The Other Side.

Chapter2

"Ekwensu! Good for nothing man! Male ashawo!"

Afiwa groans and rolls over, her mother's early morning insults were a reliable alarm. She climbs out of her bed and pads into her bathroom already immune to the insults her mother was spitting at her father on the other end of the telephone.

She brushes her teeth, takes a bath and puts on her school uniform, she opens the drawer beneath her sink and pulls out an orange pill container, pouring out two pills she quickly swallows them. The results are instantaneous, her brain slows down and she feels more relaxed, she grips the sink tightly, her lungs feel heavy, her head spins, this is the part she doesn't like, bile rises up her throat and spews past her lips. She takes deep breaths, she should see mama Agbodi get her to change the drugs or something, she wipes her notu and brushes her teeth, again. Grabbing her bag from where it lay abandoned in the corner of the room. The insults grew louder as she made her way towards the kitchen. Her mother is by the gas-cooker frying some plantain, the telephone wire stretches to its limits, the receiver is lodged between her ear and shoulder as she continues raining curses on her father.

"Good for nothing man, as your daughter don enter JSS3 instead of you to pay child support that you were supposed to pay tey tey, you're there sleeping with college girls! I don't blame you, na your mama I blame!"

Afiwa sighs, "good morning mama," she greets. Her mother turns to face her, a smile on her face as if she didn't just insult her father, "good morning honey," and she returns her attention to the man on the other end. "Yes! You heard me well, na your mama I blame! Useless man!" Afiwa opens the fridge and grabs four granola bars and a bottle of fanta, "nonsense better send the money today o," with that her mother slams down the receiver.

"The plantain is nearly done," she says, "I'm sorry I can't stay, we have an early assembly today, I can eat it for dinner," something about listening to her mother wrangle out overdue child support money was appetite draining. Her mother sighs, "alright," Afiwa smiles.

Kiki lives in apartment 14 on the floor above hers. She rings the doorbell and Kiki 's mother answers it, "good morning Mrs Ibrahim" she greets, Mrs Ibrahim beams at her, "good morning Afiwa, how was your night?" "It was fine," the woman's smile widens, "you're here for Kiki, abi?" She nods. Mrs Ibrahim ushers her in, "Okiki Ayoola Ibrahim! If I enter that room and you are not dressed eh, Your ancestors will cry when I'm done with you!" Afiwa bites back a laugh when Kiki's voice floats out from her room, "mama I'm coming! I'm wearing my shoes."

Kiki looks, 'disheveled' to say the least, her wine red pinafore is ruffled, her matching red ribbon is askew, her white short sleeves button down shirt is in desperate need of ironing and her socks look damp. At least her shoes are polished and her hair is in four neat buns. "You're mess," Afiwa whispers as Mrs Ibrahim hands Kiki her lunchbox, Kiki glares at her friend, "is not because you were rushing me," she whines, "I was going to iron my clothes but you just had to come early, besides I forgot to wash my socks yesterday" Afiwa raises a brow, "so you just washed it today?" Kiki rolls her eyes, "I can't go sockless to school, it's either damp socks or no socks," she replies as the two exit Kiki's house.

Kiki narrows her eyes, "they were at it again this morning, shebi?" Afiwa purses her lips, hands clenching the straps of her bag as the two waited for an elevator, a prick of guilt settles itself in her throat and she swallows it down, blinking and refusing to cry, "you know it's not your fault right?" Kiki says in concern, "I don't want to talk about it," Kiki pouts, "fine."

The elevator dings and a young couple rushes out, Kiki and Afiwa enter and so does someone else. An old lady, standing tall and straight for her age, gray dreads brush against her bony shoulder blades, her skin is a rich brown and leathery with age, her eyes are a milky white and unfocused. Mama Agbodi, resident voodoo woman, witch-doctor, juju master, the list went on and on, Afiwa knows her as the woman who sells her, 'the drugs, a fellow brethren and sometimes a free therapist who only replies with grunts and groans. Kiki pressed herself against the metal panel of the elevator to avoid the old-woman's gaze, she was creepy and scary, with her eyes that were always roaming.

The elevator came to a stop at the ground floor with a ding, Kiki lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she quickly rushes to get out but before she could taste sweet freedom, Mama Agbodi lurches forward and captures her wrist. Kiki yelps as the old woman's bony fingers dig into her wrist. The old woman's eyes focus on her, piercing through her soul, "they come for your soul, they come for your soul!" she chants hysterically. The old woman's raspy voice echoes in her head, like she's making an announcement with a megaphone, fear creeps up her spine as she struggles like a caged rat.

"Let go!" Afiwa orders firmly, the woman releases Kiki's wrist and turns to face the girl, Afiwa doesn't flinch, "listen to my warning child."

"That was scary af," Kiki whispers as they cycle down the street to the train station, she's still shaken from earlier, her hands trembling as she grips the handlebars of her bike. "Yeah," Afiwa mutters, she's still mauling over mama Agbodi's words. They reach the train station and chain their bikes at the bike rack before sitting by the bench with their other school mates, waiting for the train to arrive.

……………

Minutes later, the whistle of the train alerts the students of its arrival, Faven and Fumi board the train with the swarm of students, pushing past the bustling mess of students as they arrive at their favorite seat. Fumi eyes are friend, as the girl furiously chews her egg-sandwich, "are you okay?" Fumi asks. Faven rolls her eyes and dramatically disposes of her breakfast, she takes a deep breath as if she has been waiting to vent all morning. "So, this morning, of course dad wasn't around he's on a business trip," she said making air quotes around 'business trip,' "but I know he's f***ing his PA, like how mom doesn't know is beyond me like the man doesn't even try to hide it." She takes another deep breath and continues her rant.

"So anyways at breakfast mom was going on about a dinner the whole family is going to attend, it's next week Saturday, you know when we're supposed to have our sleep over, so I try to beg her to reschedule but of course she goes on about how this is important and if the dinner goes well she'll make more money, and I say well being there isn't going to magically get them to agree to whatever you say," Fumi gapes at her friend, "did you really say that," Faven snorts, "of course not, if I did, I'll be six feet under, I said it in my head."

"So anyways she adds that Opal is coming back to visit for the dinner, which just makes everything worse, I mean I don't know why I have to go, if Opal is coming they're just going to fawn over her and forget my existence, but like I 'm still going for the stupid dinner," Faven huffs.

"So you're trying to say the sleepover is off?" Faven nods, she's pouting and she looks genuinely upset. Fumi bumps the girl's shoulder with hers, "it's cool, I don't mind we'll just move it," Faven blinks, "really?" Fumi nods, "yeah, you can rant about the stupid dinner party then," Faven grins and crushes her in a hug, "you're the best."

The train arrives at Ransom-Kuti Memorial train station, situated in the countryside with lush green scenery. Nathifa and Nyakio disembark the train and begin the twenty minutes trek to Ransom-Kuti Memorial Secondary School. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Nyakio asks out of the blue, Nathifa nods, yesterday's events are still fresh in her memory, "I know this is going to sound craz but the man, I cut him with my switchblade and his blood was black, he didn't even seem affected by it and my knife went pretty deep," Nathifa stares at her friend, "what do you think is wrong?" Nyakio scoffs, "apart from the man oozing black blood, I mean, I told myself it's just my mind playing tricks, I was scared shitless but it was definitely black blood," Nathifa nibbles her lower lip, she's scared, she doesn't want to believe Nyakio's words, black blood, can only mean one thing. She shakes her head ridding herself of such thoughts, "maybe it was really just in your head," she lies, Nyakio eyes her friend unconvinced, "hmm, maybe."

Nathifa feels terrible, but it had to be done, Nyakio can't know about it, no-one can, she's so lost in thought she doesn't see a massive figure, she stumbles backwards and nearly screams in terror when she sees who she bumped into.

Senior Lolo.

Nathifa wants to cry as the girl towers over her, "I-I-I'm so sorry," she stutters in apology, "I-I'm so sorry," Lolo mocks in a high-pitched and frankly terrible impression of the smaller girl's voice. The bigger girl shoves Nathifa backwards, she stumbles and nearly falls but Nyakio catches her.

Nathifa's blood turns cold and grips Nyakio, she can feel her body trembling in fear, a massive girl both in height and weight towers over them, Lolo, an SS3 with a kink for torturing juniors for even looking at her wrong. The girl leers at them now, two of her goons standing guard behind her, "Ahn Ahn small rat, na you be this?" Nathifa gulps, "good morning senior Lolo," she stutters, Nyakio remains quiet pursing her lips into a tight line. Lolo glances at the other girl, "you no get mouth? Or you no know I be your senior?" Nyakio remains silent, Nathifa closes her eyes and wills Nyakio to greet the older girl.

Nyakio does not.

Lola laughs, her two goons joining her, "see this one oo, forming big girl" Nyakio still doesn't greet her, she wouldn't greet her, she doesn't deserve it, she pushes Nathifa behind her and matches Lolo's glare with her own. Her father had told her about such people, "insecure sh*ts who intimidate people to fuel their own ego," Lolo eventually breaks off their staring competition, 'coward,' Nyakio thinks to herself as the bully retreats with her goons. "You should have just greeted her," Nathifa says as they continue their trek, Nyakio scoffs, "I'm serious, she's not going to let it go, she'll make your life a living hell," Nyakio purses her lips, instant regret rushing over her, Lolo won't make her life a living hell, she'll transfer her anger on poor Nathifa, small, easily scared, gullible and naïve Nathifa. Nyakio bites her bottom lip, she can protect Nathifa, standing up for herself wouldn't count as assault, right? She can't risk it, she'l just have to give into Lolo, she clenches her fists, the mere thought irritates her.

Ransom-Kuti Memorial Secondary School is a huge Victorian style building made with red and white bricks, the school colors. The students pour into the halls, "I've missed this place," Kiki says, leading them to their classroom. Afiwa hasn't, the smell of student's and teacher's perfume clashing together overwhelms her nose. The two arrive at the JSS3A classroom, many students are already there chatting atop their voices as if their friends weren't sitting next to them, Afiwa wonders where their class prefect, Comfort is. Afiwa dumps her bag beside her chair at the farm corner of the class, Kiki chose the chair in front of her for easy trading of gossip, "oh my god! It's Kehinde and she cut her hair!" Kiki all but yells, true to her words the girl is by the doorway being swarmed by classmates wanting to know why she chopped off her beautiful hair, Kiki leaves to join them while Afiwa remains on her seat staring out the window, mama Agbodi's words echoing in her head, whatever mama Agbodi said usually came to pass after-all she was diviner, or in her own word, 'a messenger of the gods.'

"Afiwa are you okay?" Kiki asks as they line-up for assembly, Afiwa forces herself to nod, Kiki eyes her friend unconvinced, "if anything is bothering you, you can tell me, okay?" Afiwa nods, 'how do I tell you the stuff mama Agbodi said is going to happen?' Afiwa shakes her head, no, the woman could have made a mistake or something after-all she was mostly human.

They take their seats in the assembly hall, the assembly prefects take the stage and leads the the school through the morning prayers, national anthem, nation pledge and school anthem before handing over the mic to the press club for the daily news and to the principal, Professor Kwame, "good morning my dear students," "good morning Professor Kwame," the school choruses. "I'll make this announcement short, five students previously in JSS2 represented us in a history competition last month during the long holiday," the Professor began, "and to the glory of God, they took place a round of applause of them," the hall erupts in applause, beside her, Kiki has a huge grin on her face, "when I call your name please come on stage for your certificate and trophy."

"Faven Adesoya, Fumilayo Babatunde, Nathifa Esanobi and Okiki Ibrahim!" Afiwa gives Kiki thumbs up as the girl makes her way to stage, there's a final round of applause as the principal rewards the girls with their certificate and trophy.

…………..

Nathifa feels like she's on cloud-nine, the excitement from having just received a certificate and trophy from the principal and the round of applause from the school, she could feel millions of endorphins rushing through her brain and body. Even Mrs Williams's boring basic tech class couldn't damper her spirit.

Classes went relatively quickly and soon it was time for lunch, Nyakio and Nathifa stood in line with the rest of their classmates, Nyakio animatedly rambling about the literature book her class had just started reading. After acquiring their lunch, a plate of delicious-smelling jollof rice with fried chicken (the school gave them good food on the first day, the tomorrow Nathifa was sure they would have half-assed food, like usual), the two entered the main cafeteria. The sound of chattering and clattering of cutlery against ceramic plates echoes through the cafeteria as the cafeteria prefects on duty try to maintain some semblance of order.

Nathifa and Nyakio are just about to take their seats when a massive form towers in front of them.

Senior Lolo.