By Moses Kingsley Ifesinachi
“It’s a gooooal!” Daniel shouted throwing his right hand on the air. He kept shouting and dancing around the centre table in the parlour as if his school team had won the principal’s cup.
The excitement took over him three minutes later when the centre referee blew the final whistle. He went to his room, brought a bag and started removing the books one after another.
“Mathematics,” he said. “I still love you no matter how stubborn you may be.” He dropped it gently on his right.
“Chemistry, you are a very good friend but…,” he muttered under his breath and laid it on top of the Mathematics.
He brought out the next one. It was Biology. He breathed in and flipped through it. “You are my worst enemy,” he said and flung it to his left.
He brought out the last two. It was Physics and English. Without saying anything, he smiled and laid it gently on his right over the other two.
All the books were sparkling white. His father bought them a month ago to help him prepare for the West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examinations which were drawing near but he had not read any of them.
On those ones in his right he wrote ‘I love Real Madrid.’ It was so bold that each time he opened the books it would remind him the day the football club won the Spanish league.
“Richard!” he called. “What have you been doing in the kitchen?” he rushed to the kitchen to check if the food was ready.
“Where has this old man gone without telling me?” he murmured as he opened the pots one after another. Luckily, he saw a pot of rice. He served himself and after eating, he wore his Madrid jersey and boot. Looking at the wall clock, it was 6 o’clock. He put his headphone and ran out of the house.
“Dan! Dan! Where are you going?” Richard called from the parking lot where he was washing the cars but Daniel couldn’t hear.
Few minutes later, a car horn hooted at the gate; he ran to the gate and opened it. Barrister Ezekwe and his wife drove in.
“Good evening sir! good evening ma!” Richard greeted.
“Make sure my son’s school uniforms and clothes are neat,” she said. It was the same instruction she gave before leaving for work that Monday morning. He nodded in affirmative although he had finished washing and ironing them long before they arrived.
They didn’t ask about Daniel since they already knew where he would be by that time. Both parents took care of him and made sure he had everything he wanted. It was obvious that he was born with a silver spoon. He attended one of the best secondary schools in Lagos and wears expensive materials. At only sixteen, he had grown tall and muscular like his father. He had started growing hairs on his jaws, moustache and chin even when Richard who was thirty two had nothing to show off on his face.
They were discussing the way forward for Daniel since he was about to graduate from secondary school but were interrupted by Richard. Mrs. Ezekwe brought back the topic when they got inside because she wanted her son to have his university education in Kings College, London where she also graduated from. She also met her husband when he came on vacation in London and they got married in Nigeria few years later.
“He is going nowhere,” he said.Barrister Ezekwe was very much afraid that his son may be involved in a crime when he got there.
“Have you forgotten the incessant strike embarked upon by the lecturers in Nigerian universities,” she shouted as if that would make him change his mind. “The growing number of cult clashes which has led to the death of many students, and the…”
“I have heard you but I have given my verdict,” he interrupted.
She left angrily to the toilet.
“Richard!” she called few minutes later in a voice that showed she was quite angry. Richard was in the parlour watching television.
“Mummy,” he answered.
“Why is the toilet so dirty?” she yelled. “Go and wash it right now,” she shouted at him without allowing him say a word.
Richard Okafo was once a student of Lagos State University but dropped out because he couldn’t afford to pay his school fee which was quite exorbitant. He was a pharmacy student then but his uncle who had been taking care of his education stopped without a good cause when he was in 300 Level.
Barrister Ezekwe and his wife had been his sun and his moon. They took care of his feeding, clothing, health and accommodation. Indeed, they were like father and mother to the poor Richard who lost his parents when he was a child. His tears overflowed each time the memories of his parents float but the kind treatment he was getting from his new home made him forget the past.
It was already getting dark and drizzling outside when Daniel walked in; smelling like a rotten egg and panting heavily like someone who had just finished a hundred metres race.
Richard was coming from the toilet “Where are you coming from?” he asked. They stood eyeball to eyeball. Daniel was thinking what to reply while Richard was deliberating on the next action to take.
“What is your business? Are you my father?” Daniel lashed out on him first.He didn’t know that his parents were back from work and he was on top of his voice. “You better marry and stop asking me questions as if I’m your son.”
Richard shut his mouth immediately. He had grown used to his insulting behaviours and was always ready for it.
“Daniel!” Barrister Ezekwe called when he heard his voice.
He answered reluctantly and went to meet him.
Barrister Ezekwe looked at the wall clock opposite, it was exactly 8 o’clock and he sputtered “W-Where are you coming from by this time of the night?” He said as if that was the first time he would get home by 8.
Daniel didn’t answer. Instead, he was staring at his mother who was always behind all his actions but that night she was unusually silent. It was obvious that he was coming from the stadium.
“You went to play when you have exams to face by next month,” he said. “I don’t want you to step out of the gate any other time you come back from school again.” He warned.
He called Richard who was then reading. He always read as though he was still in school, especially at night when he had finished with all the household chores.
“I have always told you to teach him whenever he’s back from school,” he reminded him.
“Daddy, I don’t want to school in Nigeria,” Daniel said in a low voice like a child who was afraid of being punished, as if he overheard his parents when they were discussing the issue. The last time he made the same statement, his father punished him and since then his mother had been his spokesperson on the matter because she was on the same side.
His mother was hailing him for his courage and could be heard saying speak up my son in her heart.
“Since you don’t want to school in Nigeria, you have to prove that you are good enough to school in England by scoring at least 250 in the UTME.”
He ran and hugged his father as if he had met the entire criterion and was about to fly the following morning.
“But you should as well have credit passes in at least the five core subjects which are Chemistry, Physics, Biology, English and Mathematics.”
“Do you think that my son has the kind of brain you have, he is going to surprise you.” she teased. The expressions on her face showed that she was very much excited.
From that night, Daniel became so serious. He started reading before he went to bed. As if that wasn’t enough, he would wake up by 4 a.m. to study his books. Richard was always there to put him through whenever he needed help especially on Chemistry and biology.
In his school, he told all his friends and was so proud about that. Most of his friends were calling him ‘London boy.’
The night before the UTME, he read all through the night. A week later after the exam, the result was sent to him and he scored 251.
“My dream of becoming a London trained Computer scientist is gradually becoming a reality,” he beat his chest and said as if he was already in his final year at Kings College London.
It was still remaining WASSCE and he was very sure that he would get over it since he had passed the UTME.
On the day before the examination would start he thought what if I fail any of those subjects.The tried to ignore the ugly thought but it persisted.
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