Sup people?

How una dey? Chai! I've forgotten where I stopped. Where was I again? Oh yes! Please remind me if i skip.

Lots of love to you

See me see wahala o! I have been trying to update this story but the system keeps banning me!

Infinite Love 20

The Choking Game

Michael, Dayo and Onos were lounging on the green grass in front of the school's Catholic chapel. Somehow, being close to the house of God made it easier for them to talk and joke about life.

It was Angela's turn to go get the snacks. Ever since she joined their nerdy bandwagon, they had developed a system where one person gets the snacks while the rest awaits the arrival on the chapel grass. A few girls walked by from across the bushes and the fellas watched them pass on by.

"'you know what guys? I think most people lose their virginity in secondary school." Onos asking.

"Yes O!"

"Definitely!" both Michael and Dayo said in agreement.

"Like about 99% right?"

"Yes, o!"

"Absolutely." They nodded again in agreement.

"I think girls are great!" Onos said.

"I know you do. But still, you're part of the remaining 1% that will definitely leave secondary school a virgin!" Dayo said.

"Ah!...Wha... What?!" Onos gasped.

"Yes, o! Totally!" Michael nodded in agreement.

"Aha... what do you mean by that? That's not true! I'm not a virgin. I know everything about girls."

"Reading dirty magazines like BetterLover and watching those blue films that your cousin sends you doesn't unvirginize you, Onos." Dayo said wisely.

"That's true." Micheal said.

"Shut up! That's a lie! It's not true. I am not a virgin! I have had sex." He denied loudly.

"Shhh," Dayo shushed him and pointed to the chapel "God is listening."

He looked around and whispered "I have had sex before, now. I swear to God."

"You are taking the Lord's name in vain." Dayo smacked him across the head automatically but this time Onos was too embarrassed to revenge and he looked pale.

"I'm telling you I don f**k before." he whispered again.

"F**k what? Your magazines?" Dayo asked

"No now."Michael said.

"Thank you, Michael." he said gratefully.

"It was one of the women in his cousin blue films that he did it with at night in his dreams." Michael said and he and Dayo laughed quietly not to offend the Lord.

"You are a rascal, Michael." Onos said grabbing a handful of grass and throwing in their general direction.

"Sorry, sorry... it was you and Dayo that spoilt me."

"Na you spoil yourself." Dayo interjected.

"Both of you don spoil like rotten tomatoes." Onos sneered and became quiet gazing into the distance before he looked back at them and asked.

"How would you know if I'm a virgin anyway?"

"Well, you don't talk to girls."

"As in, not at all."

"Aha, no now. I talk to girls all the time."

"Name one!"

"Ah... Ang..."

"Don't say Angela because she doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"Angela is our friend. She's like one of us. Like a guy or like a sister to you." Dayo corrected. Onos thought again and said.

"Vera."

"Did you just mention your sister's name?" Michael asked arching his eyebrows unsurprised and unimpressed. "Face it, dude, you never talk to girls. If a girl walks up to us right now and asks you a question, you will not answer."

"Yeah, you will turn deaf and dumb," Dayo added. "even in class, you say as little as possible to any girl as if you're afraid of them. So you're probably going to die a virgin." Dayo said harshly and Onos quieted down depressingly. He did want to talk to girls but It was just that Dayo made so much fun of his mild stutter all the time that his confidence was totally shot. He couldn't bear it if a girl made fun of his stutter. And so he just refrained from talking to them all the same.

"Don't mind him, Onos. You're not going to die a virgin, he's just joking."

"No, I'm not."

"Shut up, jor. Just because you've done it one time with your cousin doesn't really count."

"Why not?"

"Because she was your COUSIN!!!" both boys shouted and Dayo shrugged.

"A girl is a girl. I'm still better than you two."

"Michael what about you and Angela?" Onos asked.

"What about us?" she shrugged.

"Well, out of the three of us, only you have a chance to have a girlfriend in secondary school at least."

"Well... we're just friends."

"Yeah, but Michael, you like her." Dayo chipped in.

"Well, I don't like her... like that."

"Why, not? Are you blind?" Onos asked. "She's very pretty."

"But, guys, okay. I like her, like a lot." he confessed and the two other nerds laughed at him.

"Why are you laughing now?" he frowned.

"Ooh, baby, I'm hot just like an oven. I need your loving." Dayo sang in his worst Marvin Gaye impression.

"I want sexual feeling." Onos chipped and Dayo smacked him on the head again. "Sexual healing, HEALING!" Onos revenged this time around with a smack of his own using his dirty hands.

"You stained me!" Dayo shrieked and they grabbed each other and began another scuffle as Michael watched on. After, they had settled down Onos asked: "So, are you going to tell her you like her?"

"What? NO!"

"Why not?" asked Dayo.

"Well... what if she... doesn't like me back?"

"Michael, she likes you." Onos said. And he made the tribal gesture of an oath by sticking his right index finger in the earth and putting it in his mouth and then pointing it to the sky. "I swear."

"Arrgh. Bush boy!" Dayo said grossed out. "But seriously, Michael I think she likes you too."

"Dayo, have you noticed the way she talks to him? I have been watching her. Whenever she is talking to me or you, she talks normally. But when she is talking to Michael or about Michael she starts to behave somehow like... like Frank Spencer or... Mr Bean. That means she likes you a lot, Michael." He said looking at Michael. "I know a lot about girls I have studied them."

"Really?" Michael asked hopefully.

He had developed feelings for Angela for a long time and imagined telling her this. But as things were tense between her and her mom. He dismissed that idea believing it wasn't the right time. But ever since her aunt arrived she has been much better. She told him things were almost back to normal between her and her mom. And she started attending school early and regularly now. She looked better too. Her uniforms were back to looking neat and pressed. And she looked amazing too! She has been keeping her hair in plaits as opposed to the combed bunched that she had been leaving them in. He often thought of tracing his fingers on her many curls and spirals many times but never did.

"So, while other normal boys are talking to girls. You are only studying them and keeping mute. You must be a psycho, that's what you are." Dayo snapped, waking Michael up from his thoughts. Onos waved him off like one would do a pesky mosquito.

"Michael, I'm serious. Listen, watch how she reacts when we talk about you when she comes."

"O-kay." Michael said not sure what to expect.

Shortly after, Angela arrived with their snacks. They liked having her around but having her around also meant that they couldn't be as offensive and crude with each other as they normally would, but they had gotten used to it. It was nice having a pretty girl in their midst, even if she was just a friend.

"Hey, guys. Here are your snacks" she said handing everyone their own. "So, what are you guys talking about?" she asked. Hanging out with them had been a revelation in the crazy stupid things that teenage boys think about. Their minds always surprise her in the things that they count important.

"I was just asking Onos why his criminal cousin only sends mojo, blue film movies, dirty magazines and cheap clothes to him instead of real money," Dayo lied without batting an eye.

"Oh, really?" she asked Onos.

"Yeah... he does."

"So, why?"

"Because he knows what I like." Onos said in his quiet puppy-dog face that he always used when talking to Angela.

Afterwards, while they were all chatting along, Onos suddenly said to her.

"Hey, Angela I like your hair. It's very nice." She was taken aback by the compliment and paused on eating her sausage roll but still managed to replied casually. "Thank you, Onos."

"But, especially Michael. Michael says he likes your new hair plaits very much." Dayo said and the two watched her reaction closely.

"I did?" Michael asked confused, he remembered thinking that but he couldn't recall telling his friends that. Didn't he just tell them he liked her? How much had he told them exactly? But Angela had seemed frozen up and was staring at him, so he quickly said "I mean... I do." Not wanting to hurt her feelings. But while she had casually accepted the same compliment when it came from Onos, this time she was flushed and short of words and tried to say to "Thank you." as casually as she could but only ended up choking on her sausage.

"Oh, sorry, sorry take it easy, drink water and swallow." Dayo said handing her his water bottle while Onos winked discreetly at Michael who couldn't help smiling.

"Sorry, Angela." Michael said.

"Maybe, the sausage rolls seller put alligator pepper in them again. Here, drink, drink more water." And Onos, practically raised the end of her bottle forcing her to gulp more water than she needed. Eventually, she drank enough and put down the bottle.

"Thank you, Onos."

"You're welcome." he beamed and she looked slightly shy at Michael before saying "Thank you, Michael."

"Okay, yes sure." he said.

And she remembered that her Aunt Jane had been fussing about all over her with what she called her sharp makeup ever since she got back to Lagos. Sharp Makeup was developed by university babes as a cheaper way to get beautiful results. It basically involved using a small amount of real or substandard makeup kits with cheap and questionable techniques. Last night, Jane lit a candle and grazed Angela's fingernails on the flame to achieve a quick and sharp natural brown nail polish look on her nails. Afterwards, she rubbed hot candle wax on her cheeks promising to bring out a sharp pinkish glow on them. But it only swelled her cheeks a bit and also gave her red eyes. Usually, Angela loved spending time with her aunt but these beauty tips were beginning to feel like torture sessions to her, so she had refused any more and was starting to avoid her aunt. But now with Michael noticing her maybe, they weren't so bad after all. Maybe, she would even allow her to shave her legs with that scary glob that looked suspiciously like hard leather shoe gum softened with shea butter.

"Here Angela, have my meat pie and stop eating that sausage roll." and with that Onos ripped it from her hands, gave her his meat-pie and nearly choked her with it. It was while chewing Onos' favourite hard snack that tasted like chalk mixed with too much sugar and too little butter that Dayo said.

"Eh hen, and Michael was just telling us this morning that you look very pretty." Michael became wide-eyed and stared at his friend until Angela stopped chewing the thick morsel still lodged between her throat and glanced up to him that he felt he had to nod in agreement.

"No, not pretty. He said; beautiful. Yes, like Toni Braxton." Onos corrected.

"No, he said; Whitney Houston." Dayo counter corrected.

"Yes, and like also that white woman from that Moonlighting television show."

Angela began fidgeting. "Did Michael really say all this?" she thought. A part of her felt that these guys were making a joke as they usually did "But what if Michael really did say all that?" she thought again. Maybe all those painful amateur beauty sessions from her aunt were paying off. And she touched her still lightly swollen cheekbones which still felt tender from the hot candle wax burns.

"Angela, Mike just complimented you, what do you say?"

"Tthhhan..." and she began coughing again. She had forgotten that she still had a glob of food stuck in her throat when she tried to speak it nearly went down the wrong tube choking her.

"Sorry, sorry. Ah, that bush boy's meat-pie must be too tough for you." And with that Dayo grabbed his snack from her hand and shoved his water bottle into it "Drink, drink some water, sorry."

Michael was shaking his head at their foolishness and he wanted to stop it. To keep them from making fun of her like this but a part of him also wanted to know for sure, if she really did like him. It was while drinking the bottled water and trying to keep it down that Dayo blurted out. "Michael said these days your face is just shining!"

MSPUFFSH! She had spluttered the water that she was drinking out all over her cardigan and some at the guys were laughing a bit now. And began another round of cough fits upon hearing that. Onos now barely concealing his fun at her said:

"Michael said that your earings are pretty."

"Yeah, and he said your shoes are the bomb!" Dayo input and now Michael couldn't conceal his laughter. He didn't expect she would act so weird to all these fake compliments that they guys were making up. Which were technically true because he did admire everything about her but still it was so silly and a little adorable the way she was acting. The more they made up compliments the more she seemed to cough and basically all her cardigan were now spluttered orange by her soft drink. So, she removed it.

"Michael says your socks look amazing!" Onos said again.

"Yes, and he likes your blouse!" Dayo added.

Michael is crazy about your earrings!" Onos said with so much gusto but Angela didn't even wear earrings. The two of them were now acting positively acting mental. They were on their knees panting and shouting fake compliments in her face while the poor girl was starting to become asthmatic with all the coughing. But they didn't notice all that. They just kept screaming compliments.

"Michael loves your school cardigan!" Dayo screamed.

"He loves your school badge!" Onos shouted next. They were now so agitated that they were absolutely crazy and shouting nonsense.

"Why would I love her school badge?" he thought. But still, whenever they shouted Michael loves this or that she coughed and the two rascals still kept at it determinedly. As if they were determined to see who would be the one to choke her with his best fake compliment. He wanted to stop it but then again it was so funny to watch but when Onos screamed.

"Michael loves your lips!" He froze, turned pale and slapped him across the shoulder ending the game.

"Keep quiet. That's enough. I'm sorry, Angela. These guys sometimes go too far with their madness.

She was very red in the face and the two boys were looking slightly embarrassed now.

"Sorry."

"Sorry, Angela. We were just playing with you, sorry."

"Okay, so you two were just messing with me, abi? Wait, let me go and clean my cardigan and I will come and get you two for this." She joke and with that, she got up. "Michael must think that I am so silly reacting like that." she thought and wondered why the thought of Michael liking anything about her would turn her innards upside down like that. They didn't see her again until after break period back in class. She was surprised and embarrassed at her own reaction.

"See? She likes you, very much." Onos gushed shaking Michael.

"Yeah, man. Did you see how she reacted? She absolutely likes you." Dayo was saying.

"Yeah." Dayo gushed again.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Dayo asked.

"About it, as to... how?" Both Dayo and Onos smacked him across the head this time.

"What do you mean? You have to ask her to be your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" he asked confused.

"Yeah, you like her, she likes you. So, you two should be boyfriend and girlfriend, now" Onos said irritated. He didn't think that he would have to explain such a simple basic principle that happened every day at school to the smartest boy in their class. Michael thought about it quietly for a moment.

"So, how do I do that exactly?" Michael asked his friends who both slumped back, with one open-mouthed and shaking his head while the other buried his face in his hands in disgust.

nice story bro... but you do update late

Sorry I was trying to be punctual o! But the system was banning me for a while.

Infinite Love 21

The Question

“Where is Michael I want to give him this book with lyrics of the latest songs right now. Maybe he will be able to use some of them to ask Angela to be his during the flirt term.”
Dayo grabbed the thin booklet from Onos. Both of them were nearly alone in class during the break period. Michael had gone off to perform prefect duties and Angela had said something about seeing a teacher.

“Oh, yeah, great maybe he can woo her using the Thong Song lyrics by Sisqo. Or better he can use Get Your Freak On by Missy Elliot or I like them Girls by Tyrese.”
Onos grabbed it back from him.
“Don’t be daft. He is supposed to Hero by Enrique Iglesias, or maybe Fallin by Alicia Keyes or even Angel by Shaggi.”
“As if Michael can sing."

"He doesn't have to sing! He just has to use the lyrics to woo her."

"That's actually a very good plan."

"I know."

"It's better that your previous crazy plans."

"What do you mean? My plans are very good, well most of them, anyway."

"You told him to take her to Sir Kay's!"

"So what! It's a popular restaurant."

"It's a bar or even a small shack! For loose girls! There are stories about that place. I've seen Sir Kay allow students to use his room to get freaky freaky."

Onos' mouth was agape "I did not know that. I just thought it was popular since many students go... wait, how did you see the students? Did you go there?"

Dayo buried his head in the booklet. "No..." he said unconvincingly "We are talking about Michael and Angela. We have to get them together before flirt week starts. Just no more ideas about Michael getting on the podium during assembly and declaring his love for her."

"I think it's very romantic."

"And suicidal. As in Pa Salami would kill him."

"That's why its romantic and I don't hear you coming up with any good ideas."

"What do you mean? It was my idea for him to ask her in the first place!"

"No, that was mine."

"Well, I always remind him to tell whenever I see him."

"That's all?"

"...I also knock him on the head to get him started."

"...that's it!" Onos looked at Dayo curiously.

"What?" Dayo asked.

"Flirt week is coming. A week were no girl or even guy is safe and all you do to help your friend is to knock him on the head!?"

"It worked in Ally McBeal." he shrugged.

Mrs Osu tapped her husband awake.

"Darling, darling wake up."

"hmm...what is it? I'm sleeping."

"She turned him over he has been acting strangely I think something is bothering him." she said sitting on the bed. Knowing his wife wasn't about to leave him alone he obliged her.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, he... he is cleaning everything."

"Everything? What do you mean?"

"Well, when he got back from school yesterday after his assignment and studies he proceeded to help his brother with his school work and home studies and then he took over from me in the kitchen."

"Well that's not a big deal." Said Mr Osu going back to sleep.

"Yes, except when the food was done he laid the table dished it and set yours aside. Then he went on to clean the entire kitchen!"

"What!"

"Yes. Everything's spotless, the pots, the dishes and the pans even the floor!"

"Wow! And he did all that on a school night? Impressive."

"More like scary! And this morning I found that he had already bathed and bathe his brother, their room is completely tidy and he has also started cooking breakfast too!"

"Wow. Go Michael." said his dad impressed.

"I'm worried. I think something is bothering him and you know how he is, he wouldn't tell us what it is unless we press it out of him. So you should definitely talk to him."

"Okay, I will. I just want him to get to car first. I have been thinking of washing it for weeks now. Tell Michael to go easy on the tires for me please."

"No, I will not!" she said removing the pillow from underneath her husband  and hitting him on the head with it.

"Yea!" he said laughing.

"You better talk to him before he works himself to death. If not now make sure you do when you drive him to school."

Angela was holding the note that a someone had slipped under her book during Agric Sci class. She barely noticed the movement until the note slid smoothly under her Agricultural Science for Senior Secondary School three textbook. The act much more than the note itself surprised her as her mind was on something else but rather than the class it was on Michael. Michael had been acting so strangely lately. More reclusive but at the same time very intense.

"I like the way you walk and carry your books. I like you. Sancez."

She had briefly opened the note and then hid it because she didn't want it to generate any kind of buzz. Now outside during break and reading it calmly she couldn't help but be flattered. It was a brief note but "carry your books" part got to her the most. It made her smile. She had been carrying her books across her chest lately since she didn't have a bag to hold them. Carrying them across her chest was the easiest option for her as the books didn't feel quite as heavy in that position. And now someone had noticed it. She was flattered but she wasn't interested. When she casually asked one of the girls in her class for the name Sancez she was told it belonged to Chinedu a boy in art class. The guys usually used nicknames when passing notes in class in case it got intercepted by a teacher or the receiving didn't fancy the boy and wanted to ridicule him. All things  considered the note was sweet one ad chinedu was a nice guy but now she was into fine boys. Se had become a little vain. After seeing the picture of her aunts supercute boyfriend she was suddebly into cute guys. She wanted a cute guy of her own. But most of all she wasn't interested because it wasn't from Michael. She never expected a note from him because he and his friends didn't seem into things like that but even after she received that third note heart beat had increased in anticipation. She couldn't help hoping.

But Michael had as of late been acting very weird including his friends. Anytime she saw him he would smile that cute side smile of his but after spending a few minutes within him his mood would suddenly change to one of reclusivity as if something or maybe she was bothering him. She had asked him about it and every time he would just say fine. Even his friends were not as chatty as before and they didn't seem to be hanging out together as much. Michael was usually on one duty or the other while they would wait for him in one of their usual spots but whenever she'd join they would clam up as if her presence was no longer needed. She hated to think that the guys didn't like her anymore or that Michael didn't like her anymore. She would have to press him about it and apologize for whatever it was that she had done wrong. Whatever it took to him talking to her again like they used to. She glanced at the note again and sighed. How she wished that he was the one that wrote the note.

Michael was trying not to be nervous. He had dusted the living room furniture about three times already but he was still nervous. His dad wasn't home, thank God. It was just him, his mom and Johnny. He had been a wreck for the past few days. Nervous and indecisive. Flirt week coming up didn't help and his friends made things worse. He spent the last few nights tossing and turning in his bed over it. He had spent his days at cleaning and scrubbing every thing as he did when he had something on his mind. Somehow when his hands were occupied his mind worked better. But now he had finally made his decision; he was going to ask Angela to be his girlfriend.

Ever since Dayo and Onos proved to him that Angela liked him as a little more than a friend and told him to ask her to be his girlfriend, his mind had been spiralling. He hadn't thought of that at all. He gave little thought to things like that and now they kept asking him to do it. Now all he heard from Onos was;

"You haven't asked her yet? When are you going to ask her? Flirt week is around the corner, do you want someone else to take your girlfriend?"

He would give him a break. He practically kept at it with him when Michael didn't even know if he wanted a girlfriend or if Angela was the right girl to ask that. Couples were always together and not together in school that he had often wondered why anybody bother having lovers in the first place.

Dayo was worse whenever Angela was around. He would simply smack Michael on the head with whatever was within reach at the time; a pen, a ruler, a book or a bag. The ruler smacks were particularly painful. He claimed it was fact that hitting someone love-shy on the head was the best way to jump start them into action. He got the fact from some TV show. But all he got was a bruised head.

The worst was how he himself kept reacting to Angela. He had lost the effortlessness that he had with her and found that being with her and talking to her had become strained because he no longer saw her as just Angela; his friend. Now, she was Angela: his possibly future girlfriend. And so everytime that he would see her, he would be glad but when it came to having a conversation he just couldn't find a suitable topic and his friends didn't help. They were constantly keeping quiet and signalling him to do it by nodding towards her or mouthing the words "ask her" when she was among them but to looking. Hangouts with the four of them had now become almost unbearable with their awkward looks and conversations. So he had picked up more duties than required during break periods in order to escape his friends and Angela and decide it on his own.

Now, he finally has decided to go through with it. He dreaded her saying "No" and he couldn't bear the thought of it changing their relationship for worse but the thought that someone else may ask her and she would say "yes" without her knowing his intentions was just unbearable. So without telling his friends his decision he simply invited her to his home and he would ask her quietly during their study together. It was a bold move but thank God his dad wasn't around. When he first convinced his dad to allow him bring home a friend to co-study his dad had asked if it was one of the well connected kids at school. He was disappointed when Michael told him who it was and he'd insisted Michael get serious connections before leaving secondary school. "It's all about who you know these days" he said again for the umpteenth time and nearly refused until Michael's mom stepped in and that was the end of that.

She arrived on time and she looked amazing. He had never before seen her in nothing else besides her school uniform but now that she wore a simple blouse with skirt and brought her books in a little bag as opposed to simply clutching it to her chest. He hair looked great too. She had two long fringes running down beside her eyes while the rest of her hair was sleeked back and realised in a bunch at the back like a flower.

"Hey, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, am I late?" she asked apprehensive when he initially stood there staring at her.

"No, no you're perfect! I mean you're okay." and he opened the door wider for her to enter. Mrs Nwolisa walked in from the kitchen.

"Good afternoon, ma."

"Good afternoon, dear. Oh, you must be here to study with Michael."

"Umm, yes ma."

"Welcome dear."

"Thank you very much ma."

"Would you like something to eat, dear?"

"Oh, I'm fine ma. Thank you."

"Alright, then, I'll leave you two to study. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

After she left. Michael became nervous again. He was fidgeting. It took all of his will power to keep from dusting the chairs again. He had planned a writing a simple "Will you be my girlfriend?" on a note and passing it on to her but with her being here right now that just seems so lame. He would just have to say it to her face and that was that. "Okay here goes." And as he turned around his little brother Johnny walked in and walked up to her with the biggest smile that Michael had seen on his face.

"Hello." he said.

"Hi."

"My name is Johnny."

"My name is Angela." And with the way John lingered on Michael got a bad feeling.

"You're pretty." he said still beaming.

"Oh. Thank you." she gushed and Michael flushed with embarrassment. 
"Yes, thank you, John. You can go now." 

"Are you my brother's girlfriend?" he asked sweetly and Michael closed to his eyes "No, he did not just say that." he wished.

"Erm... Well..."Angela gave Michael a quizzical look.

"Are you?" Johnny pressed looking at Michael with both surprise and admiration.  Michael snapped open his eyes.

"Come on, shut up! Stop talking nonsense. She's just my friend and what do you know of such things you're still in primary school?" he snapped at him and Johnny shrugged looking disappointed.

"I know because I have a girlfriend." he shrugged and went to turn on the TV uninterested. He had been impressed with his perfect saint of a brother but he was mistaken. Michael was just too boring. 

Michael was indignant and could only seeth as he watched his younger brother swagger up to the couch, munching snacks and watching television, something he wouldn't dare to do if their dad was home. He had become more and more outspoken and apparently no longer the sweet innocent little brother who used to bother him for sweets. Now he too was having girlfriends, unbelievable!

"I'm sorry." he told her.

"Oh, no its fine. I don't mind" she said but Michael was talking about the mood his outburst had distroyed. How could he ask her to be his girlfriend now that he had called such things nonsense?

Nice one bro, please update.

Thanks

Emmylo131:
Nice one bro, please update.

Flirt Week

The HCom boy was running for his life. His uniform was of a checkered green and yellow shirt and plain green pants. He was so fast that it looked like he was trailblazing through the field like a green bullet with only one-half of his school sandals on, but still, he ran like a mad man clutching for dear life. As indeed, he was. He was being chased by another boy, wearing a similar checkered blue and yellow shirt with plain blue pants of the notorious Brave Worth High School. The chaser was Dafe, a boy in Arts class who was holding a plank that was a broken-off leg part of a desk and he swung it wildly anytime he got close enough to his pursuit.

Though the two uniforms were similar with both having the yellow colour and the checkered design, the two boys belonged to different schools. The first boy was from Holy Communion High, the closest school in the Island community axis and the arch-rival of Brave Worth High. Their students have clashed frequently and intensely both individually and collectively students and the whole school together for generations. They were sworn enemies. Their enmity was so much that it was practically written in their student guide books.

"To love thy neighbour is the way of the Lord, but no fraternizing with HCom!"

And so the two schools clashed on the field, on the streets, from issues as little as cheating during a football match to as much as meeting in the same restaurant.

Now in flirtweek, the popular offence is HCom boys coming over to flirt with BraveWorth girls.  It was a real kick in HCom, a sign of bravery to flirt in enemy territory. Hence the current chase. It was a dangerous thrill but thankfully the HCom Romeo was almost at the back wall where some of his friends were waiting with a hand up. On getting near, he jumped and a friend grabbed him by the hand and another by the collar to hoist him up on the wall to the otherwise were it was safe. But not without Dafe smacking the flat plank straight onto the butt cheeks of the intruder as he scaled on to freedom. All things considered for the HCom boy, it was a very small price to pay as he will be getting major bragging rights for wooing a  Brave Worth girl.

The entire school erupted in laughter at the scene and cheered was Dafe on as he had defended his honour and that of the school by assaulting the rear end of their sworn enemy. That scene was one of the highlights of flirtweek. A week filled with crazy-stupid-armature romantic gestures by students in the Island Community. It is the week before Valentine's and every cool kid would be upping their A-game in order to make the grandiose gestures that would become legendary and have a date at Valentine's Day Bash.

So all week all around the school students were springing up different antics some foolish and comical but few things times there will subtle and genuine displays of affection. Sometimes it will be covert and simple as inserting a store-bought or romantic card in the girl's backpack which must be announced publicly by the receiving lady. Therefore, girls have now developed memory loss always forgetting their bags in class, in hopes that a Romeo may tag them with his love card. Nothing lamer than for a girl to be ignored for Valentine's Day bash. A secret card is just an option for the shy guys, others go big and roll out their friends as a makeshift boy band to perform a love song for the girl in question. Grand displays such as these won favour in girls the most but not always. A terrible singer's gesture can just as well be turned down if the girl so desired.

The school was buzzing with activity all week long. There was always a performance happening somewhere. You could hear shouts of enthusiasm when a Romeo nails a performance and screams of laughter when a Romeo fails. Some were boring though like the love letters or saying "what's up?" to woo a girl, the ones everybody looked forward to were the guys bursting into impromptu LL Cool J rap tracks,  and the guys performing Craig David songs, and the ones breakdancing to Justin Timberlake those were the nice ones. But the really hilarious performances that everybody looked forward to were the weird and funny ones of guys singing incoherent Indian Love Songs. Or when girls would switch it and woo a guy instead by singing a song. It really was a fun time to be a student on the Island. What the schools lack in terms of performance they more than makeup for in excitement, creativity and fun.

So that's how many classes were interrupted and sometimes no class would be able to hold when a performance got out of hand and caused an uproar like when that HCom boy tried to court another boy's girl. So many interruptions happened and Pa Salami was sick of them all but still, he tolerated it since it was an old schools tradition. But when a  serious controversy occurred when a boy student went to the staff room and delivered Boyz II Men's; I'll Make Love to You to woo a female teacher that was married, Pa Salami decided that flirt week antics had gone too far. He tried to cancel the entire charade. But he met disapproval on every front, from students who were having fun, from teachers who didn't mind having to miss classes and from fellow school principals who reminded him that flirt week was actually an old missionary tradition named friendship week where people display affection to their friends and even though the tradition had been misdirected, it was still a tradition and traditions should be honoured.

And so he had to abandon the idea. He however, put in a few rules though such as; nothing during classes, no interruptions of classes and most importantly no advances to any member of staff. But later on, after witnessing a few comedic performances and upon learning that attendance was always highest in flirtweek he decided that maybe it wasn't so bad. He wasn't even offended when he got an anonymous love letter, an obvious joke from one of the students. He goodheartedly laughed it off and even kept the letter as a memento.

Infinite Love 23

The Bash

Eventually, flirtweek lead to st Valentine's Day. Though, not a public holiday but the students found a genius way to celebrate it by organizing an afterschool Valentine's Day bash at the Grand Islanders Football field. It was a spectacle to behold. There were students from all over the island and from afar, there were at least three sound systems blasting different kinds of music based on their organizer's preference with makeshift stages and even a few teachers come around to watch the show.

Despite the ambience, four friends weren't particularly into the merriment. Dayo, Onos, Michael and Angela. The three boys were sore over their different issues. Onos was sore that he still hadn't gotten the nerve to woo any girl during flirtweek. He did try and wrote a few anonymous love notes but he chickened out at the last minute leaving their recipients confused and now he didn't have a date for the bash. Dayo was sore that Michael had hit when all he did was try to help him get the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Michael was sore about not asking Angela to be his girlfriend or asking her to be his date for the bash and he was also sore that his friends particularly Dayo only made it worse by nagging and hitting him on the head about it. He smacked with his own bag eventually which ended that.

Angela couldn't understand why the boys were so glum. Initially, they acted strangely around her especially Michael and then she thought that maybe she had done something wrong. And now, they all seemed to be in a bad place with each other. They were hardly talking to one another and neither one of them said why. She had hoped that their mood would have improved by the bash but still, they just looked on, mopping. She had secretly hoped that Michael would ask her to the bash, she had gotten a few notes and one boy had looked at her funny like he was about to say something but she ran off without giving him the chance. She only wanted to be linked to Michael and no one else. But he just seemed content to look on in gloom. They all did. Not even the different music blaring through the crowded field seemed to improve their mood. She sighed and she was hoping to have a good time at the bash, it was going to be her last one.


Unbeknownst to them was Chigozie watching them all. He had been sauntering around angry and in disbelief at his lack of a date at the bash. He used to be the number one big boy in the entire school, courting girls in all the cool places and doling out cash. Now, ever since his uncle whom he had been living with had refused to give him any more allowances after he caught him wearing his clothes and sneaking girls into his compound the girls in his own class won't even pay him attention. They all ignored him during flirtweek. Of course, it didn't help that he wasn't particularly good looking, he couldn't sing any songs except his village folk songs and he couldn't dance either, except if you count his frogger moves. So without his uncle's money to push his popularity he was just an old dummy who amongst younger students. 

He sauntered around lonely and pathetic when he saw them. The three stooges with the pretty girl. It was the dumbest sight ever. A pretty girl was with them and they were all just sitting down. It was outrageous! He had to put an end to their backwardness!

He went over and called out to her; "Hey! Hey, you! Angela! Come here!"

At first they all heard him in the distance, like a warthog grunting somewhere in the forest, best to be ignored. But he came closer.

"Angela! Come here!"

Then all four exchanged bewildered looks. Like a group of elders would do if a reculcitrant child had suddenly dared to disrespect them. The last thing any of them especially Angela expected was for Chigozie to call her to him. The guys were watching her.

"No, thank you." she plainly.

Yet he still came over closer, right in their faces.

"I said come here, now. Abi wetin you dey do with these ones?"

Michael was at his last nerve already; "Chigozie, not today abeg. Go away please."

"Aha Michael, are you okay? Am I the one you dey talk to? You are not even ashamed of yourself. A girl is among you, at a party and you are all just sitting down like a castrated nanny goat." he shouted.

"Just go away, Chigozie." Dayo said irritated.

"Is it this one is talking to me?" he said perplexed pointing at Dayo "Will you shut up! I would have broken you in two but you don't have any backbone. Earthworm!"
"Chigozie, can't you see that you are disturbing us? And the girl said no so what other interpretation do you need before evacuating your carcass out of here." Onos vented.

"Gagp!" Chigozie choked. He almost had a heart attack. He couldn't believe his ears. Once these dweebs wouldn't even dare to look him in the eye and now they were talking back to him. ANd the last one sounded like he just insulted him but he couldn't be sure. The English was too big and he wasn't going to ask about in order not to look stupid. But he wasn't going to stand for this. Even if he was no longer a popular guy in school, he was still the number one boss, with or without his uncle's money. The lion, Izi ndigbo ONE of Brave Worth High School. And now he would have to teach these boys the biggest lesson of their lives but first; the girl.

"Angela comot for dia!" Chigozie barked in pigdin English as he often did when he was angry or nervous or just didn't care to pretend to know good english.

She didn't move so he grabbed her by the hand and roughly pulled her up on her feet.

"What are you doing, Chigozie? Let go of me!"

"Let go of her now." Michael said pouncing onto his feet.

"Unhand her at once." Onos did the same and Dayo followed. But still Chigozie refused, adamantly he tried to take her away. But Michael whisked him right back saying;

"Leave her now."

Chigozie raised to his full height and smacked him right across his chin and nose which seemed to swell up and that simmered Michael right back down.

"Eh hen, Michael so you can dare touche me? You don get liver abi? Have you forgotten junior how I used to make you cry?"

And with that it brought it all back. The early days when Michael was a younger teenager in junior class. The bullies who picked on him because of his skinny and frail stature. Especially Chigozie who was a repeating senior then was making his life miserable. The taps across the nape, the punches, the punishments under the sun, the lunch monies ripped out of his backpack and all the beatdowns for now reason. Which only eased up when he discovered that Michael was better suited to writing his notes and doing the assignments. Michael must have been the first junior who helped his senior with classworks and assignments back then. He missed so many lunch breaks but he was definitely relieved to stop being picked upon.

"You remember abi?" he asked mocking "If you no wan make I break that biscuit nose of your, you better let go of my hand."

He let him go and Chigozie laughed sadistically at his victory. He was feeling strong again and not like the outcasted loser that he really was in school. He was pulling Angela towards the sound systems to the right goal post of the field. The one that played ghetto music. Angela was horrified. Did Michael just abandon her to this animal? She looked back at him and he averted his eyes. He was back to feeling like he used to in his younger days at school; skinny, weak, alone and a coward. Dayo and Onos came to his side.

"Mike, he's taking her away!" Onos said nudging him.

"He's taking Angela!" Dayo said facing him.

"Angela, your Angela!" Onos repeated with immense emphasis.

But the blood had drained from the young man he was and all he felt like was a scared boy facing off against a gorilla. Angela was having none of it. She squirmed and tried to wring her hands out of his grip but it was too hard and tight against her skin. She hated being held like that. It felt like entrapment. Like she was some kind of weak rabbit trapped in a cage about to be devoured by something sinister. It scared her and she tried again. She would get free no matter what. She squatted to make herself heavier and give her more leverage to wring free. He turned around.

"Wetin you dey do?"

"I want to go back. Let me go!"

"Go where, to dat one, wet no get liver? Abegi, come make we go dance Daddy Shoki, jare. I sabi dance now, I don learn some new dance you go see."

That's when she snapped. She couldn't imagine dancing with Chigozie. Thought was beyond repulsive. It was her final year and there was no way the last memory of it would be dancing with him. She gave him her strongest shove and tried to wriggle free with all her energy. She got free and began running back to Michael. In about two strides with his enormous adult sized calves Chigozie caught up to her and grabbed her whole. The feeling was horrible, being held against her will was absolutely repulsive. His body heat felt like leeches creeping against her skin and when he opened his mouth to breath it was like the gas wafting from a pit latrine. She vomit rose in her throat. She snapped.

"MICHAEL!" she screamed. He snapped out of it. One minute the boys were still telling to get over there and the next thing they know, he was almost over there. It took a minute for Dayo and Onos' eyes to catch him running towards her and then they sprung into action fast behind him. He got there and instinctively put himself between Angela and Chigozie. He twisted his arm and he released her. Surprised, Chigozie grabbed him and tried to ruffle him up but this time he found the little nerd that he was so experienced in ruffling up putting up a fight? His every jab and kick and shove was expertly dogged and blocked as if his opponent had been studying his moves for a long time. Which in fact he had. Chigozie was shocked. Skinny Michael was fighting with him, skinny Michael? He was strong too! Fighting him was like fighting with a tall grasshopper. What had gotten into the boy? Chigozie didn't have time to think because Michael was infact throwing punches. And he got Chigozie right smack on the lips which was now cut on the upper and bleeding now his shirt.

"Yes, Michael!" Shouted Onos.

"Beat him!" Screamed Angela.

Chigozie lost his mind and fought dirty. He slapped Michael in the crotch who doubled over and tackled him to the dirt.

"Eh! That's not fair o!" Dayo said.

"Foul play! Fight proper you hooligan!" blasted Onos.

But Chigozie had used the cheat move to climb on top of Michael. Eve if Michael was suddenly strong. He didn't have the experience of fighting dirty like he did. And he proceeded to smack him on the head and then grabbed a handful of raw dirty to pour down Michael's throat to humiliate him. But Onos wasn't having it.

"How dare you, you delinquent!" he held back Chigozie's and Dayo got Chigozie off Michael by smacking him across the head with a big wham! And then those three; Dayo, Angela and Onos were punching, slapping and rubbing Chigozie's face in the dirt as a nowly formed crowd watched laughing at the spectacle when one of the security guards came up.

"Hey, hey, stop that! I said stop that! What are you doing?" He got them off of Chigozie. "What do you think you're doing? Four of you against one person, why?"

"It not our fault sir. He started making trouble." Onos said quickly.

"No..." *cough* * cough* "No...*cough* it's a lie" *cough* Chigozie said between coughing out sand and grass from his throat from when Onos has sat on his head and buried his face in the dirt.

"It's the truth, sir." the three said.

"I was only going to dance with *cough* her went they *cough* started beating me *cough*"

"No, sir! We were all talking peacefully when he came and grabbed my friend's girlfriend." Onos said and Michael straightened on hearing the word girlfriend.

"Ah! You want to snap a girlfriend!" the crowd gasped.

"It's a lie! She's not his girlfriend!" Chigozie screamed.

"Yes, she is!" Dayo and Onos declared.

"It's a lie, sir!" Chigozie screamed desperately.

"Wait, wait. Let's ask the boy." The man said wisely. "Hey, you! Is she really your girlfriend?" he asked. Without missing a beat Michael answered without looking at her.

"IT'S A LIE!" Chigozie screamed again.

"Wait! Let me ask the girl. Hello? Is he your boyfriend?"

Michael looked up at her face. She looked at him with a slight smile.

"Michael is my girlfriend." she said.

"Ah!" The crowd screamed again.

"It's a lie! They are both lying" Chigozie said pathetically.

"So, you didn't get a date during flirt week and now you want to snatch a girl? You must be a highly trained criminal!" said Mr Emilius the security man and the crowd laughed at Chigozie.

"Pursue him. Get him out of here!" they chanted.

"Oya!" and with that he pointed to the gate with his whole arm and Chigozie followed the path. "Criminal!" he said again for added measure as the crowd booed Chigozie off the field. When the crowd had dispersed and Michael had dusted himself Onos and Dayo were still celebrating. They had been hoping for that beatdown for years. They reenacted how the both punched, smacked and feeding him with dirt. While Michael was too shy to say anything to Angela. He didn't know what to say to her now. Where they really boyfriend and girlfriend or was that all just to get Chigozie in trouble? But when he finally raised his head after dusting his uniform and looked at her smiling face. He knew he really had a girlfriend.

"So, are you two really dating now?" Onos asked beaming.

"Of course." Michael said.

"Yes." replied Angela.

"Wow. Nice." Dayo said. "So what now?" he asked.

"Now? Now we enjoy the bash. Let's go dance." And with that he took her hand for the first time and they ran towards the Dolphin boys stage which was blaring the only rock music on the field. His friends ran up to find them dancing to Avril Lavigne's I'm With You and without thinking about their shyness for girls both Dayo and Onos danced with the closest girls there. So high and without a care they all danced their hearts out, freely and content to be young, crazy and in love.

Infinite Love 24

The Kiss

It was a cloudy day. Even the skies seemed sad and about to cry out rain. Michael wished it would rain. Maybe that would stop her from leaving. They had been so happy after the Valentine's Day Bash, things had gone on so well for them. For all four of them. They were all constantly together both in and out of school. It was as if they were afraid to leave each other's side for fear that it might end soon. As indeed it was. So they all stayed together and everything was perfect. Talking, playing and relieving Chigozie's face stuffed with mud and coughing over and over again as time just flew by but now, it was ending. She was leaving.Theyallwere.

They had taken and aced their Senior Secondary School Examinations and studies in school had practically ended and now life was pulling them in different directions. Onos would be moving back to Warri, Delta State to school in Delsu while Dayo had been admitted to LASU so he was still staying in Lagos. Michael to Unilag and Angela, sadly was going to Nursing school in the far away North to live with her aunt. Parting was in their destinies. It was unavoidable and it hung over them like a presence but they ignored and savoured the time they had left. But now they were leaving and she was the first to go.

Angela was packing her clothes as slowly as she could. It was time to go and there was no avoiding it anymore. When her aunt came over to stay with them it made things so much easier between her and her mom. They were almost back to were they used to be. Her mom was better for it. She was now fine with being dumped by her husband or at least she acted like she was. That was were she was mentally, often speaking about him as if he was dead and her a widow. Angela wasn't sure if that was a good thing but she went along with it not wanting to disrupt the fragile relationship between them.

But when her aunt mentioned to her mom to allow her come live with them in the NOrth. Angela almost regretted her visiting. Her fiance had a connection in the University of Zaria. He was promised a job as a teacher there already and so he was going to help Angela gain admission there. Angela imagined her aunt's eye candy boyfriend lecturing somewhere at the front of a class and distracting all the female students with his dashing good looks. Her mother was thrilled. Her greatest fear was that she wouldn't be able to get by and get her daughter admitted into the university at the same time. But now, it was promised. And her sister and her fiance whom they still didn't fully believe was going to marry, Mary Jane was going to look after her over there. She jumped up and down and entered many sessions of songs of worship but all Angela felt was panic.

"But I can't to the North. It is too far!" she protested.

Both women looked at her as if she had lost something in her head.

"What does that matter, kwanu?" her mother asked. "You will be staying with your aunt she will look after you there."

"Far doesn't matter now, Angela. Even Nnsukka itself is far. So it doesn't matter. What matters is quality education and you will get it."

She tried again. "But it is a popular university getting in would be expensive maybe we should think of some where cheaper like in Lagos."

The two women stared at her again.

"But Lagos is very expensive, my dear. Have you seen the price of tomatoes here. Over there for N50 they will just dash a whole basket of tomatoes."

Her final attempt. "But mama will be alone. I don't want to leave her here all alone by herself."

"Ah, me? Listen my dear, I will manage. All I care about. All that I want to see is you in a university with my two eyes. So if it happens, I will to extremely happen.

They both sounded stupid to her. Haven't they realised that she didn't want to leave and be away from Michael? How could her aunt even suggest such a thing after she had opened up about her feelings for him? Things had been so amazing between them lately and it made the idea of leaving so absurd and foolish. But after her aunt's visit had ended she went to her boyfriend who processed her admission. She received the information sooner that she preferred and had to tell Michael she was leaving. The look on his face when she told him made her feel awful. She knew he didn't like her leaving. She knew he would  miss her and she would miss him too. But it was now unavoidable she packed the rest of her clothes in the bag that her aunt had left for her and went out to meet him in his father's car.

Michael had convinced his dad to drive Angela to the bus stop. He knew his dad wouldn't like to do such a thing especially as he considered her not one of the promising students in school. So Michael pulled a joker and mentioned it during dinner while his grandmother was around.

"Well, of course your father will drive you and your friend to the bus park, when is it?" she asked.

"Next tomorrow, ma." he said

And without looking up Mama said; "Charlie? Please drive my son and his friend to the bus park."

Mr Osu almost dropped his spoon in horror. Next tomorrow was a Wednesday and he would have tons of work to do at the office and he meant to decline but he was in mortal fear of his mother-in-law and instead said;

"Yes... er yes. I will take them there mama." and he growled at Michael who kept on eating his edikand ikong nonchalantly.

He knew getting using his grandmother was a low blow but he didn't care. He just had to be there when she left to be able to see her off before she disappeared to God knows where. He had even picked his most prized possession as a present.

Mr Osu honked louder than necessary when they arrived at Angela's house and he didn't even get out to greek them. Thankfully, it wasn't necessary as Angela and her mother came out almost instantaneously and they all drove off to the motorpark at Oshodi where all the Northern buses parked. During the drive nobody said a thing, it was too sad a day for conversation. When they got there Mr Osu loaded her baggage into the luxurious bus and surprised even Michael by insisting and paying for her bus ticket. Now it was time for her to get on the bus. She hugged her mom for the umpteenth time, waved and thanked Mr Osu. To Michael, she barely mouthed the 'bye' as it choked her to say. And she kept standing there staring at him. Michael wanted to reach across and hold her back. She couldn't leave. Not without him telling her all that she had made him feel, all that she meant to him and how much he didn't want her to leave. But their parents were there and he couldn't bring himself to say anything, except.

"Here." he said and brought out the little small pin wrapped in handkerchief. She gasped. It was his captain's wings pin. He loved it and he was given it to her.

"Oh, Michael thank you." she said and made to grab him but her mom cautioned her.

"My dear, your bus is filling up. Get on before someone steals you seat."

"Yes, mama." she said and looked at Michael with one last longing and turned to leave. She was halfway to her seat when michael's dad opened his car door and motioned for all of them to get in the car. She ran back out of the luxurious bus and on reaching Michael she grabbed in the tightest hug she could muster.

"Thanks Michael." she said and released him.

He looked into her eyes and said. "I'm really going to miss you."

"Me too." she said and without thinking about her mom and his dad. She did the one thing she had always wanted to do. She held him by his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. Her mom's jaw dropped and Mr Osu had to poke his head out of the car to believe that his son was kissing a girl in his presence.

She released him and saw the smile on his face. Before anyone could say anything she ran back into the bus and disappeared inside it. Michael floating to the passenger seat beside his father and Mr Osu didn't know whether to highfive him or chastise him. But when he saw the glassy dreamy look on his son's face he just let him be and smiled as they drove off back home.

Im on your trail bro, blaze on!.

Thanks boss

Kudos to you boss

Thank you boss

END OF PART 1

Infinite Love 26

Life or Something Like It!

The uber ride was only a blurr of cars whizzing by, riders streaking and the road signs flashing by. He couldn't even recall the face of the uber driver. Everything just seemed so surreal. Time seemed to heavy upon him and yet so light at the same time. He'd just saw Angela again. Angel! How long has it been? Ten, eleven or twelve years? Eleven. No twelve years!

She left for school soon after secondary school and that was the last time he'd saw or heard from her. Before life happened. Before his father and before everything went downhill.

"No, can't think of that now."

Suddenly he wanted to call her if only to boost his mood. That was how she was to him. That was how she had always been to him. His happy place. He needed to hear her voice. Now that she was back into his life and within reach, he wanted to grab hold of her and not let go, ever again. He brought out his used Nokia E63 phone. His pride and joy. The one Mr Kola gave him for getting out the oil stains out of his big African kaftan the one that Yoruba people call Agbada.

"Wow. Mr dear I can't believe that you managed to clear out the oil stains out of my clothes!" he'd said impressed with his big white teeth in an even bigger smile. The kind the Mike had always admire of people with perfect dentition.

"I was able to remove it sir." he'd replied calmly. "It wasn't easy but like I told you I would try my best and it worked."

"Yes it did and you also made the Agbada look like new." he said still beaming.

"Yes sir." He said proudly. He always made him happy to see his clients happy. It was one of the things that made his job easier. The business of a one-man dry cleaner was a tough one. With long strenuous hours and many arm aches and body pains. But seeing the reaction of happy customers always boosted him to do more. It made him feel strong and useful in contrast to how he felt at home; weak, useless and a dissappointment.

"No, no young man. When my wife told me to give you a trial that you were competent I was skeptical because young men of nowadays are so lazy when it comes to matters of hard work. But you have really impressed me. And I will surely impress you too."

"Thank you, sir."

"I will give your contact to all my friends and you will surely get a lot of clienteles from me! Ah ah such a wonderful job! You can't even see any of the oil stains any more."

"That doesn't mean that you can now be eating like a glutton and making work difficult for the poor boy o!" his wife chided.

Mr Kola beamed again "Ah ah, it wasn't my fault now."

"Whose fault was it then? At the party you were just eating everything available like I don't feed you at home. My sister was even asking me if I give you food at all." she said.

"My dear, you feed me now. It is just that you can't compare the taste of all your green green foods to that of a party's delicacy."

"Why won't I give you green green foods? Look at you! Look at your size! Abi, oga Mike isn't he too big?" she asked Michael.

"Err...well I..." Michael was speechless. For someone whose shirt was twice the size of his average customers Mr Kola was indeed a big man.

"Ah ah my dear. I am only big because you take such good care of me." he said pulling his wife into his arms affectionate.

" I know but this belly of yours needs to go down a bit." she said lightly drumming her fingers on to his tummy as he held her in his arms.

"Leave my belly alone." he said pulling her arms from his tummy and wrapping it around his thick neck "It is only my full tank of love for you." and he kissed her cheeks repeatedly.

"Oga Mike, see me o. I married a slim person like you I didn't know when he became Santa Clause." she said melting in her husbands arms.

Michael could only admire them. He rarely saw couples like Mr & Mrs Kolawole. They were happy just being together. And they reminded his parents in the good times in his younger days.

"So please Oga Mike. Give me your number so that I can call you and share it with my friends.

"Erm... sir. It is..." this part always embarrased him. He didn't have a phone. Not a good working one at least and he wasn't about to embarrass himself further by showing them the sellotaped coverless device that he often used.

"Well sir. Don't worry just let me have your number and I will call you from a call center. I don't mind at all, sir."

Mr Kola had at first looked puzzled and then he told his wife to bring is old Nokia from beside the bed. Michael was surprised at the gesture and initially expected a very old one like the embarrassment in his back pocket where he kept it hidden from people and figured no pickpocket would ever bother to steal a semi-dead phone but instead Mrs Kola brought out a slightly used clean Nokia E63 navy blue phone with full qwerty keyboard and a metal back cover. The kind of phone that looked futuristic in its display and had the latest bluetooth technology and also infrared. The phone was his pride and joy. He was eternally grateful that it was the phone he had it to exchange numbers with Angela. Michael nearly passed out on the floor with gratitude.

"Young man, what are you doing? Get up please!" said Mr Kola

"Oga Mike, please get up. It's okay. You have thanked us enough." Mrs Kola said.

"Thank you very much, sir! Thank you so much, ma!" he continued that day until he left them.

Mr Kola was his number one customer. He always paid extra and he did refer him to many more people. But although, Mr Kola was the exception and not the rule. Most of his clients were angry bitter men and women who talked down on him and owed him money making his life more difficult that it should be.

"Should I call her? Let me call her." he decided. "No. It's too soon. It has been so long since we saw each other I shouldn't scare her off." he thought changing his mind. "But I need to talk to someone. I'll just call Dayo instead."

As he brought out the phone to dial the number he driver asked him.

"We are here at Kosodo Street sir. Where should I drop you?"

Michael wanted so badly to go home and think about meeting Angela but he couldn't just do that. There was work to be done and clients to satisfy and so he said;

"Please just park in front of the next house on the left."

That was his small shop. Not much bigger than a shoe cupboard and it gets so hot during the day and his landlady was a greedy woman who acted like she rented a two-bedroom apartment out to him. But it was the closest location to his home and he needed to stay close to home in case of the usual emergencies. So he got down and thanked the driver. He opened the metal doors that he had to install due to thieves breaking down the wooden one and he entered. He took off his formal gear and with nothing on but a pair khaki shorts and an armless top. He proceeded to iron the clothes that he had washed the night before.

no more updates on this story on ur site

Bros abeg no vex. I wish I could update every day but too many commitments

I do check everyday I understand but pls try to give us food to munch on�

Infinite Love 27

Minty (probably not her real name), the Unilag student was the first to arrive and she was the loudest.

"Excuse me, excuse mee! You told mee, it would be ready by now! You said and I quote" she actually made the quotations with her fingers "It would be ready by Wendsday afternoon." She brought out her Samsung phone exaggeratedly in an attempt to check the time.

"Madam, I know what I said its just..."

"Excuse mee, excuse ME!" she said even lounder with her index upright shutting him up. "Let me check my time please."

Michael wanted point out that her she could easily look to her wrist to check the time without all the loud drama of fishing in her tiny hand bag for five minutes searching for her phone since her wrist watch was there perfectly visible for all to see but he thought better to be quiet.

"Ah, yes! It is now seven forty-five which is evening. This is Wednesday evening and you said" double quotations gesture again "that it would be ready by Wednesday afternoon. Okay now, where is it?" she froze in a posture of her hand out flat to him as if what she would be collecting would fit on her palm like a nickle and turn her face from him with her other hand on her hip.

"I'm so sorry, madam. I know that it would be ready by now but all day NEPA has not given light and I had to wait a long time at the queue for fuel at the filling station to get fuel for the generator."

"Story! Tales by moonlight! That's what they all say, Minty babe! When they want to collect the job and the money they would promise heaven on earth but when it comes to time for delivery they will be giving you excuses." the skinny one with oversized glasses said exaggerating her head and turning it with every single word like black american women often did when talking with attitude on tv. Michael thought Dayo would have remarked that she resembled a chicken with glasses. "Mr man, please produce that dress nice and pressed because we need it A.S.A.P." she clucked.

"Abi o! Thank you jare, spicy" they high-fived eachother as if their delivery was worthy of merit. "Since morning, what were you doing? Why didn't you go to the filling station earlier?"

She got him there. Minty was sharp even if she behaved like a few of those silly girls in the university that chase fat bloated rich men for money called aristos. Michael couldn't confess it. He very well knew that he had a few customers coming for their clothes ready and dry cleaned by 4pm but he just had to take the chance and go for the interview. It was a good position too! It almost seemed perfect for him and entry level cabin crew member at the famous British Airways. He just had to take the chance. He did wash and hang out all of the clothes by midnight and he knew that by the time he would get back from the interview all he would have needed would be a forty five minutes of steam pressing to get them all ready but of course. The almighty NEPA happened. As the local saying goes; Man proposes NEPA disposes. The National Electric Power Authority was the country's electrical power supply locally coined into Never Expect Power Always because you just couldn't rely on them. Michael made the number one rookie mistake no Nigerian born in Nigeria ever should.

But after missing the interview he ran into Angela and she invited him to dinner and lit up his world again. All the gloom that came with missing the interview and the dispair that another hope was dashed and the depression that was creeping up on him again simply vanished after having dined with her. Her radiance still lingered on him brain like the after taste of an expensive wine. The warmth of her smiles were still there on his skin lighting him up like the glow of an halo.

He was at fault ultimately even though technically if NEPA hadn't failed to supply the light he would have met up with his job. And if the queue at the filling station wasn't so long he would have still met up with his job but all those things happened and so he was at the mercy of two pretentious girls named Minty and Spicy with no other option left but to beg not to lose business from them.

[b]Infinite Love 28[/b]

Mock

Not long after came Mr Lekan the bank cashier. He was one of the clients that Dayo helped Michael get. In the past, Michael used to dream of working in a bank. He used to love the idea of being in a banking hall attending to customers in a nice suit dry cleaned and immaculate with the car that he would finally be able to afford.


And of course working in a banking hall with their expensive paintings and corporate furniture, surrounded by the latest electronic gadgets and soft music. He used to apply to all the available vacancies then but by some fluke of luck, he never ever made it past the interview stage which was the final stage after the tests and the aptitude assessments. Almost everyone he knew was getting banking jobs, even the ones least qualified ones back then he would feel so discouraged whenever he didn’t get selected but after meeting Mr Lekan, he never ever applied for a banking job again.

It happened after Dayo got a banking job. Michael had to home-school Dayo on the tests. He already had the past test questions of five of the most popular banks. And he had to drill him about the interviews as well. Dayo wasn’t the most people-friendly of guys.

When Michael was prepping him on some of the interview questions Dayo’s responses were nothing less than shocking.

Michael asked (in a deep voice imitating a stern interviewer); “So why did you apply for this job?”

“Well, that’s because everything is nepotism and man-know-man in this country and I don’t know any big man that works in your bank that can get me the job directly. So I had to apply the old fashioned way.” Dayo said.

Michael laughed thinking Dayo was joking but when he looked at his face and saw his indifferently carefree face he knew he was being serious.

“Are you being serious?” Michael asked shocked.

“What? You told me to answer honestly!” He answered shrugging.

“Yeah…but working in a bank is a big deal it is a prestigious establishment and you need to be careful about what you say.”

He didn’t change his expression and Michael asked him another.

“How much are you expecting to be paid?”

“I expect you will pay me the 60-70k that you pay your current contract staff which is very small.”

Michael was dumbstruck.

“What is your greatest weakness?”

Dayo cringed his face here and Michael thought he would finally give a good answer but he said: “Well, I’m not a thief and I won’t steal your money if that’s what you mean.”

Michael shook his head.

“Where do you see yourself in the next five years?”

“I see myself working with an oil company for better pay after I would have resigned from the banking sector.”

Michael couldn’t bear it anymore and had to spend hours conditioning him on giving the boring answers that were expected of him. It took all night but even then Michael wasn’t sure Dayo won’t try to be himself and speak his mind during the interview. But as it turned out his crude friend got the job. Dayo got the job and initially, Michael wouldn’t see him for days and when he would see him and ask about the job, Dayo would just shrug and say it was okay. Michael would feel awful thinking that Dayo probably was thinking less of him because he was now in a good job but after Dayo recommended many people from his branch he was feeling better that his friend hadn’t dumped him.

One of the referrers was Mr Lekan when Michael learned that he had worked in a bank for five years he was admiring him but the man only said.

“My friend don’t be fooled by all the hype about working in a bank. There is nothing but long hours and little pay.” Michael was shocked. “Don’t be surprised, my friend. I am a contract staff. I was hired as contract staff and I receive sixty thousand a month for working six days a week and fourteen hours a day."

"Yeah, but sir you a car and all your suits are nice."

"I know but that only means that I am deeply in debt. A debt the bank forced upon me to maintain their image. Tell me how can I afford all this on salary? I have a family and I can't afford to make them look as good as I do. And worse my daughter is three and she knows me as a stranger that sleeps next to her mother once every week. She still doesn't let me carry her she won't even come near me. And that because the bank forces long hours upon us. We the contract staff workers are still there long after most people have closed and some Sundays the bank makes us undergo skill training which forever kills our social life."

Mr Lekan was one of Michael's more loyal clients but he soon realised that he would have to open a tab for him and other bankers and learn to wait for them on the twenty-first of every month when they get their salaries otherwise he would have to skip payment until the next month and most of them were already in debt and were comfortable with owing more. And the bankers did owe him a lot of money.

"Oga Mike, where my suit now? Why is it not ready by now you know I need my suit we have company meetings every Saturday." he said.

"Oho! Do you hear that Minty? He hasn't even gotten this gentleman's suits ready, is that fair?"

"Not at all, Spicy! Sir, its just as we were telling him, a man should always keep his word and if you're not going to meet up, it is better not to lie and disappoint people, right sir?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Mr Lekan responded and Michael pleaded with them both.

"Please try to be patient, please. I will be done soon."

"Excuse me. Excuse mee! Next time you try to meet up with your appointments and do not disappoint people. It is bad for business, right sir?"

"Yes, absolutely. You're right."

Minty was talking to Mr Lekan even though she acted like she was addressing Michael. "By the way, my friends call me Minty because I'm always fresh." she said and Michael rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe all her indignation was mere fishing tactics.

"Okay, wow. My name is Lekan but friends called me Lakeside." he said and both Minty and Spicy giggle uncontrollably as if they were being tickled by an invisible force.

"So where do you work?" she asked straight to the point. She wanted to find out of Mr Lekan was loaded.

"Oh, I work in a bank."

"Ehn? As a manager?" Spicy asked.

"No, err... at the front desk." upon saying that it was as if Mr Lekan defecated in his pants suddenly the two girls shifted away from him. From their remarkable experience, they already knew that only managerial positions and higher were the loaded ones in the banks. The rest were just over-worked stressed out debtors like Mr Lekan here. The girls disregarded him for the remainder of the evening and continued to chastise Michael. But that was just the beginning of his crucifixion because then, the policeman arrived.

Wow! Writing this story no easy o. Writers dey try. Since last year I dey on top this story. I don tire sef. Anyway I must to complete am.


https://adeabdulsblog.

Infinite Love 29

Inspector Martins

When Michael first started his drycleaning business he would deliver them himself as he still does today. But then, in the early days navigating Lagos through traffic as a commuter proved to be very difficult. He would learn quickly though that you avoided Apapa, Tincan axis at all cost except in the early hours of the day because that was the definition of traffic hell.

A person could easily spend half the day without moving fifty meters there. He also learned to avoid rush hours when workers were going to work and when they were going home from work. Many times he would get lost and had to retrace his steps and learned to always ask Okada riders, Danfo drivers and security men for directions. And also to avoid asking women for directions except if they were traders. Lagos girls automatically regard him with suspicion whenever he approached them unless he was nicely dressed, which he hardly ever was while on delivery runs.

It was on such a delivery that Michael saw him; an awesome spectacle of a man, nicely dressed in uniform. His black police shirt and pants were superbly pressed without a crease in sight. Even his cap looked immaculately dyed black. He had a single button undone on his shirt which seemed a bit unethical for a police officer but looked totally cool to Michael. Even his AK47 looked cool with the name "Dante" written on it in what seemed to be red paint. He was clad in full gadgets of baton, spray, handcuffs and teargas canister. His thick belt seemed to hold more. He was tall and attractive and he knew and walked it. He walked past Micheal in swagger and after a few minutes Micheal heard someone yell "STOP!" and he turned around. It was the policeman. He was suddenly in action and running towards him. Michael was initially confused and he froze upon the scene. It couldn't have been better done in an action movie. He could only stare as the impressive officer ran with the awesome agility of a lion chasing a wildebeest in the wild. Michae was awestruck by him until he got so close and pushed him aside saying;

"Comot for road, mumu (dummy)!" Michael staggered but he didn't fall, he couldn't, he was holding drycleaned clothes that he had to deliver. Their state was more important than a few bruises. He continued on his way and tried not to be offended by the officer. He was probably on the tail of a criminal he thought. Maybe even a murderer. Michael could still see him up ahead as he had stopped a Danfo bus and seemed to be arguing with the driver. Maybe the driver carrying illegal cargo he thought. But as he got closer he saw that only common passenger were in the bus. Still, he thought maybe the driver had worked for thieves in the past or perhaps he at least had ran a red light once too many times, anything. Surely, there must be a genuine offence that would make this impressive policeman run like Sylvester Stallone in an action film, catch up with a bus driver and harass him the way that he was doing. Michael was now about to walk past them when he heard;

"You think say you smart abi? You wan run abi? Mumu! Com on, settle me!” the policeman barked.

Michael stopped dead ii his tracks. He couldn’t believe his ears.

“Did that officer just ask for a bribe?”

Then the saw the driver hand over a crumpled note to the officer in a gesture disguised as a handshake. Dumbfounded and gravely disappointed, Michael walked on by.

“A policeman is still a policeman no matter how nicely dressed he is.” He reasoned.

“What is this? This is not enough o!” He heard the policeman bark again at the driver from behind him.

“Ah, oga Martins. That is the price now!”

“No o! We don increase am.”

“Ehn? So how much now?” Officer Martins held up his palm with his fingers spread out indicating fifty naira.

“Ahh! That’s too much na!” the driver shrieked.

“Add something jor! Your money na Wazo. Quickly! Answer me!” he barked again as the driver was fidgeting and begging.

“Officer, you sef collect the money make we go now.” A passenger in the driver seat said snapping at Officer Martins.

“Who be dat! Who put your mouth for this matter? Mumu! Come on, shut up!” he barked even loudly now. Silencing even the other grumbling passengers in the bus. They had realised that Officer Martin was cut from the worst of the worst coat of the police force and so they started shouting at the driver to pay up instead because the policeman was obviously not going to letting the bus go without his bride in full.

“Oga, iz not fair o! No be so you supposed do me this morning. How be my money? How much I dey make wey I go give you a Wazobia?” the driver pleaded one last time.

“Come on, shut up and bring something!” the Officer snapped and remove the rest of the money from the palm of the fidgeting driver before he let go of the driver’s seat belt to let him go.

“Waoh!” Michael thought. “All that action sequence and drama for N50?” He kept walking but a minute later he felt someone tug on his pants.

“Hey, you.” It was Officer Martins. “Why you block me before, shey you want make  criminal escape?” Couldn’t believe he was addressing him. He was also confused about who the criminal he was referring to was.

“How can he be calling the driver a criminal if he is the one doing extorting money?”

Nigerian police officers were infamous for their extortion. They extort money from anyone they found to be vulnerable which is basically anyone who didn’t know influential people and couldn’t get them fired. Every commoner learns quickly enough that the solution to police trouble is to avoid policemen.

"I'm very sorry, sir. I wasn't trying to block you I just didn't see you on time sorry."

"You didn't see me. Are you blind? You com dey speak English, Mumu. Where you dey, wetin you dey carry?"

"Nothing sir. Just clothes." Michael made to leave.

"Come back, my friend. What are you doing with all these clothes are you a dry cleaner?"

"Yes, sir. I have to go."

"Where are you running to? Are you afraid of policeman? Are you a criminal? What are you hiding?" And that's when he ransacked Michael and found nothing but spare change.

"You know even get money, you just get English. Where is your shop sef, I have so many useless laundry men and you look like a good one?"  against his better judgement Michael gave him his contact details and left. Only to realise later that Officer Martins didn't return back the spare change he found in his pocket. He had to walk extra miles that day.

Since that day, Officer Martins with his immaculate appearance became the bane of Michael's business and his life. He was a fussy customer always complaining and the service, always demanding full treatment for his clothes, always demanding the best of the soap materials and starch with the ironing but when it was time to pay, he would become rowdy and only pay half promising to balance up later. If Michael insisted, he would get even rowdier and even threaten Michael's business. Because of him, Michael opened a tab of the debtors of his shop and he realised that Martins leads the list by a large margin. He tolerated him partly due to the references he got and mostly because Michael was intimidated by him. He seemed like one of the foolish kind of policemen who shot and killed innocent people for not bribing them with less than N50. But worst of all. Inspector Martins was such a lousy fellow. His looks were in such sharp contrast to his speech. He was capable of talking in the most vulgar manner. Yes, some policemen were liable to spew rubbish laws or convict with a cockamamie crime in order to extort as much money as they want but Martins was the worst of them.

Infinite Love 30

Saved by the Text!

"Who dey here?" he cried and Michael heard him before he even saw him. Martins was loud, vulgar and very dramatic.

"Oh no!" He thought. He never wanted this martins fellow to spend more than a few minutes at his store and now because his uniform wasn't ready he would leave until he would have at least caused a scene.


On getting to the shop Inspector Martins noticed the three customers waiting in line and became silent for a bit. Michael, noticing the calm before the storm tried to do damage control.

"Inspector Martins! My honourable Inspector, it's so good to see you! How's work today sir?"

"QUIET, MY FRIEND!" he bellowed figuring it out, flattery doesn't work on shameless policemen. He might as well have been shooting blanks at a tree.

"WHERE-IS-MY-U-NI-FORM?" he asked more dramatically than Minty ever could muster emphasizing each syllable of every word with great gesticulation as if otherwise Michael and the entire neighbourhood would not understand him.

Michael took a breath. "I'm sorry sir but it will be ready in fifteen minutes." he said as calmly as he could muster.

"WHAT! YOU-MEAN. MY U-NI-FORM-IS-NOT-READY?" he asked, still shouting.

"Ah, yes o! It is not ready." added Spicy most unnecessarily taking the wind out of Michael's lungs.

"Sir, please just give me fifteen minutes. It will be ready shortly." he pleaded.

"UN-BE-LIE-VA-BLE!"

"Hello, Officer. Please don't waste your breath. Nothing is ready. That's why we have all been waiting here all morning." Minty chipped in, lying.

"All morning?! Bu-but... you haven't been here up to twenty minutes?"

"Look here, Mike. Customers are always right. You should always keep your word and keep to time. We've all been waiting here for so long, just look at the time. Look at the time right now. These ladies have paid their money in full and you too should deliver their clothes to them in full." Mr Lekan said betraying him harsher than Judas did to Jesus, except this Judas was looking to impress the ladies.

Mr Lekan had been leering at the girls ever since he arrived and after they realised that he was just another broke bank teller dispenser they waved him off like an old fart in the wind and now he was doing everything he could to get their attention, including crucifying Jesus, beg your pardon, Michael. Michael's jaw dropped in indignation and lost all respect for the only slightly respectable man amongst his present customers. Martins sprang into action.

"This is nonsense!" he cried. "I gave this man my uniform since last week." (It was only two days ago). "I paid him his money." (It was not in full, he has outstanding debts) "And I told him that we have a special operation in Samziba forest." (No such mention. He is a traffic cop, not a military soldier).

"Chei! You see, Minty!? Look at how this guy treated even a policeman! I told you all these local guys were useless. We should have taken your clothes to the professionals in Bode Thomas Street!"

"Yes, babe. You were right." she said pouting.

"You dare lie to me!? A policeman of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?! I will lock up your shop and lock you up for this." and he preceded to stomp up and down in the shop most dramatically but essentially doing nothing but huffing and puffing.

"Ah Spicy, babe. Let's get our clothes before locks up this shop o!" Minty shrieked and the two girls who were waiting outside joined Martins in the tiny shop with Mr Lekan not far behind turning Micheal's small but neat shop into a loud chicken coop. Mrs Osaremien his landlady came out of the house.

"Michael, what is happening here again? I have told you that I don't like noises in front of my house, why are your customers shouting here?"

"I'm sorry, ma. I am so sorry. It's only a small delay in their clothes but they come out of the shop to let me finish it for them."

"Small, so you call delaying a whole officer like me, small?" Martins said switching his rifle from his right side to his left shoulder.

"Just handle them. I no want hear story. I dey go sleep." and with that, she dashed back inside. But he had hoped that she would've helped calm the situation. But as usual, she left him alone to deal with the crisis. Just like she did the NEPA officials came to their house and sanctioned them for bypassing their house meter. That happened because despite demanding a huge sum of money from Michael for the electrical power that he hardly ever got. She had asked one of the local daredevils to connect a second power cable to the pole directly so that the government assigned meter would not charge her for the heavy electrical equipment like hot plates, deep freezers and air conditioners that she used often. A practice that Michael warned her against but she never listened and when the officials caught her red-handed, it was Michael who had to plead and bribe the officials in order not to disconnect their power cable. She was of full of cheap tricks like but always left him to deal with the consequences. Now the one time he had needed her she left.

He was defeated. Yes, it was his fault for the delay but he had an interview to get to and it was the one time. He couldn't understand how they would be so brash when most of them had gotten prompt delivery many times on credit. It was depressing to see that this was his reality now. Dealing with pretentious people including a worst policeman in the state. Even after knowing each other for months. Michael had once come across the team of Inspector Martins at a checkpoint in Apapa road after he had unknowingly crossed the expressway instead of using the pedestrian bridge. He was running late for a home delivery an unwittingly crossed it not knowing that the state government was enforcing a new law of prohibiting of crossing the expressway.

He had crossed to the other side when a policeman accosted him;

"Young man stop there. Why did you cross the road like that? Don't you know it is not allowed anymore?"

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't know sir. I always saw people cross hear every time before now."

"Well, it is not allowed anymore. Come here." the short badly dressed officer said dragging him by his waist belt and then Michael thought he would take him to the station but instead he was taken to a small corner by the road where four or five other policemen sat in their pickup waiting to catch unsuspecting offenders. He immediately noticed the tallest one amongst them to be Martins and smiled in relief but stop abruptly when another said;

"Wetin you dey do? Why you dey laugh?" Martins didn't say a word to assist in any way. He just watched as his fellow officers drilled him with their extortionist routines.

"Shey you want go jail, abi make we help you?"

"Crossing the road offense na six months in prison o!"

"You don go kirikiri before?"

"Make we help you. How much you get?"

"Oya pay us five thousand."

"Ah, please sir. I don't have that kind of money o!"

"Why don't you have a job?" another one asked.

"No, sir I don't have a job."

"But you are a dry cleaner. So you have money. Abi customers no dey pay you?" Martins chiped in only to help extort him further even though he was one of the customers that were owing him money. Michael frowned.

"Shameless." he thought to himself as the men in black took him for everything he had on him. But Martins didn't care. Later he still brought the same uniform he had worn that day for dry cleaning and still didn't pay Michael a kobo to clean it.

He was tired and was about to surrender to their idiocy when he heard the soft familiar "beep beep" of his phone. Normally, he had learnt to ignore texts on his phone due to the frequency of the many annoying promotional SMSes that he gets but today he welcomed it. In fact, he needed it, anything to distract him from what was happening at his shop at the moment.

It read;

It was really nice to see you again. I had fun. Let's not wait another ten years to meet again.
Angel.


She had texted him whilst he had held back thinking it was too soon and he didn't want to scare her off. He smiled. Her text filled him up from his toes to the tips of his big ears.

Infinite Love 31

Texted Okay!

It was really nice to see you again. I had fun. Let's not wait another ten years to meet again.
Angel.

When he read her text message for the first time. It was a like a grenade went off in his brain

and blasted away all of everything and everyone in his immediate surroundings. Suddenly, everywhere was quiet and he couldn't he hear anything again. Everything and everyone around became unfocused and blurry. Everyone seemed to be moving in slow motion and their words reached his ears so slowly like the light from a dying star. They didn't matter. The only thing of real importance, the only thing that mattered was that Angela had text him.

He read it again and heard her voice in his ears. Her soft, velvety voice lacing his ears with melodious wit. He had wanted to text her but he had thought it might be too early to do so not wanting to scare her off in case she didn't feel as close to him as they once were. Or in case as he was scared to think; that she just didn't care about him anymore. But now she had texted him and life was good again. He read it again a third time and a fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh and then lost count of how many times that he had read it.

Somebody was in front of him and saying something but their words were washing over him. He kept glancing back and forth between his phone and the person because now he was directly in front of him and talking loudly. His mind couldn't fathom what kind of creature would try to drag his attention from the most wonderful phenomenon that just happend in his life.

"Can't the person realise that Angela had texted him? Can't they allow him enjoy this moment for the rest of the day at the very least?"

Michael had to focus his mind back to reality and really listen to what the person was saying. It was Officer Martins or Inspector Martins that was shouting at him.

"...deaf? Are you deaf? MICHAEL! Michael, are you deaf?"

Michael couldn't really remember or understand the question and so he answered with the only significant thing on his mind.

"Angel...Angela...sent me a text." he said with a big smile.

Martins looked at him quizzically and then shouted even more loudly.

"HEY O! THIS BOY DON CRAZE O!"

"What happen?"

"What did he say?" asked the rest of his customers. They had all gathered around him ever since he got the text and kept looking at his phone. They had been asking him a series of questions and touching and poking him but he hadn't responded until Martins shouted in his face.

"I was asking him when my uniform will be ready and all i heard him say is 'text', 'phone' the boy don run mad!"

"What?" exclamed Minty and Spicy together.

"I said it. Minty I said it. You know I told you this guy works a lot that he must be smoking 'igbo' Indian Hemp! Look at what has happened to him now." Spicy said.

"Eh hen! Oga Mike have you been smoking Indian Hemp?" Minty asked looking genuinely concerned which touched Michael.

"Mike! Indian Hemp?!" Mr Kola said doubting every word but Officer Martins grabbed him like he was a criminal and began patting his temples loudly with a force that would have split Olumo Rock.

"Michael come back here. Come back. Don't follow the smoke. Come back." he kept on saying.

"Officer what are you doing? Why are you beating him like that?" Mr Kola asked shocked.

"I am trying to slap some sense back into his brain." he said.

"Please don't injure him now!" Minty said still very concerned.

"Don't worry madam. I have done this kind of thing before. This is how we treat those criminals that we catch selling and smoking Igbo. If you don't slap their heads they won't cooperate...err I mean talk sensibly."

"Leave the policeman, Minty. He knows what he's doing. Michael has been smoking Igbo for a long a time. I knew it." Spicy affirmed even as Minty was growling at her friend.

Micheal was trying to shake himself loose but Martins just kept trying to exorcise madness out of him even though Minty and Mr Kola were also protesting, trying to stop Martins from turning Michael's brain into mashed potatoes but Spicy just kept shouting 'slap him, slap him very well officer'. It was during this commotion that Dayo found them and instantaneously he jumped in between Michael and Martins.

Dayo was on marketing duty for his bank and was supposed to be looking for new customers but instead he always came to Michael's shop to spend his marketing days despite his friend's protest. Michael had always wondered by what fluke Cowry Bank had hired Dayo because Dayo never seemed to care about anything anymore. Dayo lacked the serious that most bank workers took their jobs and once he had the job, Michael always begged him to take it more seriously because he feared his lackadaisical attitude would get him fired. But Dayo was still careless and still had a bank job.

Dayo was a nightmare for his supervisor. The kind woman had shown him the ropes and put him in customer service but later she had to promptly withdraw him from customer service because his indifference to customer complaints just kept on infuriating so many customers that at one point a riot almost occurred in the bank but for the timely intervention of the bank security and other banks staffs. Dayo was also a social nightmare. He was always neat but he wouldn't adhere to the bank's prescribed fashion look. He didn't start wearing a suit until he could afford one or any of his other outfits. He was completely opposite from all their other new interns who jumped on the banks loan offer and spent it lavishly on new cars, clothes and other materialistic things. He didn't make friends with other banks staffs. When asked why he refused to accept the banks loan to get all his outfits and buy a car he said he didn't want to leave debts for his future generations since the bank's loan is not nullified by sack or death. He was a complete odd ball. But for all his lackings he was their best accountant yet. What he lacked in people's skills he more than made up for in maths skills. He had on numerous occassions unveiled illegal decifits in many customers accounts and uncovered many fraudulent practices and so they tolerated him. They even overlooked the fact that when he went out for their mandatory marketing runs he would almost always bring back no viable client details even though his bank provided contacts page would be full and all his fliers would be gone. It was on such a marketing that he ventured upon Michael's shop to find his friend in the midst of people seeming trying to beat him to death.

"Eh hey! What is going in on here? Why are you all attacking Michael?" he said barging in amongst them.

Infinite Love 32

"What's going on here?" Dayo demanded barging into their midst wringing Michael's neck from Martin's grip without a second thought to his uniform.

Spicy was the first one to speak up.

"He was misbehaving. He was acting like a mad person. We came here to find him just lazing about. He didn't do any of the jobs that he was given. He was smoking indian hemp all day.

And when his brain was going haywire the policeman trying to wake him up from his madness." She sputtered out fantastically and all who heard her became speechless at her fabrication. Even Minty, she knew that Michael was truly acting a bit strange even loco but they never found him smoking when they got here now. She couldn't figure out why her friend totally believed that Igbo was the the cause of Mike's sudden strange behaviour.

Dayo without so much as a side glance to Michael to confirm the story didn't believe it and disputed it instantaneously.

"What do you mean by that? Why are you talking rubbish? Michael doesn't smoke!"

"Oh, you don't believe me? Ask him! Or ask any of them about it, they will confirm it for you."

"Well, Oga Mike was acting a bit strange but..." Minty started to say when

"You see! What did I tell you? Loco!" Spicy reaffirmed.

"Your story is as fake as that wig on your head!" Dayo said dismissively to Spicy's horror.

"Don't mind him! He will only take sides with his friend he will not believe any of us." Martins chipped in. "Instead of thanking us for helping him he his condemning us. Is that how you show gratitude?"

"I will show gratitude when you start paying for the services that my friend has been rendering to you sir. Tell me. I heard that the government has increased the salary for policemen how come you haven't still cleared the debt that you owe Michael over three months now?"

"WHAT!!!" the rest gasped.

"Er hem, well... that's not true... I have paid him... er I will pay him... er...soon, yes very soon."

"Just then both Spicy and Minty slightly edged away from Martins. They knew that police officers are usually loaded with bribe money extorted from Okada riders, Danfo drivers and other motorists but when they heard how much Martins was owing, that meant he was probably a stingy one. They don't do stingy men. No matter how attractive. It was a principle thing. Even Mr Segun couldn't help looking at the officer with a slight disdain even though he was owing as well.

"How about paying him today? He needs money and you have had a long day of terrorising motorists not so?"

"HEY!"

"After all those motorists always pay and you always never let any motorist pass on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway unless they settle you. So why are you giving Michael excuses when you don't accept excuses?"

Martins was getting totally embarrassed which was something new to him because he was a very shameless fellow.

"Erm... er..."

"And didn't I once see you make a driver do Frogjumps along the highway for refusing to pay you?"

"Hmm?!" Spicey hummed wide-eyed.

"And the driver later fell in the gutter..." dayo continued.

"Really?!" even Minty gasped.

"And you still collected the money!"

"WHAT!" mr Segun gasped.

"It was N50 change, no be so?"

Dayo pushed on but now Martins without his cohorts and in front of the Unilag girls he was planning to impress later on was now totally embarrassed and couldn't give an answer. He was used to being respected and feared by all motorists and not being question or challenged not to talk of being humiliated.

"It was N50. I remember it very well."

"Now look here..." Martins began as his embarrassment was fast turning to anger.

"That's enough Dayo." Michael said swiftly getting in between Martins and Dayo he could see the fury building up in Officer Martins eyes.

"Sorry Officer I will get you your clothes, please this way." and he led everyone back to the shop and proceeded to give each of them their clothes. He never allowed Dayo to say anything further because Dayo was gifted at annoying people and he usually didn't know or cared how angry he had made them. If Dayo was allowed to say anymore Michael would certainly be out of customers and best-friendless because Martins might kill him.

"Here is your suit Mr. Segun."

"Thank you, Mike. Hey Dayo, aren't you supposed to be out on a marketing?"

"Aren't you supposed be training new employees?" and with a smile Mr Dayo left.

"Are you really on a marketing run?"

"Yes." Dayo shrugged casually.

"Dayo, why are you here then? Go on your marketing run so you that the bank doesn't find out."

"They won't find out. Mr Segun won't tell them because he left the trainees he was monitoring to come here and the bank only wants me to submit a list of names and phone numbers of about fifty potential new clients."

"So have you gotten the list?"

"Yes, sure. I got it before i left the bank."

"What...HOW?"

"I downloaded it online. There are many websites with a registry of people living in all environs in Lagos. I just gave them about a hundred of those."

Michael shook his head in disbelief "You ehn? But won't your supervisor get suspicious?"

"No. I always rewrite the names using different multi coloured pens to avoid suspicion. Besides it would take extra scrutiny for her to be recheck each individual contact and she doesn't want that."

"So tell me. What happpend? Why were they all over you?"

Michael's smiling face suddenly got wider. "I saw her today, Dayo. I can't believe it. I saw her and we had lunch and it was the best day of my life."

Dayo listened to his friend talk about the events of the day while they were seated on the only step of his tiny dry cleaning shop and he saw Michael look like Michael again. The Michael who was the heart of their group. The one who was bold and hopeful about the future. The one who pushed the rest of them to be their best. The one who half of their class admired and secretly aspired to be. The Michael who was alive. And Dayo had missed him terribly.

"See!? I told you we should have tracked her down! So when are you going to see her again?"

"I don't know yet...but I will see her again, that's definitely going to happen!"

They sat down there together quietly for a few minutes before Dayo left for the bank.

Michael turned off the light bulbs and the standing fan. The only good source of ventilation in the shop. He closed the door and the burglary and headed home. In a few minutes he was home. The small decrepit room was nothing compared to the apartment they had when his father was alive. They had moved about four times before they came to this place in the heart of Lagos mainland not yet a slum with a little of its old age charm and good neighbours. Michael chose it because it was closest to the government hospital that his mother frequents. He was shocked when she had that first major attack in his presence. It was about a week after his dad... and since then they had come to be regulars at the hospital and his grandmother had all but moved in with them to help take care of his mom. Without his dad the ambiance seemed dull and gloomy upon everything and everyone. Except Johnny of course. Nothing ever seemed to bother Johnny for too long. He always seemed able to keep his smile no matter the circumstances. It used to annoy Michael and he often had the urge to smack him because he felt his brother was just not taking things seriously but now he just let him be. And sometimes he even relied on Johnny to find the upside to any gloomy situation they found themselves in. If anything could faze Johnny, Michael was yet to see it. It was his superpower.

Infinite Love 33

A Home Called Gloom

It was late, as usual and the traffic was light as usual. Mr Gabriel was going home to his wife and boys after another long shift and even though his eyes were tired and his colleagues had begged him to stay him behind, one of the pilots even offered him his private office to sleep him for the night but he insisted on getting home. His wife was asthmatic and she always said that she could always breathe better whenever he was home.

So he drove and obeyed all the road signs and even drove below the speed limit just to be on the safe side. But when he stopped at that red light next to the trailer waiting for the light to go green he couldn't have seen the college students drunk driving on the other side of the trailer. And so he never saw them. All he noticed was the abrupt speeding off the trailer with the driver shouting back at him to "move". And then everything was black.

...

"Gabriel? Gabriel is that you?" his mother called out to him immediately he entered the room. She often called him by his father's name when he got home when she was having severe symptoms. When Michael complained of this to a doctor he attributed it to anaemia induced hallucination coupled with the loss of her husband. Her mind stubbornly held on to him refusing to let him go. Michael had often thought he resembled his mother but over the years he could feel his body slowly morphing into that of his father's. His mom noticed it before he did and called him by his dad's name often when her symptoms were severe.

He would correct her most times but sometimes, he could just see the loss and the longing in her eyes and wouldn't be able to deny her that; the mirage of her husband. On those days, when he pretended to be his father for his mother's sake, she would talk. She would say things Michael didn't know about them, about how they met and came to marry.

"Gabriel? Do you remember then, the first house we rented? How we couldn't tell people our address because we were ashamed of the house?" she would laugh. The laughter that she hardly made, she would laugh those days when Michael pretended.

"And how my mother shouted when she came and saw. Do you remember how she dragged me from that house?"

"Yes." Michael said quickly after the light in her eyes dimmed because he hadn't responded.

"Oh Gabriel! I know my mother troubled you too many times but you wouldn't how she speaks of you these days. She has finally come around just as you said she would."

"Yes." he said simply fencing between joy and sadness from looking at his mother.

"Dear, do come home earlier please. You know I always breathe better when you're around me."

"I will."

"I'm tired I think I'll go back to sleep now." she said dozing off again.

"Yes, sleep mom." he said alarmed that he might have ruined the pretense but she was already fast asleep.

"Where has Johnny gone to again? He is supposed to be with mom today." he wondered.

Good job bro

Infinite Love 34

Everybody Still Loves Johnny!

Ewo!
If u help me see Ego,
Make u tell am i don go,
She no look me and so,
Don pack my load go Ewo!

"Ewo!
If u help me see Ego,
Make u tell am i don go,
She no look me and so,
Don pack my load go Ewo!"

Michael heard Johnny singing from across the corridor with Grandma in tow and as he was about to enter the room he smacked his brother to keep him from waking up their mom.

"Shh! Mom's asleep." he whispered.
"Oh! Sorry!" and he crept into the room quietly.
"Did she recognise you today?" Johnny asked with his boyish smile and Michael shook his head. His brother smiled even wider to Michael's ever growing fascination.
Johnny in every way has been different from Michael in both their looks and their behaviours. Michael was dark skinned with looks now more of his father's but Johnny was light like the rest of their immediate family, Michael was the only one dark skinned. And Johnny had the softer features of their mom with her oval jaw as opposed to Michael's square jaw. He was in many ways more handsome than Michael but his most endearing quality was the boyish charming way he looked at everything. Where Michael saw gloom and doom, Johnny would point out the funny streak in them. When their mom first mistook Michael for their father it broke Michael's heart to think that their mom was now so sick that it was affecting her mind but Johnny only told him;
"When next she mistakes you for dad just tell her; Chika, when was the last time you wore your blue gown? You know I like it when you wear your blue gown".
Which was one of their father's favorite lines when he was alive and Michael had to laugh because Johnny had said it in a good but comical impression of their father's voice.
Yes indeed the brothers were different but their love for eachother was the same and so did the rest of their family. Johnny's boyish body is slowly becoming a man's body with many pimples spread out but his face still easily broke into an easy smile and often laughter with light hearted jokes and teases for everyone. In a compound that has many people gossiping and quarrelling often their family had immunity from all such trivial wahalas. Nobody ever bothered their mother because she was very sick and sickness deserves simpathy not shallow trivialities, Michael was immune because he hardly ever spoke any more than the obligatory "Good mornings" and "Good nights" but Johnny was immune because it is so darn hard for anyone young and old, men or women to quarrel with that adorable smile and easy jokes.
Even in the neighbourhood Johnny was known despite Michael's insistence on keeping a low profile. He was surprised when walking along one evening after a few weeks of living in the neighbourhood when someone called out to him saying;

"Hello, brother? Excuse me? Johnny's brother?" Michael turned around to find an petite oval shaped young girl walking up to him.
"I'm sorry brother. Please is Johnny around?" she asked.
"No... he went out to get something."
"Okay, thank you sir." then she left leaving Michael surprised. When he got back home and asked his brother about her he simply said.
"Oh, that's Loveth. I've seen her, don't worry."
"And who is Loveth!?" he asked perplexed but his brother simply gave a mischievious side grin with lowered and Michael knew he wouldn't say more about the matter.
But that was how it was from then on. Everyone in the neighbour knew Johnny especially the young dainty girls (he had a type). While the rest of them simply knew Michael as Johnny's brother. Nobody ever knew anything else about him.

But Johnny not always happy. He does feel sad and he did break down and cry when their father was lowered into the earth at the burial. But his own sadness was expressed more in a solemn look and lowered voice. He was just inclined to happiness and talking no matter the situation while Michael was more incline to moodiness and silence. Their personalities differed but they attracted like opposing poles of a magnet because the brothers loved each other fiercely and would do whatever needed for each other.




Their grandmother came in shortly and they both welcomed her.
"Welcome, Mama."
"Yes, thank you my sons."