Chapter 13

The Boy that Changes Not

As Adamu flipped open the door to go to the bathroom, he bumped unto Richard at the door. Like a tennis bat against a tennis ball, Richard shoved him with his chest and he hit the door with a violent thump! The boy didn’t wait for another scolding, he rubbed his right shoulder blade with which he has grazed the wall and backed out immediately. Delay would be dangerous! Richard he knew too well could beat him up for bumping unto him. Perhaps, if he didn’t go to the bathroom on time, it might become crowded and delayed his bathing.

The bathroom used to be more overcrowded every morning during school days when all the students were all around. The bathroom, a 4-room rectangular-shaped house was at back of the dormitory, almost half a yard away. It was built besides the dormitory’s Pit Latrine building, which had two rooms also. Adrian had thought the builders had built the bathroom and toilet afterthought, if not they would built it together with the main dormitory building, not wide apart. Most times, there was lacked enough water for all the students bathing. Any student who goes to the bathroom late risks not taking his bath before the morning assembly bells are rung. And would have to struggle and evade the morning inspections by teachers, or face severe punishment from them for not bathing.

"When will you stop being heartless, Richie?’’ Adrian laughed out loud, ‘’tell me, when?’’

"That’s not wickedness, Addie.’’ Richard said in equally jovial mood. ‘’Could you belief that boy wanted to chest me away from the door? Thank God, I’ve gotten a broader chest than his. The boy needs serious beatings like I always say and I mean it. Does he need to be taught a simple courtesy of waiting for an older person or a senior at door or staircases to walk pass before him?’’

"Not at all but I still insist that you caution him with words rather than rods,’’ Adrian said as his mood suddenly changed from joviality to hostility. His eyes became wide and red partially. "I ought not to answer your question. Even talking and laughing with you was a mistake. You’re simply heartless and selfish as well, and deserve to be treated with bigger disrespect than Adamu’s.’’

"What prompted such vile talks, Addie?’’ Richard looked surprised and serious but his heart full of mischief. He knew what Adrian was driving at but pretended not to. He knew how much he loved doing morning jogging. "Did I snatch your girlfriend? That’s if you could even find anyone in Government Boys College here, anyway.’’

"Put jokes aside, you hypocrite!’’ Adrian raved, his voice louder and clearer. ‘’What you did to me was more than losing one’s beloved!’’

"Hypocrite?’’ asked Richard. "Why such insult? Eh…why?’’

"You even deserve more insults,’’ Adrian said slowly.

"What’ did I do?’’ asked Richard. ‘’If it’s a hard joke, let’s stop it now, okay?’’

Richard noticed Adrian’s lips which have become swollen as if a table tennis ball has been stuck into it.

"Who’s playing hard jokes game with you, boy?’’ Adrian inquired, looking more aggressive. "So, you could go jogging without waking me up! I had found that hard to belief!’’

Richard burst out laughing. Adrian’s swollen cheek reminded a fable/fairy-tale which his Elementary school teacher had told them. The story was about the Tortoise and the Dog. Tortoise and Dog, two lazy friends, were hungry one day. So, they decided to go and steal yams from one farmer’s farm. But unfortunately, the Tortoise was apprehended by the farmer because he could not run fast. Dog managed to escape with his own stolen yams, having gotten long legs for running.

When Dog got home, he asked his wife to cook a nice porridge with the stolen yams and he ate to his satisfaction. After that, he asked his wife to rob palm oil all over his body. After she had done that, he lied down, shivering, pretending to be very ill. He knew that Tortoise would implicatively bring the farmer to arrest him also. Tortoise wouldn’t want to suffer the consequences alone.

Dog also put two eggs in either sides of his mouth. When the farmer came with policemen, Dog broke the eggs in his mouth and poured it on the floor. That made him looked like he was seriously sick and vomiting. His wife lied that he had been sick for weeks now and couldn’t go out.

"Now how could a sick man go and steal yams from that faraway farm?’’ the policemen queried the farmer. ‘’Do you think that is possible?’’

"I don’t think so,’’ said the farmer, shaking his head negatively, "may be this cunning Tortoise wants to implicate him so that he won’t suffer in prison alone.’’

Tortoise was angry and disappointed. He tried to convince the farmer and policemen that Dog was lying, that he was hale and hearty. But they would not listen to him. They called Tortoise a cunning liar and a thief, beat and dragged him away in handcuffs.

Richard was laughing because he imagined Dog’s mouth looking like Adrian’s, after he had stuffed two eggs into it.

"Is that the sole reason you talked like a man who has been ripped-off of his beloved wife?’’ Richard asked mockingly, sitting besides Adrian on his bed, putting his arms round his shoulders.

"Let your fiendish hands off me, you selfish friend!’’ Adrian said, slightly shoving him away with his elbow, pretending not to buy his friendliness at all. He wanted to pull his legs more, so he added: ‘"wasn’t that enough reason to feel hurt? You’re a fiend not a friend. I should have known that since all this while.’’

"Yes, it was enough reason to get hurt, that is if I have been doing that for long. Perhaps, it’s unfair to call me a fish-seller on that account.’’ Richard deliberately played on the word "selfish’’. He continued, "apart from this morning, which day have I woken up for jogging and didn’t wake you up also? ‘’

"Waking who up, selfish boy? I’m asking who you have woken up in this room before for jogging?’’

‘’Of cause you, fish-buyer boy!’’

"May be you woke me up in your deepest dreams!’’ Adrian screamed back. "You’re qualified to represent Africa in a sleeping competition. Bragging aside, I’d always been the one who wake you up always—including that tiny thing called Adamu.’’

"Well, let’s agree with your claims. But come to think of this…’’ Richard pointed towards Adrian’s swollen lips ‘’…could you have jogged with it?’’

"Why not? It doesn’t hurt me much.’’

"You need some balm and warm water to mop up your inflated cheek not a jog this morning.’’

"Did you see me wailing or complaining about it?’’

"Running might worsen the injury. You know when jogging, your cheek would be sagging, thereby making the wound opening to expand.’’ Richard sprang up. He starts to demonstrate jogging, running in a circle and sagging his cheeks, making it looked swollen like Adrian’s.

"Eh hen…you’re just making jest of me, empty barrel!’’ Adrian reached out for Richard’s head with a playful clenched fist but he avoided him perfectly and stood aside from him, laughing.

"The truth sometime sounds like a joke,’’ Richard said, stopped laughing now. ‘’I’m not joking. It could get worsen if you jog with it.’’

"I heard you, quack doctor Richard.’’

"Who’s quack?" Asked Richard in a mock serious tone. "Well, let’s put that aside for the future. The future will tell if I’m quack or not. ’’ Richard changed his mood to serious and sympathetic one now, "hope it not aching you too much, boy?"

"I’ve told you before, haven’t I? It’s not much painful, ah!’’

"That means you wouldn’t need to go the sickbay for treatment anymore.’’

"May be Mister and Mistress Lizards and Geckos will the ones to treat you there.’’ Adrian said with a clownish sneer.

"Oh, I just remembered,’’ Richard clapped his hands in disappointment. ‘’Nurses are not in the school for now. They’ve gone for the vacation also.’’

"Even if the nurses are around and the injury is worse than this, I wouldn’t go for treatment still.’’

Why boy? A stitch in a time saves nine. It’s better to receive treatment when the ailment is fresh, rather than waiting for it to get worsen first. Perhaps, self-treatment or medication is not health-wise, especially when the ailment is severe.’’

"I’m aware of that too,’’ Adrian said with amid clearing of his throat and looking serious. "Listen to what I’m driving at. I don’t just want them to report the fight to the school authority. You know, compulsorily, they would ask what happened to me and I wouldn’t want to lie.’’

"Well, you might be right there…’’ Richard paused, he remember something important. So, he added, "I’m going to the library this afternoon to refresh my memory with some new text books.’’

"Oh, I had the same thought yesterday night when you left for the night class. The Senior School Certificate Exam is on our laps. The earlier we start to prepare for it, the better.’’

"You’re right, Addie. That has prompted me to looks for new text books from the library, too. The next year’s edition won’t be bread and butter at all.’’

"Was there anyone which had come easy? Haven’t you gone through any past question? ‘’

"No, do you have anyone with you?’’

"Yes, let me show you some of the ones I’d gotten from my father. I mean the ones he’d taken many years ago, when he was in his final year in our village college.’’

"Awesome!’’ Richard punched the air excitedly. "I love fathers who keep their old books at home. A lot of research elements could be found there, you know? My old man has gotten no time for that. He’s been busy with his hospital and patients..’’ Richard stopped talking when Adrian wasn’t paying attention but rattling his bags for the past question papers. So Richard added with the air of finality, "eh…Addie, if you’ve found them, keep them handy. May be we’ll go to the library in the noon and peruse through them.’’

"Alright, no problem then,’’ Adrian concurred.

In the meantime, he found the crumpled, old-looking wads of papers and kept them besides himself on the bed.

Meanwhile, Richard picked his towel from the wardrobe and a bucket from underneath his bed. Inside the bucket was a little cup to scoop water on his body and a little wash-bag which contained bar of DETOL MEDICATED soap and a crumpled rubber sponge. He headed towards the door. Momentarily, he remembered something again; he stopped and U-turned to face Adrian.

"Eh…Addie, where did Adamu keep my meal? It’s expedient I know where it’s before going to bathroom. May be I should keep it in safer place, you know there are different kinds of rats in this room. But I fear the rat with five fingers mostly, he’s not trustworthy at all.’’

Adrian knew Richard’s shot was meant for Adamu, so he stared towards the door before asking, "which food are you talking about, boy?’’

"My breakfast of cause, hope you’ve eaten yours?’’

"May be in your widest dream!’’ Adrian rolled his owlish eyes in a playful mood towards Richard. "The dinner you behind while going for your selfish jogging? Or my last night supper remnant you ate after coming back from your fancy night study, hungry?’’

"I didn’t deny eaten you remnant yesterday night, okay? Perhaps, you should be happy I didn’t let it waste, and saved you from committing a sin. Or don’t you know it’s a sin against God and humanity to waste food? Many go hungry daily and you wanted to waste food?’’

"Who told you I left it to waste?’’ Adrian asked, glaring his owlish at him. ‘’I would have sent Adamu to the kitchen to warm it up for me this morning.’’

"And you think it’s healthy to eat your left over dinner together with your breakfast?’’

"Yes, I have told you several time, don’t compare your feeble stomach with mine! You aren’t a village-bred like me!’’

"Anyway, let’s put that aside first,’’ Richard said unsmilingly. ‘’We shouldn’t make fuss over minor thing and neglecting the major one. ‘’ Richard spoke with more serious tone now, "for real, I instructed Adamu to stop jogging and go get our food from the kitchen.’’

"Well, you might’ve sent a wrong person on an errand if that be the case. When Adamu came, he told me you instructed him to stop jogging, and come back to take his bath before going to the kitchen for our breakfasts.’’

"Oh my God,’’ Richard exclaimed, his mood changed to anger, ‘’because of this too much of obstinacy and silly manners, I’m going to crucify this boy one day. I swear, I will...’’

"Very good idea,’’ Adrian said with sarcastically, sticking his tongue out in jest, "then his parents will come from the North and congratulate you for a job well-done with a golden medal. I pity you. If he’s your younger brother, is that how you would correct him whenever he errs?’’

"Stop taking sides with this boy, Adrian!’’ Richard cried, snapping his feet on the floor.

"if I have a younger brother like Adamu, he won’t dare behave like him. I don’t tolerate nonsense from kids, even my parents support that. My three younger sisters couldn’t mention how many times I’d dealt with them over their silly mistakes or careless attitudes.’’

"I’ll advise you to have your own children first, so you could crucify them whenever they err, rather than other people’s children. I think that might save you from a big trouble. And that is if the government won’t hear of it and sue you for child abuse.’’

"My future children shall know they’ve gotten a disciplinarian father, so they won’t dare out-trip their bounds at will; so there won’t be the need to manhandle them.’’

"It’s your type who pamper and spoilt their children in future. I have an uncle who, before getting married, bragged more than you; but as I’m talking to you, he had pampered and almost spoilt his children. If you ask him why he’s changed his longtime perception, he would say, ‘children aren’t easy to get or train. Perhaps, it’s not constant beatings that change headstrong children to complaisant, but frequent advice and admonitions.’ ’’

"Well, I’m not your uncle. I’m different. I don’t boast of things I’m not capable of, okay? ’’ Richard checked Adrian’s analogue wrist watch on the study desk. "Oh, it nine o’clock already! Let me go and bath before the sun comes out hotter and the bole-hole water become warm or hot. I prefer cool bath to warm one.’’

The door flipped and slammed, Richard had dashed out to bathroom.

"No, wait and be planning how you’ll crucify someone else’s son,’’ Adrian said ironically. "Talking as if the kid’s brought for him from the North to the West here for him to train