We thought it was best to get home as soon as we could, and park the car before Michael’s father returns. I could have sworn there was a Police checkpoint at the exit side of Liverpool Bridge, but for some weird reasons, the Policemen were not there when we were leaving Apapa. If we would have gotten home before Michael’s dad, the several stops to refill the car’s radiator obstructed our plans. At a point, we used a 25litre rubber, meant for fuel, to fetch water along the road. This has got to be my most dramatic day ever.
When we got to the entrance of our street, we paused to top up water again. Michael decided to start a conversation to lighten the mood. “Fuck up men… We no even fit see Amaka again”.
We were contemplating to go see Amaka, a pretty girl in Science class, who Nuru had a crush on before we saw Sunkanmi. Nuru had suggested we stopped at Amaka’s, perhaps she would be impressed by the fact that we drove to hers. As we were struggling to keep up with the convo, a fair lady walked past us. She was wearing a black, leather mini skirt. “Omo, see lap!” was the next thing that came out from my mouth. “What nonsense!” Nuru bawled out at me. “So in this our condition, you get time to dey look woman lap, ehn?”
I don’t understand why my exclamation was such a problem. After all, Michael started it, and I just thought to prop it a bit. Nuru and I, exchanged a few words, before Michael stepped in with an announcement, “You guys will have to hang around for a bit. I’ll drive the car home like I went out alone”. Nuru pretended not to hear and said, “You say?”
“Seriously guys, e go dey easier if I tell my dad say I go out alone, because I don’t think we should involve all our parents in this issue, it might be worse”, Michael said. From the depth of my heart, I wanted to hug Michael to say “thank you” for such genius idea. The thought of my dad’s reaction, and how he would probably punch my eyes, when he gets the news had trailed me to that point. “Are you sure?” I asked Michael. He nodded, and that was it.
When I got home that evening, I was calm and very helpful at home. My mom noticed my somewhat weird quietness, so she probed, “Innocent, are you okay?” I was lost in thoughts. I was looking at her, but did not respond. She probably called me twice before I came back to my senses. She said something in Ibo, but I didn’t get it, then she said “Wetin dey worry you?” I had just answered “Nothing”, and then there was a knock on the door. Despite the short drama between me and my mom, my dad did not raise his head from the old newspaper he was reading. If that evening was a Nollywood scene enactment, it wouldn’t have gone well without a mystery soundtrack. Thankfully, it wasn’t Michael’s father. It was one of our neighbors who came to borrow our pressing iron.
NEPA pulled their power plug at about 9pm, so I was asked to go put on the lamp. As I was in the room, I heard the front door open again. I could have sworn, I heard Michael’s father’s voice. I almost had a heart attack from the way my heart was pounding. “Innocent, where are you with the lamp?” my father blared out. I felt hot tears rolling down my cheeks as I came out with the lamp, but I didn’t see the supposed guest. Apparently, Uncle Tony came to return the pressing iron, since NEPA had struck. I couldn’t contain the secret anymore; something told me, if I confessed, my punishment could be mild. I complied and reported myself.
“Did you drive the car?” was the first thing my dad asked me.
“No dad, I don’t know how to drive”, I replied.
Somehow, I think he wanted to assume a stand, just in case, the matter came to parents contributing money to fix the car. The fact that he did not pounce words and blows on me immediately, made me uneasy. Even when he left the house that late, I couldn’t sleep till he got back. I thought he would arraign me for judgment, but he went inside to sleep.
My night could have been better if I wasn’t awake to dare devil mosquitoes. I couldn’t sleep because I didn’t want my dad to take me unawares. In the morning, I left for school earlier than usual. I didn’t even wait for breakfast. “We have an early morning test”, was the lie I told to escape already.
At school, Michael told us everything was fine; that his dad believed his story, and punished him. He didn’t know Nuru and I were involved. “I told him, I wanted to warm the car after washing it, but ran into a tree on the next street” said Michael. I was personally pleased with the outcome of the event. We all couldn’t wait to get home to celebrate.
We went to a local gin spot, far from our street, to hang out, later in the afternoon. As we sipped on our shots of monkey tail and dogoyaro, we laughed hard, as Michael narrated how he feigned fainting after a hot slap from his father. I told them what transpired in my own house, and surprisingly, they weren’t upset that I’ve confessed already. Maybe it was the alcohol. “Omo, I no tell my papa anything, oh”, Nuru chattered. We parted for the day, around 7pm; everything was fine until, my dad walked into the house with Michael’s dad...
To be continued (Next week, Tuesday)
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