Chapter 19

Martin and Taj were still drinking and smoking when Adrian and Richard were going to the library. Taj was the first to see the two boys through the dilapidated windows of the empty classroom they were using as their beer parlor.

"Oh, look! Here come the wretched boys we’ve gisting about!’’ Taj screamed, hiccupping, the hard drink has taken toll on him a little. He was pointing towards a direction of almost a yard away.

Sipping from the bottle of hard drink on the desk in front of them, Martin turned to the direction and saw Adrian and Richard walking towards the school library building with pile of books beneath their arms. He looked away from them nonchalantly as if they were objects of no significance.

"Hik-hop…I think it’s time we deal with them in retaliation.’’ Taj said again, making his voice low now realizing he was talking too louder than normal, ‘’I knew I caused the embarrassment he gave you that day, boss, I’m so sorry, hik-hop.’’

"In what way did you cause it, boy?’’ Martin said, not understanding what Taj was driving at. He knew alcohol was talking through Taj, not in his real self anymore.

"I…I…hik-hop…I mean the embarrassment the boy, Adrian, gave you the day you had the fight,’’ said Taj, still hiccupping.

"You didn’t cause it, boy,’’ Martin sounded disgustedly. "I did that to myself. It was all my faults; I shouldn’t have dropped that knife before challenging him to a fight that day. ’’

‘’If I was around during the fight,’’ Taj said, hiccupping again, "hik-hop…you wouldn’t need a knife to beat him hands down. You know if I’d not gotten tired as a result of the rigorous training that day, we would have chased him, caught him and dealt with him together…’’

"A political party cannot always win votes, my father would say. We live to fight another day. We’re still in the same school, aren’t we? Don’t you worry, Taj, let’s save our vengeances for another time.’’ Martin looked into vacancy, smiling sardonically.

Meanwhile, Martin stood up, gulping down the remaining drinks in the bottle, almost five centiliters, all into his throat at once. He shook his head vigorously as if that would make the drink go up his brain, where he wanted it to be, to make him high and act extraordinarily. He walked out of the class room briskly; Taj followed suit, staggering a bit.

"I think it’s time for action, yes action,’’ Taj said elatedly, ‘’but it’s coming late. We should have dealt with them since. Can you see, they have the gut to wonder the school premises freely.’’

‘’I’m the Black Scorpion,’’ Martin said, beating his chest, ignoring Taj. "Nobody insults or even stretches his hands against me and go scot free. Even the teachers in this school fear to touch me to talk of an ordinary village-bred of a boy. I’ll so deal with him that he’ll regret ever coming to this life.’’

"You’ll take your revenge?’’ Taj tone was full of mockery. "How are you going to do that now? He’s been walking freely in the school premises since you had the fight.’’

"Don’t you worry, Taj, I’ve a plan.’’ Martin said, fixing his red eyes into vacancy. ‘’If it’s executed, you would know how sensible and strategized I could be. You’ll applaud my brain. Just watch me. Have you ever heard this words, ’if you want to catch a monkey, you do like a monkey?’’

"Not at all,’’ replied Taj nonchalantly.

"That’s one of the political jargons I ripped from my father’s lips.’’

"You know my father is a clergyman and not a politician.’’

"I know. I know,’’ Martin said, parting Taj’s shoulder. ‘’Don’t worry, you will acclaim my strategy later.’’

"If you say so,’’ Taj said, nodding.

Martin had walked towards Adrian and Richard now, almost double-crossing their way. He spoke in low tone now, "the best time to punish a child for his misdemeanor is not the time he commits it but when he has forgotten…’’

"That’s my big boss, Black scorpion!’’ Taj hailed Martin in equally low tone. He was trying to overcame the pranks the hard drink was playing in his head, "I think we should overshadow them, taking them one-on-one by surprise.’’ He gesticulated, throwing one or two punches into the air. He was staggering back and forth like a young tree blown by Harmattan breeze as he did so. "Don’t worry Black scorpion, I will box with that Adrian, who thinks he’s some kind of a Mohammed Ali. You’ll face the coward Richard. I remember you said he separated the fight when you were about tumbling Adrian over and give him the beat of his life...’’

"My friend,’’ Martin said, laughing wryly, interrupting Taj again. He remembered how he had threatened before the fight. He had said that he would deal with Richard severely if he separated him and Adrian. Perhaps, after the fight, he didn’t even remember to deal with him after he had separated the fight. ’’We’re not fighting them---no physical combats anymore! That’s what I’ve been driving at since the beginning of this conversation but it seems you weren’t getting my points. Try and understand my stance. We wouldn’t keep disgracing ourselves before the juniors.’’

"The juniors are all in their rooms now taking their midday siesta, needed for their growths. They wouldn’t know we’re fighting here at all.’’ Taj continued gesticulating like an amateur boxer, veins stood of his neck and arms, still staggering.

"I said it’s not the time a child offends is not the best time to punish him but when he’s forgotten...!’’ Martin sounded irritating, getting fed up of Taj’s adamancy.

"Okay!’’ Taj stressed.

"A revenge more painful than you or anyone could envisage is coming from me to them,’’ Martin said, laughing again, "just watch me. Be calmed, chilled boy!’’

"No problem, boss,’’ Taj agreed with nodding; just mere nodding, and also stopped gesticulating at once. "You had never failed me since I know, so, I’m trusting in you again.’’

Adrian saw the Martin and Taj first. "Look,’’ he alerted Richard, gesturing to the direction of the boys, "they’re coming towards us I think. What are they coming to do? Eh, what are they coming for?’’

"Fighting again, I guess,’’ Richard said as he fixed his eyes towards their direction, removing his glasses and put it into his breast pocket. He wasn’t himself anymore out of fear but he pretend to be. ‘’We shall fight them together if it’s fighting that they’re coming for. We shall give them whatever they want!’’

"Be out of this, Richard,’’ Adrian said calmly, parting Richard on the chest. ‘’The fight is mine not yours.’’

"But I won’t fold my arms and watch that good-for-nothing Taj fighting you alongside his good-for-nothing friend…’’

"Shhh…’’ Adrian put his index finger across his lips, stopping Richard from talking further as the boys ambled closer to them. They walked slowly and stood on their way, facing them squarely.

"Halt now!’’ Taj shouted, "don’t you dare move any inch further.’’

Adrian stepped backward from the boys, leaving Richard to face them alone. It wasn’t out of fear, anyway. He wanted to try and flee the devil may be the devil could flee him. Yes, he remembered the scriptural verse, one of the numerous ones his admonitory mother had used when cautioning him. Perhaps, he wasn’t prepared for another fight yet, no, not now.

"Taj, don’t tell me you’re taking sides in the fracas between Adrian and Martin,’’ Richard said, trying to gather enough momentum, breathing deeply. Though, he felt like bolting in the slightest provocation but thought it was better to speak up before things got out of hands. Martin was looking dagger at Richard, gritting his teeth and rolling his red eyes from Richard to Adrian and back again.

"Keep shut; you lily-livered scum!’’ Taj shouted unexpectedly. Richard shuddered and kept his mouth sealed. "Martin is my closest friend, my boss! I can’t keep mum why that village-bred raise a fist against him. Get that into your dull skull! We’re taking our revenge now! You think I didn’t know you held my boss down and prevented him from breaking that broomstick standing there? You think I don’t know you took sides in the fight?’’

"Oh no, I didn’t side with anyone in the fight!’’ Richard protested; looking submissive as he spread out his hands innocently. His little gut has completely evaporated. "Even the junior students were presented there and could testify to to my claim. I was the one who even separated the fight when Adrian was on top…’’

"Enough guys, stop arguing,’’ Martin shouted them down; looking all smiles and radiant. Perhaps, he didn’t want Richard to recount the unfavorable incident. "We’re not here for a fight. We’re classmates. We ought to be friends not sworn enemies. A misunderstanding brewed between us, fine! The teeth and the tongue sometimes have clashes but soon settle amicably and continue living in the same mouth like brothers. We ought not to be fighting forever or keeping malice like misguided girls…’’

"But Black Scorpion, these boys need to be thought a bitter lesson right here,’’’ Taj protested. "Didn’t Adrian think we were classmates and should be friends before giving you a groin injury that prevented you from participating in the governor’s cup final? Didn’t you in particular give us the final ticket by providing him the needed assistant for the winning goal?’’

"I have explained some things to you before, haven’t I?’’ Martin asked Taj in whisper, "Taj, why are you behaving like a swollen-headed drunk?’’ And aloud to Adrian and Ricard he said, "we’re here to make peace with our school mates and good friends who are standing before us here. No more bad spirits between us. Let the devil fly away with his seeds of discords.’’

"You want peace? As in, you want peace with me—with us?’’ Adrian asked in surprised, stressing on the word peace. He was happy but also surprised Martin had wanted peace. Though he wasn’t a coward but the wound of the last fight hasn’t totally healed already. Perhaps the thought of his poor background kept him cold.

"Yes, are you amazed?’’ asked Martin, looking all serious and friendly to corroborate his claims.

"Why won’t we be much surprised,’’ Richard asked in anxious voice, ’’ with the way Taj has attacked us verbally?’’

"Don’t be cowed by that, Richie.’’ Martin said calmly, ‘’ Taj just wanted to test how bold you could be. He just wanted to see the man in you.’’

"Alright, I’ll need to whisper with Adrian first before knowing what next to do,’’ said Richard as he moved near Adrian where he was standing. He whispered, "do you agree will make peace with them?’’

"Yes, why not, if they honestly meant it,’’ Adrian said before his face suddenly changed again to a moody one, "but I am afraid, they might be planning something bad for me, or us rather. They might be in for some mischief.’’

"Boy, don’t expect bad outcome now--ah, you’re too pessimistic!’’ Richard said, dragging his voice disgustedly, "perhaps, we’ll be very cautious of them. We won’t move very closer to them apart from today. We’ll just be greeting one and another whenever we meet. The world is too small to keep malice with fellow students for long.’’

"Alright,’’ Adrian agreed reluctantly. "You mean we should just keep them as distant friends?’’

"Yes; let’s move closer to them now and have handshakes or what do you think?’’

Adrian reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Richard held Adrian in arms akimbo to meet Martin, "he’d totally agreed to let the sleeping dogs lie.’’

"Oh, that is very good!’’ Martin said elatedly, stretching his hands towards Adrian, "let’s have handshakes like real men then.’’

Adrian was reluctant again; something was telling him that he’s heading for a doom or something near it.

"Common Adrian,’’ Taj and Richard summoned.

"Well, since you’ve agreed to lets bury the hatchet, we’re now friends and can have handshakes,’’ Adrian shook hands with Taj first and then with Martin. Martin held his hands and refused to let go. Adrian was surprised but Martin drew him closer and hugged him closely. Adrian’s slender body was buried in Martin’s for some seconds as Richard and Taj burst out laughing, hailing the two boys’ by their nicknames, "Addie and Black scorpion!’’

"I think we should all go to the town to celebrate our new friendship with some booze,’’ Suggested Taj.

"Town,’’ Adrian and Richard chorused in surprise. Though they didn’t know what Taj meant by the word "booze’’ but the word "town’’ seemed like another planet to their ears--- planet forbidden for them to visit at will---planet like Mercury or Pluto.

"Yes, we're heading to town,’’ Martin replied confidently. "Don’t you think our new friendship is worth celebrating in the town with lots of booze?’’

"You guys are joking right?’’ Adrian asked.

"They must be joking,’’ Richard burst out laughing, ‘’how could students of this college dream of visiting town when their parents or guardians haven’t come to request for their release from the school authority?’’

"If it happens in other schools, my friends, not at Government Boys College, Iddo here,’’ Adrian declared.

"Well, you might be damn right Adrian, but I’m assuring you that nothing is impossible,’’ insisted Martin.

"We’ve been to town times without number without the knowledge of the school authority or our parents. This is a top secret. And we’re sharing it with you because we’re now one. Please, don’t divulge it to anyone,’’ Taj said on very serious note.

"I’m finding the claim hard to belief let alone spread it to anyone. This college has tall walls and the security guards are always at the gates; so how did you manage to go to town?’’ Adrian argued.

"Everything takes courage guys,’’ Martin said, looking bold. ‘’Well, don’t worry, tonight we shall show you how we roll it.’’

"Oh no, sorry, we won’t be having time for that tonight,’’ said Richard, turning to Adrian, "what do you think?’’

"You’ve spoken my mind,’’ Adrian supported, "after library will be going to the dinning, from dinning to our rooms. We won’t be able to go to anywhere else tonight unless we later decide to go read in the night class.’’

"Well, I agree with your excuses but don’t tell me fear has made you guys declined?’’

"Not at all,’’ Adrian and Richard chorused.

"Well, if you insist, you can go to your library while we go to our hostel to get some nap.’’ Martin said.

"Wish we’re with our books so we can accompany you guys to the library.’’ Taj said jokingly, ‘’ our future professors!’’

"You can say that again!’’ Adrian and Richard laughed.

The boys all exchanged handshakes once again amid cheerfulness and departed to their different destinations.