Positivity

CHAPTER ONE

Computer game is an addictive thing. You play it. You play it again. But you won't stop playing it, it holds you. Wisdom played computer game in school's computer lab. It was already a midday. The sultry atmosphere was terribly hot. It was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire but actually it was just afternoon temperature, it sucks. For the din was even worse, as all learners were gathered in school yard chattering, laughing and some were squabbling.

Time was flying. Yeah, it always does. But not on snail's pace this time as Wisdom expected. It was flying on its maximum speed. It was Saturday when Wisdom last spoke to Mercy, his girlfriend. And it was now Friday already and Wisdom has an agenda. The secret agenda that he never dare to mentioned to his friend and brother from another mother as they call each other. Schultz.

Later afternoon that day, Wisdom went to visit Mercy at her place. He went to achieve his agenda, and fulfill his wish to see Mercy and probably talk with her. Mercy lives with her single mother who seemed to have no say in her own daughter's life. Mercy do whatever pleases her and her mother do nothing apart from looking at her and goes on mute.

Knock, knock! Wisdom knocked on the door of Mercy's house. Mercy pretended as if she didn't hear the knockings. She ignored him completely as she was already feeling irritated by Ben. Ben was a guy from Mercy's school who smokes weed and he was well known for being a member of a notorious gang and more often than not he was a sell-out.

Knock, knock, and knock! Wisdom knocked again, but this time got harder and louder. Mercy got up sullenly as though annoyed at being disturbed because she was watching her favorite TV series (Power). 'Who's there?', Mercy asked as she was walking towards the door. ''It's me'', Wisdom answered and gave her order to open up for him.

Wisdom was visibly shocked when he saw who was inside with Mercy, he was so stupefied. ''I can't believe what I'm seeing'', he said incredulously. He went on placatory fashion as he was just standing. No movement, no word, just standing, like a statue.

Ben realized that Wisdom's mind was blindly buzzing, like a bee trapped in a bottle. ''What's up with you buddy'', Ben asked. ''You tell me, what are you doing in here with her?'', Wisdom asked with aggressive curiosity. ''And what the hell business is it of yours what I am doing with her?'', Ben snapped back and warned Wisdom not to be nosy, or otherwise. ''You slapped her ass, you damned well slapped her ass Ben''. Ben bared his teeth in contempt. ''I'll damn well kick your ass Wisdom!'', Ben said. Wisdom pushed Ben. Ben laughed and pushed him back. ''Freaking loser; he hissed. ''Freaking loser Wisdom''.

Ben was faster, taller and stronger, but back then on the spectrum side, Wisdom was smarter than him. Wisdom was protecting Mercy's honor, perhaps the greatest and most powerful motivation for an all-out on slaughter against this criminal of the heart. Ben detests Wisdom as he was vying for Mercy with him. They were vying for Mercy like Swapo old shenanigans competing for a tender.

Impulsively, Ben hit Wisdom with a fist on the forehead and perhaps on lips as Wisdom was sure as hell he tasted blood. The fists were as strong as hammer. When Ben hit him, Wisdom went down. Wisdom just flat-fuck fell. Boom! Down. Like a stone. He hadn't been able to say anything; he'd just nodded dumbly; trying not to let himself cry.

Mercy turned to Wisdom, her expressions one of terror and grief and panic and sympathy all rolled into one. She began to mop Wisdom's face as he was bleeding. Mercy is so benevolent. She is as sweet as the cherubim and seraphim and all the holly angels rolled into one almighty bag of purity, Wisdom thought. Mercy was so terrible angry with Ben. ''How can you be so evil?'', she asked Ben. ''It's just mindless damage, I gave him what he deserved'', Ben responded back.

Chapter two

In his room, he slumped in his wooden chair. Closed his eyes tight and breathed so deeply with pain sensation on his jaw. He wondered how people, particularly Schultz, will think of him when they hear the news. ''I should have stayed home and shouldn't have gone to see Mercy. Anyways, that's over now, I should forget about it. But no, Mercy! How could I have lost you, so soon, so suddenly? How could something so good, so true have had so bitter an end?

Stars struck stars. So thoughts grind against a thought that was exactly how his mind was too, torturing itself. Life was now using him as its personal punching bag and more than anything, he wanted to curl up into a ball, pull his blanket over his head and sleep for a couple of weeks.

After a short while, Wisdom went to the kitchen, to fetch some ice for his swollen jaw. On the way back to his room, he bumped into his mother, then he snared in fear like a snail caught in the spiral of its own slime. ''Oh my Gosh! What happened to your jaw? Tell me bundle of joy what had happened?'', his mother asked. ''I was, I just...he paused as he wanted to say nothing but the truth. And then, he remembered that not all truths are good on the surface. Some truths bring pain. Some are just the starting point for an uphill climb, for a lot of tortured work. ''We were carrying some stuff at my friend's house and then I hurt myself'', he said that and disappeared to his room.

Wisdom knew nothing about Mercy or neither Ben, nothing at all! They were only shadows cast briefly over his consciousness. Turns against the truth and it turns into lies. Understand lies and they turn into truth. Wisdom could make up some stories in his head in which Mercy wasn't with Ben, where she was waiting for him somewhere else.

Wisdom decided to lie down on his bed. His head churned to nausea, and his jaw ached as he was lying down. He slept in little fits, but there was no comfort in his sleep; dreams of Ben touching Mercy with his big dirty hands couldn't allow him to sleep. He could find no steadiness in his thoughts, nothing to hold on to. Mercy was with Ben. There was no meaning in that. No meaning at all! Weather she had wanted to be with him or not, she was with Ben now. And that was the end of it.

Chapter 3

It was 7:30 Monday morning and Schultz was already at school. Sitting on picnic chair, under Mopani tree, enjoying the morning fresh air. He had a conniption when he heard what had happened to his friend. He wanted to see him, to see how he was doing and perhaps talk some sense into him.

''There are so many girls in this school, some of whom are so gorgeous and magnanimous but Wisdom is obsessed to cold-hearted idiot, whose mind is pure ice'', Schultz eyed Wisdom speculatively when he arrived and handed him a cup of iced tea to sip in after he greeted him.

Schultz was a straight forward person, so he didn't hesitate to ask his friend what had happened. At first, Wisdom was evasive but later he realized that Schultz was snaky, so he explained everything to him, about how the incident happened but Schultz was very angry with him. He never agreed to the idea of Wisdom dating Mercy, he detests her.

Schultz has been pensive all day long. Yeah, he was in the class physically but mentally was far, very far in fact. He has been thinking about what had happened to his friend and obviously what he was going to do to that person, Ben. Schultz is not that kind of person who can forgive and forget, no! That's not Schultz. He learned a hard way not to forget.

After school Wisdom and Schultz went to the shops to buy their drinks as usual. While in store, Schultz asked Wisdom if he was still paining. 'I'm getting better now, so just forget about the whole damn thing!'', Wisdom answered. ''What? Damn you Wisdom, how do you expect me to forget about something like that? You're being hurt. He must think shit!'', Schultz said and made it clear to Wisdom that he was not going to let Ben get away with it.

''Come on buddy, we can't do this, we can't just fight a guy over a girl and to make the fact worse, we will ruin our reputations if we're to fight back. So think twice before you do anything stupid, just think twice boy'', Wisdom tried to chasten Schultz.

''If we're not to take actions, Ben may think that we are cowards. So violence is the only thing that would makes people like Ben to understand that we're also human beings!'' Schultz disagreed with Wisdom. ''So you haven't heard that whoever try to stop violence with violence is a fool?'', Wisdom asked.

''Ben need to be taught a lesson, Be…OG! Speaking of the devil'', Schultz's mind started spinning when he saw Ben at the back of the store. When they paid for their drinks, Schultz told Wisdom that he was hungry and he would like to have a sandwich, so he left Wisdom outside and went back in the store. If I can say the truth, Schultz wasn't really in need of a sandwich, but actually, he wanted to take revenge on Ben. He wanted Ben to taste his own medicine.

''You started a fight, but I won't give you a chance to satisfactory of winning it. No one messed up with my people and get away with it. It's about time for you to taste your own medicine bastard'', Schultz speaking to himself as he was taking a chocolate bar from the shelf and went at the back of the store with it , where Ben was standing and pretended as if he wanted something there.

Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight. Schultz crept up on Ben from behind and put a chocolate in Ben's pocket as careful as dung beetle in daylight not to piss off the big orange troglodyte off. He then walked out with confidence as he has achieved his plan. He told the security officer at the exit door that he saw someone hiding chocolate in his pocket. He described the guy he saw and left. No one would fail to describe Ben. The guy with baggy jeans.

Anyway someone would look at Ben's face and think worse, if not terrible. He has some serious scars on forehead that would frighten a person. His scars made him to look like a dangerous person. Ben was confused when he was searched by security officer at the exit door while other customers passed by without even being searched. He became immobile when officer took a chocolate from his pocket, a chocolate that he never knew if it was in his possession. Without any query or hesitation, officer called fellow security officers who came and beat him in front of everyone.

Ben was left with no word; he couldn't believe what had just happened. It was a nightmare. It seemed as though the world he knew better had totally transformed. Ben likes to play games, but if he has lost, was crossed or worse, humiliated. The fury and the violence were terrible in manifestations.

Chapter four

New month has come and it brought new things. And everything seemed new to Wisdom. He usually goes earlier to school so that he can get time to socialize with friends before lessons started. But now, that was the thing of the past, even though he go early at school, no one would get time for socializing as people were studying, exams have started.

Wisdom and Schultz were writing Mock examinations for grade ten, just like everyone else in their class. And later, if not soon, they will be writing their final examinations. Their friendship did not just start now; they have been friends since grade eight, when both started schooling at Ondangwa Junior. And now they're in grade ten. Their friendship has solid foundation. It was almost perfect.

They are inseparable, and surely they have parallel life, and nothing could fit in between that. Nothing could fit in between the semi-euphoric and future historic and metaphoric bond they have.

At school, they were called brothers, twin brothers as they were always together. They even passed with same points since grade eight when they befriended each other. They have been always on position one. In class, they don't sit together for someone to say they used to copy from each other. No. but they were always on position one, even though their symbols used to be differ from subject to subject.

When it comes to science subjects, Schultz was always the best as he used to have As. Wisdom was an A student when it comes to languages. Together, they were an A team. When languages were giving Schultz tough time, Wisdom was always there to help his chomie. If Wisdom was struggling with math or physical science, Schultz was first to help. They friendship was constructive and yet rare.

It was 11 o'clock; Wisdom and Schultz were on picnic chair, under Mopani tree, their favorite spot. This time it was of no difference to them. They seemed like they were not in exams. They were just busy talking their stories about soccer, girls and stuff while other learners were studying. Schultz was not just talented but he was very talented person. Once he was taught something at school, he goes home and revises it. But Wisdom was a different story, he doesn't need to revise, once he listen to the teacher then everything is already in his head, he was so gifted.

''These bastards only listen to us when we're discussing and catch up with everything and all the suddenly they come on top'', Juliana frowned. Wisdom and Schultz were just sitting next to the table where Juliana and her friends were, but they had no interest on what Juliana and her friends were discussing. '' I detest these bastards'', Juliana shouted as she was standing up to go to the class and her friends followed her. '' Ag, you should go, you're boring'', Wisdom shouted back to them and smiled.

When Wisdom and Schultz were in 8A, and then 9A, Juliana was in grade 8B and then 9B. And by that time she used to be on position one in her class. The fact that there was only one class for grade ten at school, made Juliana to find herself in the same class with Wisdom. Something she has never wanted to happen, as it could surely cost her position. Now that she was in the same class with Wisdom, her dream to be on position one, was now a white elephant.

''My Gosh, damn, some people really have time'', Wisdom whispered to Schultz when they entered into the class and caught Juliana preparing to copy the exams. She was writing some answers in palm of her left hand. She has also a paper under her table. Time flew by and all learners went home when they finished writing their subject.

Wisdom Goodwin detests being obsessed with anything. The following day, early in the morning, he was in his room, lying on his bed and his mind drifted off onto that half-awake/ half-asleep state. Mercy filled his thoughts, banishing everything else. No worries, no past and no future, just Mercy.

Wisdom wrapped his arms around Mercy, and hugged her so tight. She stroked him, loving the feel of him. Without saying a word, he kissed her on lips, and within a minute, he laughed out with pleasure, unraveling with fulfillment. But as suddenly as she had appeared, she had disappeared. She was no longer in his arms. ''Mercy'', he screamed. Oh, my gosh, it was a dream. Just a dream, but it seemed so real.

Ellen Goodwin came running to Wisdom's room, to see what was eating her son and perhaps her favorite thing among all male species when she heard him screaming. ''what's going on son, tell me what had happened?'', Wisdom's mother asked with her hands shaking in fear. ''It was just a dream, nothing had happened, I had a bad dream'' Wisdom answered.

''It's good to talk about a frighten dream to dispel its power'', Mrs. Ellen said that with cunning voice, hoping that Wisdom would tell her about the dream he had but Wisdom just said that he was ok and there was nothing to talk about just to comfort his mum.

''Ok son if you're ok'', she said and checked at her wrist watch. ''Oh, it's 6:45 am son, prepare to go to school'', Madam Ellen said. ''No mummy, today we will be writing exams at 10:30, so there is no need for me to go there this early'', Wisdom told her mom. ''Ok son'' Mrs. Ellen said and wished her son a good day and then she left for work.

''This was a hell of a way to start a new day'', Wisdom spoke to himself as he was making his coffee. ''I'm going to talk to her, I will talk to Mercy, not just today, no, but I will wait for the perfect time'', Wisdom continued talking to himself.

Now I have to focus on my books and talk to Mercy after exams. I can't concentrate on girls now that I'm in exams, as he who have one foot in the canoe, and the other foot in the boat is going to fall into the river and I can't afford to fall.

'I have to wait and do things at right time. Friday we will be done with exams and Mercy and her friends usually go swim at Tennis Club most of the Fridays. Wisdom has been imagining things, made some wise decision and weird ones too.

CHAPTER FIVE

It was Friday and Wisdom has done with exams. Now he has to help his mother with cleaning and stuff. That's what holiday all about, helping parents.

Mr. George Goodwin, Wisdom's father called his wife Mrs. Ellen Goodwin during the day and told her that he was not coming home for August holiday, as he has a trip with work to Cape Town, South Africa. He will be just going to send their last born son, William Goodwin.

Mr. George use to stay with William at Windhoek, while Wisdom used to be with their mother at north. Mr. George was a manager at one of the banks in Windhoek while Mrs. Ellen was a senior nurse at north.

However, most learners, if not all, got it wrong when it comes to holidays. They think holiday was all about chilling out with buddies, have some bottles of liquors and cigars, which happened to be immoral and unacceptable to the society. Yes, having some fun is good but they just used to take it too far.

''Chief let's go to the pool today'', Wisdom on phone talking with Martin, his friend from Oluno, but they were not schooling at the same school. No, he was schooling at this other school that was also in Ondangwa and he was also in grade ten. ''Ok General, that's a great idea as it's very hot today. Anyway I'm having my dad's key for the car, I all come to pick you up buddy'', Martin said.

Wisdom liked being called General while Martin goes by the name Chief, if you call Schultz Boss, he would salute you as he feels so respected. The way these youngsters address each other in Namibia; chief, general, boss, you may think unemployment was a myth.

When Wisdom and Martin parked their car at the parking lot, they found Mercy still outside with some other girls. Wisdom hurried to her, hurried to her like an ant to sugar. ''Hi pretty'', Wisdom greeted Mercy. She first looked at Wisdom and then she looked away. She can't stand to look at his face. She has been avoiding him since their incident with Ben.

''How are you doing, it has been a long time though'', Wisdom made an attempt to start a conversation with her and tried to hug her but she just gave him a look that say spare me your hug and looked behind once more again. Looks in front, always in front, the front view is what matters the most than back view'', Wisdom said that when he saw that Mercy was avoiding eyes contact.

Wisdom breathed deeply and swallowed a dam of saliva when he surveyed her and discovered that Mercy was only in her swimming clothes; a silver summer shirt that covered only breasts. She also has a short that was transparent enough to allow him to see downstairs. The way she was dressed would provoke blood circulation.

''Are you here with a guy?'', Wisdom asked. ''No, I'm here with my friends, those girls you see over there'', Mercy answered him for the first time. Wisdom was happy now that he was with Mercy. His happiness fogs his brain and made it hard to remember the fight he had with Ben.

Wisdom almost banished Mercy from his thoughts but as impossible as it looked and as it insurmountable as it felt, he was back to Mercy, they picked up where they left. Schultz didn't go with Wisdom to the pool that day, so he just went to visit him at his house the following day. Wisdom was very happy and he told him he was back with Mercy. ''What? Hold on a second; let me try to get you. Are you trying to tell me that Mercy is your girlfriend again?'', Schultz asked, his lips were shaking in angers and disappointment. ''Yes, Mercy is my lover again'', Wisdom answered.

''You should be joking brother, Mercy has never taken relationships serious, she will still sleep with whoever she wants to and in spite of that she likes material things. She will milk you dry and desert you. You better be careful'', Schultz warned Wisdom.

''Talking of relationships, what do you knows about relationships?'', Wisdom asked. ''You can't teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla'', Wisdom continued. ''Ear that do not listen to advise accompany the head when chopped off'', Schultz snapped back. ''Ok lecturer, that's enough but the fact remain that I'm in love with Mercy and that's that. So you better get used to it'', Wisdom pissed off. ''Ok if that's what makes you happy then go for it but don't just say I didn't warned you'', Schultz said hopelessly.

CHAPTER SIX

Old habits die hard, it was not too long since when Ben was beaten up for stealing, but he has already continued with his trait. His mother gotten a call from the police saying that she needed to come quickly at the police station; Ben had stabbed a girl with a knife, took her phone and ran away. But he was found later by the police. Unfortunately, he has sold the phone already to get money so that he can buy weed.

''What?'', Ben's mother thought to herself. '' That's not possible ''. But it was true…sort of. Madam Maggie, Ben's mother looked like a photo negative of her son; fair, articulate, and always bustling with similes. She has the intense, slightly strained energy of a tireless campaigner, but showed nothing but tender affection towards her son. At home, Ben was always behaving; he had never back chat to his mother. He would bring all changes if he was sent to buy something. Ben really looked innocent but once he stepped out of the house and meets with his friends, he becomes someone else.

Madam Maggie was so heartbroken when she arrived at the police station and saw her son hands cuffed. Her heart went pit-a-pat.

Detective David was the one who handling the case. He explained everything to Madam Maggie. Luck enough the girl wasn't badly stabbed. She just hospitalized and then she was sent to go home. Detective told Madam Maggie to pay N$2000 for the phone as the girl didn't raise any charge against Ben; she just craved for her phone to be retrieved. But Ben was given a warning and then allowed to go home with his mother.

On Tuesday, 11th August, all teachers were done with marking exams. Results came out and Juliana was second to the twins, Wisdom and Schultz. She wasn't feeling happy as she wanted to be on position one but that wouldn't be possible as Wisdom was in the class, same class as her. Wisdom has great influence on Schultz. Good influence.

At the later hours of Friday of 14 August, Wisdom rushed to the bus station, to go meet with his brother, William Goodwin. William called saying he was just 5km to Ondangwa and Wisdom doesn't want to make his brother wait for him, he rushed to the bus station.

Wisdom Goodwin was not a patient person. You wouldn't make him wait for you calmly or peacefully. He has been sitting on the pavement near the station glancing on his wrist watch after every two minutes and he sometimes stood up and sits again. His acts would make someone to think he was suffering from mental retardation.

When William arrived, his look of incredulity was less than the delight for which Wisdom had hoped. But then he broke into a smile as he approached Wisdom and they shook hands in a manner as dignified, yet agreeable, as though they were brothers. ''Give me a hug brother'', William asked for a hug. ''Are you a gay or what?'', Wisdom frowned and buried his hands in his trousers' pockets to avoid a hug. ''huh?'', William sighted speculatively.

''Hugging is mofies's stuff'', Wisdom told William. William didn't took it twisted but he just hit back Wisdom with ''whatever''. Wisdom Goodwin doesn't hug with fellow men, younger or older. And his father knew that better. He doesn't try to hug him anymore, no matter how much he missed him.

Wisdom Goodwin and William Goodwin had never been at odds with each other. There was no bad blood between them, no bitterness either. They had simply been different from each other, interested in different things. Wisdom was social, always in group of friends, William preferred solitude.

Wisdom took his little brother's bags into a cab while William carried a box. Willy never separated from his dog; he came with his dog in the box. On their way home, Willy once took the lead in conversation and kept up a line of queries, the answers to which were very gratifying.

They were greeted by the smell when they arrived home, a delicious smell. A smell of fried chicken and for a couple of groggy seconds, they wondered where that delicious aroma was coming from.

Wisdom salivated when he entered into the house and saw a chicken in a pan that was in the table, a full package chicken and yet ready to be smashed.

Mrs. Ellen hurried to the kitchen when she heard her sons talking. But by the time she made it to the kitchen, one wing was already missing from the chicken. Wisdom can't see meat eye and eye, he was a smasher.

Mrs. Ellen looked good with dark black hair and eyes a bit whiter than the stars, her smile lovely and her voice almost musical. She showed affection to her last born son, William by hugging him and kissed him on the forehead.

William was now at peace as he got what he wanted so badly. He don't even mind about Wisdom who refused to hug him just simply because he had some silly perception that hugs were for mofies. He has found comfort in his mother's arms.

Maybe Wisdom was just like many other teenagers, whose developmental task was to separate from parents, reject childlike behaviors, and to act more grown up. In the process, he elect to give up expressing or accepting a parent's physical affection altogether in order to show that he was no longer wished to be defined as a child. This can be a tough time for MR and MRS Goodwin, whose once-cuddly kid was suddenly seemed allergic to hugs.

After dinner Wisdom and Willy had a big deal to talk about, a big deal to talk about Willy's dog. Wisdom doesn't like dogs. He detests them for the reasons known only by him. William wanted his dog to sleep in the sitting room but Wisdom disagreed on that. ''There's no freaking way for your dog to sleep in the house as it will wee and do all kind of shit in the house'', Wisdom said.

William agreed his dog to sleep outside, not because he liked the idea but simply because there was nothing to do to challenge Wisdom hatred of pets. Wisdom took a small rope and put it on the dog's neck and tied it on the mango tree that was behind the house.

''What the fuck are you doing man, why are you so cruel to my dog, huh why do you hates it so much? First you refused my dog not to sleep in the house and now you hung my dog on the tree'', William pissed off.

''Dude, I am doing this for the safety of your puppy, it may get lost if we leave it outside just like that, and as a matter of fact, I don't detest your puppy, I just detest pets just in general'', Wisdom said. ''Don't call my dog a puppy, it doesn't means that because my dog is short is obviously a puppy'', William snapped back.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Friday of 28 August, around 13:00, Wisdom and William were both sitting in the shade of a mango tree, in the yard, enjoying brotherhood. The sun was beating down on them. The air was getting hot.

The Beast was sleeping close to William, far away from Wisdom. Wisdom doesn't like The Beast, even The Beast know it. He took a small stone and hit The Beast; hit The Beast between the eyes. ''What's wrong with you, why you hit my dog'', William angrily. ''What dog, you means that ugly puppy? I hit it because it was snoring'', Wisdom continued to mess up with William's nerves. ''Stop calling my dog a puppy already'', William felt uncomfortable for when his dog was being called a puppy.

The Beast was smart, cute but also ugly in Wisdom's eyes. He marked his territory. For the more substantive half of his toilet, he waded into the tall grass, where there would be no need to pick up after him. When he returned to the yard, he raced in great circles and in figure eights, chasing nothing, but running for the delight of running.

'' Do you have some dosh?'', Wisdom asked his little brother after some moment when he forgot that he has hit his dog. ''What's that?'', William asked. ''Money, money bra, dosh is other word for money'', Wisdom answered. ''Crap, what do you wants money for?'', William being rude and maybe he was trying to find a way to punish Wisdom for hitting his dog. But that was not William; Willy was always on his best behaviors even if you mistreated him. ''I only have money for my bucket of ice-cream and some chocolates'', William answered.

''Come on brother, I know it's hot but you wouldn't need ice-cream if I am to take you to the swimming pool, you going to make some new friends there, good friends, I even want to introduce you to someone today'', Wisdom told William in cunning manner and yet convincible.

Willy was a fish, he like swimming than doing anything, when it comes to swim, no one would challenge him. ''Yes please brother, take me to the pool. But I only have N$100, which is not enough for all of us'', William showed happiness in a smile but then again he was wondering how they will manage to go to the people with just hundred bucks.

''Don't worry about what you're going to eat or drink there because I will take care of that'' Wisdom tried to make his brother chill down.

''What a coincidence, I was thinking to call but you have just called'', Wisdom on the phone. ''So how are you doing brother anyway?'', Wisdom greeted Schultz. ''Mmmm'', Schultz cleared his throat. ''I'm ok, so what's your plan today, what are you up to?'', Schultz asked lazily and his voice showed boredness.

''We are planning to go swim at the Greenwell park, just get ready so that we can go together, just get ready and then we meet at Pick n' pay'', Wisdom said and ended the call. ''Who was that'', William felt jealousy when he heard Wisdom calling someone brother in the phone. ''It was my friend Schultz, the one who came to visit me the day before yesterday'', Wisdom answered.

''you means that punk from Oluno?'' William asked. ''Huh, seriously now you are calling my best friend a punk?'', Wisdom asked but in lower voice not to show anger to his little brother. '' I just hope you don't think that my friend is old-fashioned'', Wisdom spoke to himself.

''He's a punk, we all know that''. William may be was not wrong to call Schultz a punk as he like to carry the loudest boom box.

Which side of the pool is deeper? William asked when they arrived and he wanted to jump into the swimming pool but wisdom hurried and grabbed his arm and made him stood still. 'Wow wow, not too fast boy, this pool is one of the deepest pools in the town, so you better be careful", Wisdom warned Willy.

"OK brother, but what are we waiting for, let's get in the pool already", Willy said impatiently. "Damn, are you not going to wait"? , Wisdom gave Willy a look that says if you're not going to be patient this would be your last time to come here. "I all make a quick call then we swim thereafter". Wisdom chastens Willy.

Wisdom was mad at Mercy, his girlfriend. She didn't get to the pool on time as they agreed but when he called her and heard her voice's tone; he just put that smile on his face, a smile of a drunken man. Maybe he was drunk, drunk in love. Then he started laughing, laughing like someone watching Busketmouth's comedies. He once said that Mercy's voice sound like that of a singing bird but Schultz didn't agreed with him, he said Mercy's voice sound like that of a scratched CD, annoying.

Schultz was preparing to get in the pool; Wisdom was still in the phone. Wisdom ended the call when he heard people laughing and girls were screaming 'yeah, yeah champ, you're a champion", Wisdom was pissed off when he turned back to the pool just to see Willy already in the water. "Damn, this pool is very deep for you …", Wisdom angrily.

He rushed toward the pool with intention to take Willy out of water but then he was shocked when he realized that people were screaming in delight of Willy's swimming skills. William would soar underwater like superman, hands separated in what was almost a sculling motion, defying the logic of time (and present) of maintaining a perfect streamline. He has freakish flexibility and iron lungs that allowed him to perform the extended feats of sub-surface piloting.

William know how to swim unlike Wisdom who just sit or lie in water then he say he was swimming. William knew as he was a young age grouper, having an underwater dolphin kick would be not only like, super awesome, but it would make him look like a total superstar in the water. Wisdom was very proud of his little brother and yet embarrassed for being proven wrong for calling him scrawny.

As a lonely child in the summer of 2013, he spend every morning and late afternoon cross- legged in front of his father's television, watching swimmers from across the world, swam for glory, at the world Champions. Names like Sarah Jostrom, Caeleb Dressel, Katie ledecky, Adam Peuty became firmly implanted in his mind.

In the following years he would always try to emulate his heroes of 13'. Caeleb Dressel's powerful and effortless distance per stroke. Sarah Jostrom's stockiness' behind the blocks and Katie's never-ending battery life in the pool.

Wisdom got out of water and sat on the wooden chair, looked how people were swimming. He was tired of swimming or maybe he got out of water with fear that he would just end up exposing his flaws in the pool. Mercy came and sat with him on the chair but first she hugged and kissed him on the lips and then on the forehead. They chatted for a little while and then Wisdom called Schultz and Willy and those two girls that came with Mercy. He called them to discuss what they will be buying to eat and drink. "It's getting boring here at Greenwell, let's go somewhere like Rest camp", Mercy suggested. "OK bae", Wisdom agreed with Mercy. Schultz was opening his mouth to disagree with the idea of going at Rest Camp but Mercy interrupted him.

They all went to the Rest Camp. Wisdom asked everyone to order what they want to eat. Mercy was the first to made order. She ordered Nigiri sushi, thin slices of flesh raw fish (also cooked shrimp and egg omelet) dabbed with a light smear of wasabi paste placed on the molten sushi ice. Just like Mercy, all other two girls also ordered sushi. William, the city boy, ordered coconut macaroon with chocolate almond ice-cream. Wisdom goes for Shakshuka; egg poached over a compote of a stewed bell pepper and tomato, with cumin, parsley and other herbs and spices, impressive looking and also deeply satisfying.

Schultz was the last one to make order. He also ordered shikshuka, not because he liked it, no, he just ordered it simply because people had made their order and he was the only one left and then boom, shakshuka was first that came in his mind.

Mercy started when she saw her sushi coming. Just after a second, when the plate was put down, but wasn't settled down calmly on the table, Mercy has already had a piece. She started eating her sushi and started with lighter, more delicately flavored pieces of sushi and work towards the richer, fattier, more strongly flavored fishes and then she drank a cab before she took Chablis. She was genuine; she has a master degree on eating sushi.

After thirty minutes or perhaps more, they have all finished eating what they have ordered. Schultz didn't emptied his plate, William was breathing with difficulty because he took in more than what his stomach can accommodate.

Schultz was uncomfortable and perhaps angers were taking advantage of him. Schultz doesn't like to spend money on women blindly. However they have been going out for quite too long now but he have never seen Wisdom spending too much money like that. ''How can you be so stupid to be fully into that floozy'', Schultz threw queries to his frontal lobe.

He felt singularly outraged by Wisdom's spendthrift. That was totally weird, bewildering situation and everything suddenly seemed up for redefinition.

Schultz felt an argue to talk to Wisdom, to warn him, perhaps-preposterous thought! ''but how can I do that if he is totally blinded by Mercy?'', Schultz continued asking himself questions he wouldn't answer.

He remembered to check on the luminous dial of his watch. ''Do you wants to go home'', Wisdom asked him when he saw Schultz checking time. ''So early?'', Mercy asked without giving Schultz a chance to respond to Wisdom. ''Don't you think it's too early to go home you guys?'', Mercy continued, her voice sound demanding and her face looked crave. ''And now, do you wants something bae'', Wisdom asked Mercy as he was playing with her hair; ran his fingers through her hair in a way that imply doing things with it, like plaiting it, or brushes it. ''I don't know'', Mercy answered. ''What about a pizza?'', Wisdom asked. ''That depends on the stamina of your wallet'', Mercy answered again but with a smile.

Schultz shook his head in disagreement with Wisdom's idea of buying a pizza. May be Wisdom wanted to impress Mercy or better yet to ward off competition from other boys. Wisdom didn't really drop the dimes because he just liked to drop them; he did it because he expected something in return. '' An everlasting relationship, or have he really declared her intentions?'', Schultz asked himself.

They ate their pizza, Wisdom, Mercy and her two other friends. William just took some few bites. Schultz didn't bother to take even one bite. ''Mercy took the leftovers in the box when they were all done with eating. And then she gave Wisdom a good-bye hug.

All boys were still on the table, Wisdom on the other side, Schultz on the other end and William in between them. Schultz sighted Wisdom and squinted suspiciously. 'And now, what was that all about '', Schultz asked. ''Spoiling my girlfriend, or is it a sin now to make someone you love feel so loved?'', Wisdom asked back. ''You calls that spoiling?'', Schultz hit Wisdom with other query and continued to give him some good lectures. ''That was madness on its highest level; you were sowing where you are not going to harvest ''. He stood up and then he goes on and on again with his lectures. Sometimes we just need to use our heads and must always remember that our minds are tools. You're its muster, not its servant. So you should always take control'', Schultz told Wisdom and gave William a high five and then he left.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sometimes people could be described based on their holidays. There are those who would keep themselves organized and busy even if they were in holiday, some find themselves having twenty-four hours without knowing how they would spend it. Wisdom hated being home doing nothing. However, birds of feathers flock together just as friends walk together; Wisdom has been going to the gym some of the nights and mornings with his friends, Martin and Schultz. And sometimes he finds himself at swimming pools because William craved to be taken there.

Juliana has a pile of novels and magazines in her room, when she was not chilling out, then she was probably home reading. Some of those activities kept most youngsters busy during the holiday. But Ben was a different story; he doesn't do jogging, bike circling or go to the gym like other fellow teenagers. ''Those things are for boring people. Boring people like Wisdom and Martin and Schultz altogether'', Ben screamed out when he was told to take an example from Wisdom by his cousin.

Ben always has his nose into undesirable activities. Madam Selma, Ben's aunt believed that it would be keeping Ben from doing terrible things if he was to be taken somewhere from Ondangwa, taken somewhere, where he don't have many friends, bad friends. She invited him to come stay with her at her house in Oshakati during the holiday.

The first week Ben at his aunt's house was on his best behaviors. He never went out to drink alcohol or to meet some bad guys in the town. That made madam Selma happy and she started trusting and believing in him. She later decided to leave Ben alone in the house while she was visiting her friend at Swakopmund.

The only true friend Ben has was his father, but he has died when Ben was very young, he died when Ben was only 13 years old. Leaving Madam Maggie to plays both role of a mother and a father. Ben was affected by his dad's death badly. He was a very sweet kid, always smiling, making jokes and treated elders with respect and showed kindness towards his fellow kids but after his father's death, angers, violence and short temper developed in him so suddenly.

It wasn't only Madam Maggie who was raising her kid as a single mother .No. but Ms. Esther too and many other single mothers out there. Ms. Esther was left alone by Mercy's father when she was three month pregnant with Mercy. Shortly after Mercy was born, Mr. Petrus came with the attempts to see his daughter, but Ms. Esther never allowed him to come closer to Mercy.

Mercy father's absenteeism in her life had her going out with old men, to fill the void her father wasn't able to fill. She craved the love and affection she had been starved of as a little girl. She craved for lot of sex, even though it often tricked her subconscious mind into thinking that she was loved and adored, she was taken advantage of.

It was 10:30 pm, when Ben woke up from his sleep, his eyes were rheumy. ''OG damn, you back already, I thought you were going to stay with your boyfriend or whoever you went to visit for much longer but you're back already'', Ben spoke to himself when he heard her aunt calling him and knocking at the door. He hurried to the door but at first he sniffed to sense if there was still smell of cigarettes in the house as he smoked before he went to sleep.

He opened the door and then he plastered a smile on his face and hugged her aunt before she came in the house. His face reddened and fear crossed his face when he saw ash of cigarettes on the table in sitting room, but fortunately, his aunt didn't make a stop in the sitting room she went straight to the kitchen to drop some plastic bags she was carrying and Ben took advantage of it to clean up his mess.

The following day madam Selma woke up early in the morning and checked how things were in the house but she was surprised when she saw that everything was in order; everything in the kitchen was clean and well packed.

The tiles on the floor were shinning like stars. She then went outside to check in the yard and she was very happy to see how clean the yard was. She has never expected him to be so responsible. ''you're too much of a gentleman nephew'', she thought.

Things were much better with Ben until his aunt came back. He have been enjoying his own accompany. He has been smoking his cigarettes and weed with no need to hide or have anybody complaining about the smell of cigarettes or giving him lectures on how danger smoking was.

Good things don't usually last forever, gone are good days. Things started to get tense with Ben. To him, days were moving slower than never before.

Ben was not the kind of person to spend the whole day home, he liked walking around the town, but his aunt doesn't like it, so he has no choice other than staying home.

Madam Selma was very cool and a very caring person, but she was into church and she usually invites Ben to go with her at church but he was profanity. And that's what made Ben's holiday long; going to church every Sunday.

Ms. Selma was not the one to force a person into doing something, Ben sometimes find excuses not go to church and go there only when he ran out of excuses.

One Sunday madam Selma woke up early in the morning and told Ben to go bath while she was preparing breakfast, so that they can go to church together but Ben told her that he was going to play soccer with his friends. Ms. Selma didn't bother to try convince him to go with her, she just prepared the breakfast, bathed and went to church alone.

When his aunt left, Ben also went out to meet with his friends in town. Ben wasn't having any money, his friends bullied him by calling him a poor friend and then they bought alcohols and they drank together.

When they done drinking, it was already a mid-day and Ben and his crew decided to walk down the shanty town of Uupindi, walking with no destination in mind to reach, just walking for the delight of walking. Ben got tired of walking and the sun was beating on him. He started walking much faster towards the shade of a camera- thorn that was ten feet ahead, on the side of the street.

They all gathered in the shade, faced to the street, so that they would not lose sight of any girl walking down the street. Some girls have passed by and rated them from number one to ten. Their brains started tripping over unrealistic thoughts and crazy ideas when they saw a stunning girl coming towards. They rated her 9-8-9, meaning her butt was 9 out of 10, her breasts were 8 out of 10 and her face 9 out of 10 also.

Ben was tired and hungry, so he decided to go home. On his way home, he has been thinking the way he was bullied, called a poor friend. ''Back home in Ondangwa, my friends call me big money but these rats are calling me poor friend, OG…'' Ben angry.

By the time he arrived home, his aunt was already there. Ms. Selma was as tired as they were preparing for some events at church. When she came home, she just put her phone on the table in sitting room and dropped her bible and handbag to her bedroom and she go bath.

When Ben came inside the house, he found her aunt bathing, he just took his aunt's phone and left without having her aunt noticed that he was in the house.

He removed the simcard from the phone and threw it away; deleted photos and then he sold the phone. Madam Selma went straight to her bed after bathed and had nap, later when she woke up looking for her phone where she left it; she was so confused when she didn't find it there. The thoughts started making race in her mind. ''but I thought I left it here, on this table'', Ms. Selma confused.

She looked between sofa cushions, thinking that the phone may have fallen out and gotten stuck. When searched and got no luck, she just end up believing that maybe the phone had fallen out of the bag when she was in the tax or perhaps she left it at church as the house was still locked otherwise she would think someone stole it.

Lying come easily to Ben, he was self-absorbed, possibly narcissistic, impulsive and kin to win peer's admiration. He called his friends when he bought weed with some of the money he got when he sold the phone. His friends came and met at their commonplace.

Days came and go, madam Selma have noticed several things gone missing in the house. Two weeks went by as she was thinking that things were stolen by some of the neighbors or by some thieves from the hood. When it was clear that that wasn't the case, it was time to issue a clarion call.

Sometimes to avoid being taken advantage of, being fooled or worse being played, you just have to keep cool mind and be smart and that was precisely what madam Selma was doing. She was trying to be cunning but she lacked gumption. She decided to talk to Julius, her neighbors' son, to be checking up on Ben and his friends, if he can find some of the lost items in their possessions.

Time it's diviner of us all, even the most hidden secret will find the light in the belly of the shadows, where it lurks screaming so loud to be heard and seen. The following Sunday, madam Selma went to church, Ben managed to get away with his excuses as usual.

The youth choirs were singing one of madam Selma's favorite songs. She wished if Ben was with her to see how his fellow youths were praising the lord. She wanted to take a video of them singing so that she would be able to show it to Ben when she go home but unfortunately the phone she was using doesn't take good quality videos.

She decided to ask one of the girls that was sitting next to her if she mind her borrowing her phone so that she can take a video and send it to her via WhatsApp. The girl didn't mind giving her phone to madam Selma.

Surprise and angers altogether hit madam Selma when she saw her phone coming from the bag of the girl who was sitting next to her. She didn't know what to say or to do, to be happy or angry. She has been just sitting, as if she was glued on the chair.

Ben seemed to have a yearning and capacity for hurting those that were close to him. He know, without a shadow of a doubt that his people were taking care of him and were providing for him in a way that he can't provide for himself, and yet, he do things times and time again, that he know would break their heart and cause them undue.

Madam Selma got angry but didn't want to cause drama, so she asked the girl to come outside with her and then she asked her where she got the phone. At first, she wanted to lie and then she realized that lying was not only funny, but also a more serious commentary on all people. Whether it's a lie told to embellish one's characteristics or social status, or a lie told to cover up deception, or told for fear that the truth will cause more pain, more often than not, lying was devastating. So, she set up her mind and told her the whole truth.

Ms. Selma found Ben in the house when she came back from church, and she acted cool, as if nothing had happened, as if she didn't get her phone that Ben stole and sold out. She just smiled graciously when she greeted him.

They talked and laughed over some jokes they shared till they had dinner. Shortly after dinner, Ms. Selma went to her room, after two minutes or less, she came back and sited on the chair that was opposite Ben's, faced to him. Then she stared at him, worried about his future if he was not to change. ''Ben, I guess you would like to tell me something about this phone'', Ms. Selma said as she put the phone on the table and then she pushed it close to Ben. Ben's eyes and head turned down, eyebrows held low and his skin blushed red with fear and shame when he saw the phone. The same phone he sold out in the street some few days ago.

He wasn't been able to say anything, maybe he wasn't know what to say. He has been just sitting, looking down, unable to raise his head. And then he opened his mouth to say something, something he wasn't sure if it was right thing to say. ''I know what I did was wrong, and I'm very sorry mama, I'm truly sorry. Ms. Selma's face dropped in disappointment. '' I have never expected you to do that to me'', Ms. Selma said and left for bed.

Ben spent the whole thirty minutes sitting there alone, regretting. Thinking and unthinking. And wished if there was a way to undo what he did.

CHAPTER NINE

There has always been an aura of simplicity about Wisdom's presence in character. Despite the ambivertedness and often detailed observance in his outlook around people, he convinced himself that he was not introvert but actually he was.

At precisely 09:45 am, the sun was slowly rising in Wisdom's bedroom. The warm light tickled his senses and he opened one eye, then the other. Slowly as he was still rolling in bed, he finally woke up when he felt that there was no more comfort in sleeping.

He first went to the loo to pee. He then walked around the house and it felt so empty. William wasn't there to mess up with his nerves. His mother wasn't there either, as she was at work. Wisdom was in the house bored. ''Oh, damn, you were right when you said you are annoying but I'm going to miss you'', Wisdom talked to himself without noticing it when he recalled the funny jokes William had shared.

He has been sitting for the period of five minutes without doing anything, and he took a remote controller for the TV and then he switched it on. His interests on watching TV only lasted for a very short moment. He felt that there was a need of eating something but when he went to the kitchen, he just end up opening the freezer and closing it without taking anything to eat.

After a minute or perhaps more, he took the phone from his pocket and checked if there was someone who texted him, but no one did. It seemed as if people have told each other not to text him. The last message he received was Mercy's last night text that read ''thank you for the airtime you has send''.

He was about to text Mercy and Schultz but he felt that maybe they were doing just fine without him and then he threw the phone away on the couch. Wisdom couldn't stand it any longer; he couldn't stand it being just sitting on couch and watch the TV as early as it was.

He took the watering cane and went to the garden on the backyard. He first watered tomatoes, carrots, spinach, potatoes and then he watered the sunflowers that were on the side of the small gate. He took one hairy and greenery leaf from one of the sunflowers, and surveyed its net veins and enjoyed its smoothness touch. The flowers were smiling at him and scented nice and they were as beautiful as Mercy, he thought.

He was so exhausted, dirty and hungry when he finished watering. He got inside the house and took a hot shower, and then he rushed to the kitchen with the same kinetic energy of that an office man late for the work.

Wisdom opened the freezer and there were ice cream at the back of the freezer, spaghetti sauce, cooked rice, English muffin, bread, butter, fresh tomatoes and fruits and veggies.

He took a dish of Spaghetti sauce carelessly, it almost fell down. He then took it back in when he saw that there was only Spaghetti but no meat. He then again took a loaf of bread and put six slices into the plate, applied butter, and took one fresh tomato and sliced it and chopped it into small pieces, small enough to fit in between the slices of bread. He drank lemon juice when he swallowed a mouthful of bread.

He has been just sitting on the couch when he ate. After few minutes, he heard someone knocking. ''Who's there'', he asked. ''It's me buddy'', a voice from outside said. ''Come in bro, it's not locked'', Wisdom said when he recognized Schultz's voice.

Schultz came in and they talked about some stuff and girls too. ''OG, there are only two days left before the school start again'', Schultz interrupted Wisdom who kept on talking about how beautiful Mercy was. ''Yeah buddy, there are only two days left and I just wish if I could add some more days'', Wisdom said.

''My cousin wants to take me at Ocean View Park, at Ongwediva today, so be ready anytime because I asked him to take you along'', Schultz told Wisdom. Wisdom was very happy to hear that Schultz told his cousin not to leave him behind. He at one time wished if William was still in Ondangwa, so that they can go with him at Ongwediva so that he can entertain people there with his crazy swimming skills.

The early hours of that day seemed untypical to Wisdom, but it turned out to be a very typical day, in a very typical week. Schultz's cousin didn't take long to come. When they arrived at the Park, there were already lots of people there. But it was not that crowded as the park was quiet big, with lot of facilities such as bars, restaurants, and swimming pools, secured parking lot, water slide; putt-putt course, disco, open-air arena; volleyball, gym and internet access and etc.

They first went to swim. The almost Olympic size swimming pool was great. After they swam, they were shown into the restaurant area, which was off to one of the bars, painfully crowded. They sat at a table laid for four people. Wisdom positioned himself so that he could at least see through into the bar.

Schultz and his cousin ordered chicken served with collards greens, biscuits, deviled eggs, and hot honey with a pickle on the side. Wisdom doesn't like chicken; he ordered fish and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Wisdom ate, until there were no enough bones in his fish to keep him occupied. When he first looked up, he noticed with a start that there was someone in the crowd, someone perched on a barstool, knees gaping uncomfortably, and she was sat with a man, her father and possibly her uncle.

He looked and unlooked at them, mostly at the girl. Even though his view of her had been a shadowed glimpse, he was sure it was someone he knows. The girl was clearly trying not to be noticed, trying not to be recognized. Schultz was still digging his plate, his attention was distracted, when a guy with a fancy phone passed by him. His dream phone, IPhone 12. He was also wearing shiny shoes, which looked expensive.

Schultz was visibly inspired. His eyes followed the guy, looked at him till he was sat. He sat where the girl was sitting, the girl Wisdom was staring at. Schultz's eyes also cached the girl. He wasn't looking at the guy anymore, but at the girl. He didn't recognize her as she was facing on the other side. He started worrying when he saw how the man was looking at the girl. The old man was leering on the girl.

She seemed beautiful and Schultz wanted to see more of her pretty face. The girl hold Schultz's stare, he got confused and yet angry when he recognized the girl. The girl was Mercy. He didn't expect something less than that from Mercy though. He knew who really Mercy was before and he has warned Wisdom about her ages ago.

''Are you seeing what I'm seeing?'', Schultz wheezed. Wisdom rose up and angers filled his body when he recognized that the girl who was sitting with two men was Mercy. He wanted to go to her and confront her but then he realized that it wasn't a wise idea. He just gave them the devil eyes and walked out, Schultz and his cousin behind him.

''Why I have been so blind?'', he asked himself. ''She's not benevolent. She's not sweet as the cherubim and seraphim and all holly angles as I thought she was, she is a two faced bitch'', Wisdom devastated.

CHAPTER TEN

Mercy and her two friends, not so friends perhaps, ate and drank what they have ordered. The guy with IPhone 12 was the one who left first, leaving Mercy only with the other man who seemed to be in his 40s. The man she only known by the name Mr. P, and who she only met with once in town when she was coming from the salon for her hair done.

She just looked to the Mercedes Benz, that Mr. P was driving and gave him her cell phone number when she was just asked for it once. And now, they were at Ocean View Park, buying her some fancy food and drinks.

Mr. P and Mercy have been sitting for a while; some people looked at them and wondered what types of relationship they have. ''Is that your friend?'', Mr. P asked when he looked up and saw one boy staring at them. ''No, I don't know him, if he could stop staring, he would probably get time to drink his water and mind his business'', Mercy irritated.

Mr. P had booked a room in one hotel in Ondangwa. He bought a wrist and necklace before he went to Ongwediva and left them in the hotel room.

When they rested enough, they got in the car. Mr. P started the engine of his Mercedes Benz, switched on the air condition, played the music and drove straight to Ondangwa, to the hotel room he booked. He closed the door when they both entered into the room, but he didn't lock it. He sat on bed while Mercy was sitting on the leathered chair, which was on the other side of the bed.

They have been in the room for some minutes, without talking to each other. Then Mr. P rose up from the bed, and undid the laces of his shoes, and then threw the shoes by the side of the door.

Mercy looked at him as he was throwing the shoes, one after the other, and wondered what kind of man Mr. P was, throwing stuff instead of packing them. The room was in disarray. Clothes and shoes lie discarded on the chair and ottoman and floor; a plate covered in cheese rinds and grape stems were in the middle of the silk eiderdown, surrounded by greasy fingerprints. One pillow was entirely out of its case.

Every morning cleaners set the room straight, and every night they turned back, the bed and shut the curtains again; and yet in the short intervening space of time, Mr. P managed to create more mess than a nursery full of toddlers.

''I'm having something special for you here'', Mr. P told Mercy and opened the wardrobe. Mercy was so surprised when she saw the wrist watch and a necklace that Mr. P took from the wardrobe. ''Do you like it'', he asked her and walked closer to her, and then took her right hand. ''I want to see how beautiful you would look in this watch'', he said and put the watch on Mercy's wrist. Mercy couldn't stop smiling as she always wanted to have a tempo watch.

He told Mercy to standstill and kissed her on the neck and put the necklace around it. ''I like the softness of your skin'', Mr. P said and bite his lower lip when he saw how soft Mercy's lips were. He pulled Mercy closer to him and moved his lips to hers, trying to kiss her but then the door burst open.

''Hey, what do you think you're doing, he who bewitched you could have been dead ages ago'', a man said angrily when he entered into the room. ''For how long you will be after young girls? How could you even drag your own daughter into having sex with you? First you ran away from her and her mother and now you are here abusing her into having sex with you. What kind of father are you? You could be suffering from mental retardation as no man in his right state of mind would do that'', the man said with angers and he seemed like he wanted to throw some fists to Mr. P, but he just left instead.

Mercy can't believe it; she can't believe she almost had sex with her father, her biological father. She started crying, tears running down, running down like river water running through distributaries. She was so ashamed and disappointed by herself.

Mr. P on the other hand, didn't know what to do; he wasn't even being able to look at Mercy. He has been just sitting. Looking down, like a thief. After a moment of silence, he stood up, and tried to apologize to Mercy. But she just removed the watch and necklace and threw them to bed and then she left.

Mr. P has never known about Mercy, until the day he asked for her number. He thought Mercy was just an ordinary pretty girl. He never knew that she was his daughter, the daughter he ran away from when she was still in her mother's womb.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

For a while after she woke up, Mercy can't quite think of what had happened. In the sitting room, she heard her mum opening the shutters quietly, the gentle clonk of wood against wood as they concertina away into the paneling.

The soft sound of her breathing filled what would normally have been silence. For a second, Mercy was stunned, then revolted and afraid. She was confused and unsure of her future.

She was tired of sleeping, so she decided to sit on the bed, her back leaned against the wall, her hands between her legs and her eyes were wide open, looking in the white ceiling of her room, thinking deeply.

Mercy often asked who her father was, and what he looked like but her mother avoided the topic several times, at different occasions. She learned that her father's name was Petrus and that he lived in Swakopmund.

''Why did he abandoned us, what mum did that made him to leave us alone?'', Mercy asked herself and picked up a pillow, and tried to dry her face with it from the tears that refused to stop running down.

Mercy was a morning person, she usually wake up before 08:00 am even if it was during the weekend or holiday. She would wake up and switch on the radio, which usually be in the sitting room, open the curtains and windows to allow air into the house. She sometimes woke up and prepares breakfast, and that was one thing Ms. Esther thanking herself for having a daughter who was a passionate cooker.

''It's not like Mercy to be in bed till this time'', Ms. Esther talking to herself when checked on her watch and it was already 10:30, and Mercy was still in bed.

''What is going on'', Ms. Esther asked Mercy when she entered into her room; just to find her looking in the ceiling. ''I…I…I'm having a Morning Prayer mummy'', Mercy answered in strange voice. ''Having a prayer, praying with your eyes open?'', she asked. ''OG my good Gosh, are you crying love?'', Ms. Esther asked when she saw tears falling down from Mercy's eyes.

She tried to hide it from her mother that she was crying, but suddenly and unexpected she started crying more and screaming loudly. Her heart was devastated.

Ms. Esther loved her daughter so much. Throughout the years, managing their differences wasn't difficult in the usual sense of the world, where challenges and power struggle would be met with pouting and maybe even some yelling before one of them could claim victory.

No, the difficulty was found more in the quite moment, where will and desire wrenched both of their hearts. Each petal of Mercy's bloom, exposing itself to the elements of life's rules, expectations and limitations, made their differences even more pronounced.

It has taken so much patience and perspective all wrapped up in a whole lot of love, to get to that point where Mercy was now; beautiful and smart girl. Ms. Esther was heartbroken to see her daughter being hurt.

Usually, when the problem arise, Ms. Esther was more of ''now how do we fix this'', while Mercy was more of ''let me put this in perspective''. But now Mercy was unable to put it in perspective, she was unwilling to talk. She was just crying.

Ms. Esther and Mercy were a little the same, and a lot different. And Ms. Esther found a lot of beauty in that. But now, she was failing to see beauty in it. She wanted answers why Mercy was crying and who hurt her but Mercy was not be able to speak. She just buried herself in the brackets instead.

She didn't know what to do anymore; finally, she decided to give her daughter some time, till she will be ready to speak up.

She came back to her room after an hour, and when she entered into the room, Mercy was not crying anymore. She felt at easy to see her daughter calmed down. ''What made you to cried like that, you strong and smart just like mummy'', Ms. Esther asked.

While she was fighting her mind, to predict what had hurt her daughter, she just realized that truth built based on perceptions was not truth. ''Are you better now love?'', she asked and touched Mercy's hands and rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Mercy moved to face on the other side of the wall and without saying a word. ''Tell me , who hurt you my child!'', Ms. Esther said in soft voice and she almost let some tears to fall down but she convinced herself that she needed to be strong and stand up for her lovely daughter. ''Who's my …'', Mercy floundered.

''Who's what?'', Ms. Esther asked. ''I…I met a guy yesterday and someone claimed that that guy was my dad!'', Mercy said and rose up from the bed and sit on the chair that was on the side of the wardrobe. Ms. Esther's face reddened in shock and confusion. She almost threw away a cup of sugar water she brought for Mercy.

''Ouch, my Gosh, no, no. that can't be. Where did you met him, what's his name and how does he looks like?'', Ms. Esther threw some questions, one after the other, without giving her a chance to answer.

Mercy racked her brain for something that might placate the man. ''he's not that old or young neither, he's a middle age man and I only know him by the name Mr. P!'', Mercy said. ''OG no, Petrus Philemon no'', Ms. Esther said. ''Who's Petrus Philemon?'', Mercy asked her mother. ''He's no one, OG it's a long story love'', she didn't want to talk about who Petrus was.

''I want to know everything, tell me who is Petrus'', Mercy demanded. ''He is the guy I dated back then'', Ms. Esther said, trying to hold in tears, but tears burst out when she remembered how Mr. Petrus treated her and ran away from her when she needed him the most.

''You means Mr. P is my father?'', Mercy devastated. ''he is not your father, he didn't want to be your father thus why he ran away from you, from us, he left us all alone when we needed him'', she said, her face in pool of tears.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Wisdom woke briefly in the night and he felt like he has been sleeping for too long when he stretched his body. Thinking it must be near morning, he sleeps again, with a shroud of ill-defined hopelessness weighting him down.

He felt listless, as if there was little point in him waking up at all. But when the morning came, and brush sunshine lanced between the curtains to wake him again, he remembered that school was starting that day. Finally he rose up from the bed.

It didn't take him long to bath. When he dressed up for school, he had his coffee. ''I aren't a kid anymore, I'm now a man, the tough one'', Wisdom said when he saw the lunchbox his mum prepared for him. He opened it, ate all the pieces of meat that were packed on top of spaghetti and he put the lunchbox in the freezer and then he left for school.

When he arrived at school, Schultz was already there, chatting with some girls. The girls ran towards him when they saw him coming, Anna tried to give him I-miss-you kind of a hug, but he turned her down. Wisdom rejected Anna's hug and pulled Schultz's hand, pulled Schultz to come with him and leave Anna and Juliet all alone. Anna felt embraced and yet worried about Wisdom's strange acts.

Wisdom didn't want any girl in his presence; he didn't want them near him. He didn't want anything that was has to do with girls. He told himself some lies and ended up believing his own lies that all girls were the same, thereafter, he have done with them.

Schultz realized that Wisdom's anger about Mercy was using him to get to any other girl. He has a perception that all girls, they were like Mercy, so he wanted to be in the environment free from girls.

''That's not the right way to go brother, I know you being hurt but you have to stop with that altitude you showed earlier'', Schotz told Wisdom. Wisdom knew that Schultz was talking facts but yet offended by it. He started touching his hair, tried to rip them off from the head.

''You can't be treating Anna like that, she is our friend, it doesn't means because you were hurt by Mercy, every girl have something to do with it'', Schultz continued. ''OG damn, you are right brother, I have messed up and I better go apologize now'', Wisdom said. ''Yeah, you better'', Schultz supported Wisdom.

Wisdom went where they left Anna and Juliet but he didn't find them there. He went to look at the tuck-shop, with the attempt that he will find them there but he didn't. He then went to look behind classes and he saw them leaned against the corner of the class, faced on the other side.

He walked slowly and careful towards them, without letting them see him. When there were only five feet between them, he threw a toy of a snake between them. They all jumped and screamed. Anna fell down when she tried to run away, but she didn't last a second down, she rose up and continued to run. She ran after Juliet, who was just running without looking back.

Wisdom burst into laughter when he saw how terrified Anna and Juliet were. He laughed till his lungs were about to burst out. ''OG, ladies, ladies, come over here my ladies'', Wisdom said and laughed again. They came and laughed together. ''So you were just going to save your ass without helping me'', Anna asked Juliet jokingly.

The day was mild and blowy, a damp wind nudging at them and trembling Anna and Juliet's skirts as they walked along the rows of classrooms. Mercy saw them approaching her class, and went to stand at the door, so that Wisdom would able to see her.

Wisdom came and passed by without saying even hi. Mercy felt uncomfortable, her head was starting to feel heavy, and her ears seemed far too big. When she known for a fact that Wisdom was not going to talk to her as she expected, she called him, but he refused to come to her, he just stand still and looked to her. Mercy came to her and holds him, but Wisdom pulled off.

''We need to talk Wisdom'', Mercy cried. ''I'm afraid there's nothing left to talk about, I'm fed up with you'', Wisdom said and removed Mercy's hands off his shoulder and left with his friends; Anna and Julia.

Mercy went back in classroom and lied down on her desk, her palms sweating, and her heart audible as it beat nervously in her chest. She cried and cried when she thinks of how real and royal Wisdom has been to her. He have never mistreated, he has been always on her side even if Schultz was against it.

She knew that she was Wisdom's weakness, but she little knew that one day Wisdom will get fed up of her abuse, cheating and of being treated as an airtime boy.

She never thought that Wisdom was going to leave her. Now that she was dumped, was when she realized that Wisdom truly loved and cared for her.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Wisdom liked to walk in his neighborhood in the morning and get exercise. It was quite to think, to pray, to enjoy the trees and the birds and the great outdoors. Sadly, that peaceful holiday didn't last.

There was now the hustle and bustle of the school term, with every taxi noisily running through the streets. What added to that was the endless caravan of cars heading to work or school. Lots of activities, lot of noise and lot of exhaust fames, non-stop.

When the hustle bustle of the neighborhood resumed, Wisdom cursed the taxi, cars and the fumes. He resented them because they robbed him of peace and quietness. He acted like those streets belonged to him and everyone was an unwelcome intruder in his hood.

Days has come and gone, and there were only few months before final exams start. Every learner in grade ten wanted to study hard and pass with high marks, so that they can go to high school by the following year.

Ben has also decided to leave the past life in the past and face the future as a changed man. He has been avoiding his old friends and he has stopped smoking and attending night clubs and bars.

He has joined the youth choir of their church. Ben, the gangster was now a churchy person. His new traits got him through the day without having to bother his family for bail money after bags and cell phones grapping to get money to buy more weed and alcohol.

However, he promised himself that he was going to take school serious so that his dream would come true. He was also involved in some organizations; he even started to encourage his fellow teenagers to stop smoking and taught them about the dangers of smoking.

But for whom did he do that for? Coincidentally, it was not for himself but for teenagers like him who find themselves in similar life situations and who by the mercy of whoever rules the skies managed to make it through every day and night as both school boys and girls simultaneously.

Schultz was an excellent student who always got top grades. Like Wisdom, he managed to be on top position, but unlike Wisdom, he started spending hours on private study every weekend while Wisdom was out there at gym somewhere in town, refreshing his mind.

Wisdom respected Schultz as a good friend and also as a good student as he was. Schultz used to be cool, fun, normal and smart person who happened to be a dedicated student.

He then, seemed to be scared of exams and he was now on prescription drugs like Adderall and Vicodin to study for longer periods of time. He has reached a point where he study so much that it was even detrimental to other areas of his life.

He can't concentrate anymore when he tried to study. His thoughts seemed to jump around in his head and he easily distracted. He sometimes has to read pages over and over again. Most of the times he get annoyed with himself and tend to make silly, avoidable mistakes such as errors with basic calculations, spelling basic words incorrectly and failing to remember obvious facts.

Schultz started feeling extremely tired and uptight. When he got into bed at night, it was difficult for him to fall asleep, because his brain was still so active. He often found himself lying awake with thoughts and ideas going round and around his head. It was like he can't switch off.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

All people have insecurities, but Schultz denied his insecurities, and instead he piles himself with pressure. His achievements were a way of hiding and avoiding his insecurities and gaining validation but as with a drug, the temporary glow from each achievement was temporary and leaves an ever greater abyss that needs to be filled.

Wisdom has noticed that his friend was burning out. One afternoon of 23 August, he decided to pay him a surprise visit. However, he didn't want to go there alone, he went there with Tarah. Schultz looked different; he had a gaunt look, slightly starving. His eyes slipped out of focus all too easily, gliding past Wisdom into the middle distance as if helplessly chasing thoughts that ran away with him.

Suddenly, Wisdom noticed how fragile Schultz was; that he was stretched far too thin by life. He saw the exhaustion dogging his every move. Wisdom has never seen Schultz looked unstable like that before.

He looked tired and confused. Wisdom realized that his friend needed some time out, to refresh his mind. ''let me hope you will not be busy today around 17:00, right?'', Wisdom asked and looked at him. Schultz's moods seemed to chase cross clouds on a windy day, and that consumed him. ''I wish I could be free but actually I will be studying'', Schultz answered. Let's go out and watch some movies, so that we can refresh our minds'', Wisdom told Schultz. ''No, I can't, I all be studying'', Schultz said with a quick agitated shrug.

Wisdom glanced at Schultz as if trying to read his face. ''I thought you like movies?'', Wisdom tried to smile but Schultz's expression was thunderous. ''We have to preserve our brain power, if we abuse this power, we would have no deposit to withdraw from in times of emergency'', Wisdom told Schultz when his tricks to convince him go to Vail.

Wisdom left with Tarah. Tarah suggested that they should go make a turn to his house. After ten minutes or maybe less when they arrived to Tarah's house, Tarah went to kitchen and came down with frying pan and served Wisdom and then served himself too.

Tarah started to shovel the eggs into his mouth, his gaze far away, jaw working mechanically. Wisdom picked his fork and began to eat also, but slowly. He'd scorched the bottom of the omelet, and the mushrooms hadn't cooked through, sitting hard and dry inside the folds of eggs. Wisdom's attention finally went back to Schultz. ''something need to be done'', he said. ''What do you means?'', Tarah asked absently.

Schultz's fear for exams is affecting him badly, and I'm sure it is not only him who is going through that, but there are other students out there who are going through the same situation as Wisdom'', Wisdom told Tarah. ''Now what do you think should be done?'', Tarah asked. '' As for now I don't know, but I'm going to find a way to go about it'', Wisdom said.

After a better meal of omelet, they climbed the wide staircase that leads them to Tarah's bedroom. Tarah's room had curtains with big sprays of fat roses; once red, now was a rusty brown like dried blood, wardrobe and the dressing table. The bed had a massive mahogany headboard, and was covered in piles of dusty feathers, duvets and eiderdowns, pillows gone the orange-yellow with the sweat and grease of generation of sleeping heads.

Wisdom was surprised to see someone who dress neatly, and always in ironed clothes to have such messy of a room. Tarah's room was last cleaned by Ms. Cat, the housekeeper. Ms. Cat quit her job recently when she got fed up with Tarah's behaviors. He was very rude to her.

Ms. Cat's real name was Catherine, but Tarah nicknamed her Cat. In most occasions, Tarah used plates and dropped them in the kitchen's zinc without washing them; he was really a spoiled rich kid. Madam Cat quit her job when she was told by Tarah to flash in his faece he left on the toilet pot unflushed.

Tarah's situation reminded Wisdom of what his mother told him. He was told that taking care of home was very important, and because it was important work, it should be done by all people in the house, but not only by the housekeeper.

Mrs. Ellen, raised Wisdom by example, how family work together. It was not about who-does-what or gender roles or even gender equality. That comes down to a pretty simple fact of life as a family working together.

Wisdom was taught that comparing and contrasting who does what was a losing game in the family. And that it was dangerous territories to veer into, when they treat doing chores around the house as helping mom out instead of just doing what needs to be done.

One night Mr. Goodwin settled on the couch with William, and Mrs. Ellen smiled at the sight of his giggling in his arms as she started to clear the dinner table. She stood at her post in the kitchen, where she felt like she was on duty 24/7, all day every day, loading and unloading, soaking and scrubbing, clearing and cleaning and starting it in on yet another meal clean-up.

And just like that, her smile vanished.'' Wouldn't it be faster?'', she thinks to herself. ''If we all pitched in to clean these mess after meals, so that we could all relax together, wouldn't it be better?'', she pondered. ''If my children learned that mother alone aren't meant to be the only ones who clean? Wouldn't it make more sense'', she wondered to treat the space they share as a shared responsibility.

''Hey guys, I call out to the humans I have produced, let's all clean up together real quick, so that we can play a game when we're done'', Mrs. Ellen suggested.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The night of Sunday 24 September, around 01:30 am, Wisdom was sleeping in his bed and Mercy's image jumped in his mind, but as fast as a lightning, he erased her from his mind. He didn't want to think about her.

After good couple of minutes staring at the ceiling, worries occupied his mind. He started thinking about how Tarah was spoilt and worried about his future. He felt uncomfortable when he recalled how confused Schultz was. He rose from his bed and sits on his wooden chair, with imaginations playing hide and seek in his mind.

Finally, he took his diary book from the drawer, and a pen from the table. He decided to write a motivational speech. First, he wrote it, and then he memorized so that he can go address it to the whole school, for all learners who were suffering from the same situation as Schultz, to benefit from it.

Monday, at 08:00, all learners were gathered at assembly point. Frankly, the principal called Wisdom to come forth and forward and asked for the crowd's attention as Wisdom has something to say. All learners stared at Wisdom when he stood in front of them, wondering what he going to say.

''Hello everyone'', he began. ''Thank you for having me before you here, for those who don't know me, my name is Wisdom Goodwin, and I'm going to talk to you about 'OVERSTUDYING'. To begin with, over studying is to have excessive study.''

''In the world where we're often told that hard work and diligence are necessary to succeed, it can be seem ridiculous to think that there is such a thing as over studying. However, the reality is that a balance between study commitments, recreation, fun and free time is absolutely essential for a person to avoid burning out.''

Allow me to make one thing clear before I sound lazy; studying should be absolutely be made a priority, but a certain amount of time must be devoted to giving yourself proper mental rest.

Furthermore, focusing solely on results negates other important resources of learning, of course, learning should be educational, but it should also be enjoyable and enriching. The best way to learn is when you intrigued by something and curious to know more and not when you trying to memorize as much information as possible in a short space of time for the purpose of regurgitating it in exams.

However, we should let goes off our fears and start thinking positive. The mind is neutral energy. The way you think determines whether results are positive and beneficial, or negative and harmful. It is the same energy acting in different ways.

By anticipating failure, we think we're softening the blow of failure should it be occur. We need to listen closely to the content of our words as we speak them, with our negativity detector finely tuned.

One of the important and useful things to remember is that your mind is a tool. You're its master and not its servant, so you should take control.

Last but not least, letting fear and negativity derail us will never bring rainbows and sunshine into our lives. If you catch yourself visualizing negativity, switch it to positive mind. That you will pick up yourself, brush yourself off and continue on your path towards your goals, because that's the only way you will get where you want to go. Thank you very much for your time. Have a good day ahead.

Learners started crapping hands, some were screaming ''Wisdom, Wisdom'', screaming in excitement. The school principal was very surprised to hear such a great speech. He only knew Wisdom as an ordinal small boy, he never knew if Wisdom would speak in such a bravery way. On the other hand, Mrs. Lenatte, Wisdom's class teacher was visible happy to see her son being so brave. She referred Wisdom as her son because of his good manners.

During the break time, Mrs. Lenatte called Wisdom. ''I'm so proud of you son, you always making me proud. You have never disappointed me since day one'', she said happily and gave Wisdom N$100. Wisdom was very happy that he wasn't even being able to say anything, he just smiled, hugged Mrs. Lenatte and left.

Wisdom was very happy to be given that amount of money because he wasn't have enough to buy something to eat at tuck-shop, and he don't even carry lunch box anymore as he think it would make him looks more like a mummy boy.

Many learners came to Wisdom during the break time to give him high fives, some told him to continue doing great things. And there were those who came to him and told him how his speech touched their hearts. But some came to him, following the smell of N$100 that was in his pocket.

Wisdom Goodwin hated bad blood between people. He liked to keep peace. The other day he went to Mercy's class and called her out. ''Hi, how you doing, you looks pretty'', Wisdom greeted Mercy and smiled as he gave her compliments. She wanted to smile back but then she wondered why he came to her just now, if not so long ago; he wanted nothing to do with her.

''It has been a while since I last saw you, clearly someone has been avoiding me'', Wisdom continued. ''I haven't been avoiding anyone. What are you here for? The last time I checked you didn't wanted to talk to me'', Mercy asked. ''I just missed you, so here I'm'', he said cunningly. Mercy felt uncomfortable and tried to walk away but Wisdom grabbed her hand and made her stood still.

''come on Mercy, I have to admit that I was wrong by refusing talking to you but we can't carry on like this. We have to do things the right way, like matured people that we're. Let's forget what had happened between us and keep it cool because it serves no purposes hating on each other. Hatred is poisonous, let's be friends again, and I mean friends, nothing more or less'', Wisdom lectured Mercy. She looked straight in his eyes, after some minutes she wasted on