The First Time

Chpater 10

Chapter 10

     Kelvin had informed him about his understanding with the Caretaker. He surprisingly handed him the key to the room securely indicating he was in agreement with him.

     Some months later, Iyke came around demanding him to pay him the other half of the house rent of N5000 ($10).    Kelvin explained to him as calmingly as he could even though he was a year his senior, that he had already settled the Caretaker. Iyke flared up in annoyance. Ordinarily, Iyke will not come around demanding non-existing money. But it was the likes of Mekus and his fellow kinfolks that pushed him into such.

       Kelvin was well aware of what will soon follow in his absence. Forceful ejection from the apartment had been planned, which was not possible. Iyke only paid half the amount instead of the full amount. Paying the full amount would have given him the right to his claims at least of ejecting Kelvin if he would not pay up. But he missed the opportunity.

     Iyke will not listen to reason that it was he who had made a blunder. Kelvin saw how furious the characters behind the scene that morning were pushing the matter.                                                                  

     Mekus together with their other two kinsmen Aricoco and Onoo were scheming to eject him out of the house in his absence. Kelvin warned him not to be fooled into thinking that it would be as easy as he was thinking. He dared them to remove a single pin of his belongings. He left and went to his classes.

     The matter died a natural death after that day. They never had any misunderstanding. Except on the likely prospect of catching Iyke red handed sleeping with his girlfriend on his bed.

     Even though their relationship was cordial and the two managed to live in peace and have a mutual understanding. Kelvin never trusted him though. He was carefree with girls. At the onset, he will leave his provisions in his cane rack. To his disappointment, he discovers that Iyke makes use of them without his permission. Iyke used his provisions to entertain his friends in his absence. Kelvin was not pleased with that. He did not confront him either. He decided to lock them up in his bags after use. He never allowed Iyke much access to his personal belongings other than he would to Kristor his friend. Later on, Kelvin learned that Iyke smokes cigarettes. He sleeps around though he tried to mask it from him, not for too long though. Kelvin was convinced Iyke never felt happy over the developments. He tried to improve his relationship with Kelvin but for his randy disposition, Kelvin was not comfortable with him.

      There was this older lady in her thirties then. She was called Aunty by most students in the lodge―she was obviously well ahead in years of all the students living in the building. At first, Kelvin had taken her for an indigene of the community. Later on, he took her for a non-student maybe a trader until he was put in the clear of her status as a pre-degree student. He was doubtful at first because she was rarely seen in school or in the lodge. She comes back in the company of different men in different fleets of cars. These men will always drop her at the entrance of the building. Some of these men spend days with her in her apartment. It was this same lady that Iyke had fancied as a sugar mummy beside his poor girlfriend Patricia. He would on so many occasions spend the night with her in her apartment. This is someone who had been criticizing Onoo for being with Kolia. Kelvin detested that though it was none of his business, but because he never liked the lady. Even Iykes’ friends and kinsmen tried to dissuade him from continuing the affair. None of them were bold enough in their opposition.

     Because of his deportment to the lady, she found herself unwelcomed in their apartment, especially whenever Kelvin was around. Kelvin’s rather reserved nature placed a check on her likes that Iyke kept around him. Kelvin was not trying to impose his own opinions on him nor was he unfair to him but he was only trying to protect himself and their cordiality. He would not have fancied being at loggerheads with him because of the girls. Kelvin also had his own share of the endless attention from some of these girls too.

     The two were mature enough to discern what and what would amount to excesses that could bring bitter quarrel between them. They well knew what happened between Alaska and Eme. Though they were much younger and less mature, for God's sakes problems can still stick out its’ ugly head. If some situations were not handled well with every sense of responsibility even between so-called mature men strife could be the norm.

     The problem between Alaska and Eme was later resolved though. Yet its’ residue was prominently visible as a barrier between the two once-friendly mates. Alaska and Eme tried hard to restore the lost confidence they once had. Kelvin was made their go-between as each of them always called on him to complain over one or the other issues bothering them. He did his best to see that they were back as much as possible like before when they first came together.

     He could recall that it was their estrangement that made him a regular guest to their room. This was in his effort to see that the two get reconciled again.

     Their problem was nothing but the usual misunderstanding between room-mate-using-the-other- mates-property-without-his permission. Being uncooperative over common household responsibilities etc. Apportioning blames was not to solve the problem. The two young roommates played a vital part in creating the problem.

     It would be judgmental to find fault with Alaska only. Yet, he could not afford to ignore his emotional instability. Alaska was randy by nature. Apparently, the youngest male student, he had a rather impulsive character. This is besides his natural jovial disposition combined with his boyish exuberance. It was this character that endeared him to most young girls he w****d around him. Prominent among these girls were―Tracy and Jane, unknown to each other.

                                                                       ALASKA, TRACY, AND JANE

                                                                                     ALASKA

     Tracy was a little below average in height just like Alaska. However, she was his senior. She was pretty with a round face, slim and fair in complexion.

     In Kelvin’s observation of the platonic affair, Tracy was only interested in Alaska just because of his jovial boyishness. Their friendship would go on as long as he would keep his libido in check.

The relationship swayed back and forth as would be expected. She was able to contain his persistent amorous advances. Her continuous refusal irks him. In his normal reaction, he would abruptly end the relationship for a period of time, and then he would put up an effort to restore it. Kelvin took delight in watching him.

     It was obvious to Kelvin that the loss of Alaska's mother at a tender age could possibly have contributed to his impulsive nature. There could have been that emotional vacuum which he tried to fill unsuccessfully. Whenever he feels whatever, it was that disturbs him, he would immediately do whatever comes to his mind just to put off the pressure.

     “They said that my mother died when I was tender,” he told Kelvin one day.

     “And my father…,” he paused. “God bless him. He suffered all along to carter for all of us when his wife died. He never took another wife… he must have loved my mother that much to resist the pressure to take a second wife. My father was of the notion that no woman would have loved us the way he and my mother loved us. Sometimes, I wish I could grow up quickly to help ease the burdens he carries. I love him much,” he added.

     It touched Kelvin when Alaska revealed a bit of his background confidentially to him. It was after this that he started regarding him from a different viewpoint. And that was an opener to him on why he seems to be acting the way he does―longing for what he had lost. It was his jovialness that made him the darling of everyone as he was always playful; a hidden ploy of what actually goes on in his heart.

     It had turned out that his relationship with Tracy would not end up as normal―laying her. That left him with wounded pride and in turn, made him turn his attention to another girl by the name of Jane.

                                                                                   JANE

     Jane was dark in complexion and average in height. She had a long face, slim and really pretty too. She looked demure and Kelvin later discovered she was not as difficult as Tracy.

It seemed like things would continue as usual with the affair. This was not to be. She discovered there was someone else other than herself―Tracy