Chapter 29

A Bait of Meal

"Adrian…! Wait…! Adrian...!’’ Martin was shouting at the top of his bell-like voice. He stood up, swooped some pepper-soup with a spoon into his mouth quickly before dashing towards Adrian. Richard stood up too and followed suit.

"What are you doing, boy?’’ Martin asked breathlessly, he had run as fast as he could before catching up with Adrian on the way.

"Going back to the college of cause or where else did I come from?’’ Adrian screamed. "Is this the rubbish you brought us here for? Drinking and drinking of alcohol? I thought you said you would buy us decent swallow meal. Are alcoholic drinks the decent meal you promised us? The times of dinner has passed! This is eight o’clock already. Oh God, I can’t even imagine myself out of the college compound by this time!’’

"Oh boy, you should have said you were hungry instead of running away,’’ Martin said in calm but firm voice. He would never be cowed or bulge on any rant or threat, no matter how harsh or dreaded. "Well, they sell no food in this club. Perhaps, beer and pepper-soups could calm the worms in your intestine if you could give them a trial.’’

"Martin, even me, I’m hungry too,’’ Richard said bluntly. "Breakfast is the last meal in our stomachs. You do know the school does not provide lunch but only breakfast and dinner. Even the long trek here could render a full stomach empty."

"Well, you guys should exercise little patience with me, okay? Food is the littlest things to people like us. After drinking enough beer I'll take you to a decent restaurant not far from here. You would eat any meal you desire, to your fill. Are you alright by that?’’

"No,’’ Adrian insisted, shaking his head vigorously, ‘’ Richard could go with you but me? I’m in the college already. My spirit is what you’re seeing, standing here."

Again, Adrian began going away bracingly, almost running. His parents’ warnings were echoing in his head again.

Martin and Richard raced towards him again, shouting his name to wait. He halted aversely.

"Where do you think you’re going alone, boy?’’ Martin asked with a voice of anger mixed with persuasion.

"Whence did I come? I’m going back to college of cause!’’ Adrian declared. ‘’My father would to say if the snail finds a splinter in its shell, it changes it.’’

"Look here boy. I don’t say you shouldn’t change your splintered shell. But the road is always dangerous, awful, and sometimes full of dangerous wild beasts of prey. Sometimes, it could be worse at night; that is when armed robbers or kidnappers are having their meetings there,’’ Martin lied.

"I don’t bloodied care!’’ barked Adrian.

"You see, Addy, I know you don’t really care now but listen to me, that’d be better.’’ Martin said, holding Adrian’s wrist like a good friend and added in a patronizing voice. He knew Adrian wouldn’t be cajoled by the dreadful words, so he decided to resolve to calm ones. "We walk in our twos or fours would keep any danger at bay. I belief you might have heard this saying before, ‘together we stand but divided we fall.’ Dangerous men are out there truly, armed with sharp guns or machetes. They could cut one’s limbs off if the person tries to escape on sighting them."

Indeed the bush path at night was fearful in out-looks but devoid of all what Martin had mentioned. He just wanted to scare Adrian into waiting for them.

Having thought about what Martin had said, Richard became fearful for Adrian’s life, so he said, "please Addy, listen to Black-scorpion, please. Remember we all left our parents home who are expecting us back home in good health and with complete limbs. Don’t risk your life by going alone. Wait for us, we’ll be done in a jiffy.’’

Silently, Adrian followed Richard and Martin back to their seats. He was somehow convinced by Martin’s words. Or perhaps, the food he had promised made him follow them. They settled down and Martin and Taj continued gobbling down their pepper-soup and beer.

"At least if you aren’t drinking anything, you could eat some pepper-soup," Taj suggested. He was feeling a bit drunk now but tried to control his speech. "I’m so much disappointed in you guys, especially you, Adrian. You wouldn’t drink, fine! While running away from us? Why neglecting your good friends just because they’re doing what they love best? We came together, have you forgotten? We brought you here, shouldn’t we be the ones to take you back, too?’’

If not because anger and hunger were having burning competition inside Adrian, he could have replied Taj. He would have asked him immediately if he didn’t have his own legs that he walks with.

"Well, guys, drink quick and lets go eat,’’ Richard said, robbing his belly. "The worms in my intestine are biting so aggressively. It could lead to an ulcer, you know? That’s if nothing is done to savage the situation as soon as possible."

"Don’t bring your fake doctor talks here now, Richie,’’ said Martin jokingly. He has started to feel drunk a bit too but he knew what he was doing. "We are in drinking joint, not your fantasy hospital."

"What I’m giving you guys is not fake doctor talks, its reality. It’s what you could spend your money and time consulting a physician for,’’ said Richard smiling.

"Have some more drink and pepper soup, okay?’’ Martin urged Richard. "Make merry, have some fun; the unscrupulous worms would perish. They wouldn’t be able to withstand the acidic power of an alcoholic beer and the hotness of pepper soup."

"Don’t mind our friend who behaves like a kid, running back to school because of mere hunger,’’ Taj’s shade was meant for Adrian, though he was facing Richard. "We’re seventeen not seven; a college’s final year students not primary school pupils. We aren’t kids anymore, boys lets wake up!’’

"This pepper soup taste so delicious,’’ Richard announced in a serious tone, as he swooped the pepper-soup into his mouth with a spoon before Taj complete his speech. "In my entire life, I’ve never tasted something as palatable as this before.’’

‘’I’m happy to hear that,’’ Taj commended. "You can try some beer with it a little,’’

"You would only feel more pleasure by pushing it down with some beer,’’ Martin supported, opening one beer bottle with an opener.

As the beer foamed out of the bottle, Martin poured it in the glass before Richard. Richard took the glass full of the white foaming beer and gulped it down as a thirsty person would of a chilled cup of water.

"Oh no,’’ Taj observed, "you’ll quickly get drunk by doing that. This is not water or soda. You just got to sip it little by little next time, okay?

"Let me see you, Taj,’’ Martin said, standing up from his seat, gliding away from Richard and Adrian. Taj was following him, staggering a bit.