Chapter 6

Hostel Discussion

"I surrender,’’ Richard said as he came back into the room, raising his hands up. ’’I agree you are the champion, I’m not. I don’t think I could defeat that huge boy in a fight the way you did. How did you do that, uh? He almost defeated you when threw you down. How did you manage to turn him over? It so magical, so magical, I repeat.’’

He sat down on the bed again, facing Adrian.

"My father had advised me that I should not be cowed before anyone.’’ Adrian’s was looking into vacancy as he talked. "I also remembered an adage which says the back of the cat can only be made to touch the earth after its death. I remembered these words, put myself in the position of the cat and acted very fast. You see, in our village they usually organize wrestling contest for all the youths at every new-yam-eaten festival. Though, I hadn’t participated in it before but I used to watch…’’

"No wonder,’ ’cut in Richard, "you learn a lot by watching attentively, my physics teacher would say. You once made mention of this new-yam-eaten festival sometime ago. Can you tell me more about it? I don’t think such festivals exist in the big south-western cities like Lagos and Ibadan.’’

"No, you can only see such celebration mostly in the rural areas of the south. When I was in Lagos, the only traditional festival I witnessed was the Eyo Masquerade Festival.’’

"Oh yes, those white garment masquerades or ancestral spirits called ‘Egugun’, who would entertain people by dancing and singing, waving their long sticks in air. It’s usually celebrated once in every year.’’

"Yes, who told you about it?’’ asked Adrian.

"My father of cause! Didn’t I once told you know he did his National Youth Service at Lagos?’’

"Yes, you did, I can remember now.’’ Adrian sneered mischievously, ‘’but I don’t belief the folklore that masquerades are ancestral spirits who appear from ant holes or land of the spirits. It sounds so incredible! How can dead and decayed corpses turn-out in humanlike figures, entertaining and praying for them? Those guys might just be mere fleshes and bloods, hidden under the white robes and masks, pretending to be ancestors.’’

"I had wondered so too.’’ Said Richard thoughtfully, putting a hand on his cheek. ‘’But that doesn’t mean we should utter vile words against the folklore. You know, culture have to be respected. We shouldn’t undermine or disaccredit it with our tongues.’’

"You’re right there, boy.’’

"Now, tell me more about the new-yam-eaten festival in your village,’’ Richard sat right on the bed, fixing his eyes on Adrian more than ever, "I’m all ears.’’

"Okay, listen with your two ears wide opened,’’ Adrian cleared his throat. He stared his bulging eyes towards the wall as if what he wanted to say was displayed boldly on it like cinema. "The yam-eaten-festival is the most important festival in our village. Without first celebrating the new-yam-eaten-festival, it’s a taboo to eat or sell yam. It’s held once in a year, usually July month, when the farmers harvest their new yams. The women won’t go to market, nether would the men go to farms. They would all gather in the palace to meet the Baale or village head and his chiefs. All the farmers would bring their first yam harvests of the year and presented them to the Baale. The Baale would make incantatory prayers, blessing the hands of the farmers so they could have more harvest in the following year. After that, a large feast of pounded yam, melon seed soup, bush meat and palm-whine would be held under the enormous Baobab trees in the village square. Everyone, except the Baale, would attend…

"But…but, why won’t the Baale attend? Doesn’t he feel hungry?’’ Richard interrupted Adrian.

"That’s a good question,’’ Adrian acknowledged. He was glad Richard asked question, even though he sounded clownish. It showed he was following every bit of the exposition. "You see, the reason why the Baale won’t attend is that he’s the head of the all the people in the village. Custom reasoned that it’s downgrading and embarrassing for the Baale to eat in the public. Everybody watching morsels of pounded yam, travelling down the gullet of the village head, doesn’t that sounds absurd to you?’’

"Well, since culture is against it, I wouldn’t argue. Or else, I would have said hunger knows no king, governor or president.’’

"He would eat his in the palace now, ah!’’ Adrian raised his voice to make Richard stop the argument.

"Alright, continue, I’m enjoying you,’’ Richard nodded agreeably.

"Ok, as I was saying,’’ Adrian cleared his throat, ‘’foods and drinks would be surplus. Even the village’s goats, dogs and fowls would know there is a feast going on. They would eat to their satisfaction, too. Then, dancing and wrestling contest would also be organized among the maidens and young men respectively. At end of the contest, the winners would go home with exciting prices like new clothes, shoes and so on.’’

"That’s sound so exciting!’’ Richard exclaimed. "That must be a never-to-be-missed cultural festival! I would like to witness it in future. I admire cultural festivals so much.’’

"Well, that means you’ll to wait till next year’s July for another edition. But unfortunately, we would’ve written our final exam by then and left the college.’’

"Oh, that’s true,’’ Richard casted his head down, feeling unhappy, ‘’the exam will be held in May and June. I wish my parents are not always busy, and entrusting the care of my siblings and the home to me always. I would’ve sworn to come, even after we’ve graduated from the college.’’

"Richie, there are better days ahead us. You can still come to witness the festival, even after graduating from university and become a man of you own. You don’t need to feel bad about that.’’

"You’re right, Addie.’’ Richard looked cheerful now, changing the topic, ‘’you see, the way that trouble-finder, Martin, was humbled by you, gladden my heart a lot. But it sweetened my heart more because it happened before the juniors.’’

"But lo and behold, now, I hate myself for indulging in that fight.’’ All of a sudden, Adrian became indifferent, his brows furrowed in worry. The new-yam-festival talk flashed his memory back to the village. It made him remember how he left his family and the admonitions they had given him before leaving for college. "Considering the serious warnings my parents drummed into my ears and the conditions I left them in, I ought not to fight at all.’’

"But it wouldn’t be sensible enough to allow that bird-voice to drop his waste on your head and not stoning it, just because you’re afraid of the repercussion…’’ Richard was saying.

"I know, I know,’’ Adrian interrupted Richard, nodding in approval. "But, I’m like a man who lives in a glass house that shouldn’t throw a stone. No matter how troublesome the bird was, I ought to exercise patient, knowing that I have a long way to go. I shouldn’t have thrown stone at it, knowing full well that I’m living in glass house. I shouldn’t allow anger to lead me to do something that could alter my dream or life destination.’’

"I understand you, but you have fought him and won, without any bad outcome. You should be happy, not sad about it all.’’

"You see, my parents are low-scaled farmers and he’s are powerful politicians,’’ Richard said with a firm voice as if Richard wasn’t aware before. "If I’d caused a serious injury to him, that might have rendered him unconscious or even death, won’t I be arrested and charged to court? Who would save me from the hands of the law, my low-scaled farmer parents? Where would they get the cut-throat fees the lawyers charge from?’’

"You shouldn’t reason that way boy!’’ Richard winced disagreeably. He wasn’t glad about Adrian’s low-esteem talk. "You went, saw and conquered, that is what matters. You made Martin seem ordinary human in the eyes of the juniors whom he bullied at will. You made him realized that he wasn’t a demigod just because he’s gathered some muscles or a son of a powerful man.’’

"Well, I’ll agree with you.’’ Adrian tried hard to forget everything about the village. ‘’It’s true. It’s true. That boy deserved the bitter lesson he was thought. A spoilt child of his parents would be repaired by the outsiders, my mother would say. Do you know Tolu once told me how he pulled off his hostel shirt and instructed him to use it in cleaning his muddy sandals?’’

"Hmmm…?’’ Richard hummed loudly in surprise. ‘’That’s outrageous! What was his offence?’’

"Martin claimed he walked pass by him and didn’t greet. Tolu said he indeed greeted him but pretended not to hear.’’

"Can you imagine such atrocity towards a junior? He’s a big bully and I’m glad you thought him a bitter, lasting lesson. Even Adamu told me how he drew a car on a chalk board and instructed him to push it, to make it speed.’’

"What a heartless boy Martin is,’’ Adrian laughed, ’’how can an image move? What did he do to deserve such harsh punishment?’’

"Adamu said Martin sent him to buy a big-sized packet of digestive biscuit which cost twenty naira from the buttery but gave him ten naira only. ‘But this money isn’t enough for the biscuit, sir; the biscuit costs twenty naira,’ Adamu protested. But Martin barked at him like a dog, ‘you little rat! If you don’t vanish off my sight and get the biscuit now, you’ll be skinned alive! I don’t care how you’ll get the remaining ten naira, anyway. Just get me the biscuit, that’s all I care about!’ So, Adamu stayed behind, refused to go because he had no ten naira to add to it. After awhile, Martin snatched his money from him in anger; landed him a dirty slap and commanded him to push a car he’d drawn on the chalk board…’’

"That was too wicked of Martin. I think he’s going to be a bit humbler and more polite from today on…’’

Adamu bagged in, interrupted their discussion. He was carrying a small plastic take-away container in a little a polythene bag.

"Here…here… is the food sir!’’ he sheepishly stretched it towards Adrian, almost touching his forehead. Adrian paid no attention to him. He added, ’’…and also your…school…school identity card, sir…’’

"Have you lost your mind or something? I think is better you put them on my head! ‘’ Adrian screamed at him unexpectedly. Adamu shuddered backward, almost went comatose with fear. But he regained consciousness like a shot, thinking he didn’t do anything wrong yet. Why should he panic for the unwarranted scolding? He just came from an errand, instead of being appreciated, he was being scolded. What the heck!

"Common, don’t be silly boy! Put it on the table!’’ yelled Richard.

Adamu put the food on their study desk, anger and sadness boiling in his mind. He turned to stand beside his bunk gloomily.