Wild West of the Heart
THIRTY-FOUR

Ola sat there, biting into his fingernails with his legs crossed into each other. He was beneath the stage, which held up some of his classmates-

-they were rehearsing some school play to present during the annual christmas party. He sat there, with a book in his thighs as he looked at Obi. He was on his phone, his left knuckle holding up the side of his face. He was in the usual school uniform but with his Adeline jacket.

Of course no one could say anything, because he was a prefect as well. Not that he even did much, but Obi was the class captain of Arts.

"What are you reading?" Obi asked, peering into the book in his hands. "For a test" He shrugged.

"Damn" He replied, as hark the heralds angels sing, played behind them. Even though it was just the start of November. It was the first, and Obi hadn't even see Abdul ever since the Friday night.

"Why are we doing so soon?" Ola nagged, but not too much. He was in the middle of it because as much as he was happy that the rehearsals meant free periods, he also hated anything drama or play. Any presentation, and Hillway High loved those.

Be it a Christmas drama or an Easter sing along, even the Valedictory service at the end of each session, they were all made up the same elements.

"Take ten" Bade said from across the stage. She was something of a leader. And at that statement, Ola took it as his queue to stand up. He'd heard enough off-keys to last a lifetime. Obi followed.

"I don't blame them really. From halloween, everything's a downslide. Soon it would be November and then thanksgiving and Christmas and then we'd be shouting happy new year" There was a sheepish smile across his face.

"It's why i like the Ember months" His hands reached for the handle of the door before someone pushed it open from the other side. It wasn't a hard guess, it was the same people that seemed to be everywhere when they were not training. Ayo, and the team.

Asides their muscled steroid-enhanced bod, another thing that made them all seem alike were their egos. And frankly speaking, the mustaches.

"They got to lose them" Obi whispered, stepping aside. It was an inside joke between him and Ola.

But in a world were body hair was the primal sign of masculinity, the chances of them ever shaving the awkward mustache were less than zero. Non arguably, the only person he thought it suited however was Abdul Faruq. And his mind dashed to the night of the Fest, when he ran from him.

It was stupid, now that he thought of it. But then, who could blame him? He didn't have anything to say. Perhaps if he had started off that conversation, he'd have some sense of control. But when Abdul pieced it together himself, he realized he didn't plan for that outcome. So he froze, and went down the ferris wheel with him by his side.

When it stopped however and the belts unhooked from him, he didn't look back at the call of his name. "Obi" Abdul called. He didn't look back.

He just ran, ran till he reached Fiyin's arms. And that was how that day ended, with three of them in messes. Luckily they had the whole weekend to clean up, and for some, sober up. And Mary and Akin were too busy to notice Ola was even drunk.

Back to the present, Ola shared an intense stare with Ayo as he walked past. His toes clenched the sole of his feet in anger. "Son of a bitch" He cussed. "You think he's still mad about the fight?" Obi asked, noticing who he had referred to. "Of course he is" Ola gritted through his teeth, remembering his own share of incidents that night. "The bastard made me think ghosts were after me. And he fucking threw a snake on me"

"What?" Obi chuckled, now walking out of the door. "Did you see his face?" He asked.

"I was fucking drunk Obi. But i fell one time, and i heard the laughters that came from the bushes"

"That doesn't mean anything. It could be anybody" Obi countered. "Anybody that has a sense of humor" Ola rolled his eyes back.

"Yes, because i have that much enemies" He said and Obi shrugged his shoulders. "You don't know" He added, and received a punch in his gut.

He groaned in pain, pushing Ola away from him.

"Now that's a sense of humor" Ola muttered, with a chuckle escaping his lips. Obi cupped his chin, succumbing to the pain before he suddenly bumped into someone. He knew that because books fell to the ground, and they were not his. One however, he had seen before.

THE GHOSTS FROM OUR PAST

by Onyemaobi.

His eyes slowly darted from the book to the person who he had hit. Of course, like fate had it, it was Abdul. "Sorry" He muttered, reaching for his books which Obi helped him with.

For an awkward moment between when he handed them and when he walked away, they stared at each other intensely and Obi shook his head. "No, i'm sorry. Really" He whispered, and Ola pieced in his head that something happened. "What was that about?" He asked as Obi turned around to watch him walk away. His dry lips parted slightly as he pushed something down his throat. "It was nothing" Obi replied after a while. "Come on Obi" He went on, holding his arms.

"It's a really long story" Obi made an attempt to continue walking but there was his hand that was around his. "What did we say about no secrets?"

Obi rolled his eyes before they fell on Bade.

"Remember, be back by lunch" She pointed sternly to her watch. And though, she might have come out with a stoic persona, she was deeply enthusiastic about having being put in control.

Most people wanted that. But not Ola. He just wanted to know what was up with the ship he'd made up in his head. "We have time" He whined.

-

There was a knock on the door, as Mary counted the stack of cash Akin had left on the counter. He spoke of how he was visiting a friend that day-

while she had to get some things at the local market. It was how she'd envisioned her day, but however she didn't expect her husband to leave thirty thousand naira for her. Ten, would have been fine. But thirty. She held it in her hands, before she looked at the note beneath it.

Get yourself something nice also. x

A smile found its way to her lips. I mean, she might not have been materialistic per say. But i mean who didn't like nice things? Besides it was the thought and the letter that quite struck her.

She tossed it aside, slipping the money into her pockets. The truth was, ever since they sold the honda accord to Collins, it was a breath of fresh air. They could finally catch a break, and Mary could finally stop worrying. But it came at a cost. The cost, which was Ola.

He might not have been speaking to them, ever since the fallout. Akin, no. But Mary, he only said a few words which was very unlike the duo.

As she let go of the money, she realized she missed talking to her son about the very unnecessary things, she missed sticking her hands into his hair.

She missed when he'd spend the evening with her while she made dinner. She missed walking into his room solely to pull his ears. Playfully. They might not have been as bad as he was with Akin. But still, things were different.

Her eyes went to the picture of them against the walls as she walked towards the door. She hadn't expected Akin back this early, before she even left. After all, she wasn't expecting anyone else. Her hands adjusted her gele before she pulled open the door, and there, she was met with Titi. She let out a frantic scream upon seeing her sister and the two gave each other a lasting hug. "What are you doing here?" She said, less offensively and Titi pulled away, her jewelries dancing around her wrists. "I just wanted to give you a surprise" She replied, before stepping in.

Titi didn't have her car parked in the driveway, so it meant she'd come with the public bus. As she stepped in, Mary was still hit with shock, and the ostentatious fragrance of her perfume. She was dressed traditionally in the iro and buba, and a much fancier headtie that you'd think she was off to an owambe, which was a fancy word for party.

She turned around with the thin eye pencil she'd drawn across her face, and a hollow bag that hung from her arms. "What have you been up to Mary?" She asked, making her way to the couch. "How have you been doing?"

Mary's lips parted, but she couldn't replace the words. How was she going to tell her that she was too busy having a heart attack?

"I've been here" She settled on, which wasn't exactly a lie. She'd been indoors ever since, an advice from the doctor's as she recovered.

Titi fell into the old fashioned couch before she noticed Mary's handbag sitting across the table.

"You don't even stop by to visit" She replied. "It's just with Ola now, and Akin home, there's really not much time" Titi nodded. "Akin home?" She echoed and Mary hummed.

Of course, she wasn't going to tell her that Akin fell out of his job, and they were now poor that they had to sell of their car. She wasn't going to tell her that, because as much as they were sisters, there was always this competition between them.

This competition to always have their lives together. Titi had a car, with her husband doing some logistics service in Port Harcourt. She didn't have any kids, so she spent most of the time alone in her big apartment. She was living- -she had been ever since they were kids. And she had not always been a fan of Akin, and Mary settling down with him. It was why she couldn't tell him of their bad fate now. She feared Titi would run an i told you so, in her face. "Yes. He does this thing were he works from home" Mary lied and Titi nodded. "Freelance?" Mary had no idea what that was yet, she just nodded. "That's terrific" She flashed a smile and Mary walked closer to her bag, with the cash still in her pockets. "Are you going somewhere?"

She looked at the clock above her.

"Actually i wanted to go to market before Ola gets back from school" Mary tilted her head and Titi's lips circled. She let go of her bag as she stood.

"Is it the one at Ojoba?" She asked, which was just a bike away. Mary nodded, and the other stood. "Alright. We'll make it quick. Besides, i need to get some fruits as well" Titi said, as she walked in front of the parlor mirror to adjust her gele. And when she was done, she turned around.

"You sure?" Mary asked.

And with a chuckle, she moved in front of her.

"Come on, i've missed this. We always did this for mum when we were young" She grabbed the basin from Mary's hands and soon they were in the driveway. She was standing atop the pavement where Jazzlyn had murdered but she had no clue.

Out of the million people that had passed there ever since, no one did. It was almost as if they'd forgotten about the incident, moving on to the next big thing which were the state wide elections.

Or maybe christmas.

It was always one thing over the other.

She might have noticed the empty spot in the driveway but he was most likely to assume that maybe Akin had gone somewhere with the car, rather than the fact that they'd sold it.

"We can take my car" Titi said, pressing the keys till the car locks clicked. And then she walked to the other side. It might have been the latest model of Toyota. It was grey with church stickers across her bumper. She wasn't exactly religious, but it didn't mean she didn't go to church. twice a week.

"My year of Praise and Thanksgiving" Was what was on the sticker. And it was often ironical to Mary who read it. She was often the closest to God in her family but circumstances had drifted her apart. She wasn't proud of it, it just happened. She stepped into the car before Titi switched on the air condition. And soon, they were reversing out of underneath the shed. And unto the roads.

To be continued...