Khriztarl:
You two appologize already na. I hope it's Tomi who sent the message.
happy new month landers.

Hopefully

Happy new month

Ann2012:
Well done OP

thanks

enjoy

enirock:
I guess Sandra's friend.

failed

Khriztarl:
[sup][/sup] Syluck today's saturday ni.

sorry for the delay


enjoy

I decided to message Amaka about my visitor. She said okay. I later paid for Ebuka's phone and Gotv subscriptions as I promised. I was about going to the shower to freshen up and wait for Sandra when the homeland phone rang.

"Hello," I said.

"Ebere" The voice said.

"Amanda baby, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine and how's everyone?" Amanda asked.

"Everyone is fine. Papa and Nne travelled to the village, how's school?"

"School is fine. They travelled? So, you're the only one in the house?"

"No. Amaka is back".

I heard her scream happily and asked "Sis is back?" I smiled.

Amaka and Amanda bonded so good, one will think that they were twins.

"Yes"

"Where is she? Can I talk to her?"

I called Amaka and she came to the parlour, collected the phone and they spoke as I left them to freshen up.

"Nne, good afternoon" I greeted Nne over the phone.

"Nnam, good afternoon. Kedu?" She asked.

"Odimma. How is daddy and everyone over there?". I asked

"Everyone is Okay. Your father is Okay. He went out for a meeting with the Umunnas". She said.

"Alright, Ma".

"Hope you and Amaka went to church?" She asked.

"No, Ma. We were just too lazy to go"

I heard her sigh. "Where did Amaka keep her phone? I've been calling her"

"I don't know. Maybe she's sleeping in her room".

"Alright. When she wakes up, tell her to go to Mma Etubom's place to get the money she promised to give me today". She said.

"Alright Ma. Amanda called today" I announced.

"Yes, she called me too. Their midterm break is this weekend. We'll be back before then. Regards to Amaka and you two should stay safe." She said and hung up.

The power was restored immediately and I dropped the phone. I went over to Amaka's room and knocked on the door. She opened it after a while. The look on her face showed that she had been sleeping. I relayed the information I was asked to pass to her. I went back to my room and was about playing soccer when my phone beeped. I went for it and saw a WhatsApp text from someone I least expected. I smiled.

CHAPTER 9




"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Amaka sang for Ebuka as I sat on the sofa watching her.

It was Ebuka's birthday. It was 14 February.

"Thank you, Ami" I heard Ebuka say. Amaka had the phone on speaker.

"You're welcome. Have a nice day and eat very well. I will call the cake girl to deliver the cake to you," She said.

Amaka had worked out the cake gift with a cake baker through Facebook. The girl stayed in Owerri.

"I appreciate big sis. Is Ebere around?" He asked.

"Yes. He's even listening to you" She said, looking at me.

"Ebi." He shouted.

I smiled. "Happy birthday, my one and only brother," I replied.

I had earlier wished him birthday blessings on Facebook and WhatsApp as early as 1:20am both as a direct message or as status. Amaka did the same too.

"Thanks bro. You have tried. Don't forget my subscription."

"I won't," I said and left the parlour.

It had been three days since Tomi and I last spoke. Tomi and I didn't speak to each for the past three days, this stuff rarely happened. The last time it happened was about five years ago. It was about a particular subject, Commerce. It all started as an argument before it got heated up and turned into a fight. We fought in class, and I almost dislocated my ankle. Since that day I swore never to fight again and we didn't speak to each for two weeks. Daniel asked me what went on between Tomi and I on Friday after a lecture.

"Nothing," I said.

"Lies! You can't lie to me. I went to Tomi and he said what you just said. But I haven't seen the both of you talk to each other since today and it's 1pm already." He said.

"Bro, it's nothing, I swear" I said bluntly. The lecturer had just left, and we were seated doing nothing. Daniel left me to stand in front of the class.

"Class, please I need your attention" He began.

The rowdy class now became quiet.

"I want to use this opportunity to say I've never seen a day where two best friends will not talk to each other. This is the first time I'm seeing that. And
I'm wondering what went wrong. Who has any idea?"

The class went back to their noise.

"I'm asking you guys a question, and you all are snubbing me" Daniel screamed.

I looked at where Tomi's was seated, he was busy with his phone smiling. Elizabeth was close to him smiling also and laughing. I turned my face away.
I looked outside the window and saw Sandra talking to a guy and was laughing. The boy was in year 1. He was holding her hand and rubbing it. I felt jealous and bitter. I left the class instantly and went to the scene.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing to my girl?" I thundered, shoving the boy backwards.

"Bros wetin de happen na, why you push me?" he retorted.

"Your head no correct. You de craze" I dished out. I was taller than the boy so I had an advantage.

"Ebere, what's wrong with you?" Sandra asked.

"Nothing. I'm just telling this fool to stay away from my girl".

"Excuse you?" Sandra asked me.

"Na you and your generation be fool," the boy roared and walked away.

"What's the meaning of what you just did?" She asked me.

"Didn't you see?"

"See what?"

"The way he was touching you and laughing," I said. She looked at me with that look I couldn't figure out then suddenly she burst into laughter.

"What's funny?"

"I didn't know you're this jealous" she said and added "Theo is Tonia's boyfriend and he was removing dirt on my arm".

I never told her the cause of my uptightness. Not until Daniel told her about the sudden change of behaviour between Tomi and I. The supposed Tomi's celebration party was cancelled.

I sat on my loveseat after wishing Ebuka happy birthday. There was power supply that morning so I was watching a football highlight between Man city and Chelsea. I had already watched the live match when it played. Man city won Chelsea 6 goals to none. When I told Amaka about it, she said she no longer supported Chelsea and I laughed. My parents were away for the traditional marriage at the village. Amaka and I were just too lazy to go to church. She was in the kitchen preparing a meal when I dozed off seated right on top of my loveseat. The sound from my phone made me open my eyes, I glanced at the phone and picked it up.

"Hello, babe" Sandra said.

"Hello, dear," I replied.

"Happy valentine's day once again baby," She said.

I had earlier called her in the morning to wish her valentine.

"Same here, sweetheart". I replied.

"Why's your voice like this, were you sleeping?" She asked.

"Yes babe."

I looked at the wall clock, it was 11:03. I slept for 45 minutes already.

"Wait, you didn't go to church?".

"Yes babe, I was just too lazy"

"Ohhh, Alright. I just came back from church. So, I will be coming over to your place by 2pm" she said.

"Alright honey, I will be expecting you".

"Are you still not talking to Tomi?" She asked, changing the topic.

I didn't say anything.

"Baby come on, you guys are too big for this and I thought they used to say that men don't keep malice between themselves, only women. Why are you two behaving like weaklings?” She complained.

"Okay baby, I will talk to him," I said.

I had made up my mind to chat to Tomi that night. Just to apologize, nothing else.

"Please do. And I'll also talk to him." We ended the call.

I went to the kitchen and found the rice and stew Amaka made. I wasn't really hungry so I left the kitchen to the parlour. The power had been interrupted, I found Amaka in the parlour making a call and wishing valentine's day with a fly smile. I guessed the person to be Elvis. I sat and watched her make her call, she left me when she saw me looking at her like I was insane. I heard a beep on my phone, I opened it to see Daniel's message.

"Tomi is ready to accept your apology. Talk to him. You guys are not kids anymore".

I simply replied with "Okay" but he sent a raised eyebrow emoji.

Just then the door opened and I turned to see the female who was putting on Tomi's jersey in her own Black gown.

"Hi, Lizzy," I said, smiling.

She didn't respond and went straight to sit on bed. A quick look at the dustbin by the door, I saw three used contraceptives, I smiled again. I went to sit on the plastic chair close to the window. Neither of them said anything as Tomi went to the kitchen to get some plates.

"So how was your day?" I asked Lizzy, my face still had that smile.

"I'm fine" she murmured, unable to look at my face. I wondered why. And again, I asked her how her day was not how she was. Tomi came in with the chicken laps and roasted plantain sliced in a plate. He placed them on the floor and went to his small fridge to fetch Hollandia yoghurt.

"I'm famished. Should I join?" I asked no one in particular. Tomi scrutinized me with a look that sent me laughing within.

"E be like say, you de craze" He finally said.

I laughed and joined them in desecrating the chicken and plantain. Elizabeth left after eating with us. Since the day I messed up with that question that made her walk out on me, we hardly spoke to each other. The only time I spoke to her was when I sat beside her, I asked her to adjust and later asked her for her notebook to copy what I didn't get properly. She lived in Abuja, and owned a lodge still at Tomi's street.

"So how many times has she been here?" I asked.

"Just once." He said.

"She came in yesternight right?"

"Yes. And stop asking me these questions bro."

"It's funny how you wanted me to ask Lizzy out and in just three weeks she is on your bed" I said.

"You have a girlfriend now, don't you?’ He asked.

"Are you seriously asking me that, Tomiwa?" I blurted out.

When last did I call him by that? I guess because I was annoyed. Not because he cheated on Ezinne or he slept with Lizzy but because of what Nne said. About how she thinks Tomi has been influencing my life. Tomi was just unlucky to receive the bad side of me.

"No, tell me, are seriously asking me that?"

He looked at me from his bed and said "Abeg".

"What about you Tomiwa, don’t you have a girlfriend? What's Ezinne to you? Or you feel she can't get hurt or feel the pain of you cheating on her?"

"How's that your business? " He retorted.

"You haven't answered my question, Guy" I said.

"I don't have time for this, please"

"I guess it's high time I stopped this bro code with you and start telling Ezinne of your constant frivolities."

"You wouldn't dare," He said.

"Care to bet?" I asked.

He scoffed and said "Well, you can go ahead and tell her. She will still come back to me, you know why? Because of money! You Igbos don't joke with that; she will come back begging me to have the taste of my money. Igbo people and money are just so comprehensive"

I was really pissed off with his remark. I forced a smile and said

"Like father, Like son".

I knew I shouldn't have said that but he left me with no choice. Tomi hated it to his bone marrow when someone compared him to his father using his father's infidelity as the hit point. His father wasn't just flirting and sleeping with ladies, his father owned a brothel that had many types of sexuality in it and he frequented it. His eyes suddenly turned red and swollen with a fiercely rage. He sat up and stared at me. His hands folded into a fist. I was expecting a punch or a push or anything that will make me feel hurt. I stood there with no idea of defending myself from whatever Tomi wanted to do. I saw his hands tremble; he was controlling the rage.

The last time I saw Tomi like this was in our SS3 first term. It was still about a girl. Asuquo messed up with his then girlfriend, Hosanna. Tomi warned him to stop messing with her, but Asuquo confronted him and said he wouldn't listen to someone whose father's sleep around town shamelessly. This got Tomi infuriated and he descended on the poor boy mercilessly. Tomi was suspended for a month just because of Papa's intervention. He would have been expelled. Tomi may have had a slim body statue, but he fought aggressively and I hated fighting.

"Ebere, get out!" He said with a fiercely look.

I scoffed, quietly took my cross bag and left.