"Remember, you are about to start university. All those negative influences I’ve been warning you about have stopped. Now, you need to begin talking positively to yourself. There's a saying: 'If a man trains his child well, it is up to the child to retrain himself.' Even if you think my mouth is smelling, you won't listen to what I’m saying; it is left to you."
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That was my mom, who called me out of the blue and asked me to sit down because we needed to talk. I had just one week before I start going to the university, and I was excited about it because I would finally have some space away from my nagging mother. I was surprised she called me, thinking she wanted to give me some money for my trip.
I was tired of her always advising me; I had better things to do with my time. I had just a week left, which meant I had to visit all my friends both far and near before going to school. Sitting down and listening to her talk wasn't part of my plan. Everything she was saying was entering through my right ear and was coming out of my left.
"Hope you are listening to what I was saying," she asked. Halfheartedly, I replied, "Yes, ma," while my mind was elsewhere. I was just hoping she would wrap things up so I could be on my way.
After an hour of advice, we finally finished, and I couldn't thank the Lord enough for making this ordeal come to an end. As soon as I stood up, I headed over to Daniel's place.
As I walked towards Daniel's house, I made my way through the bustling streets of Eyita, the place where I grew up and would soon be leaving. The air was thick with the scent of roasted plantains, fried akara, and the unmistakable aroma of burning firewood wafting from Iya Misturah's shop. "Buy plantain!" she called out, trying to attract the attention of passersby. When she spotted me, I bowed my head to greet her, as she was a friend of my mother.
On one side of the street, a woman wrapped in a brightly colored Ankara cloth balanced a massive tray of fresh oranges on her head, skillfully peeling one with a small, sharp knife as she walked.
Nearby, a group of schoolchildren in blue uniforms, which made it clear where they were coming from, navigated through the crowd of traders and shoppers. Their laughter reminded me of my own days as a student like them.
After walking a little further, I found myself standing directly across from Daniel's house. I didn't need to search for him; he was outside, burning some debris that had accumulated at his home.
"What's up, Fash? University boy," he said to me, and I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at his words.
"Yes, I'm heading to the university very soon! I won't be talking to street boys anymore," I joked. However, my comment seemed to annoy Daniel. "So, I’m the street boy now, right? You haven't even gone yet, and you're already acting proud!" he retorted.
"Come on, don’t take it to heart. I was just joking," I said apologetically. We shook each other's hands, and he said to me while he turned the dirt in the fire. "Do you know Johnson has been around for a while now, and I heard he will be returning to school soon?" I looked at him confused because I had no idea Johnson was around.
Johnson was someone from our group who had gone to university before us. After he returned, he stopped playing ball with us at the field and didn't join us for our late-night walks. He seemed proud, and many of us distanced ourselves from him. I was furious that he came back from school and didn’t think it was important to pay us a visit, not even once. I got up and told Daniel that I would be back.
"Where are you going to" Daniel asked. "I want to go see Johnson and tongue-lash him. All this pride will come down today; after all, I am also in the university." I responded as I went away without looking back.
In a little while, I arrived at Johnson's house and met his mom at the front. She was a short, petite woman with light skin and a warm demeanor. "Ah, Fash! It's been a while since you came to our house. It's nice to see you today! " She said to me as she tries to adjust her wrapper around her waist.
"Good afternoon, ma. Is Johnson home?" I asked without looking her in the eyes. She pointed to the entrance of their home, and I went inside. I walked in on Johnson, who had his books spread across the table. I was confused; the reason I came was starting to fade from my mind.
"Are you planning to throw away the books?" I asked, and that was when he noticed I had entered. "Fash, my man! How have you been? Sorry I haven't come out to say hi. I’ll be resuming next week, and I've been preparing for the upcoming exams," Johnson replied as he tried to organize the books on the table.
I thought to myself, "Is this the same Johnson who hates reading? The same Johnson who was the leader of our group? Reading?" I was amazed by how hard he was studying, and I realized how much he had changed. He seemed so serious about his life now and had no time to wander the streets aimlessly.
At that point I wanted the same for myself; I respected him, and I knew there was a reason why he was that way. At that moment, a Clean sweep happened in my mind, and my orientation changed.
“So what’s up?” he asked. I replied, “I will be going back to school soon, and I wanted to know if you have any advice for me to take with me when I resume.”
He laughed, pushed his book aside, and we started talking. We spoke for hours. When it was finally time for me to go home, I waved goodbye to him with a grateful heart, determined to apologize to my mom.
The end.
