Sky your daddy is back" Vincent announced blankly to me, wearing an abandoning look with those dark pair of eyes peering directly into mine as if expecting a feed back from me any moment.

My eyes was flown back to the play station potable on my hand within a milli-second as i was about to complete the Contra final stage and needed all the concentration i could muster.

"Sky, you didn't hear me?" Vincent sang again as he could see his news seemed not to have any effect on me. I looked up in a flash again, disbelief was written all over his face seeing the slight drop of his mouth as he mopped at me this time around.

"Am coming abeg" i blurted out my gaze already dragged back to the game on my hand.

"What are you even playing self" He went on, shifting the topic seeing how uninterested i seem to be.

"Let me see" He was drawing my hands near so his short neck could make out what i was playing, a tiny grunt flickered out of the speakers, an end game tone followed immediately and i looked on with horror as my game character lay dead just moments before i could complete killing the boss seeing the boss life was almost spent.

"Jesus Ooooooooooooooh!!!" I yelled out in dismay casting a deadly glare at Vincent who had an almost laughing look.

"See now i have to start this game all over again, see i don't like it oo" I barked out near cry, the game in my hand pointing at Vincent with a crisp shade of unsure threat.

Just when i thought nothing could hurt me more at this moment seeing that my last attempt on the final level just came to a futile end on the last seconds but then Vincent sudden outburst did the trick. His large stomach vibrated and bounced up and down as his body vibrated, cracking sounds of an uncalled laughter.

Vincent was sprawled on the floor laughing his stomachs out, maybe i didn't get the joke but it had something to do with my face seeing as his finger was pointing at my face while a tear escaped his left eye, the laugh seemed unending and did more to Triple the raging anger that surged within me.

It's not bad a enough that he just spoiled my chance of winning this game, he is finding it funny and laughing the Be-jesus out of me.

Vincent; a partly big fat boy, he is comfortably bigger and fatter than any of us in our age group, his chubby porky body always seem too soft and flappy.

His uncanny nosiness in dabbling into your business is legendary.

The day he will see anything you are eating and pretend he didn't is exactly the day Jesus will come. if there is anything i have learnt, it should be to get anything am eating as far away from him as possible. His lust for food is unmatched and his greediness when dealing with food was out of the world.

He is always seen eating one thing or the other.

The day he almost ruined my life is still very vivid in my mind. Had returned home tired, worn out and hungry after a severe bout of football game that extended well pass twilight.

Mama had made egusi soup which left me mouth watered as i rushed out of the bathroom wearing my clothes without wiping my body dry with a towel. I was too hungry for ceremonies.

A decent plate of Garri with the egusi soup letting out hot steams was passed to me with mama warning me that the garri was finished so no need asking for another around. I didn't have to, what am seeing on my plate can be managed.

Just when the first lump of garri coated richly in soup slid down my throat in a slow journey giving me time to savor the heavenly taste. I heard my name ringing from outside, before i could say "who" Vincent was already in front of me wearing an evil grin beaming down at the food.

Had to look on in near tears as he sat comfortably opposite me, washed his hands and dove into the food without invitation.

Looking at him now laughing after disrupting my chance of winning the game, my torment was was doubled. "why is this guy always around to torment my life" i cursed under my breathe.

"Johny, your father is calling you!!" Mama called out, i cast a hard glare at Vincent- who didn't even mind seeing how his body still quaked with laughter- walked in to answer daddy.

Papa sat tiredly in our small sitting room, our outdated large t.v taking even more severe toll on the available space than the sofas with strategic holes here and there from our co-tenants; Rats.

A bag lay in front of him basking in the rays thrown by the electric bulb.

Mama sat across the side looking down on me with an almost gloomy eyes.

"Good evening sir" I said making papa open his eyes a bit, groaned as he rose slowly to seat up and heaved a hard sigh. He was tired, you didn't need a soothsayer to tell you that.

"Nwam (my child), here are the materials for your school" He said in his heavy Igbo dialect pushing the bag a little towards me.

My name is John but my friends seeing the priest did a terrible job during my baptism took it upon themselves to rebaptize me and gave me the name Johnysky mostly sky , a 17 year old teen who have been introduced into the jungle of life in the ghetto i was born in.

Slender body built into a tall frame, dark complexioned and innocent-look face.

The first out of three children born to my parents. Ugo is the second, 13years old just entered secondary school, Miracle was the third and last and the only girl, 5years old. She came when everyone thought mama was contented with the two children she had, i too had been surprised cus it was unexpected but yet a welcomed development.

Papa was a mason and mama was a trader. Was born into a typical low class Nigerian world.

A brain that can be classified to be decent as i have never failed any subject before in my primary and junior secondary school days.

Now i will be in senior secondary school 2 when the academic year starts in September.

Being from a poor background had not made education an easy one for me.

I had to finish my primary school days with only 2 pairs of uniforms. I used the first from my primary 1 to 3, and it was changed when the short was a little more than a pantie due to growth. i managed the new one from 4 to 6, and the number of shoes i used too wouldn't fill an average polythene bag still. It was the community government school where most of us kpakos were packed.

Comfortably pass my entrance exams and was admitted to the a government secondary school a bit far from home, having to go with a bus #50 every day and sometimes have to trek home.

It's not that bad, its just exercise.

Paying the little school fees required was still a problem to us, as papa's work wasn't the money flow type and mama's trading business was just an attached stall.

An unexpected turn of event had taken me to the world of the elites and introduced me into a whole new universe that would change my life forever.

It was the last term of my s.s.1 class, the usual noisy typical class ladened with baseless noises that can be classified as chatters.

The back benchers are huddled together, singing and using the lockers as instrument.

The principal walked in, an air of authority swayed accompanied by the English teacher with a large poster.

The whole class went as mute and quiet as a grave yard. The principal announced that a scholarship exam was to take place before the term runs out and anybody interested should submit their names to the English teacher.

As usual the front row geeks were over excited, submitting their names almost immediately the principal finished his speech gaining a weak smile as a reward from the principal.

The back benchers as expected were not even perturbed by the information, some already were looking out through the window while some whistled music mildly to themselves.

I submitted my name with an indifferent attitude. "Na try i go try, them no go kill me if i do so"

The exams was held within the term, it was held by McGonals collage. one of the, if not the best secondary schools east of the Niger. No wonder only the rich men enroll their children, the goliath-like school fees was absolutely impossible for any David to kill.

Believing my eyes was impossible for me, watching the notice board with my name on it. I unleashed some slaps on my face to be sure i was not hallucinating.

had to drag Collins down to the notice board, He blew up pointing frantically at my name boldly written in gold letters on the notice sheet, i had come second right after Victor Eke of course, he was the brightest mind in our class, his intelligence can only be matched by his arrogance which has made him my number one enemy in class.

I didn't mind, my name towered above other students seen to be intelligent in the class. That's something to be proud of, unexpected as it seemed but here it was 'I had gained a scholarship to study at McGonals collage'

I watched on at the polythene bag containing the things papa had bought, it was the personal provisions for my use in school, the school will be responsible for my feeding as generally done in the school and my educational materials.

"Thank you sir, Thank you ma" i said picking up the polythene to arrange it alongside other bags i was going with.

I was happy i was finally going to the first good school in my life, happy about the turns my life was taking and happy my father didn't have to worry about my school fees anymore.

I whistled outside inter changing between hums and whistles wearing a heavy smile and met Vincent still seating on the floor where i left him but was no longer laughing.

"Ehee sky you i wanted to tell you something before you left angrily" He said giving me a light punch which usually would be annoying if not for my present mood.

I grinned hard my eyes feasting on his bulged cheeks and the way his teeth worked on something in his mouth.

"What is it Vin" I asked still smiling fidgeting with the game to get it back on so i can give the level another shot.

"You know my father is the Uncle of McGonals collage principal, i told him you got admitted to it and he talked to his nephew who added my name to the total list of 15students awarded the scholarship, I have been admitted too" He said taking a rather wild bite at a large chunk of bread he tore out of his pocket.

"Hhmmmm that's nice" I said again with smiles still on my face still trying to get the game back on.

But wait, i think Vincent just said something now, something about McGonals collage.

"Wait, You what?…McGonals!!?" I blurted out with dropped mouth and bulged eyes. He nodded feverishly excitedly still stuffing bread into his mouth.