Chapter 21

The Strange Feeling

The weather was somehow cool and serene as Adrian and Richard were gliding from the college library. Some junior students were chasing each across the classrooms and the expanse playground behind the hostels, playfully. But they suddenly stopped when they saw the two seniors. They might be scolded for doing rough play around the empty classrooms, they thought. It was the college siesta period and they were expected to be in their hostels, having their afternoon nap, not playing around, and disturbing those who were having theirs. But the two seniors paid no notice to the juniors.

"I couldn’t concentrate on Wole Soyinka’s ‘The Lion and the Jewel’ drama book which I was reading in the library,’’ lamented Adrian bitterly, raised his eyes brows and worry lines appeared on his temple.

He had had mysterious, tiring and sorrowful feelings in the library. The type of feelings that had preceded his father’s lost of his clerical job in the bank in Lagos. He also remembered having such feelings before his mother’s road-side kiosk shop got bulldozed. He did not know what the feelings meant now, anyway. Initially, he had the urge to tell Richard about the strange feelings but he changed his mind. That was personal matter, he thought. It is not everything someone should discuss with a friend. Remembered how Richard once turned into a joke a serious issue he heard told him concerning this same strange feeling of his.

Immediately after Adrian had injured Martin in the training football match, he had come to the hostel, looking downcast and told Richard that he had feeling that Martin might revenge. Richard had laughed the words to scorn, calling Adrian a coward for expecting such. He his friend was afraid of Martin because he hardly talked to him, even though they were class and team mates. He would look at him with disdainful eyes or sneer towards him whenever they meet on the pitch or around the college. But eventually, that was what Martin wanted to do. Adrian was right.

"What hindered your concentration, boy?’’ Richard inquired from Adrian astonishingly. "But I saw you staring at the opened book in your desk studiously.’’

"I was just staring at it. No single alphabet glued unto my brain. I didn’t know why I couldn’t comprehend what I was reading. I had planned to read, digest and summarize the drama book in a jotter for future references but I couldn’t. I’m not happy about that at all. It’s like I wasted my precious time, going to the library.’’

"I’m sorry, boy, it does happen to me also at times, especially when I’m missing my mother’s soup pot.’’ Richard said in mockery tone, sticking his tongue out. After a brief silence, seeing that Adrian’s moods say: ‘'there is no time for joke now’’, in serious tone Richard continued: "anyway, as for me, I did assimilate more than enough. I learned how various ways of solving linear equations from the further mathematics text book which the school librarian handpicked for me from the shelf. I’m happy the librarian didn’t go for the vacation. I mightn’t have known the right text book to pick. I also solved so many other Physics problems I hardly comprehended before.’’

"And you got all the answers correctly…?’’ there was an obviously doubt in Adrian’s voice.

"Yes, it was so magical!’’ reeled Richard.

"Well, that’s good for you but you can’t be comparing literature with further Mathematics.’’ Adrian looked lively now. He loved such arguments, educative arguments. "You could just pick some problems from your text books; and use the examples your teacher gave you in the class or the ones in the text books to solve the problems and get the answers correctly. But in literature, you need a lot of concentration and patience to be able to read the numerous words and comprehend them. After comprehension, you would have to summarize what you’ve read in a note book or jotter for proper documentation, or for future references. Do you think to write the summary of a novel, poetry or a drama book is an easy task?’’

"You talked about the almighty further mathematics, which is one of the core subjects in science department as if its bread and butter. It’s even laughable to compare science subjects as a whole with art subjects. In art subjects, you would just sit down, read and assimilate everything without sweating. All what you read are mere English words, no formulas or strange symbols to give you headaches. When exams come, you would download what you’ve read and assimilated on your answer shits. But in science subjects, an unfamiliar problem could be brought up for you to solve. Though it might be somehow related to the ones they’ve thought you in the classroom, you will have to use your intellect to solve it correctly…’’

"But formulas are always there to help you out! In art subjects like Government and Literature, sometimes, you could sit down to read but comprehend nothing; because the words are always too bogus and full unfamiliar words, jargons and registers.’’

"Oh…you think it’s easy to understand the application of formulas? Do you think further mathematics and physics are like ordinary mathematics which you offer? Perhaps friend, you could use dictionary to check an unfamiliar words in our literature but not in further mathematics…’’ Richard abruptly stop talking, pointing towards a faraway direction, not really far from the school gate. "Oh, look…look...over there, Addy!’’

"Martin and Taj,’’ Adrian said, in an uninterested tone, "What about them?’’

"They’ll judge this argument between us. Let’s race to meet them before they drift too far away. Let’s double-up now, common boy!’’

"No, don’t let us do that now.’’

"Why?’’ Richard asked, his eyes widen in surprise. "They’re our friends now, aren’t they?’’

"They might’ve become our friends as they claimed,’’ Adrian said, scratching his head, "but I won’t be feeling comfortable walking with them yet.’’

"From now on you’ll learn to,"" said Richard. "We learn perfection from constant practice. We’re all boys and also classmates, nothing to be shy of. We ought to mingle together freely if not for that fight...’’ Slowly, Richard started running towards Martin and Taj, "aren’t you coming along, Addy? Common limber-up! Leap on, boy! I’m gone---O!’’

"Alright, wait…wait…wait for me!’’ Adrian gave Richard a chase--a hot chase. He thought he could meet up with him but he could not. Richard reached Martin’s and Taj presence before him.