The morning light bathed the classroom in a soft glow, and the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall marked the steady progression of time. Audu, a young man, was hunched over his test paper, immersed in answering his questions. Restless taps of his shoes beneath the desk betrayed a subtle nervous energy.
Abruptly, a feminine ringtone shattered the focused atmosphere, prompting Audu to retrieve his phone. The voice on the other end was filtered and mysterious.
"Yo!" Audu greeted
"It's time, and we are at our spot already" the voice replied, urgency laced in its tone.
Audu's face tensed with sudden realization.
"Fuuuck! What's the time!"
He glanced at his phone screen then swiftly returned to the call.
"I am on my way right now!"
As he hung up, the once-quiet classroom transformed into a sea of surprised stares. Even the lecturer—positioned at the front with a whiteboard proclaiming the ongoing physics test behind him— watched Audu in bewildered silence.
In swift resignation, Audu rose, traversed the aisle, and handed his incomplete test papers to the lecturer. Frustration etched across his face.
"Fuck Science!" he cussed
Exiting the classroom, Audu's eyes caught a poster on the wall which he tore off cleanly. Walking away as he read it.
...
Amidst the frenzied symphony of clattering pots and sizzling pans in the restaurant's kitchen. A violated Missing Poster of Zara Buhari, its corners wrinkled and edges frayed, shared wall space with another poster proclaiming "DILLALAI coming soon".
A waiter who meticulously finished preparing a dish hurried off to serve the eager customers. In a secluded corner of the restaurant, a trio of friends gathered—Auwal, a 17-year-old nerd; Babe, a 19-year-old lady; and Audu, a figure currently approaching them.
Babe, engrossed in her own world of music with earphones in place, sensed Audu's arrival and promptly removed them, her eyes lighting up with excitement at the sight of him.
"What's up Jungs!" Audu greeted
"Jungs?" Babe muttered in confusion, a quizzical expression on her face.
"'Guys' in German" Auwal explained, offering a linguistic bridge.
Understanding dawned on Babe, and she smiled in acknowledgment.
"Look at these assholes advertising drugs when we have serious problems" Audu complained, a hint of frustration in his voice as he recall the poster he read on his way here.
"Zara Buhari?" Babe inquired, seeking more context.
"Yeah, her. Fucking Sumbuka... they are saying that she is the one that took her now" Audu replied, his words laden with concern.
"Did you manage to watch the video that was released?" Auwal asked, delving into the unfolding mystery.
Babe's gaze shifted to Audu, her expression reflecting growing concern.
"There are no visuals, just audio" Auwal continued, his phone producing a recording that gripped their attention. Fear etched itself on their faces as the tension in the room intensified.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, the waiter arrived with their food, his sudden presence jolting them back to the immediate surroundings. They seized on the arrival as a coping mechanism, diving into their meals with a mix of appetite and the need to momentarily escape the disquieting revelations.
After a brief pause, Auwal asked "So, are you guys ready?"
"Huh?" Audu replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"The city's greatest selfie!" Auwal declared, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
"Obviously…" Babe responded, showing off her well-made-up
"Ah!q Bellisimo!" Audu praised, genuine admiration in his voice.
"Grazie, Grazie…" Babe replied, a satisfied smile gracing her lips as she basked in the flattery.
"Why didn't I notice it earlier" Audu muttered to himself, a playful shrug of his shoulders punctuating his realization.
"Oh, I also invited Nasir over" Babe announced, a sudden recollection lighting up her face.
"Who?" Audu asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Babe hesitated momentarily but decided to answer, "Le Cokk!"
"Fuck Le Cokk!" Auwal declared, a sudden surge of anger in his tone.
In near-instant unison, Audu joined in, echoing the sentiment, "Fuck Le Cokk".
Babe attempted to speak, but she was interrupted by Auwal once again, his conviction unwavering, "Fuck Le Cokk".
With a slow, deliberate point at Babe, Audu repeated, "Fuck Le Cokk" solidifying their shared disdain for this common foe.
"For God's sake, what do you see in that guy?" Auwal questioned curiously, his disbelief evident.
"Yeah, tell us, what do you see, Babe?" Audu echoed, seeking insight.
"He's alright…" Babe answered sheepishly.
"He's arrogant" Audu shot back instantly, a note of disdain in his tone.
"And a bully" Auwal chimed in, his disapproval echoing Audu's sentiment.
"He doesn't like anybody except you. He doesn't like Auwal" Audu continued, highlighting Le Cokk's selective affections.
"He can't even speak well with his poor vocabulary" Auwal added, his imitation of Le Cokk veering into mocking territory. "Hey, listen here, are you guys chilling?"
"Basically, he is weird, and you have poor choice in men!" Audu commented, his critique biting.
"Da fuck!" Babe exclaimed angrily.
Audu, sensing the need to shift the atmosphere, swiftly changed the topic to something less contentious, aware of Babe's potential ire.
"I'm going to buy Gala… do you want some?" he offered, attempting to diffuse the tension.
Babe, playing along, responded with a bit of playfulness before accepting with a smile. "A lot" she emphasized, gesturing with her hands to emphasize her hearty appetite. Audu, recognizing the cue, smiled and left, escaping the brewing storm.
"Fucking Le Cokk" Auwal suddenly exclaimed, his disdain still lingering.
"You are still doing that?" Babe grumbled, her annoyance palpable.
"No, there he comes" Auwal declared, pointing towards the approaching figure of Le Cokk.
Le Cokk, Babe's boyfriend, a twenty three year old who was not a student at the institution, arrived on the scene. His entrance was marked by enthusiastic greetings, kisses thrown in the air, and winks aimed at the women nearby—much to Auwal's suprise.
"Hello everyone!" Le Cokk greeted
"Hey..." Babe greets him with a smile, clearly used to his flamboyant demeanor.
"Yo, listen here, you guys are chilling, yeah" Le Cokk declared
Auwal shot Babe a certain look, playfully attempting to reach for her food, but she smacked away his hand, maintaining the familiar dynamic. Audu returned with the Gala, taking a seat to eat and even sampling from Babe's plate. A subtle hint of envy flashed across Le Cokk's expression due such interactions.
"Le Cokk, hello?" Audu greeted, attempting a casual exchange.
"Hey man, that's not my name, yeah" Le Cokk retorted, a hint of irritation in his tone.
Audu shrugged off the comment, seemingly uninterested in a semantic dispute. Meanwhile, Auwal began adjusting his already broken glasses, taping the frame together. Babe noticed the makeshift repair and inquired about it.
"What happened to your glasses? Was that the reason why you were not wearing them?"
Auwal glanced at Le Cokk, who responded with a threatening look, implying that he might have had a hand in the glasses' demise. Suddenly, Audu decided to break the silence.
"Le Cokk broke it" he stated matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, but I told him sorry, right?" Le Cokk replied, attempting to downplay his role in the incident.
Audu, nonchalant, brushed off his answer "I didn't hear it"
Babe, sensing the tension, tried to intervene on Auwal's behalf. "Baby?!"
"Sorry, Master…but you know, you are also my baby, right?" Le Cokk conceded with a mixture of playfulness and arrogance. However, he couldn't resist adding a statement that sent shivers down Audu's spine, leaving him visibly disgusted. Le Cokk's parting words hung in the air as Audu muttered to himself while shaking his head, "Oh! Le Cokk".
Le Cokk, seemingly unfazed by the previous comment, smoothly changed the topic.
"So are you guys ready? Yeah? the selfie!" he announced, steering the conversation toward lighter shores.
Audu, now thoroughly fed up with Le Cokk's antics, responded with irritation. "Uh, Le Cokk, you are a fourth wheel, so you are not useful."
Auwal pondered the situation and interjected, "Actually, a fourth wheel gives balance, that means he is quite useful".
Le Cokk took this interpretation as a victory, triumphantly snorting in satisfaction. "Hmph!"
Audu, feeling defeated, shook his head and turned to Auwal. "Fuck your brain!"
Auwal smiled and added a playful remark. "He could be the cameraman, though".
Audu, embracing the idea without much thought, agreed
"So, behind the camera... Le Cokk, congratulations, you are now our cameraman".
With a newfound role bestowed upon him, Audu seized Babe's phone and snapped a photo of Le Cokk. "Say cheese, motherfucker!" he exclaimed.
The camera flash capturing a moment frozen in time.