Two



2:45 am
oct, 1989.
Gate 2, Heathrow Airport
England, United Kingdom

I patiently waited for my cousin Kenneth at the waiting hall, the busy airport streaming with people heading for departure, connecting flights as well as arrivals. I’d bought a mini cup of coffee from a nearby vending machine just to keep warm, so I sat down and sipped it slowly, basking in all its warmth, still looking around with hopes of spotting Kenneth, since my mum had called him before my departure while at home, telling him about my time of arrival at Heathrow airport. That evening before leaving home, my mum had hugged me so tight. When she released me, I saw beads of tears dropping slowly from her eyes. She’d told me how she will come visit me from time to time.
“Mum…if you’re going to come visit me often, why are you crying? Come on mum…” I said.
“Ah…I’m not crying oo…” She had added. Now wiping her eyes clean from some leftover strands of tears.
My brother Daniel showed a little sign that he was going to miss me but I hugged him and shook him well like we were age mates and assured him I’d write him letter from time to time. I knew he might join me in the UK once he was out of secondary school. I was going to miss my friends too, even though I virtually spent the previous night with them at Spot it bar.
“Smog…so finally…you want to leave us here and run away eh…” Young Allen had said while drawing a long one from his cigarette on our last night hanging out at Spot it bar.
I just gave away a smile and said, “Nah…before you know it, I’ll be back”, looking at Eva who’d been all over me that night telling me to promise her that I will keep in touch once I got to London.
“Dude, I can’t wait to see you coming back, holding one oyibo girl by the side, both of you talking in British accent, init…?oh yeah…?” said Jidecoded as he stood up and demonstrated to show how the accent sounded. We all laughed hysterically.
“No way… my Smog can’t do that. Stop it, Jide! See what you’re advising your friend. In my front again…”. Eva said and tried to hit him whilst Jidecoded made a run for it.
“Yei…! What did I do now…it’s a joke oo. This girl sef….”
This even made the whole crew laugh more. She just sulked all through the night. I tried talking her out of it but she sulked more, I didn’t bother much. I just wanted to soak in the moments before they became a memory.
I was looking at a poster and about to sip from my cup of coffee when someone touched me. I turned and behold a smiling face reaching for a hug. It was Kenneth. I haven’t seen him in ages since the last time I was in London with my family for vacation. We had spent one day at his parents’ home – my auntie’s actually before heading to our hotel room which had been booked ahead of time before our arrival.
“Olu…welcome. How was your flight?” His British accent was so profound, it made everything he’d said sound like he was sipping tea and talking at the same time. Don’t murder me yet, that’s what it sounded like. I couldn’t help but notice he was now very much matured with beards, quite taller than me but really chubby.
“Fine… very smooth actually.” I said, standing up to give him a hug. “Man, you got really big, am sure those McDonalds burgers is paying off well…bro”. I added.
“Burgers erh…? It’s been a month or more I ordered fast food. I’m on a diet man” He said smiling. I thanked God he took the shade well. “Oh, that’s cool, …diet sounds good cuz…” I said. We both laughed whilst picking my luggage to make way for the exit. The weather outside almost got me running inside the airport where the temperature was calmer, despite two cardigans that I wore. Kenneth couldn’t resist himself laughing hysterically.
“It’s just rainy days. Making everywhere cozy cold – it’s still fall kind of…”.
“Dude, this is winter. Which kind fall. God! I’d better be heading back to Lagos than to freeze here”, I said, unzipping one of my box for a jacket. This got Kenneth laughing more.
“Seriously Dude, how does humans survive in the north pole.”
Kenneth chuckled and shrugged. “North pole… right, you are very funny man. You’ll get used to it, trust me”.
The trip to Kenneth’s student apartment was smooth. I stared all through looking out from the window of the airport taxi we boarded, thinking to myself. So, this is going to be my home for the next couple of years or so. Not so much of the nostalgic first-time visit feeling but a sense of purpose somewhat crept in my thought. Here I was farther from home. On the verge to achieving my dreams, no – I mean my father’s dream. This medicine right.
Kenneth lived a luxury life. His well-furnished studio apartment spoke volumes. Neatly arranged living room, a sense of coziness and warmth filled the air.
“Welcome to my humble abode”, Kenneth said.
“Relax, have a shower and unpack. Feel at home.” He added. Pointing towards the bathroom.
For the first few minutes in Kenneth’s apartment, despite trying to scan around his home, I was still recuperating from the cold ride on the London taxi. I just found myself numb of words. He noticed that I was still shivering despite the heater being on.
“Let me increase the heater, that will help” Kenneth said.
“What will help is some whiskey”, I chipped in, and chuckled. “And maybe some ‘roofies’ later on... I heard they’re easy to find around here”.
He gave me that smirk of smile that came with a “I am disgusted” kind of look.
“I don’t drink. I don’t do drugs bro, so I don’t have any”. “Sorry”. He said, as polite as he could be.
I wasn’t sure which one I should be sad about. The him not drinking or the fact that he ended the statement with a sorry.
“You could rush out to a store and get some for me. Whiskey will help me get warm, still freezing here. Boy, I have come a long way o…”.
“I’m sorry Olu, I meant – you can’t drink in my apartment. Sorry”. His profound smile was no doubt filled with sarcasm.
The Sorry again!
“Dude, I’m not asking you to drink with me. I’m just cold, and I need something to warm my body. Ah…”
I was actually very cold. You could see my mouth shivering, making me make some funny kind of noise while talking. Five minutes later, he brought a mug filled with steaming tea. I just had to make do with it just for a little warmth.
“The first thing you get to offer me in your house is tea. Tea…. Dude…really…?” I said. “It’s not an African thing oo…”
Kenneth couldn’t help but laugh out loud this time. “Welcome to London”. He said.
My cousin Kenneth was a total opposite of me. Articulated, and responsible with a gentle nature. He seemed to know where he was going. He was two years older than me, yet with a maturity of a forty-year-old. Well so I thought then. His apartment spoke volumes of a responsible student, who cleans up neatly. Stacked medical books could be seen almost around the corners of the living room. Bible quotes and some inspirational images were neatly pasted on some specific angles of the living room. He’s truly the angel my dad had described. I just concluded in my heart that my cousin was boring. As I unpacked some of my things, I kept thinking to myself if I could be able to live with Kenneth. We were just two worlds apart. Ok, maybe family and medicine.

**********************************

First day at school was fate. You know that kind of fate that happens and you just want to look up and whisper to the skies “Thank you God”. That was just what I encountered at the student office in queue trying to get registered. The lady in the office was sluggishly attending to each student, smiling and being too nice. I guess that was part of her job description.
“Dude, you notice how the lady be smiling like she is being fingered or something”.
“Totally dude”, I concurred smiling at the comment from the white boy seated next to me in the queue. “Man I need a smoke up”. He added. I turned to have a good look at the white boy. Tight jeans, ruffled hair, gold wrist watch and chains – his outlook gave him away as a stoner.
“Dude, you’re speaking my language”. I said.
That was the moment I looked up the roof, and gave that “Thank you God” whisper. He stood up and headed for the exit, I followed suit. Few stairs down, we found an old store filled with used and abandoned wares. He lit s up a well folded blunt and drew a long one from it.
“Dude, this is London’s finest. One of the purest forms. Not those ghetto shit. Have a hit.” He said, with a strong British accent. He must be from around Britain, no doubt.
I collected the blunt and drew a long one. I definitely had missed it. It’s being hours, yeah…? “Yeah, you’re right. This is good shit.” I said.
“Oh yeah…?” The white boy said.
“Yeah… Just like some good Lagos SK.”
“What’s that? Lagos…?” The white boy inquired curiously. “Lagos is in Nigeria; Nigeria is in Africa.” I said.
“Oh…. Africa…” I passed the blunt and he collected it and paused. “Africa…” he said again, as if trying to remember what Africa means. Then it came to him after two seconds or so. “Oh…Nigeria, Africa…oh yeah…, Cola is from Nigeria I think.” The white boy added.
“Cola…?” I asked.
“Yeah, awesome dude. You got to meet him bro.”
“…oh you mean Kola…you have to say the name with the accent. Otherwise, you’d be saying coca cola. And it’s a K not a C…” I tried suppressing my laughter.
“Of course Cola…that’s what I just said. Isn’t it…?” The white boy said, sounding so sure of himself.
I gave seeing it was an accent problem. “Yeah, right”, I said.
We both laughed out loud.
“Look, I might seem white and all to you, but I’ve got some African blood running ina my blad. I got Jamaican friends, Nigerians, Zimbabwe. I love Bob Marley, dude...”
“You got black friends and you like black music, and that automatically makes you black…?”
“Yes. I knew you were brilliant, just as I’d thought.” The white boy retorted. I guess he was high or deluded. If only he could hear himself, I thought.
“Dude, I barley know your name”. The white boy said while reaching out for a handshake.
“Olu…” I muttered.
“Olu…” He said. His accent was point on. “Marshall here, but I go by Marsh, you know. The ladies love Marsh. Look here, I got to take you to the club and meet some nice looking beautiful white chicks. I’m sure you like them white, yeah…?”
I smiled and opened my eyes wide. I lacked words. “Well…”. I finally said. “That’s my nigger” Marsh said, I would later come to understand he was allowed a free pass to say the word ‘nigger’ because of his self-purported theory of having some African blood. He was whiter than a white albino. That’s some good expensive joke. Well, boy had some good guts.
“Bullocks!... I got to head up and finish the registration. What course did you apply…?
“Medicine” I said. The white boy laughed out loud. “So you’re the next in line Dr. Stoner I guess.” I smiled. “Well, that’s another way to put it”.
“Dude, I don’t really care much about college you know…I don’t know why applied here. Oh wait, I think I do. Yeah right…to get all the Uni chicks.” He nodded his head, concurring to what he just said. “…and also sell tons of drugs. I’m talking Pablo Escobar style, mate.” Now laughing hard basking in the euphoria of the weed we just smoked.
I laughed too, I knew that moment that I had found a friend. A stoner. A talker, a good one for that matter. A white boy who parades himself black



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I spent two weeks at Kenneth’s. It would have been less had the estate agent I hired found something in time. My cousin lived like a monk and I was a rebel and unrighteous. I knew living with him was going to be war. I just wasn’t ready for that owing to his first rule of no drinking in his apartment. How could someone live like that. Young and free acting like a fifty-year-old man. I’d wondered.
My new apartment was just perfect. Just a few minutes’ drive from the school of medicine. Haven settled in, I had made quite a few friends within the campus and out. You just had to keep meeting different kinds of people every day, that was the quirks of London – Caucasians, ‘Blacks’, Asians, Arabs, just about every race. And walking through the campus sometimes seemed everyone was in a rush, and minded their businesses. I was still trying to adapt to living in my new environment
Hi, I’m kind of lost. Uhmm…I’m heading to the library. Someone told me to ask of Bishop Street… Can you point that direction for me, please?
“You’re in a luck. I’m going to the library too.” She said smiling. She clutched some good amount of text books under her armpit and had one huge one held firmly on her other hands
“I’m Bethy…you must be from Africa”. She looked my direction as we walked the path leading to the library.
“Yes, I’m from Africa”. I replied politely.
“I guess you’ve seen all the lions, zebras, giraffes and all the animals”. She makes a rotating gesture with her hands to buttress her point of ‘all the animals’.
I’d fringe for a second – I know it wasn’t her fault thinking everywhere in Africa is the big jungle. Of course, that’s what the media paints – TV, magazines and newspapers had safari as the only tangible thing to show of Africa. On this occasion, I would have loved to have a longer chat with her and explain things, owing to the fact that she seemed sweet and welcoming but I was in a rush for a class. I had to waive it off with a smile.
“You know Africa is not just one big zoo or something. It’s just what media paints of us on TV”
“Oh really. Well…I don’t know about that. I’ve always wanted to visit though”. “of course, if you’re ready right now I can take you. She laughed hysterically. We had gotten to the library.
“It’s nice to meet you Olu. She’d said. I got a lecture to attend at the moment. See you around, maybe…”. I reached my right hand to shake her while adjusting my strapped bag.
“See you around”, she muttered, whilst adjusting the books on her left arm and shook me smiling.
It came to me. Must be the racial difference that made everyone seem unfriendly. But deep down everyone wanted to get along and discover their individual race differences. Interesting!

Thanks. @smileing

To God, for His Inspiration




















HELLO WORLD!









Chimezie Nnamani

HELLO WORLD!

a novel






Prologue



I am standing perplexed in the middle of it all. It’s happening right before my eyes. Could it be what I am thinking it is? No…I don’t think so. I can’t even think straight anymore. A whole me, fearless and brave Doctor Olu… scared to my wits, almost about to piss on my boxers – Impossible. From where I stood confused with an unknown fear pinning me to a spot, I saw the beautiful Doctor Susan screaming helplessly on the floor, people running aimlessly across her almost stampeding her. Normally, I would run and help her up. Her or any other person for that matter, putting up a little show at the end – at least all my gym time and macho looks wasn’t for fancy, yet I couldn’t. The emergency ward where I was at that point was in a total pandemonium. Patient’s prescription papers flew aimlessly in the air. A fat lady, in her confused state had scattered the table while running aimlessly like everyone else, leaving the papers flying invariably when she struck the table. I stood there; right there in front of the emergency ward entrance holding a patient’s file on my left hand, pinned, as if I had no control of myself anymore. Maybe it was the shock that left me confused. I couldn’t move, yet I could, if I wanted to but for so many reasons, I stood motionless, watching it all unfold with cringing thoughts on my head, trying to fathom what was actually happening.
My thoughts were incoherent. First I thought about Adaobi, then Sammy; I screamed, “Oh my God, Jennifer”, I remembered my department meeting which was supposed to be held in the next hour. Where could they be right now? Everyone. Is this thing happening there too, wherever they were? I didn’t even know where any of them were. Jesus! My family. How can I not have a clue where my family could be at the moment? That moment, my brain received some signal to move, as if I was jump started with a 50v back to reality and for almost five minutes of standing, with my mouth wide open; I moved, thrusting my hands in my pocket for my phone.
There was no network signal on my phone. I cursed all the curses I ever knew. That moment, I saw Chief Nathan my department head, running towards the emergency ward, just like everyone else – helpless. As he approached, I tried talking to him about what was happening, if he had any clue. He didn’t answer; he kept on running – making his way towards the exit of the hospital. I screamed his name but it seemed like his brain was on a shut down too, just like mine earlier but at least he did make a run for it before it shut down. I joined him and when I came out of the hospital. The commotion was more than my eyes could take. Noise everywhere, people running halter scatter, an ambulance had hit head-on into a wall and I could see Pa Ejiro, one of the hospital drivers in pains struggling to get loose from the debris of the shattered ambulance. I looked up… and what I saw left my jaw drop. I froze. Slowly, I covered my face and fell on my knees and started weeping. There could have been a twitch to this whole story if only I could go back to a certain point and correct something – an episode in my life that changed everything. Tears flowing like a river – that was when the memories became real, it came to me like it was happening again.
From forty-two years old, I became seventeen again. The air changed, the environment became Okon Uduak Street. Street lights, sounds of music blaring from a nearby bar. People walking past – the memories became alive. First, my memories will make you smile, then you will laugh, then you will cry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

















PART 1













One





7:45pm
Sep, 1989.
Okon Uduak Street.
Lagos, Nigeria


The mild showers that lasted for several hours during the day left the weather chilly. I walked hurriedly because I was already feeling the chills. I have never been a friend of cold weather. Even on a hot afternoon, I will always prefer to have my bath with hot water – yes, I never got along with cold weather. As my quickened steps made its way home in escape of the chills, I could still hear one of my favorite songs blaring from Spot it bar, a fancy bar in my street where mostly young people came to ‘chill out’ every evening. When I say chill out, I don’t mean it literally – but I’m sure you get my drift. I hate cold weather like I said. The term invariably means relaxing over drinks, chatting and been happy with friends. Normally I would make a stop and hail my guys – which usually means sitting with them, getting drunk and smoking whatever they had on the table. Weed, roofies, and whatever drug that could get one going in his ‘zone’. However, tonight, my home got the best of me.
“Smog…” I ignored it. was my nick name. “Smog…what’s up Gee?” I knew who it was, it was Young Allen. Not tonight Allen, I said to myself, not voicing it out. The voice grew nearer so I had to turn.
“Hey Man”, I said.
“Yo… blood. What’s up” he said stretching his hands for a handshake. We shook in our unique kind of way.
“Man…so you were just going to walk past…? All the guys are here tonight, Jidecoded too, and Cynthia came with one of her friend. The girl has been asking of you. I don’t even know the girl but she knows you. Dude she’s hot.” He winked. “Finally, who no know Smogcacus…baddest boy…” He smacked my arms laughing and making a jugging kind of movement. No doubt the alcohol and probably whatever drugs in his system were already taking full effect. He took a sip from the can beer in his hand and motioned for us to head into the bar. I knew the bar would be warm. There will be clouds of smoke in the air, music blaring, people dancing; these activities alone were enough to keep the bar at my best temperature. But tonight, there was a sense of urgency in me to get home that I know wasn’t just about the weather.
“Young…”
“hmmm…?”
“Show first”, I said, telling Allen to come closer.
“I get scores to settle this night”. I wasn’t through with my words when Young Allen snapped.
“Who be that…and why you no tell us since na…”
“Relax guy…” I held him to further buttress my point and for him to calm down without making an unnecessary noise which might make all the other guys come outside.
“It’s my old man”.
“Oh…” he said. Now looking calm as if what I’ve said transferred a sense of calm in him.
“I have to go now, but I will definitely catch up with you guys tomorrow.”
“No problem bro…I got you”. He said. He wanted to turn to make his way to the bar, I grabbed his arms. “Young…do me a favor”.
“Anything bro…”
“Don’t tell anybody you saw me tonight…just not up for it tonight”. He looked me in the eye and nodded. “Go take care of your business man. But that babe dey feel you die. Na me go carry am be that.” I just smiled and gave him a thumbs up to go right ahead.
“Guy, do your thing bro”. Young Allen said, taking a sip and making towards the bar’s entrance.
As far as it was Young Allen, I knew he wasn’t going to tell anyone he saw me tonight. He valued trust more than anything else and his loyalty sometimes makes me wonder if anyone could be that loyal in the world because I don’t even trust myself but Young Allen will trust anybody, so far you’ve proved to him a snap of why he should.
I made my way home still feeling chills all over wondering how to deal with my dad.


My name is Oluwatobi Johnson Jr. Aremu, the first son of Capt. Johnson Aremu. Most of my friends will swear my life is golden – a pilot father, a midwife mother, living in one of the best buildings in my neighborhood, attended one of the best schools in town. I did get almost all I wanted – you know the basics. Clothes, shoes, money…free access to any of my parents’ cars especially since they were seldom around. Dad’s always somewhere half away around the world; mum almost daily, was on hospital call. I might as well say I was raised by nannies and house helps. From the day I could remember been able to recollect events in life as a kid, this has always been the norm except during mid-year when dad and mum get to take a short leave and we’d leave Nigeria for summer vacation to spend two weeks of four golden family time. Rome, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Melbourne – been there as a kid alongside my little brother Daniel and my parents. That was the only life I knew, until I grew up to discover I was already living up some people’s dreams since childhood – my head popped. Just like your guesses, I moved with the wrong crowd, started keeping late nights and getting into trouble with the law as well as causing trouble in school. I was already done with secondary school and the events and troubles I had gotten into had caused a heated sour relationship with my dad and I. I knew he was going to be home for the weekend, having overhead mum on the phone some days back. So, there I was hurrying to get home to avoid another episode of arguments with my dad if I kept another late night. It usually goes like this:
“…for some reasons, you have refused to grow up! You still think you’re a kid, all you care about is to get drunk, mess around with girls, get into trouble. Look young man, the next time I get a call that you’re in police custody for whatever reason, better count me out getting you out there…look at your cousin Kenneth, he is doing well in the UK. A medical doctor in the making… and his mom… is always talking good of him. I get to spend forty-three hours flying home just to face this…another head-ache…Nonsense!”
“Dad… you shouldn’t be comparing me with Kenneth… He’s in the UK and I am here.”
“So, you been here means trouble … eh? Is that what you’re telling me young man…?” He comes closer to me as if he wants to throw a punch or something at me, whilst I adjust back. He takes a deep repressed breath, and snaps his finger at me and walks away.
“I don’t like this dad, seriously you’re overreacting”. I said subtly, knowing very much that my voice wasn’t audible enough.
My mum usually comes out afterwards after overhearing us arguing and start advising me with her sonorous innocent voice, almost crying.
“Kilonshele Olu, Kilode. What is it? Why have you decided to get my blood pressure running high all the time eh? You don’t have to be like this with your father. He loves you so much but he’s also not happy seeing you like this. I’m not happy. Wo! Look here…you literally break my heart all the time with this new behavior of yours.”
Mum was easy. Too easy, she had no heart, I mean literally, she can break down in tears even in the slightest of things. But my problem was my dad. With him snapping his fingers at me and walking away, that usually means, I wasn’t allowed to use the cars for another three days he will be around, and I tried to avoid him until he left and I was a free man again. That’s a usual episode.
For some reasons, I didn’t want that tonight, not that I was bracing myself for a change – nah, I just wanted to avoid not been able to feel free for once when my dad was in town. Just like I had proposed in my mind, he was in the house already, am guessing he just arrived seeing him seated in his favorite chair in the living room, watching a news channel, still wearing his captain suit.
“Welcome dad” I said, making way to head to my room.
“Yeah”, he said. Looking at me briskly and concentrating back on his news.
I wasn’t surprised at the response even though it was totally awkward for a father-son first conversation in weeks.
“Kenneth’s mum said your admission letter will arrive sometime next week. So, you should go check the mail box at the post office from Thursday. You should really thank God, they considered you despite your ‘not so good results’”. He said without looking at me.
“Yes sir” I replied and headed for my room, thanking heavens for no episode of argument, just monosyllabic words about school. The very ‘medicine and Kenneth’ talk that always made me look like a waste. It’s his dream to see me be a medical doctor. He’s always been fascinated with medical people, no wonder he married a nurse. Am sure it must’ve been a love at first sight thing for him when he saw my mum and now he wants the same for his son. I’ve come to like medical doctors having followed my mum several times to the hospital, else I would have revolted to be something else, just to be on the opposing side – I am that stubborn.