said.
Usman nodded tiredly and turned towards his room.
'His name is Bidemi!’

Chapter 22
Twisted Desires

‘No one leaves the school premises until the PTA meeting is over,’ Mrs. Ajanaku announced on the assembly. It was a custom that they would ring the bell to summon the students to the assembly ground to let them know they were free to go home or wait for their parents as soon as the PTA meeting began. Those in the boarding house would seize the opportunity to get the gifts their parents got from them.
Bidemi and Gladys discussed how her searches had gone. After a lot of searching, she had still found nothing. It was as if Usman had disappeared from the earth. Even at that, she couldn’t help discussing the vast number of things she saw on the way. He listened to her and how she would have remained out there searching, but if her mother heard of her escapades, she would skin her alive.
‘Bidemi,’ one of the Jss1 students called. ‘The principal wants to see you… They are still at the PTA meeting’.
He glanced at Gladys and couldn’t get a reasonable answer from her look. She was also confused. Upon arriving there, he met Ikendu and two other boys in the corner of the hall. They were among those they went to visit Doctor together.
‘Come here… There he comes’, Mrs. Ajanaku shouted. ‘That’s their ring leader. Come here…’
The parents murmured.
‘This boy has put the lives of students in jeopardy and has caused a lot of havoc among students. So many girls, your children, are also beginning to take up the crazy mantra’, Mrs. Ajanaku ranted.
Bidemi scanned the room for his mother. As much as a big scowl would be on her face, he was sure she would still justify what he did whenever he explained his side. However, she wasn’t alone. And he could see the fear of that in her eyes. His most dreaded Aunt, Aunt Peju, was beside her.
How could she have brought her here? Bidemi wondered.
‘They are trying to teach boys how to have sex,’ Mrs. Tochukwu added. ‘They have graduated from just peeping at ladies in the toilet. These boys have gone worse. They lack home training. Now, this Bidemi wants to destroy this great school under the administration of our amiable principal’.
Mrs. Ajanaku snapped her fingers across her head. ‘God forbid and I forbid it too, before they ruin me. I suspended one of them for peeping at their teachers, and he was still from this same Jss2. I want you all to be aware and warn your sons or even daughters that if this continues, they would be suspended. But these boys will firstly have to go on two weeks suspensions.
Their parents shouted.
‘Not these ones alone. They and all the boys involved in this and we are still deliberating on what to do about those idiots with placards.'
Mr Alani stepped forward. ‘I think you will need to have a rethink ma.’
‘What do you mean?’ Mrs. Ajanaku asked.
‘I… It’s my fault. I started the group. I wanted to teach them how to…’
‘Ah! Mrs Ajanaku shouted, reiterating the cry of some of the parents.
‘You did what?’ Mr. Tochukwu.
‘I had been falsely accused of rape by a lady. I felt these boys should understand how to properly deal with desires’.
This aggravated a lot of parents, the more.
‘I have no choice than to relieve you of your duties immediately. You’re fired!’ Mrs. Ajanaku shouted.
‘He’s not the one,’ Bidemi shouted. The other boys echoed his cry.
‘Shut up!’
‘It’s okay, boys…’ Mr. Alani said.
‘You are not pleading with me…’ Mrs Ajanaku shouted and walked out. Mrs Tochukwu ended the meeting. Most of the parents began to argue at the top of their voices. Only very few of them supported Mr Alani's action.
He, on the other hand, went to the boys and spoke to them. ‘Remember, you can’t fight a woman. They always have their way of winning’.
Bidemi was soon lost trying to make Mr Alani recant what he said. They would tell Mrs. Ajanaku that he wasn’t the one. Out of nowhere, a stinging slap landed on his face. He yelled and spun to meet his Aunt’s fierce look.
‘You are dead when you get home,’ she yelled and walked out.
‘Bidemi, what have you done? Get home in time. I will appease her’, his mother said and ran after Aunt Peju.
Bidemi always hated the fact that his mother barely defended him whenever it came to Aunt Peju, and whenever she did, it was still mild. The way she usually argued with her father in his favour gave him a reason to know she could do better.
He swallowed hard and knew there was no way he would return home. Aunt Peju would beat him to a pulp.

Chapter 21
She's on My Neck

Everybody had a breaking point. Usman couldn’t take it any longer, despite plucking mangoes off their school’s tree to eat. His decision as he went home the third day was to agree with her. However, just as he got close to their home, he couldn’t stop the doubt that arose in his heart. He just couldn’t fathom how he would handle what he wanted to be involved in at the moment.
So, he sat and watched the sunset with tears in his eyes. At that moment, the thought of killing himself crossed his mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His last resort was to get home and give himself up. Despite being weak, he would have to go through it. He got to the gate and stood there. People glanced at him as if they knew his plight, but he wouldn’t mind staying there for days.
However, as he entered the house, he met Omo crying. A lot of people surrounded her and were consoling her. Mr. Oba was dead. He died in a plane crash. For three days, Omo wouldn’t stop crying, and that might have pushed her to do something else with him had people not been around.
Usman now had more time with the boys in their thatched bush house. They finally allowed him to drink strong alcohol. He went into a bout of coughing for the first time. They generally talked about girls.
‘That Romoke of a girl wouldn’t stop disturbing me. She sometimes wants to kiss me… I’m tired…’ Olumide said.
‘Report her,’ Usman said before he could stop himself.
‘You know what that stupid counsellor told me,’ Olumide began, ‘that I wanted to seduce her. When the only thing she does is to tie a scarf around her neck, how will she not think boys are the only ones that seduce? Ignoramus’.
Japheth nodded. ‘I hate my life…’
They discussed everything, including Chioma’s case and how Usman ought to have seized the opportunity. As much as they kept teasing him about it, they always ended up telling each other how to avoid the girls like ensuring they always left the class whenever the girls were coming.
Japheth narrated his story of how he had been raped and now had to wear diapers. Usman stared in surprise as Japheth showed him.
'How did it happen?' Usman managed to ask.
Japheth narrated how he began to notice that whenever he went to his neighbour's house, he slept off. Whenever he woke, he would find it hard to walk well because of pain in his buttocks. One day, he avoided the drinks the neighbour gave him and pretended to be asleep, which helped him discover he was being raped by his neighbour’s elder brother. When he reported, no one believed him.
'What did you do?'
'Nothing; can't you still see the diapers? I still take it', Japheth said. 'Well, not everyone knows about it'.
Usman sat up. 'Why?'
Olumide gulped down his drink. 'The boy’s dad is paying him a lot of money to shut up. Since no one believes him, he has decided to keep doing'.
He couldn't believe it. No wonder Japheth had enough money to buy drinks for them.
'That's terrible.'
Japheth smiled. 'If it's paying, at least, I won't have to suddenly drop faeces for nothing'.
'What do you mean?' Usman asked.
'He poops without planning to. The diaper is to help it not drop anywhere'.
'Oh my God!' Usman stared at Japheth and couldn't compare his hidden sorrow to what he presently faced. He wanted to be as happy as Japheth. Maybe he should give in to Omo. Usman was very sure that if the school were a boarding school like his former school, the girls would have found their ways to the hearts of the boys.
He travelled with them to Mr. Oba’s burial ceremony that Saturday. By Friday the second week, everybody was gone. Only Ifeoluwa, Omo’s younger sister, was around. But as night fell, she said she had to go out and would return the next day to get her stuff as she had to return to school.
Usman had hidden three bottles of beer in his room. Omo too went out to get bottles of Star beer also. Usman drank one and a half bottles and became tipsy. Without much awareness, he ended in Omo’s weeping arms, and they both had consensual sex. The next day, they were both woken by Muslim's morning cry, accompanied with that of a nearby church that had an early Morning Prayer program. Usman didn’t understand how he felt at that juncture, but he preferred having a choice in the matter.

Chapter 20
Mrs. Ajanaku's Silence
Bidemi and his crew began to have a stronger influence among their peers. People respected them because they had stopped acting like the other boys in the school. They even gave themselves a name 'Gentlemen Under.' Like the first time, they always ran into Mrs. Ajanaku whenever they visited the good Doctor’s place, but they managed to devise a means to escape her.
By this time, Gladys had resigned to fate about Usman's absence, but she claimed she wished she had the power to find him. Throughout the last term, Bidemi recruited more boys. Their lessons and meetings extended to the middle of third term.
On one of their meeting occasions, when Bidemi believed that his classmates were out of reach, and that Mrs. Ajanaku had left, he walked home slowly. Thus, he was surprised when she came out of a corner.
‘Good. I saw you all, and I knew you would be amog them. What were you doing?’
‘We… I wanted them… Nothing Ma…’
‘Are you sure?’ Mrs. Ajanaku asked.
‘Yes ma.’
‘Then, you won’t be worried about taking me to the person you went to meet in that house,’ Mrs. Ajanaku asked.
‘I’m late Ma… My mum…’
‘Shut up and take me there.’
Bidemi avoided her dog and walked ahead of her to Dr Ire’s house. After knocking, Bidemi prayed that Doctor Ire wouldn’t be a trouble.
‘Oh! Bidemi you forgot something? Dr Ire said and stopped talking when he noticed Mrs. Ajanaku. ‘Good afternoon, Ma.’
‘Good afternoon, Sir. I’m his Principal. Someone told me he noticed that this boy comes here often to drink alcohol.’
Doctor Ire, stunned, shook his head vigorously. ‘Bidemi is a good boy. In fact, he has been bringing some of his friends here for me to talk to them about sex education. He’s a really good boy. I’ve known him and his parents for a long while now. There’s no way he can be anything other than a good boy.’
Mrs. Ajanaku smiled at Bidemi. She led them out of the gate but she didn’t say anything, he expected reprimands from her but none came. She and her dog went away. The next day, he expected her to say something, but she said nothing. He brought the other boys up to date with what had happened. They were all scared.
At the ring of the closing bell, she clambered to the podium and announced, ‘tell your parents there’s an emergency PTA meeting on the last Friday of this month. Any parent that refuses to come will have his or her child suffer for it’.

Chapter 19
Thatched House

To Usman, time was suddenly slow. Every minute felt like a step up a hill. He could have snuck into the kitchen to steal something to eat, probably garri. That would have been the best option, but he couldn’t even bring himself to do it. His parents had always told him to curb such habits because they stuck to you.
 Luckily for him, the break was over and they had just resumed school. His teachers wrote more notes that Monday and did less revision. Rumour had it that the principal wanted to check if they were up to date with their previous term's works. Usman’s mind drifted to all the terrible things that had happened to him. Like their Pastor said, maybe he was being paid back by God for his sins. That must be karma for all the times he fantasized about women.
During break period, he was terribly hungry. Despite having a few acquaintances, he still felt too new to go about begging for food.
'Hey! Usman, aren’t you going for lunch?' Chioma, a playful girl in his class, said as she dumped herself into her chair intending to devour her food. He wasn't ready to befriend any girl. Maybe there was an aura about him that attracted him to the ladies. He picked up a book to read, but the pangs of hunger had more of his attention.
'Which book is that?' Chioma said as she hurried out of her chair.
'Uhm... It's one just one of those books...', he said, hoping she would concentrate on her food and leave him be.
'I think I know it. That's Mr. Ken... Oh! I love the story'.
Usman nodded. His dicey situation had his attention more. What if I just do what she wanted? He wondered.
'Let me see,' she said as she tried to grab it from it. He snatched his hand in time and frowned at her.
'What? I'm reading it', he grumbled.
'Okay, let me join you, shift,' she said nonchalantly and got off her seat.
'Why? I will give you when I'm done'.
The way she came to sit beside him helped him understand that the problem was indeed with him.
'No. Let's read it now', she said and pushed him to the wall. She was beautiful, alright, but now she was sitting inappropriately, and that got to him. Not only that, she placed her hand on his laps as she peered into his books.
'No,' he shouted and slammed the book on the table.
'Why are you screaming?' Chioma shouted.
'Take it. I'll collect it when you finish'.
'I don't want it again. I don't want your foolish book', she smacked the book off the table.
He restrained himself from transferring every ounce of his aggression on her. ‘Do you want to tear it?’
She hissed. Usman wanted to do more than just staring at her, but he simply rose and left the class.
As he couldn’t get himself to watch the football match holding on the field, he felt like going back to the back of the school. Just as he turned the corner towards the SS3 class, he saw Romoke, the assistant social prefect, complaining.
‘Okobo,’ she hissed.
‘Ah!’ Japheth, the senior student Usman saw the other day, who was also at the back of the school, placed his hands on his head. ‘I won’t take it. My life’.
Romoke glanced at Japheth and hissed. Japheth was fat and had been continually ridiculed for it.
‘What? I will just tear you apart’, Japheth shouted at Romoke.
Olumide, the senior boy walked off, and Romoke sneered at him. Japheth glanced at them and placed his hands on his head.
‘If na me, you die there,’ Japheth said.
‘Shut your trap!’ Romoke yelled and hurried off.
That was when Japheth caught sight of Usman. This time, Japheth had a backpack and was crumpling a paper.
'What do you want?' he said, and then seemed to realize who it was. ‘Oh! It's you.’ 
'Yes. It's me.' Usman replied and walked towards the back of the school.
'What do you want?'
'Nothing...I just want a way to escape all these girls'.
'Me too,’ Japheth said and walked away towards the other side of the back of the school. He looked about for a while. ‘Come with me. The senior students will not allow you to stay here in peace. Follow me…’
Japheth led the way, and Usman followed, crouching whenever he did. They entered an empty, deserted part of the school’s farm. The place was buried deep in the abandoned site of the school farm. It looked almost deserted but for a sort of thatched hut and two benches that were there.
'This is where I take my drink,' Japheth said as he dusted a bench. He dropped his bag by his side.
'I didn't make plans for you, but since you're new here. I'll just give you a treat'.
Suddenly, the bushes were disturbed by someone. Usman sat up in fear. He feared that someone had ratted them out that they were in prohibited grounds. And true to his despair, Olumide, the head boy, entered the space. Usman always respected him and would have wanted to be like him.
Japheth dusted another side of the bench and placed his bag there, giving Olumide the chance to sit beside them. 'He's our new friend. He is… What’s your name?'
‘Usman Oluseye,’ he replied.
‘Meet Usman. Yes, Usman, meet… Well, you know him’, Japheth said.
Olumide nodded.
Japheth brought out some bottles of alcoholic drinks. The stench enough made Usman feel like spitting it out. Japheth passed a bottle to Olumide. Usman was stunned. He never assumed the head boy, who always looked composed could even have such a drink.
‘Have you ever tried this?’ Japheth asked.
Usman shook his head.
‘If what you said… That you have been truly raped is true. Then, you need this’, Japheth said and pointed a bottle of vodka at him.
‘No… Not today’, Olumide said and held Japheth's hand. ‘Let him get used to the easy ones first.’
Japheth shrugged and gulped down another bottle. 'So, tell us about this rape issue.'
Before leaving, they plucked mangoes off a tree. That was what they would claim they went to do in the forest if they were caught. Of course, the head boy would claim he found the other boys. They gave him a mint sweet to suck on and advised him not to speak until he was sure the stench of alcohol was gone from his mouth. That day, he returned home with the knowledge that he now had a better chance of feeding himself – even if he got kicked out of Omo’s.

queenitee:
It's so sad the society didn't believe in boys getting molested. How I wish many people would know this is real and rampant nowadays. But the society taught boys to be excessively strong. Somehow somehow, something has to be done, the boys sex education is very important

Like the reality is just too strong on us but we keep waving it off because we feel these ones are truly dogs.

dawno2008:
Thanks Divepen1 for the update
This Usman guy is a real otondo
If only he knows how young men crave for such exploit with a mature lady

I remember when I was younger,the way myself and many of my mate was so obsessed with this sugar mummy stuff

But now that we're all grown and married,we just laugh at our stupidity,but it wasn't entirely our fault though,there was a young lad in our area then that was having fun with a rich woman,who spoilt him with too many goodies and we thought,hey we too can enjoy life nau

Chai... Thanks for this. My editor was a lady and she kept telling me to up the age because Bidemi could not think of such things

Chapter 18
One More Wrong Desire

Most times, Usman would have refused to attend church, but that was the only place he got solace. So, he followed her. Even at that, she always refused to make him join the other teenagers in their church. At some point, he felt like telling a leader or a pastor what he was battling, but she placed him on a short leash.
When they returned from Church some Sundays after he went on the second term vacation, she hurried to the door of his room and stood in his way. He withdrew from her.
'Usman, you're... I have wronged you', Omo pleaded.
Usman released his breath. The thought of making her manipulate him again scared him.
'But I need you to know that I need you. I'm a deaconess in the church. You can't tell anyone anything about us’; she went on her knee and edge towards him.
Usman shrugged. He wouldn't tell anybody anyway because no one seemed to believe him.
She moved closer again and looked up. He withdrew, holding tightly to the bible in his hand. However, the cushion stopped him, granting her the opportunity she needed to be in front of him.
Her handbag was now beside her on the floor. 'I have this sickness. It's not me...'
‘Please, leave me Ma.’
 She burst into tears. ‘I want to be good. You know...'
Usman stared at her and felt like screaming at her, but she was the one paying her school fees and feeding him.
 'I just want you to know. I can't go out to have sex. People will suspect me. But I need you to help me.'
She placed her hands on his shoulder.
'Leave me alone!' he shouted as he jumped out of her reach. Tears streamed down his face.
'Usman?'
'Leave me.'
'Not now, Usman, not now. You caused this. I don't know why, but I can't help being around you', she pleaded and crawled towards him.
'No…No,' Usman warded her off.
'I'm not like this. I met you, and I became this', Omo cried.
'Please, Aunty Omo, I'm not doing,' he pleaded.
After going back and forth for a while, she stopped in her track. Usman felt lucky. She had stopped pleading, and that meant he had escaped. She rose and sighed. 'It’s true. Maybe you should leave'.
'But what about my schooling, Ma?' Usman countered.
She shook her head. 'I can't help it.'
'No...No…' Usman said in horror. The thought of leaving would really cost him his education.
'You have a choice,' she said. ‘Stay, give me what I want or leave and stop tempting me.’
Omo grabbed her bag off the ground and left for her room. Usman ran after her. She turned to him, repeated the statement, and slammed the door in his face.
Usman swallowed hard as he moved to his room. He never knew he would ever face such a problem. At least when she forced him, he could pick a side. But staying back to fulfil her desire just didn’t seem right.
Some minutes later, Omo came knocking. 'Your food is in the kitchen'.
Usman sat a while till he was sure she was gone then he rose and placed his ear on the door, listening for any movement from her. When he was sure he could go out, he snuck out. A covered plate was on the kitchen cabinet.
'That's your food,' she said behind him, making him jump in fear. 'Don't be afraid.'
When he lifted the place, it was light. He didn’t need a soothsayer to tell him that the plate was empty.
Stirring, he saw a devious look on her face. 'You'll eat good food when you're ready for me. Usman, the devil is using me, I know. But I need to escape. And until I escape, I need to fulfil my urge if not, I'll go bloodthirsty. Remember those vampire films; I'll be thirsty like I am now. I should have gone out with men. But I'm a deaconess. I'm a child of God. I'm a Christian. They are thinking of making me a pastor very soon. How would it be that the world would now have to see me as someone sleeping with men?'
Usman gently placed the plate on the table, 'Sleep with them. I won’t tell Uncle. I'm tired. I just want to go to school'.
She bent forward, and tears drop down her face. 'I'm also tired. Don't you see desperations in my eyes? I am... This desire must have been hiding here before, but I refused to see it. But I think God is using you to help me notice its presence. This devilish desire is here, and you have to help me'.
'No… I will go hungry', Usman shouted as he rushed out of the kitchen.
'I won't force you. I won't rape you. I want your consent. It's like every other habit, I'll get over it', she called after him. ‘I don’t want to rape you anymore.’
He turned at the door. 'No… I'm not doing'.
'Why didn't you leave? It's because you're enjoying it'.
Usman bit his lower lips. He didn't know what had gotten over him, but he seemed to agree with her. He could have left. Maybe he was enjoying it. Perhaps he was just deceiving himself.
'I'm not...' He said but stopped himself and marched out of the kitchen.

Chapter 17
Drunken Boys Everywhere

Since Mr. Oba announced he would leave soon, Usman couldn’t concentrate much in school to the extent that some teachers noticed it and had to ask to know what was wrong. He couldn’t get himself to tell them. At the assembly that morning, the principal encouraged the students to visit the counsellor if they had any problems. The counsellor, Mrs. Iloh, talked expressly on how she had been able to help people out of depression, especially those that were having issues they couldn’t speak about in public.
Usman, whose seat was by the window, couldn’t stop glancing at the field and the principal’s office. The more he saw the principal’s office, the more he thought of the words of the principal. The hall was just opposite their class. He wished he could sit in the empty hall and stare into space forever.
By break period, he knew he couldn’t help but go to the counsellor. As much as he wanted education, the thought of being continuously raped by Omo disturbed him. However, her office looked sacred. Usman stood at a corner of the passage beside the SS3 class, the passage that led to the toilet.
'You want to go in or just stay there?' Japheth Adeogun, one of the senior boys said from afar. Usman glanced at him and back at the office. This particular senior boy had been punished or disgraced repeatedly for several reasons yet, didn’t always seem to care about anything. Unlike the strong boys in the school, this particular senior boy had few friends. Usman saw no reason to engage him.
As the last girl left Mrs. Iloh’s office, Usman wondered if he wouldn’t take the blame for getting close to Omo or maybe he should have really controlled himself and not allow his erection to be visible to her.
Japheth came nearer and stared at him. 'You know if you're afraid of her, you can talk to me.'
Licking a mint, Japheth placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Usman stared at him for a while, wondering if he was to be trusted.
'I have an issue.'
'Who doesn't have an issue?’ Japheth asked. ‘Even the Principal has issues. He is the reason I don’t have friends. He believes I'm a bad boy. And he even slept with my girlfriend. When I told people, no one believed me. Since then, I've promised myself to always believe people like you'.
People like me? What does he know about me? Usman thought to himself.
He had a comical smile, but Usman still felt like trusting him.
'Okay.' Usman glanced about.' I was raped'.
Japheth burst into laughter. 'Why are you joking? So, you want to talk to her. Her?’ Pointing at the counsellor’s office, Japheth hollered with laughter. ‘Would you rather you entered the office of the cane-like being in that office or talk to me?’
'It was in the middle of the night.'
Japheth glanced about and shook his head. 'You’re drained of sanity: You're in what class?'
'Jss2'
'As old as you are?'
'Of course…'
'In my six-year in this school, I've never preferred the counsellors. But today, you need one'.
'No. You need to understand.'
'God punish ‘understand.’ He said in Pidgin English. ‘Go there before you grow mad. How will you say someone raped you – a whole boy? Impossible.’
Japheth walked away towards the back of the school. Usman knew the best option was to go to the counsellor. With trepidation, he knocked on the office door.
‘Oh! Come in…’ Mrs. Iloh said. He could see an unusual radiance in her eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to talk, so he stared at her. She was really good at her job and in a few minutes, she brought out a spicy biscuit from a fridge in a corner and offered it to him with a bottle of drink.
An unusual calmness came over him, and he felt like relaying all the things that have ever happened to him to her. But he couldn’t get the words out.
'Don't worry. Even if it's the unspeakable, I'll stay with you to the point that you can overcome it.'
Usman sat up. 'Aunty Omo. The person I live with had sex with me…I was in bed. Maybe it's my fault. She raped me'.
She frowned for a while and swallowed hard. 'You're not playing a prank on me.'
'A-?'
'A prank...’ She reiterated. ‘I hope you're not joking?'
Usman shook his head. 'No, Ma.'
'I saw you and that senior boy, Japheth just before you came in.’
'Yes ma,' Usman said, nodding.
The counsellor sighed and hissed. 'Get out of my office. If you people have smoked that thing. I thought Japheth had stopped his silly pranks. How can you tell me you were raped? Who rapes a boy?'
‘Aunty Omo…’
‘Get out now before I disfigure your ugly face.’ She rose and pointed towards the door.
Usman rushed out, sighed, and moved to the back of the school’s building. He sat on a rock when he was sure no one was coming. His mind roved for a while, until he finally burst into tears. At the same time, the bell rang. The reality of his plight kept him glued to his rock seat. He was in a dicey situation already. If he left Aunty Omo, nobody might take him in or would even buy his story about money rituals. Moreover, the street wasn't right for him. He might end up like his dad, who was burnt alive by touts because he was falsely accused of stealing.
Usually, his father wouldn't have been killed if he wore suits or any fine cloth, but his father really looked like a thief in his mechanic’s uniform.
'Young man, what are you doing here?' The Principal, Mr. Danjuma, said.
Usman rose hurriedly in fear and faced the short fair man, whose trouser seemed to fear the ground.
'What are you doing here? Are you crying?'
'No Sir. Something entered my eyes'.
'Then, be gone before I skin you with my cane.'
Usman scrambled to the class. When he got home that day, Mr. Oba was gone. Omo went about her business sadly. She gave him his food and returned to the parlour sulking. She went out that night and returned home with a bag which she took to her room. Hearing the click of the door brought a new relief to him. His room was now a fearsome place to him. From the way his body responded to Omo’s touch, he seemed to love what she was doing to him. Why then was he feeling like he was raped? In the following weeks, Usman managed to always lock himself up in the room, avoiding Omo. He would do anything to finish his education.

Chapter 16
The Boy with a Brain

Bidemi couldn’t stop nursing the pain of the cane Mr. Alani gave them even two days later. His mother would have soothed his illness, but he couldn’t tell her because his aunt was around. Aunt Peju was always too strict and would find fault with everything. She would blame his mother for things he did, saying his mother ought to punish him more.
 Trying to hide the pain from her, he was too eager to leave for school that Monday. The stories behind the flogging almost died down, but Mrs. Ajanaku wouldn't hear a word of it. She called the senior students involved to the front and flogged them terribly.
‘You’re causing a nuisance in my school. What education are you demanding for boys that have not been given from birth? You all are like my dog. The only education you should be given is education about how to stay loyal. But sex education is useless on you. Let’s focus on the victims’; she bounced on the ball of her feet as she ranted. No one uttered a word.
Bidemi returned to his class, sad. During the break, Ikendu sat beside him.
‘We should do something,’ Ikendu suggested.
Bidemi turned to stare at him. He had never expected that from Ikendu.
‘Are you serious?’ Bidemi asked, surprised.
‘Senior told some boys what we can do…But the senior boys can’t be involved. They want somebody else to do it’.
‘What?’
‘Meet us at the back of the library immediately after closing today,’ Ikendu said and rushed off to join the boys on the field. Many of them were running about. He should have been a part of the team, but he was just too tired to do anything.
At that point, Gladys sat beside him. She was with flowers. They both stared into the field for a while, then she turned to him.
‘You shouldn’t be doing all these things,’ Gladys said.
‘Was it a lie?’
‘Mrs. Ajanaku will keep flogging every one of you boys’, she said.
‘See, I don’t have time for this,’ Bidemi said. He wouldn’t want her to suspect that the boys had other plans for the rest of the day.
She fiddled with her flowers and brought out a notepad to write their names. She muttered as she scribbled away. Not concerned about what she had in it; he looked about and wished he was born a girl. They had things easy.
‘Have you heard from Usman?’ Gladys asked, sadly. Bidemi shook his head with his eyes fixed on the goalkeeper.
‘Basket!’ Bidemi shouted mockingly, but playfully at Ikendu, who took Bidemi’s position as the goalkeeper. Gladys turned his head towards her.
‘I said, what do we do?’ She asked.
Bidemi glanced at her with glazed eyes. ‘I don’t know. We will keep hoping…’
'If his mom was still alive, it would have been easier. I will go and look for him. At least, they said he ran away from home’.
‘I don’t think that’s wise.’
She shrugged and rose just as the timekeeper rang the bell. ‘He would need food and other things.'
The class seemed dull, but he kept his cool and listened to the different teachers that found their ways to their class. As soon as the bell rang, he rushed off to the place Ikendu was waiting for him. True to Ikendu’s words, some other boys were there. He explained that they were waiting for him. According to senior John, Bidemi would know what to do.
‘But I don’t know what to do,’ Bidemi said, shocked.
‘Ehn… Think…’ Ikendu urged him.
‘Let’s meet tomorrow.’
Most of the boys present resided in the boarding house. Bidemi ran off excited about sex education for boys. But not knowing what to do, he decided to talk to a doctor who lived near his house. When he met him, he explained what he wanted of him, and the doctor was excited about it.
‘This is what you will do, bring them over tomorrow’, the doctor suggested.
Bidemi nodded as he wondered how he would go about that since almost all the boys resided in the boarding school. As he got to school the next day, he relayed his fear to them.
‘We will sneak out like we usually do,’ Ikendu suggested.
One short boy shook his head. ‘What if we’re caught? Or they do the roll call’.
‘Shut up your mouth, Dayo, Ikendu shouted. ‘I saw you yesterday sneaking out.’
‘But that was yesterday,’ Dayo argued.
‘This is just once,’ Bidemi interfered.
‘You hear? It’s just once. It’s not like Mrs. Ajanaku would be around. She would be out with her dog. Before we know it, we are back’.
The next day as planned, they saw the doctor, and he enlightened them on the dangers of premarital sex for boys. He explained how girls had become so loose, yet pretended to be the careful ones. He told them that they need to do better by abstaining from sexual activities or anything that is even slightly related to sexual activities, because even the littlest sexual provocation from a girl is enough to seduce and make a young boy feel aroused.
‘It’s 5p.m. already’, Dayo said. Bidemi, like many others, glanced at the wall clock.
‘We have to go now’, Ikendu announced.
‘Oh! But I still have many things to tell you’, the doctor said.
‘Let’s make it some other time, please Sir,’ Bidemi said hastily and ushered the boys away.
They hurried out into the street, and immediately saw Mrs. Ajanaku approaching with her dog. She looked recognizable, even from afar.
‘Go back inside… Inside!’ Bidemi shouted.
They heeded and rushed back and she walked by with her dog. In fear, they hid in the bush without as much as a word. As soon as she was gone, they sped off to school. Bidemi didn’t follow them, but he stood around watching until he was sure that they had all gone and all was clear.

Blesstar:
Divepen biko let's rush together, rushing is our hobby. nice story bro, kudos...

Thanks... We will pay for flight ticket

dawno2008:
Rushing bi ti ba wo Abeg I'm also from Russia jare
Pls Rush we're not complaining oooo Haba

Lol...

Chapter 15
Evil Roots

When Usman woke the next day, he felt horrible and rushed to the bathroom. There, he couldn't help scrubbing himself as if that would wash off the memory. After weighing his options, he chose to leave Omo's house. He wanted to be educated to avoid the ills he had suffered, but the present encounter was a threat to his sanity.
 Just when he finished taking his bath and wore his cloth, Omo clambered into the room, stared melancholically at him, and sat on the edge of the bed. Upon seeing her, he jittered. The silence in the room rattled him.
After staring at him for a long time, she mumbled, 'Usman, I'm sorry...'
'I'm leaving…' Usman replied.
'No. Not now...'
She edged nearer. Her pleading eyes made him want to comfort her, but then the memories of the previous night came flooding like an avalanche.
'I'm leaving. I think God didn't destine me to live with people', Usman said again. This time, he was done packing his bag. The things he would need were all in the bag. As much as he couldn’t have wished for a better place, he couldn’t stand the trauma of what he suffered the previous night again.
'Don't say that. I'm sorry', she said and touched him, making him feel awkward. After a little back and forth, he finally succumbed to her entreaty.
He sighed and released his bag. 'Then, you'd have to allow me lock my door before I go to bed.'
She nodded. 'You can lock the door. It was the devil that used me the other time'.
Usman nodded. She rose and held his head with tenderness, spoking at his desire again.
'You'll go to school on Monday.'
The thought of what he had just agreed to made him squirm. Even being attracted to her shouldn't have been an option. Now, he struggled between finding her intentions as pure and hating her. Usman wasn’t supposed to like her. All he needed at that moment was a way to make her pay, but nothing worthwhile came up. If he were Bidemi, he would definitely have a solution to this problem.
On Sunday, at the church, the pastor taught about the love of God – a message that really touched him. Like many other people in the congregation, Omo cried her heart out. The realization of how sober she felt assured him that the mishap had truly stopped.
However, when they got home, her countenance became confusing. Omo looked both wild and remorseful. He wondered what she was up to, but he overlooked it. That evening, just when he was about to prepare for school, she entered his room, looking confused. But this time, the wild look had intensified. She shook her head, remorsefully.
'Usman I'm sorry for what I’m about to do,’ she said and moved towards him while removing her clothes.
There was no other explanation for what she had in mind than what she did to him the other day. So, he jumped over the bed. Omo stood her ground, giving him the scare. He scanned the room for any other means of escaping, but she had blocked every angle.
He pushed himself into her and tried to fight his way through, but she had crazy strength for her small frame of a body. After a little struggle, Usman understood that nothing could take him out of her reach than to shout.
‘Let me go!’ He yelled.
She was a beast at that time, grunting as she threw him on the bed. Usman employed every strength in him to give her another push, but she was definitely prepared.
‘Please,’ he cried.
‘You want it. But don’t know it’, she grunted. ‘Just accept it.’
‘No. I don’t…’ He said but couldn’t complete the sentence because he slipped off the edge of the bed. This gave her a more significant advantage. She jumped on him and incapacitated him.
‘Hel…’
She anticipated his scream and covered his mouth. She grabbed his neck and held him down, making him gasp for breath. Omo had him pinned to the ground in an uncomfortable position. He gagged and groaned. But she had the upper hand. Like something she had practised all her life, she grabbed the bedsheet and tied his hands one after the other.
Since he had no other option, he stopped struggling with her. He allowed his mind to focus on the future while she had her way with him. The assurance he had about the future was now bleak. At that point, he knew he had no other option than to leave her that night.
Leaving him tired, she clambered out of the room after pleading for his forgiveness. He packed his bag and everything he could think of. He snuck into the parlour. Luckily for him, she was in her room. The silence of the room brought back despair to him. With tears flooding down his face, Usman unhooked the door and every other part of the door barricades only to discover that the door itself was locked with keys.
He groaned in the realization that she had locked him in the house. They never locked the door until late in the night. After thinking of what to do, he dropped his bag by the door, walked to her room, and knocked.
'I want to go,' he shouted.
She came out, and he could see that she had been crying. She stared at him, shamefully. 'Why, Usman?'
'I just want to go. I want to go. God will take care of me'.
'Are you leaving because of me?'
'No…' He looked at her. 'Yes.'
 She slumped on the ground, and tears streamed down her eyes again. 'I know... I'm bad ... I'm addicted. I should have gone to men. But no… I was….'
'Please, I want to go.'
'Okay. Wait till morning. You don’t need to rush off in the night. Lock the door. It’s my fault. You should resume in school tomorrow, but I ruined everything. Just stay’.
He glanced at her and at the door for a while. Then, he decided to take her advice. Pulling his bag after him, he went into his room and locked the door from behind, and still hooked it well with other things, so she couldn’t get in easily.
As promised, he got up to leave the next day, avoiding to even taking a bath because it could call for another round of temptation. Omo, who had been awaiting his exit from his room, rose the moment he came out with his bag. He didn’t look at her as he moved towards the door.
‘Wait…’ She said and gave him a bulky envelope. ‘I didn’t mean to do this. Please, don’t tell anyone’.
He swallowed hard. ‘I don’t even want to talk about it. I just want to go’.
‘I’m sorry. I really am. You should understand that I’m not usually like this. I’m not like this. Ah! I will be lonely in the house again like before, and you will not go to school because of me. I’m truly sorry’.
He nodded as he walked away. She nodded and closed the door behind him. Happy that he was left alone, he opened the gate and thought of the things he would actually miss – the first being his education. She had all the things he needed. If he only he could endure. Usman wished he could ask her why she did what she did. But knowing it was a futile effort, he had to go.
Yet, the feeling of how he would have to suffer many things in the world became dawn on him. This was just a tip of the many problems he would face if he went away. Realizing this, he closed the gate and returned to the house.
All he needed was to have a way of avoiding her. He stood by the door and thought for long to be sure he was doing the right thing, but no better idea came to mind. So, he went with his feeling. Having this opportunity, he couldn’t just let his chance slip away.
Upon entering the house, he met her in an awkward position, sweating with her legs apart. He felt disgusted and turned to leave.
‘Usman…’ She yelled.
What he had just seen was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Even if he wanted education, he couldn’t ignore the fear that came to his mind the moment she saw him. She grabbed him, and he yelled.
‘Leave me… Let me go’.
‘Y…No… Come here’, she grunted and dragged him to the floor. She paused and began to do the onerous things she had always done to him. His mind flipped to one of their assembly's teaching. Their new principal, Mr Danjuma, told them to never attempt what she was doing to him until he was an adult. Omo struggled on top of him and had to let him go after a while.
As soon as she relaxed, he shifted from her. She seemed to understand his unspoken desire to be left alone, so, she scrambled out of bed. He had seen a lot of children and knew it wasn't easy to live alone. But now, he was in pressing need of leaving. She rose and locked the door. With no need to ask for an explanation, Usman burst into tears.
Turning to him, she said,' I can't let you go.'
Feeling weak and battered, Usman rose from the chair. He needed a thorough bath but not as severely as he needed to leave the house. 'Please, ma. Let me go'.
'Usman, please, you can't go. I need you in this house. I don’t know why I’m attracted to you… To boys. I don’t know'
Usman stood straight and yelled, 'there are grown men out there that would do anything to sleep with you.'
‘I don’t want men…’
'I beg you with everything you hold dear, everything you truly love, In the name of Jesus, please, just let me go'.
‘You don-’ She was about to say and nodded sadly. ‘I don’t think I can get over it with you being around.’
Picking his bag, he hurried to the door, but then Omo placed a hand on his shoulder, pulled him back, and blocked the door as she scanned the space. ‘Wait!’
He looked at her and guessed it was another gimmick. ‘Please…’
‘Hold on...’
She strained her ear. Then, a car honked just outside the gate.
Omo looked overwhelmed. 'No… That's impossible. Is that...?’
She ran to the window, peeped, and ran back. She muttered.' That's impossible. He didn't tell me.
'Please open the door,' Usman pleaded.
 She crashed to her knees and held out her clamped hands to him. 'Usman please, you can't go. You can't go. Not now. Wait a little.'
'So, you'll drain me.'
'My husband. That's my husband. He's back. If you leave now, he would know… I told him about you already'.
'Please, don't tell…'
Usman stared at her for a while and saw a high dose of sincerity in her eyes. He nodded.
'Thank you, God bless you. I promise I won't do anything. Thank you. Thank you'.
She rose, put the parlour in order, and then carried his bag.
'Come… Come', she whispered and led him to his room. 'Lie down. Pretend to sleep, just sleep'.
She dropped his bag in the wardrobe. Usman stared at her in fear, then removed his shoe and lay on the bed.
'Pretend to be asleep.'
The gate outside began clanging. She rushed out of the room and headed out. He heard them talking for a while outside. In his pretence, he actually slept off.
After a few minutes, she roused him from his sleep. There, at the end of the bed, stood a tall man. He looked responsible.
Omo pushed her way forward. 'Darling, meet Usman.'
'Usman, meet my husband. You can call him Uncle'.
Usman nodded drowsily. The man smiled tiredly as he stretched his hand to shake Usman. Usman glanced at her and could see the sadness and fear in her eyes. Her husband smiled at her, and she reciprocated comically.
‘Why is he not in school?’ Uncle asked, turning to Omo.
‘He’s a bit under the weather,’ she replied and glanced hurriedly at Usman.
‘Oh! Sorry, Usman… Get well soon’.
‘Thank you, sir,’ Usman replied.
‘Go back to sleep, Usman. We will talk when you’re fully awake. I’m here for you’, Uncle said.
Usman returned to bed and slept off. The fact that he missed school that day still bugged his mind. When he woke, Omo told him someone from his school was sent to ask about him, and she told them the same thing.
Later in the day, she called him to eat. As soon as he was done, Usman returned to his room. Omo’s eyes kept pleading with him any time he was around her husband. At one point, Mr Oba called him to officially hear his side of the story. Usman talked slowly to make sure that his story aligned with the one he told Omo. Even if it didn’t, he had leverage over her.
When he was done, Mr Oba nodded and shook his head. 'That's too bad.'
Usman shrugged and was waiting for him to dismiss him to his room, where he would ruminate on the things Omo had done for him. He just wanted to be as far from her as possible.
'We should go to the police station tomorrow. Darling', Mr Oba said.
Usman glanced at Omo to see her looking dazed. She stared at Usman and then focused on her husband. His grim face would make anyone re-evaluate his position.
'Yes, baby,' Omo said as if she had something in her throat. ‘We should go.’
'Tomorrow, you won't be taking Usman to school,' Mr. Oba said.
‘That’s another day of missing school,’ Omo said. ‘Can’t we make whatever he wants to do till after he returns?’
‘He would be tired,’ Mr. Oba replied and rested his back to watch the news on Fortune City TV (FCTv).
Omo rubbed her hand on the stripped blue apron she wore.
'But why are you making it this serious? What will he be doing at home?’
'I'm taking him to the police station,' Mr. Oba replied.
'Did he do anything wrong?'
Mr. Oba shook his head as he focused on the news where they were talking about Gay rights. Usman wished he could concentrate on things like this to have a clearer understanding of them and not on things that won’t make him serious in school.
'Not him. It's his family members. The devilish set of people he called his uncle and the man's wife. They're tampering with a phenomenon no one rarely touches'.
'But what will you tell the police if you go tomorrow.'
'That his uncle wanted him dead. That's a case of attempted murder. Their home would be raided for any deadly thing. Such people would have it'.
Usman’s heart pounded faster.
'And you believe he will be such a fool enough to keep those items in his house...That's by the way, which court will allow him to be prosecuted for such? Then, the innocent young boy will have his life tossed from left to right like a yo-yo'.
'We will get a warrant. I'll call on Ekele now. He'll issue me a warrant. The idiot is good with such things... The idiot can make better use of his time than to sleep around with different women’.
'Richie...' Omo called.
'What?' Mr. Oba asked and faced her.
Omo shook her head despondently. 'What's what?'
'Am I lying? He can't learn to keep his weapon locked up in its corner'.
'We are losing focus.'
'I know. I'm just angry that people like this still exist and we are not doing anything. If we allow this to grow in Fortune City, we are done for'.
'What do you mean?' She asked.
 'This ritual… The things they do. It's even worse. They take all...'
 'Hmm...Richie. Richie', she called sternly.
'I mean it. Don't you see in all those Nigerian movies? That was the reason I was bent on coming to Fortune City. Yet, they would come here to corrupt it'.
'We have to find a solution that's better than this.'
'Ehn... I'll have the man arrested...The warrant yes… I'll get the fuc-' He said.
'Richie. A boy is here'.
Richard glanced at Usman and at his wife and nodded. 'I'm sorry. I'll get the warrant and would make sure...'
'Don't work yourself up.'
'I think I have. The next thing for me now is to find my bed and crash into it. Tomorrow, I'll be strong enough to get the policemen and then travel'.
Omo paused suddenly in her tracks and stared at him for a while then stormed out. He looked into space for a while in confusion and exclaimed. 'Oh...'
‘Yes. Oh!’ She shouted from the kitchen.
'I had forgotten. I didn't know I would travel again. It's urgent'.
Omo came out of the kitchen and pointed the soup spoon at him. ‘When has any of your travelling not been urgent?’
‘Two weeks ago!’
‘Spare me,’ Omo said and returned to the kitchen.
Usman watched him follow her into the kitchen and wished the man understood what his wife was doing to herself and to him.
'Leave me,' she yelled and burst into tears. Afterwards, her voice disappeared into thin air. Usman sat still and counted time as his mind wandered to his late parents.

dawno2008:
@Divepen1 hope you're cool Missing updates here ooo Pls just come feed me some delicious updates

I felt i was rushing o

Chapter 14
The Big Tree in the Forest

Back at school, when Mrs. Ajanaku called Bidemi to the front of the assembly, her anger overwhelmed her so much, that she didn't ask for any explanation before she started lashing him on the assembly. He kept yelling and crying.
‘I told you to stop this nuisance,' she cried in anger.
‘I was not the one,' he cried.
Mrs. Ajanaku stopped and looked about. Bidemi assumed she agreed with him, but he didn't want to throw caution to the wind. So, he took some steps backward.
‘He is lying again. He is lying', she said and gave him five more strokes of the cane. She then went on to talk to them on the consequences of disobedience. Bidemi remained moody throughout the day as he wondered who had done it.
Mr. Alani came to the class and refused to ask him any question. As soon as they were done with his class, he turned towards Bidemi.
‘Bidemi,' he called. ‘Follow me.'
Bidemi knew he would face a panel of teachers. So, he prepared himself for what would happen there. They would abuse and call him all sort of names, but he wished they would listen to him about him not being the one that posted the images. Bidemi sniffed and rose.
They walked towards the class. However, Mr. Alani stopped at a little passage that created a sort of border between the senior class and the junior classes. Bidemi looked about in fear.
Mr Alani tucked his teacher's textbook under his armpit and held his cane with the other hand.
‘Bidemi Adeoti, what's wrong with you?' Mr. Alani asked.
Bidemi shook his head.
‘Are you sure? Are you really sure?'
Bidemi nodded and stared at his feet.
‘Why did you post those things?'
Bidemi's head sprang up. ‘I didn't post them. When she told me….'
‘Shut up! Why are you lying? Which other boy has been clamouring for boys and other stupid requests?’
‘Sir, I came in late this morning. I didn't post them', Bidemi repeated.
‘Will you keep quiet? This is what I have been telling you. You don't cause trouble for women and escape. They always have their ways. See, my dear boy, I have learnt my lesson the hard way. A girl lied against me, and people were not ready to listen. You need to avoid trouble with women and girls. You will grow up one day. Women are trouble. Run from their troubles. Run, always run'.
‘But I didn't do it…'
‘I said, shut up! Shut your nasty mouth. The poster is everywhere.'
At that point, Mrs. Ajanaku came out from the senior side of the school. She turned towards them.
'Good of you, Mr. Alani! Talk sense into his head, teach him a lesson', she said with a sneer.
Mr. Alani nodded. ‘Yes ma. That's what I was educating him about. But he's not ready to listen to me…'
Mrs. Ajanaku hit Bidemi on the head with her cane before he could get out of the way. The pain surged through his body, and he yelled.
‘Keep quiet,' she shouted.
He rubbed his head with one hand and used the other hand to cover his head. She gave him a cold glare as her hand was raised to give him another one on the head.
‘Good. Now, continue Mr. Alani', she said and walked away.
‘Can you see what I was saying? I have told you… It's not just about… Get out. Go to your class', Mr. Alani said and walked off.
Bidemi cried as he went back to his class. He decided to steer clear of anything that would cause him trouble again. This mind-set helped him in school throughout the first term. This helped him concentrate more in school.
However, when they were done with their first term exams, Bidemi's interest for boys' sex education was reawakened. Three days before their final school fellowship for the term, he encountered some people. When he went to the food-shed, he met a senior boy, John Kayode, who paid for his food. Then, another senior boy paid for his soft drink for him.
‘Join us,' John said and pulled a sit close to them.
Bidemi looked about and was afraid of the heftiness of these senior boys.
‘Guys, this is the champion of the idea,' John and the other senior said. They praised him. Many of them hated Mrs. Ajanaku and wanted to use the poster to make her angrier.
Bidemi would have loved to reject the offer, but they promised to protect him. So, he prepared to help to be with them. He told several junior students, and they made the plan for Friday, 22nd of October, which was two weeks away.
The days in between, Bidemi told other boys about their plan. They wanted it to be during the school fellowship. This week always preceded their end of the year party. The senior boys had helped them design other posters. The plan was that as soon as the preacher finished preaching, they would all stand up with the placards.
The school didn't have a hall, so they used the SS3 class for their chapel on Fridays. It was compulsory for every student. Some of the Muslim students rebelled, but the school wouldn't hear of it.
Bidemi's mind raced. If Mrs. Ajanaku saw the posters, she would flog him even more. But he needed people to understand that boys needed sex education also. He stood at the front with the placards. The other members were at different strategic places in the class. So, he wouldn't be the only one lifting the placard. As soon as the senior girl, Abiola Jeremy, finished teaching them about Trust, Bidemi raised his placard and saw the anger in Mrs. Ajanaku's eyes. Everyone in front stopped talking.
He was afraid that the others didn't raise theirs and could feel sweat gathering at his back as his throat suddenly became dry.
‘Again?' Mrs. Ajanaku shouted. ‘Get these things off my face before I make all of you suffer for it.'
‘No, ma…', Mr. Alani snarled. ‘They should be punished.'
‘If you have the time…' Mrs. Ajanaku replied.
‘Oh! I have all the time in the world. These children are goats. G. O. A. T… Goats! They need to be tutored in the way of life. Come out. Bidemi, come here. And you, I saw you … Yes, you that boy in Jss1. Err, Ezekiel. Come here. Don't drop it o'.
Bidemi couldn't bring himself to drop the poster. So, he moved forward with it. Mr. Alani gestured for him to come forward.
‘You, Ezekiel, point to everyone involved in the nuisance,' Mr. Alani said.
The young boy began to point at everyone involved.
‘If you drop the poster when I'm flogging you, I'll start all over; ten-ten strokes for each of you'.
‘But j…' Bidemi said.
‘Shut up…'
‘I didn't wa…'
‘I said, shut up.'

Chapter 13
The Big Dark Pit

Since Usman got to her house, Omo had taken him with her to church. The first day, Usman told her he was a Muslim but she insisted that she couldn't let him stay back in the house. So, he had to follow her to the church. However, he enjoyed the service. The things that attracted him more were the instruments. The instrumentalists were exceptional. He wanted to be part of them.
The pastor proceeded to teach about Joseph in his master’s house and how he was someone that stood his ground. Usman's mind went to that day at his aunt's house and knew his case was like that those of Joseph. Maybe as he grew up and remained faithful to his God, he may become a leader someday. With education and God's backing, he would definitely make headway in life.
His parents always told him to take his education like gold. To them, it was the only way to succeed in life. He knew those were true words. The few weeks in Omo's house had gotten him reading the recommended texts she bought him. His favourite was Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe.
When he was done reading most of the books, he went on to read the textbook and went as far as trying to solve some of the maths equations in the textbooks. Christmas celebration crept up on them. The most baffling thing was that her husband refused to come home. He only talked to her over the phone and she would go for days crying around the house. On days like that, he avoided her and walked around the house as if he was walking on broken bottles.
For the celebration days, she bought him clothes. He, indeed, was living in paradise. Thus, on the eve of school resumption, Usman crept into bed and prayed the way their pastor did. He prayed for many things, and in that massive room, that giant bed, he wondered if this would last. He would love it to be permanent. Suddenly, he heard a noise, making him jump out of bed. He rushed to the window and was relieved it had burglaries.
He looked about and stood still to listen for the noise again. The door to his room remained open.
'Usman,' Omo called as she entered the parlour to meet him. She wore only spaghetti and shorts. He looked away from her towards the door. He couldn't help wishing he was Ikendu. At least, he would see nothing wrong in touching her.
She was still drowsy and rubbed her eyes. ‘What's happening? Why are you up?'
He shook his head. Everything had remained silent, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the place. Something bad was happening. Then, like before, they heard the noise. This time, it was coming from the burglaries as if someone was trying to cut it off.
Omo spun round. 'Did you hear that?'
He nodded. The noise increased.
‘Wait here,' she whispered and ran to the kitchen. The noise increased. Usman followed her. Omo urged Usman towards his room and locked it. His fear got a hold of him. Nothing scared him like that, and he could feel himself vibrating from his head to his toe. The house would be burgled, but he had nothing to do than to hide in the corner.
‘The light,' she murmured and ran for the switch. In a few seconds, the light was off. Usman didn't even know what to do. But he held his calm. He couldn't imagine what would really happen to him now that he would encounter thieves for the first time. Omo pulled him to a corner of the room and began to mumble some prayers. She held on to him tightly, and he couldn't restrict her even as her body oddly rubbed against his.
'Open the door,' a man's voice called gruffly.
Omo whimpered and drew Usman closer. 'Oh my God! We're dead'.
Usman nodded. 'Aunty Omo'
'And I told Richie to stop all this travelling oh, he couldn’t even get us a simple Guard, now, we're being robbed.’ Omo whispered shakenly.
'What will we do?' Usman asked and tried to turn to her.
'I don't know.' She pulled him closer. 'I'm not with my phone. I would have called him. He would know how to get the man for us'.
The person began to kick down the door.
'We are dead,' she whispered as she pulled Usman nearer. Her hold on his body was reassuring, so he held her tightly. Suddenly, someone blew a whistle outside the compound.
Omo began to shake. 'The security men are here.'
She kicked the wardrobe open just as the noise increased and they tumbled out.
'Help,' she screamed. 'Usman, shout':
'Help...' He shouted. They paced about in the room. They shouted repeatedly. She screamed louder, and Usman had to do likewise. There was a loud knock on the gate. Just as they kept yelling, someone began to knock things over in the kitchen. The person grunted loudly.
Usman and Omo yelled. He couldn't even tell how scared he was, but he knew he just wanted to hide and stop the trouble around him. Omo switched on the light, picked the knife off the floor, and held the knob of the door as the house had suddenly become silent. This time, the whistle became louder and came from different places.
'Madam! Madam come out', another voice called from the parlour.
‘Baba Ismail, is that you?' Omo called out.
‘Yes. Madam. Na me…'
Omo glanced at Usman, and he nodded, but his body was still vibrating as the fear of death lingered. He thought he would soon die and meet his parents in heavens.
She opened the door, and they snuck out. Her television was gone. The thieves had scattered everywhere. Looking grim, three vigilantes met Omo and Usman at the door. Each of them was dressed in thick clothes and had their local guns by their sides. A dead man's corpse lay in a pool of blood, with a knife plunged in his neck. Usman couldn't believe his eyes. Despite seeing the body of his mother after her death, he could not understand how the man laid so still.
'Is that...?' Omo asked.
'Madam, this is the thief.'
' Ah!'
‘But the TV…' She muttered and pointed at the empty space. Even the door to her room was opened. She shook her head. 'Did you…? You killed a man in cold blood'.
'No,' Baba Ismail said. 'We met him like this. It's likely one of his gang members'.
‘That means they are more than one,' Omo suggested to the vigilantes.
They ran out of the room and began to search everywhere in the massive compound. Usman wished he could help out in the search, but his vibrating body wouldn't give him the courage to move out of the house.
Omo stood at the doorpost with the knife dangling from her side. He wondered why she hadn't gone inside to wear something to cover herself up. But he couldn't say anything. Out of nowhere, a man ran towards the gate.
‘That's him!' Usman shouted before he could stop himself.
Omo roused from her fear and threw the knife at the thief. The knife struck the thief, and he yelled.
‘He is here oh!' Omo screamed.
Usman glanced from the thief to Omo. He couldn't understand how she managed to strike the thief down. The vigilante raced for the gate and shouted at the thief, who was now wailing.
‘I got him,' she murmured and moved towards them.
Some other vigilantes had joined them. They took the injured thief away while some others came to carry the dead thief. Then, Omo hurried inside the house to wear something more decent. When Baba Ismail, the vigilante, returned, he narrated how the thieves jumped over the fence to get into the compound and how they have taken them to a police station. That night, they got the Television sets and the other missing items. Omo gave the vigilantes money, and Usman wished he could have his hands around that.
As Usman went to bed, the only he could think about was the hug she gave him. Then, his mind went to the way she threw that knife. It made him want to hug her some more. He couldn't tell why he felt that way, but he was happy she was an adult, and he couldn't think of doing anything with her.
He couldn't tell how long he had slept because he woke up around seven the next morning. And he might have been late if Omo hadn't woken him to take his bathe for his first day at Imade College.
‘But how would you handle everything… The house that was scattered?' Usman asked.
‘Aw! It's nice to know you want to help out. But your school is paramount. So, I will handle that myself. Now, off to the bathroom'.
Even after the bathe, he still felt like returning to the bathroom, but school was indeed paramount. His parents had gone through a lot for him to make it through school, and he must do everything possible to make use of this golden opportunity handed to him on a golden platter.
‘Usman, food is read,' Omo called from the parlour.
When he got to the dining table, he was pleasantly surprised to meet a plate of Jollof rice and meat. The only time he and his parents ate Jollof rice in their family was after they just end their Ramadan, the Muslim fast. He devoured it and ensured he broke every bone of the meat. Such an opportunity didn't come always. She also handed him some food for school in a food flask they bought the other day.
She walked about in the room in skimpy skirts. Even the blouse she wore barely covered her body. He shook his head and faced the food he had in front of him. His mind shouldn't be buried in abominable things.
'Thank you, ma,' he murmured when he was done with the food.
'No. I should thank you', she said and brushed a part of his hair. Her touch on his body made him hold his breath. The words of Ikendu Benson came to his mind. At that point, he wanted to touch her, but he quickly grabbed his plate and rose. She moved backwards.
'If you didn't arouse me from sleep with your noise yesternight, I don't know what would have happened to us. By the way, are you nocturnal?'
'Ma? Noct…'
'I mean… Don't you sleep at night?'
'I do, but I’m used to my mummy going out every night to the backyard… So I often wake up at night because I’m used to it.'
'Why does your mom go to the backyard at night?'
'That’s where our toilet is.'
She nodded. ‘Alright, hurry up. Let me drop you at school before I start the cleaning of the house'.
When he got to school, he was happy with the new school, and the teachers attended to him well. Throughout that day, he kept thanking God and blessing Omo. Now, he understood why it looked as if he knew nothing in his former school, he didn't have the necessary books. Their Math and English teachers called him out to appreciate his brilliance. He felt happy throughout the day. But his fear came again when it was time to go to bed.
Omo stared at him the same way she did the previous day. And like before, he dismissed it. ‘Don't lock your door,' she said drowsily.
‘Okay Ma.'
‘We hope what happened yesterday wouldn't recur, but I want to be sure you’re safe. You understand me right?'
Like the previous day, she woke him early, and he hurried to school. His happiness in Omo's house felt good, but the only problem he had was that she kept staring at him strangely. As the week progressed, she stopped rubbing his head. She now hugged him more. Sometimes, he felt lucky. Sometimes, he was afraid.
Everything seemed to go on smoothly. She even took him to the beach after service on Sunday. He had never been to a place like that. In the water, seeing her in bum-shorts made him feel like grabbing her, but he couldn't do anything.
Nothing seemed out of place until three days to valentine. That day, she used her Blackberry, the most popular phone at that time, to discuss with her husband over the phone. She shouted all through and slammed the phone on the floor. Usman sat in silence and watched her cry. She went out of the house, drove out, and, later, returned with five bottles of Star beer. She drank it all up, and then ordered Usman to go to bed.
He slept off, hoping she was alright and forgot to switch off the light. From his sleep, Usman heard the creaking of the door. He roused in his sleep and thought he was dreaming. Now, nothing could catch him. He was far from his aunty and uncle, which was reassuring. So, he shunned negativity. The peace he enjoyed in his new house shouldn't be marred by any form of negativity.
However, he had to open his eyes in fear as something warm, soft, and big laid on him. The room was dark, but a ray of light from the window flooded the room. He wondered who turned off the light.
'Who is that?'
'Shhh,' Omo ordered.
'Aunty Omo...'
'Shush.'
'What- Why are you climbing on me?'
'Usman, it's okay. This is what parents do. You just have to relax'.
Usman was shocked and felt like jumping off the bed. So, he pushed her off, but she was huge. She held him to the bed.
'Hel-,' he tried to scream, but she was faster and covered his mouth. He struggled. She rolled off his bed, and he thought she was done. He sat up, but she seemed to have something else in mind. She pulled him back to bed and climbed on him again, placing a big bag by his side. She opened it, brought out a rope, and tied his hands to the window.
'Stay put. You'll like it'.
'I don't...'
'Shhh... It's not painful. Most boys love it. And I have seen you staring at me. Now, keep quiet'.
‘No…'
‘Oh! You mean all those longings in your eyes… I see them. I'm sure you don't know how to use it'.
He felt himself vibrating. Whatever she wanted to do wasn't right. And he didn’t want to do it either. She pulled off his clothes and kissed his body. He kicked the bed and tried to release himself.
She began to do strange things to him. He tried to remember what their science teacher called it. Ah, yes! Sexual intercourse. No, that couldn't be it. She was raping him. So far as he didn’t consent to it, she was definitely raping him. He struggled some more.
At that point, he didn't want to think about what she was doing. He wanted to fight her away, but he couldn't control anything again. Tears dropped down his face. After a long while, she got off him and slept beside him.
'Oh God! I hate marriage', she murmured.
Then, she burst into tears, untied him, packed up her ropes and gags, and hurried out of the room. As she left, she didn't switch on the bulb, and he loved it that way. He loved to remain in his dark pit.

Chapter 12
Rebel

Gladys ran to meet Bidemi as he hurried away from the notice board that Friday. Only the teachers and prefects were allowed to post anything on the notice board. So, he would be severely punished if caught. She read the content of the big cardboard:
Educate The Boys About Sex!!!
‘Oh! Bidemi. What if Mrs. Ajanaku sees you?’
'She won't know it's me.'
'I hope so. Is Usman in school?' She asked.
He shook his head. 'I thought he would be coming this week too. I will go to his house tomorrow before I get home'.
She shrugged. 'Today is Friday. Maybe, he would come on Monday'.
He nodded. They returned to their class. Nothing odd happened until closing time.
'Bidemi Adeoti, see me in my office,' Mrs. Ajanaku shouted as soon as they finished the closing prayer on the assembly. He did. Immediately he got in, she attacked him: knocked him on the head and pulled his ears.
‘If I ever see that rubbish, you posted in this school premises again, I promise you, you would hate yourself! Stubborn boy! Get out of here, Mr. Girl', she said and threw him out.
Bidemi was gloomy as he left school. Many of his friends mocked him on their way home, and he felt the need to put an end to the useless venture. He walked to school on Monday, intending to never do such stupid thing again. However, getting to the gate, he saw cardboards with the sign: Educate the Boys about Sex!!! right on the big black school gate.
He was shocked. At first, he thought someone wanted to make a mockery of him, but when he into the compound, the inscription was everywhere. His mind went into disarray as he wondered who did it. Mrs. Ajanaku was furious.
'Bidemi,' she screamed as she hurried to the assembly that morning. 'Come out here.'

dawno2008:
Hmmm,what do they all see in him Well some women have third eye to see a sex machine Lovely update

Abi oooo..
Thanks boss

Deleman234:
Done bro l sent it yesterday

I'll send it when compiled...

Chapter 11
Lion's Den

Usman must have spent the whole day walking, but he couldn't stop as he needed to find a way to avoid the major roads; if only he could find his way out of the Fortune City. According to their teachers, he needed a form of a pass at the Customs. The Island didn't allow minors to stray off the city into Nigeria because they wanted to keep a good reputation.
He sat on a stone and watched some boys playing football and wished he could have just a taste of the happiness in their souls. He rested his back against a wall and would have remained there if the wind from the rain hadn’t started.
He rose and looked for a place to hide before the rain started. The boys continued in the field. It was always fun to play ball in the rain showers, but he couldn't join them. Just as he rose to leave, the rain came in a heavy torrent.
He broke into a run but after a while, he couldn't help but resort to walking in the rain. The cold was enough to bring back memories of the past few days, but he kept walking. He preferred being killed by the storm than to remain in the same vicinity as his uncle.
That day, he meandered about and slept in the cold, outside another stall. Luckily for him, the next day was a Sunday. The only thing disturbing him was the pang of hunger in his belly. At that point, he wished he could have gone Mrs. Adeoti's place. She would have interceded on his behalf. Yet, he wouldn't want her to be tainted by his own shame.
Overlooking the shame involved, he took to begging from passers-by. Some of them warded him off while others rendered help to him. The money he garnered served him throughout the day.
But in the evening, the torrent of rain came again. This time, he had no other choice than to shade himself. He must have walked for twenty minutes when he saw an old woman selling roasted plantain, Boli under a little shade. The scent from it on its own could send any man begging for more, but he didn't have any money. There was surely no way he would get the chance to even taste it.
The woman gave him a cold glare that made him shift aside. He tried to use a side of the roof as shade, but the woman started insinuating she didn't want a thief near her stall. But he was adamant. After a while, the torrents of rain became drizzles.
Just then, a car stopped in front of the boli seller. A young woman was in the car. She bought boli. Usman, sensing an opportunity, drew nearer to ask for her help. But before he got to the driver’s side, she drove off. Devastated, he returned to the corner he was standing before.
However, the car turned at the next junction, which led to an untarred road. Maybe she can help me, he thought. There was definitely no way he could let the woman go without asking for help. He hurriedly followed her car and saw it meandering into another street. She drove slowly, as if she was in no haste; he knew he could still meet up with her. By the time she stopped, he caught up with her but was panting.
She had just gotten out of her car and was trying to open her gate when he finally caught up with her. The house was bigger than his Uncle's.
'Good afternoon, ma,' he said shyly.
The lady glanced at him and flashed him a very bright smile. Her teeth mesmerized him for a few seconds.
'Good afternoon, how're you?' She said, and her round eyes were white. She was dressed so simply. Her jeans trouser hugged her body tightly, just like her blouse.
Usman blinked severally as his word clogged in his mouth. He was so busy trying to get food, avoid the rain that he never expected that reaction.
'Please Ma, I'm hungry.'
The lady scanned him and bit her lower lips.
'And drenched. What of your parent? Why not go home? Go home and leave this rain'.
If my parents were alive, would I have come here, Usman thought. He stared at the ground. 'They are dead.'
'Oh,' the lady gasped and hurried to her car. She brought out her wallet and brought out a pair of two hundred notes and gave him.
'Find something to eat and then use the remaining to go to any of your family members.'
'Thank you, Ma,' he said. Usman was so excited that he felt there was no need to tell her that his mother alienated him from other members of her family. He was shaking terribly.
'In fact, come inside. Let's get you warm and out of this rain'.
Thunder and lightning answered them.
Usman stared wide-eyed at her then, at the car. What if she wanted to use him for money ritual? He swallowed hard. The way reports have been reaching everyone about kidnappers, he needed to be careful.
'Enter my car.'
The lady said and entered the car. She pointed into the car. Usman hurriedly did the sign of the cross as he entered the car.
'Relax. I won't eat you'.
He nodded. She drove in.
'Eh,' Usman exclaimed as she drove to a park, where he saw various cars.
'C' mon inside,' she said as hurried towards the house. He followed her like an animal beaten by rain, looking around like a lost puppy.
They entered the house. Usman was as awestruck as he was outside. She gestured for him to follow her. His heart raced in fear. Then, she handed over a wrapper to him to mop himself.
'You're really drenched,' she said.
She went into the house and returned with a shirt and a pair of shorts. Then, she pointed at a room. 'Go to that room and change.'
That was the height of it.
'Thank you Ma. I will change here', Usman replied.
‘What for? And get this place wet? Not possible. Don't worry, you're in safe hands’, she said and brandished a big smile. He took the clothes. His eyes darted everywhere for a possible escape route. But as she promised, nothing happened.
His mouth couldn't stop shaking in rhythm with the pattering beats of the rain on the roof. His mouth suddenly became dry as she placed a big loaf of bread in front of him, and a plate of sardine beside. Some minutes later, she returned with a hot cup of tea and a flask containing hot water.
He shook his head. 'No ma.'
'Really? One, you're telling me I've just wasted my time preparing this for you. Secondly, you told me you were hungry', she replied. He glanced at the food and back at her. She seemed to understand his fear and smiled. 'Oh! You're afraid. It's fine'.
She carried the cup of tea and took a sip. That abated his fear.
'You see. You have nothing to worry about', she said and sat opposite him.
He devoured the food. She asked him simple questions, including his name. Her name was Omoniyi but preferred if he called her Omo. So, he agreed to call her Aunty Omo.
'So where would you go now'? She asked as she returned from the kitchen and slumped into a seat beside him. He choked on the food and coughed.
'Oh! Sorry'. She hurriedly rubbed his back.
'I don't know Ma.'
She bent her head sideways and stared at him from the corner of her eyes. 'What do you mean?'
'My uncle wanted to kill me.'
She smirked. 'That's a gross accusation. Why would your own uncle want to kill you?'
'He wants to use me for money ritual,' he lied before he could stop himself. That was a good cover.
'Money ritual, does that thing exist?'
Usman was astounded that someone didn't believe in money ritual. 'Eh! It does o. I was sleeping when I heard some noise. So, I checked it and saw him and my aunty, his wife, arguing that they should kill me.’
She stared at him for a while in disbelief. 'Are you for real? And you didn't report them to the police or something?'
‘They have been chasing me… I ran away!'
‘Wow.'
He nodded amidst his stuffed mouth. She didn't say any other thing.
When he finished eating, the rain had subsided. He got up thanked her and got up to leave, she walked him out. When they got to the gate, she placed her fingers on his shoulder. Her fingernails were long and painted blue.
'Have you decided on where you will go?'
He stared at her; then shook his head slowly
'Will you stay with me?'
Usman gaped. She stretched her finger pointing at the big house. 'I own all this. My own family too is not available. My husband… That one… I'm basically the only one in this house. I have a sister that refuses to stay with me because… All in all, I'm lonely'.
'What would I do here with you?' Usman asked.
'You'd be my companion. Well, until we find your other family members.'
'There is no other relative I know of. I don't have anyone…'
'Alright then. Let’s go back in.'
They entered the house. As he answered her numerous questions, he noticed the way she stared at him. He had a hard time dismissing the way she stared at him because it had a semblance with the way his aunt used to stare at him. The next day, she took him out to buy clothes. He couldn't even appreciate her enough. Yet, she kept telling him to let it go. She claimed she was doing her bit for humanity and for God.
That Friday, she took him to enrol in a school, Imade College. He couldn't believe his luck. This was something that could only happen in movies. His parents' spirits were genuinely blessing him. However, on getting there, the principal told her he would have to start the next term since they were approaching revision week and the bulk of the term had past.
'But he was going to a school before', Omo said.
The principal shook his head. 'We're trying to raise a standard here, Madam. Look at it this way. Since he can’t provide his results from his former school, we cannot grade him this term. This means he would have to rely on his results from the next two terms. It puts less pressure on him, and we can have a more accurate view of his strengths and weaknesses. He can’t take this term’s exam with his mates. He may not do well, which would affect the reputation of this school. At the end of the term, his results would be divided by two instead of three for three terms. He has a better chance at excelling then.'
Omo swallowed, 'alright Sir, you know best.’
Thus, Usman was made to wait back till the next term. Nevertheless, the school gave him his uniform, sweater, school I.D card, and sportswear.
As they left the school, she drove him to get more clothes, a school bag, sandals, shoes, textbooks, literature texts, notebooks, and other school items. Usman couldn't believe his luck. He had just become fortunate; when he was about to go to bed, he prostrated in front of her.
‘Thank you very much, Ma. God bless you', he said.
But she rejected his gesture and pulled him up. ‘Common, don't be silly. Get up already. All you need is to read your books this term as you get ready for next term'.
He rose and caught her staring at him again in that funny way he was suspicious of. That rattled him as his mind went to the way his aunty, Iya Tade, was fond of looking at him. He dismissed it again. It was only a figment of his imagination.

Chapter 10
Maybe Mr. Girl is A Dog

Meanwhile, back at school, things were happening fast. Bidemi and Gladys waited for the return of Usman, but he never came. If he was still in their former house, with his mother, Bidemi might have gone to visit him, but now there was no way he could contact him. At this time, mobile phones were becoming popular but not one that they could easily get a hold of. Only a selected few had access to a mobile device.
The next day, Tuesday, two people came to speak to the girls at the assembly about STD and why they must abstain from boys and sex.
'All that most boys ever want is to have sex with you and leave you. Many of them will transmit sexually transmitted diseases to you and you; any of you that is not ready to keep yourself till marriage. That is why we are here to educate you all, every one of you. Abstain from sex', said one of the facilitators.
Bidemi stared at them.
'Listen carefully, girls. Many of these boys will want to entice you. When you start menstruating, you have a higher chance of becoming pregnant. Boys are dogs. Be careful of them'.
Mrs. Ajanaku signalled to them to conclude, and they did. Then, she clambered up the podium to address them. Her cane dangled in her hand. The little murmuring that came from the assembly ceased. The facilitators of the girls’ talk began to share free sanitary pads and a small pamphlet among the girls.
'Thank you very much. We need to keep educating our girls for better awareness. We need to let them run away from the devilish thing hiding in the trousers of these boys', Mrs. Ajanaku said.
People laughed.
'Shut up your mouths. You are all laughing. These boys are ready to destroy your lives', she shouted. Then, she scanned the crowd as if searching for someone. Her face brightened when her eyes fell on one of the senior boys. The boy was at the back row and had been trying to hide his face.
'Yes, Ire, come out here. You're the scapegoat', she shouted.
Ire shuffled his feet as he walked up to her. Being in SS3, many had noticed that he hadn’t been around for some weeks.
'Move your feet, before I design your body with a cane,' she shouted. He obeyed her and was soon staring at his feet on the podium.
'Do you see this stupid boy? He had been battling STDs for a while now. We didn't know about the case until it was becoming severe. That situation you’re hiding from your father would eventually be solved by him. We had to send him away quickly for professional treatment. He had been treating himself through all these quack chemists. How many times have we told you that self-medication kills? You these boys; many of you have STDs. Girls beware!' she shouted.
The students began to murmur, but after a stern look from her, many of the students stopped talking. Ire returned to his line shamefacedly.
Mrs. Ajanaku continued, 'they want to ruin your life. You're the weaker ones, girls. They just want to use you and dump you.'
Everyone stared at her remorsefully. 'Any question, girls?' she asked.
Many of the girls raised their hands to ask a question, and she did justice to questions. Then, Bidemi raised his hands. A lot of people burst into laughter. Yet, he kept his hand up.
Mrs. Ajanaku looked about and grimaced. 'Well, he does act like a girl.'
A lot of the students laughed it off until she called for order.
'Mr. Girl, ask your question'.
He swallowed. 'What of the boys? How can they… How can they stop sex…?'
Mrs. Ajanaku looked confused. A lot of teachers looked at him as if he had just asked the world’s most ridiculous question.
'What do you mean by “stopping sex”?' Mrs. Ajanaku asked.
'I mean that… If girls are to avoid boys, what can the boys do?'
Mrs. Ajanaku looked about in surprise. 'Please, clap for him. You have just asked the stupidest question in the world'.
People laughed until she brandished her cane in the air.
She fixed her eyes on him. 'Boys cannot stop it. The only thing they can do is to avoid it. They are always ready. They are like… my dog. They are dogs. Dogs can never say it's enough! They don’t know when to quit sleeping around. Assembly dismissed. Sing'.
The students wanted to sing The day is bright as their marching in song, but she shunned them. The day was cloudy. They had to sing Education: Education is my pride instead.'
Bidemi wouldn't let her deter him. The only thing on his mind was how boys also needed to be told what to do to curb sex. During lunch break, he fiddled with his food and didn't see Gladys sitting beside him.
'I like what you did,' she said. He looked at her blankly
‘What did I do?’ he asked and sat up.
‘On the assembly, the question you asked.’
‘Oh, thank you’. He looked about and leaned into her, then told her he planned to return to Mrs. Ajanaku. She needed to hear him out.
'That's a good idea. I will help you prepare', Gladys said.
So, they spent their break hour preparing Bidemi's speech to Mrs. Ajanaku. Some minutes before the hour ended, the two of them went to her office, where he did justice to their speech. At the same time, Mr. Alani wanted to have a meeting with her. Mrs. Ajanaku stared at Bidemi as if he was a broken record.
'I already said this is rubbish. You think we should have boys sex education', she lamented. 'You're dreaming. Get out of my office. I don't want to hear this rubbish from either of you again. Mr. Alani, come in'.
Bidemi wondered why he went in the first place.
'What would you do?' Gladys asked.
'I would tell my friends.'
'Those ones?', Gladys said disgustedly as she bent to pick a wildflower. 'They won't bother to help you. They love it'.
'Maybe…' Bidemi said and walked towards his class.
'Bidemi,' Mr. Alani called.
He looked back to wait for him to catch up. Gladys hurried up to her class.
'I like what you want for the boys. They truly should be taught about sex education…'
'Thank you, sir. That's what I was trying to say…'
'But it's always been like that. Women have always seen men as dogs. It's natural. You can't change it overnight’.
Bidemi nodded. Mr Alani left him, and he walked off. He wasn't sure he knew what he wanted at that time, but he wanted to be different from the other boys. This was the only thing on his mind as he returned home alongside his day-student friends. Suddenly, they saw a cock chasing a hen. The boys stoned the cock until it ran away. There, he agreed with Mr Alani: males were natural predators. Maybe they were indeed dogs.

Chapter 9
Stuck

Cold, mosquitoes, and the eerie sound of the harsh wind kept Usman up throughout the night. He had managed to lie down in front of a stall. When he eventually slept off, he was woken by the noise of market women as they flocked into the market. By this time, the sun was up. Cocks kept crowing at various locations. He knew it was time to go.
So, he got up and meandered. He intended to return to their former house. But before he could make any progress in his journey, he saw his uncle's car driving slowly into the market.
Seeing this, Usman ran off towards the road. He looked back, and his uncle saw him. Usman sped into the midst of people struggling to enter commercial buses leaving the area. Luckily, the queue was always disorganized. So, he got his chance to scramble into their midst to cross to the other side.
'Usman!' his uncle yelled. He spun around and saw his uncle looking about with the venom of the previous day still in eyes. Usman hurried off and struggled to enter one of the buses. He ensured he was in the middle of the bus. Different passengers joined him on the bus, making him feel secure.
Usman sat still. The bus was filled to the brim, and he watched the conductor as he shouted, 'Errr... Everybody, listen to me! E gbo mi o. I'm saying my own now. We've not moved far. If you don't have the exact fare, get down now. I don't have any extra money to give you your balance. I no get change o. This weekend na for fun, I no wan trouble'.
No one replied him. He repeated his warning, but no one replied him. After repeating his announcement for the third time, someone hinted that he had a thousand Naira note.
'So if I no talk, you no go talk,' the conductor nagged and shuffled the money in his hands. After confirming that he had enough change to give the passenger, he banged on the body of the green bus and shouted, 'Oga mi, let’s go!'
People became focused on getting comfortable on the bus. The conductor too made some banter with some funny passengers then he stood up and tapped the shoulder of the man sitting beside the driver. 'Bros. Money'.
At that point, Usman remembered he had no money on him. The passenger pointed a five hundred Naira note at him. The conductor opened his mouth in shock.
'What!!! I say no change', he shouted. He ranted about the way he was screaming his head off about having the right bus fare. However, he didn't need to talk much because the next passenger had the exact amount of money.
But if he thought he was safe, he was wrong. Things became awry as he proceeded to collect his fare from other the passengers. People began to point Five Hundred Naira and Two hundred Naira notes at him. In fact, he refused to collect the money from one of the errant passengers, until the person insisted that if he didn't receive that money, he wouldn't drop another dime.
Before long, the conductor and some of the rude and proud passengers exchanged words, railing abuses on one another. Usman swallowed hard as he wondered what to do. He didn't have to wonder for long before the conductor requested for his fare from him. He dipped his hand in his pocket and stared at the conductor like a novice.
'What is wrong with this one? Are you a child in a bottle?' The conductor grumbled.
'Conductor, my change,' someone called up front.
'I'm coming,' he replied and turned to Usman while he straightened the notes he was holding. 'Guy, where my money?' He asked Usman in Pidgin English.
Usman frantically searched his pockets with the hope that something would materialize in his pocket. But it was like one that had the hope of using a sponge to fetch water – a fruitless effort.
'I'll return to you,' the conductor said as he began to distribute people's balance to them. The passengers started complaining. Some complained that he hadn't given them their complete balances; he pouted and told them to hold on. Some returned their change to him, claiming the monies were torn or defaced and demanded that he swapped it for them.
'Is my father working at Central Bank?' He retorted at some of them and turned towards Usman. 'I say this guy where's my money?'
'Ermm....' Usman stuttered.
'Why are you doing like a dummy? You no fit talk?'
Usman shook his head.
The conductor frowned. 'He isn’t even saying anything. Give me money!'
Usman stared for a while. 'I... I can't find my money'.
The woman beside him, whose daughter had been repeatedly throwing bits of the biscuit she was eating in the bus, snickered. Usually, Usman would have been bothered about the snicker, but his focus was on the furious conductor. He had several scars on his face, indicating he had engaged in various fights. Usman didn't want an encounter with him.
'Guy, give me my money.'
'Please, I don't have any money...'
'Are you a staff?'
Usman frowned and shook his head, confused. 'Staff?'
'Police, Solider, MoPol, Peace Corps?'
Usman shook his head.
'You can't even be a staff...' The conductor hissed.
'Ahn ahn! Conduc', a woman said and scoffed; 'You dey see young boy like this and you expect him to be a staff.'
'Ehn. E no concern me. He should pay me... Pay my money o, guy.''
'I don't have any money, please,' Usman pleaded.
Story! Pay my money before I handle you!' the conductor shouted.
Usman glanced at the faces of the different people on the bus. Many of them pretended to be focused on the journey. One of the passengers even stared out of the window as if he was no longer of this world.
'Conductor, please leave him. He's a small child', another passenger said.
'You bought this bus, right?'
'That's rude,' another passenger said.
'That's how they behave,' said the woman that the conductor rudely replied. 'I'm used to their lifestyle.'
Usman sat at the edge of the seat, his hands turning cold with sweat.
‘My boss…’ The conductor called at his partner. 'This guy no get money o.'
The driver, who was downing a bottle of gin, choked and took a few seconds to get back on track amidst passengers call for his head for drinking and driving. Someone even chipped in that he should be careful not to kill himself while they were still on the bus.
'Throw the beggar away,' the driver shouted from the front.
'Leave him,' someone called.
'Will you pay his fare?'
'How much is it...' The person replied nonchalantly. Usman's heart skipped a bit.
'Bring it,' the conductor replied.
'Me...? How much is it that you can't simply let it be', the person replied.
The conductor hissed and poked his head outside the window. 'Oga mi, stop. Let this one that loves debt get out of the bus.' He insulted Usman, calling him a lover of debts.
'Please,' Usman begged pitifully.
You still dey talk? I no wan hear story, abeg give me my money' The conductor said with contempt.
'Please, I don't have money. Please…'
'Is this one drunk? Even me wey take dry gin, I still dey strong. I still dey kampe'.
Usman's eyes dashed to the people on the bus, asking for help.
A woman turned to him, and he felt relieved. 'You too, why did you enter the bus when you know you don't have money?'
'Don't mind him,' another woman said behind him. 'That's how they all do. Dogs… The only thing they know how to do is to…Ah! Instead of him to be in school; look at him, looking like a bird that flew from its mother's nest.'
The driver dropped the bottle of gin and glanced back. 'Taribo, if you are the son of your father, don't collect my money.' The driver threatened the conductor.
'Oga mi… Stop this bus. Let the boy get down'.
The driver parked by the roadside.
'Get down.'
'Driver e jo now,' another woman said. 'He's a small boy.'
'Pay for him then.'
'For God's sake; if I had the money, I'd pay'.
'Me too,' someone said.
'Oga mi… Park well', the conductor hit the side of the bus angrily, repeatedly. ' Oya, come down. Come down'.
'Ah ahn! Conductor, have mercy', someone else shouted. 'What if he's your brother?'
'I think you've hit your head on the floor. If you talk to me again, I'll swear for you'.
‘Ahn ahn, is it up to that?'
Usman climbed down the bus and watched the rickety bus drive off; many of the passengers began to express their views over what would have just happened. The road was devoid of any house on the left and right. The bushes around him scared him. It was better to walk to civilization than to remain there. He couldn’t remain on the road, so he began walking. He couldn’t go back; he was not sure begging his uncle would work. He thought of his evil aunt and what he had done to deserve her actions.
He missed his mother. He looked up at the sky, as if he could see her face among the clouds, but there were just big, grey puffs spanning out into the horizon. The rains were gathering again.

dawno2008:
Lovely and interesting story Pls keep the updates flowing Weldon sir,good work

Thanks boss