Ether's Chronicle

The Exit

Third term was moving fast.

Too fast.

WAEC posters were everywhere in AVHS.

"WAEC starts in 3 weeks."

"Check your seat number."

"Bring your ID card."

And in the middle of all that noise,

Ether was quiet.

Not because he was afraid.

But because his head was finally clear.

After the fire, something changed in him.

He barely slept.

Some nights it was 2 hours.

Some nights it was 1 hour.

Some nights he would just close his eyes for 30 minutes and open them again.

But the strange part?

It didn’t touch him.

No dark circles.

No headache.

No tiredness in class.

He would wake up and feel like he slept for 8 hours straight.

Refreshed. Strong. Normal.

Mechy noticed first.

"Bro, you dey sleep at all?"

Ether just shrugged. "I dey okay."

The truth was, the powers were doing their work.

Even when his body was awake, something in him was resting.

God was carrying him.

And because he wasn’t sleeping, he had time.

Time to read.

Time to solve past questions.

Time to prepare for WAEC properly for the first time in his life.

For once, school wasn’t just survival.

It was possibility.

One evening after prep, he sat on his bed.

The big sweater on his lap.

He picked up his phone.

First he called Victor.

"Bro, how far?"

"I’m good o. Service dey choke me for Ogbomosho. You dey how?"

"I want to leave the house I’m staying," Ether said directly.

There was silence.

"Why? What happened?"

"I just want to focus for WAEC. The place is too much."

Then he called Rose in Lagos.

"Eldest, I can’t do this again."

"Ether, wait small. After WAEC we’ll figure something out."

Last he called Mum.

"Mum, I want to leave."

His voice was calm. But firm.

"Mummy, I want to go back to Ake. To Grandma and Grandpa."

"Ake is too far from your school, my son," she said quickly.

"And who will cook for you? Who will look after you?"

Ether laughed. But it wasn’t a happy laugh.

"Nobody is looking after me here too, Mum."

The line went quiet.

He could hear her breathing.

"Please," she said softly. "Just stay till you finish WAEC.

I don’t want you to be alone. I’m scared for you."

And that was it.

That was why he agreed.

Not because they begged.

Not because the house was good.

But because he didn’t want his mother to carry another fear.

"I’ll stay," he said.

"Till WAEC finishes."

With WAEC pressure and home wahala,

Ether and Blessing started fighting.

And this one was different.

This one lasted.

It started small.

"Ether, you’re always in the library."

"I’m trying to pass, Blessing."

"You’re always with Mechy and Prosper."

"They’re my guys."

Then it got bigger.

"You don’t have time for me again."

"You don’t understand what I’m carrying."

"And you don’t try to let me understand!"

They stopped talking for 3 days.

Ether threw himself into books.

Blessing sat alone during break and read.

The whole SSS3 Art noticed.

"The Assistant and Labour Prefect are fighting."

On the fourth day, Mum called.

"Ether, how are you?"

"I’m fine, Mum."

"And that girl? Blessing?"

Ether didn’t answer.

His mum sighed.

"My son, listen to me.

Love is not just about feeling.

It’s not just butterflies and smiling.

Love is choosing someone.

Every day.

Even when it hurts.

Even when the person is troublesome.

You choose them."

That night Ether couldn’t sleep.

Not that he was sleeping anyway.

The next morning he waited for Blessing by the Art 1 class.

She saw him and wanted to pass.

"Blessing."

She stopped.

He looked tired. But his eyes were clear.

"I’m sorry," he said.

"For shouting. For disappearing.

I’m preparing for WAEC.

I’m dealing with home.

But that’s not your fault.

I like you.

I choose you.

Trouble and all."

Blessing rolled her eyes. But she was smiling.

"Idiot."

"So we’re good?"

"We’re good."

By break time, everyone knew.

Because Ether didn’t hide it.

He walked with her.

He waited for her after class.

He sat with her during prep.

"Even the ants in AVHS know now," Mechy teased.

Ether just laughed.

Blessing was still Blessing.

Loud. Dramatic. Would argue with a teacher and win.

But she was good to him.

She brought him water during prep.

She scolded him when he skipped food.

She understood his silence.

And he liked her that way.

Fire understood fire.

Through all of this, two people never left his side.

Mechy.

Prosper.

They were in every class.

Every football.

Every prep.

Every fight.

"Bro, you sure you’re okay?" Prosper would ask at night.

"I’m okay," Ether would say.

They didn’t know about the visions.

They didn’t know about the fire.

They didn’t know about Rugged.

They didn’t know about the night he jumped through a window with bullets behind him.

They only knew 50% of Ether.

The Assistant Head Prefect.

The footballer.

The guy who was dating Blessing.

The guy who never smiled too much but always showed up.

And maybe that was enough.

It happened 4 days to WAEC.

Morning.

Ether was rushing.

Uniform. Books. ID card.

He reached for the house key to lock the door before going to school.

It wasn’t there.

He checked his bag.

His pocket.

Under the bed.

Gone.

His chest tightened.

He had misplaced it.

Probably at school yesterday.

He went to school anyway.

He would look for it later.

When he came back in the evening, the woman was already waiting at the gate.

Arms folded.

"Where is the key?"

"I don’t know, ma. I think I lost it."

That was all it took.

"Useless boy!"

"After everything we’re doing for you!"

"You don’t have sense!"

Then the daughter’s friend came out.

"Eh? Key lost? This boy is a thief o."

Then the man’s cousin.

Big man. Broad shoulders.

He walked up to Ether.

"You think you’re wise abi?"

He raised his hand.

Something in Ether broke.

Years.

Years of plates.

Years of "where is money?"

Years of hunger.

Years of insults.

Years of swallowing.

Not today.

He stepped back.

Looked the man straight in the eye.

"Don’t touch me," he said. His voice was low. But steady.

"I lost a key. I didn’t kill anybody."

The compound went quiet.

The woman opened her mouth.

"How dare you talk back—"

Ether cut her off.

"I’m tired," he said.

"I’m tired of all of you."

He went inside.

Picked up his phone.

Dialed Mum.

"Mum."

"Ether? What’s wrong?"

"I’m leaving this place."

On the other end, the woman was shouting.

"Call your mother! Let her come and beg us again!"

"That’s what she always does!"

But this time was different.

Mum’s voice was tired too.

Not angry. Just tired.

"I’m tired too, my son," she said.

"Pack your things. I’m coming to pick you."

The next morning, she came.

Early.

With a taxi.

Ether had one bag.

Books.

Uniforms.

His MP3.

And the big old sweater.

He didn’t say goodbye to anyone in the house.

He didn’t look back.

The woman stood at the door, arms folded.

The cousin was glaring.

The daughter’s friend was whispering.

Ether walked past them all.

Got into the taxi with Mum.

As the car pulled away, Mum held his hand.

"You’re okay?"

"I’m okay, Mum."

And for the first time in years,

he meant it.

He first stayed at his mother's place of work before getting a small one room for himself.

The house was small.

But it was peace.

No shouting.

No "where is money?"

No plates at 11pm.

Just him.

His books.

And quiet.

WAEC started one week later.

He wrote well.

Because for the first time, he had slept. Well.

Because for the first time, he had eaten. Well.

Because for the first time, he had peace.

Blessing would text him every night.

"How was the paper, Sthandwa Sami?"

"It was good, Ingelosi Yami."

Mechy and Prosper came to visit once.

"Bro, we’re proud of you."

And at night, when the house was quiet,

Ether would sit by the window.

The sweater on his lap.

He would think about everything.

The visions.

The fire.

The street.

The school.

The people who hurt him.

The people who loved him.

And he would whisper:

"Thank you, Grandma."

Because he stood.

Even when he was standing alone.