Chapter 9: The Weekend.

I survived the first week of my new school. Despite the incident with Ebube, Dr. Dogonyaro granted me a weekend pass to go home. I caught Abuja Bus on Friday

afternoon after my last class.

Mom met me at the door and gave me a big hug.

"I prepared your favorite meal for dinner."

"Amala, Ogbolo and smoked fish?"

"Sure and it's ready. Do me a favor and go get Ayo. He's in the bedroom."

I found my lil-brother sitting on the edge of his bed, head hanging down, an opened book between his knees.

"Hi, bro. Doing homework?" I asked.

He ignored me, wearing a dull look and vacant expression.

"What the hell," I blurted. "What'd you take?"

Ayo wore a sheepish grin.

"Don't know. But some yellow pills that my friend, Bobby, gave me."

My temper seethed. "If Mama finds out you're using pills, it'll break her heart."

"She'll never know unless you give me up to her."

"Mom may not be book smart, but she sure isn't stupid. She'll see it on you just as easily as I did."

He massaged the side of his face and mumbled,

"She don't care. She didn't even walk with me to school as she promised."

That surprised me.

"She was supposed to. What happened?"

Ayo hung his head.

"You ask her. No big deal. Bobby and I are walking together from now on. He's my new friend."

"He's not your friend if all he can give you is pills," I said.

"Who is this boy anyway? Where does he live, and what class is he in?"

"Bobby is thirteen, and he lives in Alhaji Musa's compound down the street."

I heard Mom shout from the kitchen.

"You boys get out here. Food's getting cold."

Tm not hungry," Ayo shouted back, "specially for that nasty black thing called Amala."

I took his wrist and hauled him to his feet. "Amala may not appeal to your taste, but Mom's trying hard to enable us feed. Don't you make her feel bad."

He reluctantly stood up and legged ahead of me.

I followed Ayo from the bedroom practically pushing him along from behind.

Mom waited for us at the table. God, she looked tired.

None of us had much to say. I was too upset to carry on a conversation, Ayo stared at his food and ate mechanically, like a robot, and instantly reminded me of Ebube.

Mom wouldn't look me in the eye. Something was going on that I didn't know about.

After we finished eating, I volunteered to wash the dishes.

"Thank you," Mom said. "That'll give me a chance to watch the news at six."

She loved watching the news.

"That reminds me," I said, "you'll never guess who sat with me on the bus Monday morning."

I went on to tell her about the TV reporter, Rita Agbani.

Mom didn't act all that excited which left me feeling a bit hurt since I thought Rita was a big deal.

Ayo gave me a sidelong glance like he didn't

believe me. I shrugged it off and cleared the table.

When done with the dishes, I joined Mom and Ayo on our old sofa.

The TV screen displayed a long flat building with high pillars. I knew that, because the

caption at the bottom of the TV screen reads: Ethiopia.

The presenter on the TV said, "Tensions remain high as leaders of the AU55 nations meet amidst a storms of protest from human rights organizations objecting to a decision by the leaders of countries with the Africa's largest economies to admit South Africa into their elite group. This would effectively change the AU55 into a new AU56."

"What's AU55?" Ayo asked, "and why do people care about them?"

If I had my tablet computer with me, I'd have Googled it. The academy wouldn't allow me to bring it home. No chance that we could ever afford to have our own computer.

"Bunch of rich guys plotting and scheming things." Mom said flatly.

"what are they about?"

Mama shrugged her shoulders and said nothing more.

On the TV screen, some guy with a bald head shook his finger at the camera. The caption underneath his picture tagged him as: Johnny Smart, Spokesperson for OASL, Organization Against Slave Labor. He spoke into the mic,

"Admitting South Africa into the AU55 grants that nation undeserved status and provides tacit approval for the South African government's gross mistreatment of their citizens. Those of us who are decent human beings cannot allow that to happen."

After the sound bite, the commentator went on,

"Unlike other fringe protest groups, OASL is well organized, well-funded, and wields considerable political clout. They may have enough infuence to give the other AU55 leaders pause."

I stopped listening, my attention diverted to the badges the delegates wore hanging from their necks. The florescent green color attracted my notice. I leaned in closer to the screen and squinted. Written on the badges in big block letters was "AU55", a photo, and other writing too small to make out. Must've been some sort of security pass, like the kind you get to attend in closed concert.

"This is boring." Ayo grumbled. "Can't we watch Something else?"

"After the News" Mom told him.

Remembering our earlier conversation, I tugged on Ayo's sleeve and nodded with my head that he should follow me from the living room.

"Now what?" he asked.

"It's hot in here. Let's sit on the stoop and get some fresh air. Bring that book so I can help you with your homework."

His eyes rolled from me back to the TV.

"I'll do it later"

"You'll do it now," Mom objected. "You're lucky to have an older brother who pays attention to you. Besides, you just said that you were bored. Now, do as he said. "

She made a shooing motion with her hand.

Ayo grumbled and murmured then followed me out the door. He turned, as if changing his mind.

"Forget about the book. You won't need it at the moment," I said.

He gave me a questioning look.

"We might find Bobby at the bet shop, right?" I knew that to be the neighborhood

hangout where drug kids usually pitch.

Ayo's eyes grew large. "I ain't goin' there. I won't give him up to you or nobody."

"Tm not interested in narking on the boy. I Just want to have a little talk with him," I said.

"Why?"

"To convince him to leave you alone. You won't be getting pills from him anymore."

Ayo folded his hands in front of his chest.

"You can't tell me who I can hang with. I'll do as I well please." He backslided into the apartment.

With or without my little brother, I headed for the bet shop. Bobby shouldn't be too hard to find.

When I got there, I approached a kid from

my old school named Akpai, a known dealer.

He high fived me and asked, "What brings our holy brother out on a hot night like this? Need to puff Some carbon?"

"Nope. Lookin' for a boy named Bobby."

Akpai's friendly demeanor changed immediately.

He leaned back and narrowed his eyes. "What's your business with him?"

I relaxed my posture, tried to appear as non- threatening as possible. "No business. I'm not trying to score. I just need to talk with him about my brother."

He paused to consider what I said. Nodding

toward a dozen plastic chairs, he said, "that's the boy wearing Zebra shirt."

"I see him."

"Hey," Akpai said, "I don't need to remind you not to do anything stupid. It wouldn't end well for you. His thugs are around"

I held my hands out, palms up.

"Everything's cool." I said.

Bobby sat on the plastic chair, leaning back on his elbows, a smug look on his face. Typical size for a thirteen-year-old, I was taller than him. So I Decided to use that to my advantage.

I wanted to appear intimidating. With a heavy stride, I marched up and took an empty seat beside him, right next to him, in his personal space.

The boy didn't flinch. He Acted as if I wasn't even there.

"HI, Tm Ayo's brother."

"I know who you are," Bobby said. Sure enough, everyone knew me since I stuck out in that neighborhood.

"I suppose you heard about the dust up I had with Samson, and how I'm not allowed back into the neighborhood school?"

Bobby stared straight ahead, watching a group of older boys playing soccer game.

"I know about that, too."

"Since you're all knowing, then you got to figure that I don't appreciate you supplying my brother those stuff. Ayo doesn't think things through like most normal kids. He's easily taken advantage of."

Bobby swiveled his head toward me, finally

made eye contact.

Now that I had his attention, I pressed the issue.

"Ayo has no money. Nothing is in it for you."

The kid parted his lips in an attempt to smile.

"Nobody around here has money. Doesn't stop them from getting what they need. Lots of opportunity out there."

"You mean like it's free?"

Bobby shrugged and turned his attention back to the soccer game.

"they gamble to get it".

"Waste of time," I said. "We both know that my brother doesn't have the street smarts to pull off anything like that."

Sitting erect, Bobby said,

"What do you want from me?"

"T've already made that clear. I won't be around during the week to monitor Ayo, but I will be on weekends."

Using my index finger to point back

and forth between him and me, I said,

"Just like now. You and me. Understand what I'm saying right?"

He glanced around as if looking for backup. "Yeah, I get it."

I stood and patted his shoulder. "Good guy."

Heading for home, I walked away from the shop's vicinity.

Before turning at the corner, I glanced back.

Bobby sat there on his throne glaring at me, talking to someone on his cell phone.

************

I found Mom fast asleep on the sofa, her head leaning back against the cushions, TV still on. Ayo wasn't in our bedroom. By the time I returned to the living room, Mom woke and flipped through the channels.

"Where's Ayo?" I asked.

"I sent your brother down to the corner store for some Paracetamol. My head is drumming hot."

Taking a seat beside her on the ratty sofa, I asked,

"What happened? You were supposed to walk Ayo to school Mom."

She lowered her head, stared into her lap. "i'll walk him to school from now on. It's just that," She paused, and her voice trailed off. "Had something else to do this week."

I realized the meaning of 'something else.' I Hated to talking about it, because it caused me as much pain as it caused her.

"Mom, you don't need to be doing that. It shames you."

She stifferned. "Both you and Ayo needs new shoes. They're worn through the soles. How am I supposed to afford that? How else am I supposed to provide for you boys?"

She turned in her seat and faced me.

"No fancy pay job is going hire me with my level of education. The younger girls are being hired. And there's Nothing I can do about that except to survive as best as I can."

I sighed and understood that despite her bravado.

Mom felt demeaned. I could see it in her

expression. No longer able to face her, I stared at the TV screen.

Mom laid her head on my shoulder.

"I'll never bring a man over when you boys are at home. You know that, don't you? I Never did and never will I. I wouldn't do that to you guys."

"Stop it, Mom, just stop talking about it."

"Tm pushing forty, you know. Won't have a fit enough energy for you boys much longer. Then what will happen? I worry about your future."

"Tm going to be a doctor. I'll move you and Ayo away from this place."

I heard the door to our apartment open and close. Ayo walked in and tossed a card of paracetamol at me. I caught it and unfoiled it. Handed her two tablets.

"Thanks, baby," she called after Ayo. He had retreated to the bedroom.

"I'm feeling dizzy too," I said. "Tm tired, and it's going to take me a long time to get used to my new routine."

We bid each other good night, and I entered our bedroom. Closed the door behind me.

************

Now that I had gotten used to an air-conditioned dorm room, the heat in our boxy bedroom was so stifling I had to open the window despite the stench from the Dump site.

Ayo faced away, his back turned to me, laying on top of the sheets in his underwear. As I kicked off my shoes and slipped the shirt off over my head, I said, "Hey, lil-bro, did you get your

homework done?"

Keeping his back to me, Ayo murmured, "You don't have to pretend that you care."

"But I do care."

"You and Mama are tight. I got nobody. Now you want to scare Bobby away from me too."

I sat on the edge of his bed. "Mama loves you just as much as she loves me. That boy, Bobby, he's the one who doesn't care about you."

Ayo said nothing.

I laid on my bed, and despite the sweat soaking into my sheets, I finally managed to slip away into a troubled sleep.

************

The next morning, I showered and grabbed a plantain chips for breakfast. On my way out the door, Mom called me into the living room where the morning news played on the TV.

"Check this out."

A reporter with a worried look on his face stared into the camera.

"Sources have confirmed that Johnny Smart, Spokesperson for OASL, has been found dead in his hotel room this morning of an apparent heart attack. Although it is highly unusual for a man his age to suffer a heart attack, the preliminary report indicates no evidence of foul play. This is a startling development as today, the AU55 nations vote on whether to accept South Africa into their fold. It would appear that with Smart's unexpected demise, the influence of OASL may be diminished."

"We just heard that man speak on the news

yesterday evening," Mom said. "Goes to show you, you never know when your game time is up."

Two minutes after viewing that report, I forgot about it. People died every day. Of what consequence was the death of this particular man to my life? Nah watin concern me?......