Chapter 17

Difficult To Heed Warning.

Martin had hated Adrian since he came to GBC because of his outstanding football talent. They were school teammates and classmates but hardly talk to each other. Adrian had been a good football player since his Elementary School days and had a soft spot for the sport so much. But, when he got to Government Boys College, he didn’t want to play football in the school because her mother had rang warning bells to his ears on several occasions to forget about football and concentrate on his studies.

Though, Adrian had been adamant about her Ajoke’s scolds and sermons against football, but he changed his mind when he got to the college. One shouldn’t be going against his parents directives always, he had thought. Who knows, they might just come to check for him in school one day and found him going against one of their numerous directives. They would think he didn’t value the academic scholarship he had won; didn’t care about their poor conditions and wanted to ruin his only chance of being well-educated, becoming a better person in future and break the family’s chain of poverty. Ajoke as well as Adebayo didn’t believe football like education could make her only son a great person in life.

"Akanji, I had had this kind of nightmare many times. But the last one I had was last night has been giving me more concerns. I feel a terrible fright for your life anytime I remember it…’’

One morning when they were still in Lagos, Ajoke had narrated to Adrian, fear and intensity writing all over her face. "Akanji" was the sweet, native name Ajoke she used to call Adrian anytime she wanted him to follow an important instruction, happy with him or wanted him to run an errand urgently.

"I saw you playing football on the pitch and the ball suddenly turned to a human head, in the manner of dreams.’’ Ajoke continued solemnly. "Shortly afterwards, you were arrested by policemen for killing the man whose head had turned to the ball…’’ By now, Ajoke had put her mouth so close to Adrian’s ears as if he was partially deaf, as if that could make him hearken to her warning that time around. "My beloved son, Akanji, my dreams most times come to past. I don’t want you to play that thing call football anymore. Don’t go near it at all! The evil ones might be planning to harm you through it, because you’ve grown to love it too much, just like an addiction or a spell casted on you! Hope you’ll leave from now on. Football is a friend of foe, a sweet thing that can kill. You must it let be!’’

Adrian had agreed to his mother’s admonitions with nods, just mere nods. But several times after, his mother had gone to chase him away from football pitch with canes. Even though Adrian didn’t nurture a dream of becoming a footballer professionally in the future, he had a passion for the playing it so much.

"How can someone plays a human head as a football? Is it possible for a human head to turn to a football?’’ Adrian had questioned Ajoke’s nightmare within himself. His mother’s dream was as a result of the hatred she had for the game, he concluded. "It means nothing!’’ He laughed the nightmare to scorn and waved it aside with the back of his hands. He called it ‘’a mere nightmare that has nothing to do with reality.’’

Moreover, in GBC, Adrian had decided to hearken to all the advice his mother and father had given him before coming to college. The major one was that he should distance himself from football. However, they didn’t say he should shun football totally—they knew he wouldn’t be able to shun it totally anyway; but should not make it an addiction or a priority over his education or future.

Adrian would remember the last advice his mother gave him before coming to college anytime a classmate invited him to come play football in the school football pitch and shook his head. Even the interclass competition organized by the school authority during every ending of terms to keep the students busy and not wandering about, he wouldn’t participate in them. Sometimes, he would feign headache or stomach pain just to evade participating in them.

Adebayo was the first to admonished Adrian the day he was going to school. He didn’t go to farm that day. He wanted to stay and see him climb unto the Okada he had hired for him, pay for it and watch it zoomed off. Okada were commercial motor-cycles. They were now popular in Nigeria over taxis or buses because they were faster and cheaper and could freely convey passengers through narrow and pot-holed roads.

Adrian just finished bathing in their bamboo-poled and palm-fronds made bathroom outside their hut. In the parlor, he was wearing his clothes, a new Ankara jumper and trouser when Adebayo glided in and started talking to him thus:

"Adrian, Adrian, Adrian, how times have I called you?’’

"Three times, its three times father,’’ Adrian said and gradually stopped dressing. He rose to face his father squarely, but not looking into his eyes. It was a disrespectful in the village for a child to stare deep into his parents’ eyes while discussing.

"Good,’’ commended Adebayo. "How many ears do you have?’’

"Two,.’’ Adrian sounded surprised at the question now. Even though he knew that was how his father always called him when advising him. He’d never been so serious and emotional while doing so.

"What do you use them for?’’

"I hear words with them, father.’’

"That’s good.’’ Adebayo said amid heaving, "May God be with you.’’

"Amen father,’’ replied Adrian.

"Now, listen to my words,’’ he said, clearing his throat and fixing his eyes on him. ‘’Our people says the stranger cannot know the town more the indigene. I and your mom are the indigenes of this world, while you’re our stranger. So, you must listen to our directions and guidelines so you won’t get lost. May you never get lost.’’

"Amen, father.’’

"Don’t follow bad peers when you get to town,’’ Adebayo raised his voice, and spoke with force in his tone. His right index and big fingers were holding his right ear lobes. ‘’Be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else. We are not rich but were equally not hungry. Don’t because you see any of your peers buying expensive things and long for it. Let what we give you be enough for you. Be good and respect everyone you come across but never be cowed by anyone. Don’t fight a blame fight. In fact, run from fighting fast as your legs could carry you. Fighting in school wouldn’t give you money or a medal. Listen to your teachers and follow their instructions dutifully. They are your parents in school. Follow all the rules and regulation the school had lain down. Don’t joke with your books and school works. And don’t be addicted to football as your mother always warned. . I pray you’ll suede in your academic careers.’’

‘"Amen father,’’ Adrian said humbly, "I heard everything you said and follow them accordingly.’’

"Yes, that is my good son, I trust you.’’

After the warning, Adebayo left Adrian to complete his dressing and preparation for boarding school.

"Open your ears wide and listen to me attentively, Akanji,’’ Ajoke had called out to Adrian, sitting very close to him on the bench outside their hut, her hands clasped around his shoulders. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears. Even though he was still with her, she was missing him already. Adrian had fully dressed up, waiting for the Okada or commercial motorcycle rider to come and convey him and his baggage to the College in Iddo. Adebayo had chattered the Okada the previous day or else another passenger would chatter it. There were no many motorcycles in the village.

"All the advices I and your father have given you, put them in your left palm so you won’t eat them with food,’’ Ajoke said. "Don’t be like the proverbial adamant baby-goat. The mother of the baby-goat had had warned him not to go to a mountain of greener pastures because dangers were hidden there. He agreed to hearken to his mother’s advices in her presence. But the day the mother-goat went out, the baby-goat felt he’s gotten himself and could do anything he wished without being questioned. So, he decided to go to the mountain to eat fresh green grasses quickly before his mother would return. The mountain looked fresh and full of green pastures in his eyes but he didn’t know there were lots dangers inside it and that sweet thing kills quickly. He didn’t know all that glitter is not gold. After he’d gotten to the mountain and had eaten enough green grasses, he felt on top of the world, mocking his mother for preventing him from eating such good meal for long. Suddenly, a large wolf appeared to him, attacked and devoured him. If he’d had listened to his mother, would it have died young and in such horrible manner?’’

"No, mom,’’ Adrian replied whole-heartedly, shaking his head thoughtfully, the story really touched his heart and didn’t wish to be like the baby goat, "I promise I won’t touch football again.’’

"I don’t say you shouldn’t play it at all. I know you. You won’t be able to stop it totally. But don’t be too serious about it and spend most of your time on it. I know it doesn’t disturb your academic results but I always have strange dreams and feeling towards it! You can play it once in a while, may be within your hostel compound. Don’t be representing the college or go out of the school compound to play like used to do in Lagos and in this village school.

Your father and I won’t be there to call your head back home if you’re going beyond your bounds. Anything that does not really suit your destiny or future, no matter how enticing or enjoyable is it to you, abstain from it. It is called friend of foe.

A friend of foe ruins someone’s life without expectations, even more than a sworn foe. They also called green snakes under green grass or pretentious friends. Don’t make friend with someone who has all or part of the social vices like smoking, fighting, disobedient to teachers, drinking, stealing and exam malpractices which we had warned you against. No how a sheep will walk with a goat and won’t learn obstinacy.