The Weight He Carried
844 Words
The second term rain came early that year.
It fell for hours and turned the AVHS field into mud. No football. No noise.
Just the sound of dripping roofs and students complaining in class.
Ether didn’t complain.
He sat at the back of SSS2 Art, hoodie on, watching the rain draw lines on the window.
He was 19. And he was tired in a way no 19 year old should be.
Prosper threw a folded paper to him.
_“Guy you dey too quiet. You dey plan world cup?”_
Ether smiled a little and threw it back.
_“I dey plan how to survive this term.”_
After last period, Prosper and Mechy didn’t go home.
They waited for him by the gate.
"Make we talk," Prosper said. "No jokes today."
They walked to the empty shed near the field. The place was wet, but they sat on the bench anyway.
For a long time, nobody spoke.
Then Mechy broke it.
"Ether... why SSS2? Why 19?"
Ether looked at them. His two friends. The only ones who didn’t ask stupid questions.
He exhaled.
"If I tell you, e no go go outside?"
"Scout’s honor," Prosper said, raising his hand.
Mechy nodded.
"Three years ago," Ether started, voice low, "I graduated from Progressive International College. Science student. I was 16."
Mechy’s mouth opened.
"16? Guy—"
"Shh," Prosper cut him. "Make him talk."
"My big brother was doing Masters. Victor just got admission to OOU. Rose was in her final year in Health Tech. My mum was working. We were okay."
He paused. The rain hit the zinc louder.
"Then 2020 happened. Mum got sick. Bad one. Hospital bills every week. Drugs. Tests. She couldn’t rest because there was no money to rest."
Ether’s jaw tightened.
"So I left. 16 years old. I went to Ogunmakin. Along Ibadan road. Chinese factory. 12 hours. Pack cartons. Lift. Stand. Sleep. Repeat."
Prosper didn’t blink.
Mechy looked down.
"Every month end, I sent everything home," Ether continued. "Victor’s fees. Rose’s expenses. Mum’s drugs. Big brother’s school. I thought if I worked hard enough, things would go back to how they were."
He laughed quietly.
"They didn’t. Money kept finishing. As soon as we paid one thing, another one came."
He looked at both of them.
"So when mum said last year, you need to focus on your life to.
I decided to go back to high school to start again.
I came back. Not because I failed. Because I was tired of watching my people drown."
Silence.
Only rain.
Then Prosper stood up and pulled Ether into a tight hug.
Mechy did the same.
"Nobody go know this," Prosper whispered. "Na between us."
Ether nodded.
And that was it. The secret stayed there. Under that shed.
The next day, nothing changed on the surface.
But something changed underneath.
Some senior boys in Science and Commercial had heard that he had graduated from Progressive before but they didn't know the full details.
They just knew.
And so when Ether walked past, they would nod.
_"Oga,"_ one of them called him one day.
Ether just smiled and kept walking.
Respect. Quiet. No pity. That’s what he wanted.
A week later, Prefect list came out.
The notice board was crowded.
Ether pushed through and saw his name:
*ASSISTANT HEAD PREFECT BOY*
He blinked.
He wasn’t expecting it.
Across the board, another name:
*ASSISTANT HEAD PREFECT GIRL - SEKINAT.*
That same evening, they were called to the Principal’s office with other prefects.
Rules. Duties. Responsibilities.
Blessing was there too - Labour Prefect.
Memunat wasn’t. She stood outside with other students, watching.
After the meeting, Sekinat walked beside Ether down the corridor.
Both of them quiet.
Then she spoke first.
"Congratulations, Assistant."
Ether chuckled. "You too, Assistant."
That was all.
But from that day, little by little, they started talking.
In prefect meetings.
During assembly duty.
"Ether, lock the SS1 classes."
"Sekinat, check the assembly line."
No deep gist. No personal talk.
Just work. Respect.
But Ether noticed something: when Sekinat talked, her voice was calm. Like water.
And when Ether was stressed, her calmness made him breathe better.
He didn’t think anything of it.
Not yet.
That night, Ether got home late.
The "family friends" house.
"Where were you?" the woman asked, arms folded.
"Prefect meeting," Ether answered.
"So? Go and wash plates. Then sweep. Then fetch water."
He was 20 now. Assistant Head Prefect.
And he was still washing plates at 10pm.
He did it. No argument.
Because arguing meant more trouble.
And he was already carrying too much.
Later, in his small corner of the room, he put on his MP3.
Music low.
He closed his eyes and thought of the field.
Of the ball.
Of the only place where nobody told him what to do.
Before he slept, he remembered what Prosper said:
_"Oga."_
He smiled in the dark.
Maybe this chronicle wasn’t about being the youngest or the fastest.
Maybe it was about carrying weight... and still standing.
Outside, rain started again.
- Writer
