Chinedu Ogoke - Under Fire

“Yes? Come in,” a female voice called.

He entered. “Hello, Yetunde.”

“Good afternoon,” the girl responded.

“Ashiru isn’t around, right?”

“He isn’t. Cent, too.”

“No. We’re together.”

Innocent came in. “What of Ashiru?” he asked.

“Gone to the town. He will be back soon. He even has a lecture in about forty minutes’ time.”

The room was modelled like their own, with the double bunk and single beds relaxing on the rug. A book on Innocent’s shelve attracted Imoni. It was Walter Rodney’s ‘How Europe Under-developed Africa.’ It was a book everybody, except him, had read, he said. He hadn’t either, Innocent said. Imoni lifted it from among other books. He learned Ashiru was reading it, and wondered how long he had to wait to have it. He wouldn’t know, Innocent replied. It was difficult to break off from such a book. It had for some time been Ashiru’s companion. He laughed. But he guessed Ashiru may be rounding off now, so he may not actually have to wait long to have it.

“Perch now?” Innocent said.

“No,” he said, “I have to see that Modesty guy I told you about. But, first of all, I shall see this new palm wine drinkards guy, Yinka, in this hostel to put off an appointment. We’re supposed to see our Chief today.” Innocent promised to relieve him of the burden of searching out Yinka, considering distance. He would relay the message. “Just tell him we’re going tomorrow by the earlier schedule. We meet at the earlier appointed place, the agric. complex library. Twelve.”

“You know we have Mr. Courtland’s lecture eleven.”

“Very well.”

“You think your Chief leads a normal life? And it’s just funny how you make such elaborate plans on such club. What benefits do you even derive from it?”

“You won’t know, until you’re in.” He left them and started walking to his room.

As usual, student traffic displayed it’s inclination. To or from lectures, or to catch some food or nap. Imoni saw Cos bent towards trade fair complex. He waved.

“Imoni, wait for me in my room, please,” Cos called excitedly.

“I shall see you later,” Imoni shouted back.

“No, wait for me.”

Cos’ insistence deserved consideration. But his package could wait. At their door, he rapped, and entered. Mickey was now awake. He was leafing through a magazine with a girl with a scarf around her head.

“Right guy, Waltz,” Mickey called.

“Hello, Mickey. You’re awake.”

“Yea. Woken up by this beauty here.” He indicated the girl. “That’s Imoni Waltz,” he told the girl. “Meet Esthella.”

“Welcome,” the girl said in a faint voice.

Imoni shook the girl’s soft hand.

You strike me as the girl Modesty and I saw at the suya spot the other day, he thought. The band around her head helped him crack it. “I guess you know Imoni Waltz.” Mickey eyed the girl.

She was shy. She wanted to be given time to think. She didn’t, she said, but added she might have the needed clues, and it was certainly the person Mickey just told her about. That was easy to go for, but Mickey was just too impressed how she took it and easily figured it out. “Yes, it’s like,” he said, “Waltz rates among the most popular guys on campus. He and I, and that fella, Cos, who came a while ago, are throwing the party of the decade, soon.”

That was what she got before, she said. They were there, she pointed, discussing it. She had ears. She heard everything. Before they went out. That was Cosy too bad. “Beautiful memory,” Mickey interrupted. “We shall baptise it unity party.” Why the designation? the girl asked. “You have a right to know, babe. But, it’s like, not now. Confidential.” She silently accepted it.

Imoni went to sit before a table. “It’s like I don’t know why,” the girl started saying, “since yesterday, I’ve been running into the big names in this school. Salaudeen, Audu, General Rabiu’s son, Ahmed, Ruf, Cynthia, Randy, now Imoni Waltz.... It’s like by the time I’m two months old here, I must have known all the big stars.” Big stars, indeed, Imoni thought.

“I’m told General Anka, too, has a son here.”

“That’s Saminu. Just came and disappeared.”

Mickey was watching her admiringly.

“You’re almost as current as part three students here,” Imoni told the girl. “You must be very intelligent. No flattery.” And since you’ve imbibed the it’s like culture.

“Why can’t she?” Mickey asked. “When her father is the former Minister of Education’s younger brother, and she’s only fifteen.”

“No, I’m seventeen.”

“I hope I’m not disturbing you nice couple,” Imoni said. “I want to leave a note for somebody.”

“At all,” Mickey replied. “Go ahead, pal,” and he and the girl kept to themselves. Imoni started composing a note for Aham.

He meanwhile pried into the dialogue between Mickey and the girl. “Ed, by his potentials, should be the richest on campus. He’s quite some guy. It’s like you hardly know. What a guy! I keep wondering over such enviable heritage. Being heir apparent to about twenty five million. Not excited about it like. And the old man is seriously ill. Think of patrimony.”

“Oh, no,” the girl exclaimed quietly. “But one shouldn’t wish death, no matter...”

“He was in school in Switzerland. But it’s like the old guy decided he should only be a little away from hearing distance. And it’s like they don’t want him to have a car here, or too much luxury. The fella’s a car banger. Banged two straight, separate birthday presents. The police...”

“But, that’s violent. It’s like I guess they’re quite right.”

“If I were the one, being the only child, I would turn lose, raise dust, and as a result, receive attention.”

“Oh, Mickey, you can’t do that? Keep your hands, please, if you talk like that.”

“He’s a great deal luckier than I,” Mickey continued, in spite of the girl. “Who am I? Imagine three big guys and five bubbling babes with only fifteen million and a few assets to inherit. What’s a jewellery shop worth? Even though it’s the richest in the country. Not much.”

“I don’t like you saying that, Mickey,” the girl said. “It’s like so many people in this country, what am I saying? In this world, are not so lucky.”

Imoni would have waited for another Mickey treat, but it was a note for Aham he was making, and he had to end it. He signed it up, sealed it, and gave it to Mickey. “It’s for Aham. I’m off to somewhere. Shall take some time. Catch ya. Esthella, bye.”

“Bye.”

He moved quickly to Cos’ room, knocked on his ‘Night Nurse’ door, and hearing, “Come in if you’re handsome,” he opened it half-way.

Like Mickey, he had female company. He smiled, obliged, not Cos, but the girl. He had turned the town inside out, he said, searching for the one and only Cos.

It was certainly an opener for Cos. “It’s like, must have been when I went to arrange for the conveyance of some of my things,” he blurted out. “Fridge, teevee, rug, and all, that I think by the day after tomorrow, this place will become a real living place.”

“That’s lovely.”

“It’s like, even this bunk standing here gives me the horrors.”

Imoni laughed. For, unrefined and unprovided for, Cos’room was not the least comfortable. Cos wanted him to meet Yisa.

The girl responded to his greeting without interest.

“It’s like Yisa and I plan to go to the Lake Tchad swimming pool on Sunday. Right?”

“Yes,” the girl said half-heartedly, as if the words were forced out of her lips. “Please, I want to go,” she complained. “It’s like my sister will be waiting for me at the hostel.”