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“How many hours do we have?” Tosin said handling the can of salt to Roseline.
“Hours, we have all day girl!”

“Yea…yea…yea...” Nana said resting her ankle on Glory’s shoulder.

The girls were happy, who wouldn’t be. They had reasons to, different reasons. Common would be, since it was a public school, the end to rows of early morning lashes for late coming had come. No more note skipping, and most importantly noisemaking won’t be a crime—they could now talk, not just as much as they wanted, but as freely as they could.

“Lovely hair, where had you get it done?” Esther asked Paullina who was absorbed in God-knows she was doing on her phone. She tapped her to have her attention.

“Madam Shark, Fifth Street.”

“That grouchy imp?” Lara commented, joining the conversation.

“Oh not again.” somebody whinged.

“What not again?” Lara asked Nana unsure what she meant.

“Must you always speak grammars? Haba!”
Lara laughed. “I only meant she is a grumpy old witch.”

“Oh God! You see… grouchy, imp, grumpy… she never listen.”

Lara laughed the more. “You should have just said you are jealous.” Esther spiced up.

“Jealous! Me? Of Lara’s grandiloquence? Never! God forbid. Lara herself understands, she will always be my student.”

“Mentor you mean?”

“What about womentor?”

***

Loveline hastened her legs as she walked on. She had covered much in such a little time, and would more if she would but take the Edward instead of the main road which, actually, she planned to. Walking the main road would but take a longer time which in itself she estimated was a minor problem. The major problem would be the single ever jobless guys walking the road in guise of finding adorable girls to appreciate their demeaning status. Of course, she couldn’t deny the fact that she enjoyed the attention; that pride of boys wanting her as a girl but then, giving it a thought, what girl wouldn’t at eighteen given the norm in the society. Such girl in her neighbourhood, whether a beauty or an excrescence would be considered nothing but progeny of a generational curse. And her beauty was such that made boys heart skipped and ladies in melting jealousy watched. So she had no reason not to enjoy the attention, none. The only but however was their perpetual irritating all the same annoying whistling.

***

“Grouchy imp here, cognitively means an ill-tempered, morally bad woman.” Lara said responding to Nana’s argument.

“If that is what grouchy means then I beg to disagree with you.” Paulina said. “She is a nice woman.”

“Nice? Well, that, depends on your definition of the word, nice.” Said Lara.

Esther’s ear drew in attention.

“If ‘nice’ is any woman who style your hair for you at free cost for dating his cute son, then I think we both can agree you are right.” Lara said with the right cadence.

“Pardon!” Esther exclaimed.

“You heard me right.”

“Paulina?”

“What?” she shrugged.

“What Lara said, is it true?”

“Not true. We are only…"

Esther flared up. Her response triggered a delicate part of her being and she was prepared to lose it all on her but was cut off by Bosede before she could.

“Where is Loveline?” Bosede said.

Loveline stood in the path door unnoticed. She had been there for seconds past watching in silence the unscripted mini-drama the girls were acting out. She seemed to enjoy it—the argument or, to be sincere enjoyed it, and would have continued to if not for the question that demanded an answer, her answer. She coughed and joined them in the open kitchen.

Open, one couldn’t tell if that should be the right adjective to describe with the kitchen, but on a second thought, it seemed to, was, or maybe more a suitable adjective than probable nearer adjectives: the open space that housed the kitchen had at its centre a grown mango tree which, on a sunny day, under normal condition should cast a deep shade on the roofless kitchen; the cashew being the roof, and the shade the kitchen. Not the only kind around, just one of many kind.

“See who is here!” Nana said in open arms expecting a hug. Loveline indulged.

The hug lasted but a brief moment. Both were happy really happy to see each other just Loveline was happier. She had been her friend since the first day in school, even in what she would describe thick darkness when the shadow of a man, whoever he could be, was destined to desert him she stuck. She also stood with her against bullies and envious haters who saw her brilliance an intimidation to their one-for-nothing surviving efforts at academics. Besides, Nana was jovial than every member of the group.

So Loveline proceeded with the ritual of greeting, a five was dished to each girls with chats in between: Margaret first, next was Lara; then Esther (who was still fuming over Paulina statement); followed by Tosin; who had as seat a stunted rock which according to Bosede their chief host, the gods had placed a restrict of develop-no-more on; next was Fadekemi who responded with a resounding five; then Nana; followed by Glory; then Atinuke; followed by Bosede who sat her buttocks on a grown branch of the mango tree; and finally, Roseline the cook.

“How long you have been there?” Paulina asked after the ritual of greeting had been completed.

“Two; five; ten; fifteen…does it matter? You are here, and I’m glad to see you.” Loveline said sitting on Paulina’s lap.

“Any gist” she said crossing her legs.

“Yea…” Said Esther, “there is.”

“And the gist,” she was saying, “Is: Our dear, faithful Paulina, is now dating…”

“Esther, please. Not that again. We are aware now, are we not?”

“Aware!” Esther exclaimed, “And that is all you can say!”

Loveline relaxed her mind and thought out her response. It was evident enough that Esther outburst had an undertone, but whatever the undertone was, it wasn’t going to stop her from expressing her view.

“Yea.” She said unsure if she could steady her voice. “Like, I don’t get: what was it you expected me to say uhn? Shout on her like people do on eagles eyeing chickens for lunch, uhn?” She hissed and continued, “See,” she said standing up, “you care what I have to say? All I have to say is the dye has already been casted, and so let bygone be bygone.”

“Or” said Nana jokingly, “Is your eagle eyeing Bernard too?”

Esther watched the two close friends in close suspicion. Loveline action came to her as a surprise but not much a surprise. It was to her as if she was supporting Paulina inhumane action but the piquancy was her lifestyle contradicted her words. Though Paulina was as much a friend as Nana was to her yet her lifestyle rendered invalid the famous idiom “Birds of the same feather flock together.” Something she didn’t quite well understand. But on the other hand, on Loveline’s part, the defense didn’t attribute to their being friends: she would have done the same for any other person, even Folake who had the honour of being the most repulsive girl in their set, the reason being it was her philosophy, the way she viewed things. Dwelling on the past, she had always said, adds nothing to the presence but takes everything away from the future. Up to her, she saw no reason for whinging about an uncorrectable past nothing practical in reality could be done to help. Besides, she thought, it is her life, and she is free to do whatever she pleases with it. Even to say, it was not like she, herself, or any of them was a saint: they all had their bad too, which, practically speaking, gave no credence to a judgmental ground. But even more, that was just a by-the-way thing: it was their day, and they were meant to enjoy it. Just like couples do with their honeymoons and kids their candies.

“The vegetables,” Roseline said, “has he brought it?”

“Wait, vegetables? We had no discussion on vegetables.”

“O sorry,” Bosede began, “we are talking of…”

“Kenny.” Nana helped complete the unfinished statement. Loveline’s felt uneasy in her skin.

CHAPTER TWO

For Loveline today was of more significance than any other she had spent on earth. It was a day that spelled a year of accomplishment, success, and achievements: a beginning that in itself marked an end of a long six years. A unique day which uniqueness was found in its entity; the entity a definition of different elements; the elements the collective enthusiasm of students and well-wishers. It was her graduation day and she was more than ever ecstatic about it as her friends whom hurriedly she was leaving to meet.

Like every other girls of their time, Loveline and her group had agreed to a special send off for themselves in a secluded venue apart from the one the school authority had in place for them. They were supposed to be twelve, but one left to a reason she felt justifiable. Paullina, Margaret, Lara, Esther, Tosin, Nana, Fadekemi, Glory, Bosede, Atinuke, Roseline, Jumoke and her very self. The reason for leaving was not giving by Adeola. Something that still, maybe up till now, gave them concerns.

Loveline as a person was more of a gentle person like her mum, but careful than her dad could ever be. She had more reasons to be having seen the wickedness of men and the frailty of life. Her dad’s episode with Mercy gave her a reason to be all the more. She stole a quick glance at the wall clock before freshening up. She did it, her mind on her friends. No need greeting anyone goodbye this time, she thought, when she made ready to leave. Everyone had left, each to their various places: mum to her trade to return by twelve as agreed to make preparations for her daughter’s graduation; dad to the farm to harvest yams for pounding; and Francis to his school. She closed the front door behind her, had it locked and the key hidden under a stunted stone at the far left corner of the house.

Wole, Loveline’s dad, had gone back to his sunrise immediately after the Orubebe's episode which barely gave him his life to escape with. He had tendered his resignation letter the next day showing his disinterest to continue in the profession. His reasons were cogent and brief, bearing no thread therewith with previous events. If one couldn’t move forward, he thought, the only sane thing was to regress. He did that without the gods. Whoever and whatever they were, they could all go and die. He still believed they were alive and well, he didn’t just see their relevance in his life. Left within, the gods had become as though they never were. Wole therewith, had become, so to say, a deist.

Loveline made her leg walked faster. The selected place for their little catering was not that lengthy. Five minutes on bike and thirty on legs. To rich people it might be but to her it wasn’t. It had never been, so she had decided to walk it.

Being a pleb was something she had come to learn to live with. And like every other pleb out there, she had asked herself overtime if a God exist at all. If he was loving as said, caring as been preached by pastors in those long boring Sundays in annoying all the same piercing voices. Maybe those manna stories in the Bible were just fairy tales to preserve hopeless hope of hapless helpless souls. Maybe God was just an idea successful people relate with their success. Maybe that was why, every time she spoke to God she received no answers, nothing but returning echo of blankness. All these things, they made Loveline slipped unconsciously into an awakening world of disbelief. She got sad every day, unhappy with God. If he exist, why wouldn’t he help? Loveline had never understood why, why he would stay his hand and pleasurably watched her suffer. But regardless of what God did, Loveline had made up her mind on just one thing. Whether or not God helped, she would not give up on redeeming her family. She would not watch in silence her father get wearied by poverty. Neither as well, would she watch her mother waste away with sorrow. She would do her best in succeeding academically, and like the rising sun wheeled away the cart of poverty off the terrain of their household. Today only spelt she was close.

***

Rapoo:
I love reading stories and l hope am gonna enjoy this one

Sure. You are going to.

Next update coming in 2 hour's time

Toyin223:
Weldone

Thanks for the encouragement. Endure to drop reviews.