The Girl Who Never Shakes Hand
678 Words
Life in Agunbiade Victory High School slowly returned to normal after Aminat's suspension.
Classes continued.
Teachers shouted as usual.
Students gossiped as usual.
And every afternoon, the football field became the loudest place in the entire school.
For Ether, football had quickly become his routine.
Before morning lesson, he played football.
During break time, he played football.
Even after school had closed, you could still find him on the field kicking the ball with other boys.
Some students started saying something about him.
"That boy no dey tire?"
But football was more than just a game for Ether.
It was peace.
Whenever he played, everything else disappeared.
School stress.
Confusion.
Even the complicated thoughts about Aminat.
The ball at his feet was the only thing that mattered.
One Wednesday after during break, Ether and some boys were playing a quick match on the dusty school field.
Students stood around watching.
"Pass the ball!" someone shouted.
Ether dribbled past one boy easily.
Another defender ran towards him.
Ether moved the ball to the left, then quickly to the right.
The boy missed it completely.
Students shouted.
"Ahhh!"
Then Ether kicked the ball toward the goal.
GOAL.
The field exploded with cheers.
"Ether!"
"That was mad!"
His teammates ran towards him laughing.
Even some girls standing nearby clapped.
But while the noise continued, Ether noticed something strange.
Someone was watching him quietly.
Not cheering.
Not shouting.
Just watching.
She stood near a tree not far from the field.
Her uniform was neat and simple.
Her expression calm.
But her beauty was impossible to ignore.
She had the kind of beauty that made people look twice without realising it.
Ether had never noticed her before.
But something about her presence felt... different.
He grabbed a bottle of water and walked closer to the tree.
As he approached, the girl noticed him and quickly looked away.
One of the boys beside Ether whispered.
"You see that girl?"
Ether nodded slightly.
"Who's she?"
The boy looked surprised.
"You don't know her?"
Ether shook his head
"That's Sekinat."
"Sekinat?."
"Yes, She's in SSS 2 Science."
Ether looked back toward the girl.
She was talking to quietly with another girl now.
"She's very smart," the boy continued. "One of the best students in the school."
Another boy joined the conversation.
"And she's very religious."
"What did you mean?" Ether asked.
The boy laughed.
"She doesn't even shake hands with boys."
Ether raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Yes. If you try she'll just smile and chop knuckle with you instead."
Ether looked at her again.
Sekinat wasn't loud like many girls in school.
She wasn't trying to attract attention.
But somehow, attention naturally followed her.
Something about her felt calm.
Focused.
Different.
A few minutes later, the bell rang to signal the end of break.
Students began returning to their classrooms.
As Ether walked toward his class, something unexpected happened.
He passed by Sekinat and her friend on the corridor.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
Sekinat quickly looked away again.
But Ether noticed something.
She looked shy.
Not the kind of shy that came from fear.
But the quiet kind that came from someone who preferred peace over noise.
Ether smiled slightly to himself and continued walking.
Later that evening, while walking home from school, Ether found himself thinking again.
First it has been Aminat.
Now suddenly he was thinking about Sekinat.
He shook his head and laughed softly.
"School don just start and my mind don scatter, he muttered.
But deep down, he knew something.
Sekinat was not like other girls.
She was focused.
Disciplined.
And from what he heard...
Very hard to approach.
Which somehow made her even more interesting.
But Ether had no idea that someone else had already been watching him long before Sekinat noticed him.
A girl who had been curious about him since his very first day in school.
A girl who had always wanted to talk to him but never found the courage.
Her name was Memunat.
And very soon....
She was going to step into Ether's life.
- Writer
