Students in checkered coffee brown and white uniform poured out in groups from the Dinning hall. Their chatter was loud and indistinguishable and they sounded like buzzing bees.
Eniola and her friends had decided to wait behind so they wouldn't be caught in the rush as students made their way to the hostel in time for their siesta.
"Are you going to finish your Jollof rice?" Helen asked her.
Helen and Eniola had made peace over plans to find out if Chibunna had lied about someone trying to strangle him to escape writing the test.
"Nah, you want?"
"Yes, please"
Eniola pushed the food to Helen. She poured the food into her plate.
After Helen finished the food, they stood up and left the dining hall.
"School should come and chase these birds away. They eat the mangoes when they become ripe and there is never any left for us" Abigail complained.
Eniola looked up to watch the birds, they kept on taking leaves from the plantain tree to build their nest on the coconut tree. They had almost stripped the plantain tree of all it's leaves.
"look at that plantain tree. It is almost leave less. Doubt it will still be able to produce any fruits" Eniola commented.
"see what I am saying. This birds are destructive."
Eniola looked around to see if the birds had destroyed more trees and that was when she saw the sun glint off a shining object in the field. They had to pass by the field to get to the hostel.
"Jesus" Eniola sighed.
"What is it?"
"I think I left my chemistry Textbook in the dining hall"
"But I didn't see you with any book when we went for lunch" Helen said.
Caught, she thought. Why did this Helen girl have to be nosy? Couldn't she just accept it and leave it.
"hmm, that was because Emma brought it to me in the dining.
"ahn ahn, what was Emma doing with you textbook
"I gave it to him"
"why will you give him your textbook"
"What is it with all these questions now. I need to go and get the textbook"
"Okay, we will go with you?" Abigail offered
"oh, no you can't" Eniola blurted.
She needed to ditch them. They couldn't follow her.
"and why can't we?" Olanna joined the conversation.
"emm, because, ermm, I can't remember where I kept it."
"Duh, that's why we should follow you. We will be able to look for it quicker"
"I don't want to keep you, besides the principal said I should come to her office after lunch" she lied
"oh, okay then, bye."
"See you in the hostel," Abigail called.
"okay
She turned back towards the dining. Occasionally looking back to make sure she wasn't followed.
When she was sure that they had reached the hostel. She turned back towards the hostel too.
When she got to the field, her mother's ash shiny cardillac was parked on the field.
When she first saw the car, she wasn't been sure if it was her mother's but she didn't want to take a chance. So she had ditched her friends.
As she approached the car, her mother's driver came down and opened the back door.
Her mother came down. He closed the door behind her.
"Ekaa…"
Her mother slapped away the remaining of the greetings from her mouth.
Eniola held her cheek.
How did mama know?
She thought she had been able to convince Helen and her other classmates not to tell their parents about the strangling incident.
Who had told?
Did the principal tell her mother?
Well the principal could kiss goodbye to more donations if she was the one who told her mother as the woman was sure to withdraw her immediately from the school.
"How dare you, Eniola?"
Oluwakemi might have been on the slim side at one time in her life but money and the five children she gave birth to blew her up. Eniola could see the effect of the slap on her mother. It left her panting slightly.
How dare you Eniola?" Her mother asked again her voice a little louder.
"mumm.."
"On now, I am you mother ehn? But you refuse to pick my calls. Your father pleaded with me to give you time to let your childishness pass. Two months, not even once you picked my calls ehn"
Eniola sighed in relief despite her hurting cheeks. Her mother was here because she was not picking her calls and for no other reason.
"It's not like that, it's just that I was preparing for the test and..
Her mother laughed" what test Eniola?
"We wrote test. I am not lying ma. You can even ask the principal"
"The test you failed woefully was what you were preparing for? Ahmad" her mother called to her driver.
He came out of the car and answered. "Madam"
Oh good, the driver would also be included in her humiliation.
Do I look like a fool to you?" she asked him.
" No madam"
"You are sure?"
"Yes ma"
So Eniola why do you think you can fool me. You can fool anybody with that your fake innocent eyes but you can't fool me. I'm the one that gave birth to you. " she clapped her hand together. "You want me.." she pointed at her chest. "..to believe that you were studying"
"Mama, I was studying, you can ask my fr.."
"You were not studying, no you were looking for another boy that can get you pregnant again. That's what you were doing"
Mama would never let that go.
Eniola kept quiet and let her mother rant.
"You don't know anything, yet you act like you know something. Put your shoulders down so you can be taught but no you let your pride carry you. Look at your sister Simi, she is not good with books like you but she is calling home and we help her. Can't you copy your sister? no you can't but if it is to open legs for small small boys, you can do that one."
"That's okay mama. Can't I make a mistake? Will you continue to hold it over my head forever. Won't you let it go. You know what I am out of here."
She turned to go but her mother drew her back and gave her another slap.
Good. Now she have been slapped on both face.
"Is it me you are walking out on Eniola?
Her mother was panting harder now.
Eniola watched as she sniffed her. "oh you have a boyfriend now? That's why you can try to walk out on me. Did he stealing his poor parents money to buy you that Joy perfume.
Eniola was done for. Her mother would soon find out.
In a moment of anger, she had forgotten the very one lesson she had learnt from all her encounters with mama. Never ever react.
She watched has realization dawned on her mother.
"Ahmad, you remember that perfume I bought from Dubai that I thought that cleaner stole and I had to sack her."
"yes ma."
"look at the thief right in front of you" she pointed at Eniola. "Eniola go and bring that perfume now."
Eniola wasn't going to do that. She could still remember the look of awe on her friends face when they had seen the perfume. All of them had oohed and aahed at it after begging to perceive it.
"when I was showing my friends it fell from my hand and broke" She lied
"It fell and broke?
"Yes it did."
"Come let it us go and check your room and if I find it.." Her mother closed the car door.
"ah, madam, make you no do that . You go just make people they think say una dey steal for your family." Ahmad intervened.
Mama paused.
That people would think the Adesanyas were thieves? God forbid, Mama would prefer to die than see that day happen. Eniola could almost see her mother's thought.
"You are lucky" mama pointed at her
Eniola stared her mother with wide eyes.
"Do one more thing and I will send you to your Aunty Yemisi."
She got into the car and Ahmad drove off.
She would have to endure the calls with her mother because she could not take her Chance with Aunty Yemisi. At least mama thought that Simi was good and she was bad. Aunty Yemisi thought that every one even Simi was evil. She was the only saint in her own eyes and she suspected everyone.
She shook with dread as she imagined herself living with Aunty Yemisi.
God forbid.