The Orphan

New Friends, New Enemies

Just after Mrs. Ireti’s class, the bell rang for a break. All students headed for the school cafeteria. Bayo had no friends, so he often eats alone at the table. He had been doing that ever since he got here. So he took a seat after paying for his favorite lunch combo of sausage roll and a cold Pepsi pet bottle drink. As usual, he would eat alone.

Suddenly, a girl walked toward Bayo’s table holding her lunch in her hand. It was Bisi. A girl in his class he always admired from afar. Bisi is the prettiest girl in his class. So all the boys wanted to be close to her. You could tell they all drooled over an iota of attention from her.

So Bisi sat next to Bayo and placed her lunch on the table just beside Bayo’s. 

"Oh my God! This couldn’t be happening." He thought.

"Hi Bayo." She greeted.

"Huh…Hi…Bi…si." He stuttered.

He was taken aback by the fact that the prettiest girl in his class is right in front of him.

"You did great in class today. I like guys who are smart and you showed that today." She complimented.

Bayo couldn't help but smile. At this point, Bayo was even further confused on what to say to her as the only thing he kept seeing was the beautiful smile she was wearing. His thoughts were definitely all over the place.

Bayo stared at her for a moment without a word. She noticed his absence, so she tapped his arm wondering why he was so unsettled.

"Sorry. I was lost for a moment there. So you were saying?" He asked.

She smiled again and repeated. "You did great in class today. You were really smart in there. We haven't officially met. I'm Bisi." She said extending a hand.

Of course, he knew she was.

"Oh thanks. I read a lot maybe that’s why I could answer the question. I’m Bayo." He responded shaking her hand nicely.

At this point, they had exchanged pleasantries and Bayo was a bit relieved and more settled to have conversation. The two talked for a while and didn't realize it was past break-time because they enjoyed each other’s company. Bayo quickly checked his wrist watch.

"Ooh it’s past break-time we lost track of the time. Let’s head back to class."

Surprised, she said. "Ohh! Let’s hurry then."

So they left together for class.

As they were about to enter the class, Bisi noticed Mr. Biodun was in class. He was their literature teacher and a strict one at that. Every student dreaded him. Bisi panicked for a moment.

"Ooh, this is bad. We’re so dead!" She voiced even as Bayo tried to calm her down.

"We’ll be fine, trust me." He assured trying to assuage the situation.

Mr. Biodun hates when students come late to his class. So Bayo mustered some courage, took Bisi by the hand as they both walked into the class.

"Where are both of you coming from?" He asked with a loud and furious tone.

"Sorry sir, we lost track of time at the cafeteria that’s why we’re late. I promise it will never repeat itself." Bayo replied with no sense of fright at all. One would think he had the courage of a Lion even in an unfamiliar terrain.

The whole class was stunned at Bayo’s answer wondering if he had lost his damn mind. A thin line between courage and stupidity, and Bayo wasn't treading with caution. Mr. Biodun was taken aback by Bayo’s audacious response.

"I am going to forgive you today because of your approach and sincerity. You may not be so lucky next time. You guys can go have your seats."

Excited but relieved. "Thank you sir! Thank you sir!" They both voiced even as they hurried to their seats.

When Bisi sat down, she smiled and winked at Bayo whose seat was on the row next to hers. This infuriated Dotun.

Dotun always had eyes for Bisi since their first year in junior school. Gutted by Bisi's sudden fondness of the new kid. Dotun sits just behind Bisi in class and when he witnessed the bravery shown by Bayo, he knew he was losing the race gradually. Dotun never liked Bayo from the first day he stepped into class. He always felt Bayo thought he was better than everyone else, and that bothered him greatly.

He believed he was just a show-off. Dotun is a rich and arrogant kid who always wants to be in control. So he winked at his friends who were more like his thugs who did his dirty job. Ayo, Kola and Deji got the message. It was time to strike. These unspoken line of communication all went on while Mr. Biodun was teaching.

After school that day, Bayo and Bisi decided to walk home together taking a short cut as they conversed.

Then Bisi said. "Thanks for what you did today in class. You stood up to Mr. Biodun. No one's ever done that. At first, I thought you were just stupid for even opening your mouth." She jibed.

"I don't know. It was simply impulsive."

"Well, your impulse almost got us whooped."

They both shared a laugh at the thought of getting whooped for having a loud mouth.

"I guess all is well that ends well. In hindsight, I thought you were brave in there today. Now you've got school cred." She hinted.

"School cred?" He asked wondering what she meant by it.

"Yes, school cred. Now students will respect you." Bisi explained. 

"School cred." He scoffed at the blandness of the term.

Then he added. "It’s what real men do. My dad would always say that." Even as he suddenly wore a sad look remembering his father’s words.

Bisi noticed the sudden drop in his cadence and the unusual look on his face. She couldn't help but ask.

"Why the sudden mood swing?"

Bayo couldn't hold tears in and words became distant from his lips. Bayo’s mind had cast back to his father’s death which made his heart weary again after months. Prior to this time, he had never told anyone about his father neither does anyone know he is an orphan.

They took a turn off the sidewalk into the aisle between trees and bushes. A short route students used sometimes. After some distance, Bayo stopped and sat under a mango tree just off the sidewalk. At this point, Bisi was worried. She couldn’t understand Bayo's strange demeanor all of a sudden. So she asked again.

"Bayo, please talk to me. Did I say anything wrong?"

"Not at all Bisi. It's not you. It's me." He replied to Bisi's sigh of relief.

 "Finally! A response. What’s the problem then?" She queried.

"My dad always reminded me to always stand up for my right and never be intimidated by anyone. So I remembered those words and used them to confront Mr. Biodun."

"Then you should be happy about that. Honestly, I think you should tell your dad about your heroics." Bayo shook his head at her words.

"I would if he was alive."

Shocked by his reveal. She couldn’t phantom how a child could live without a parent as she could only console Bayo.

"I’m so sorry about that. I can’t imagine how you feel right now. You must feel terribly hurt."

Bayo replied sobbing.

"You have no idea how I feel. You have no idea what it feels like to have no one!" He said with a rage in his voice.

Bisi reach for his hand Bayo in a bid to pacify his pain. He broke down laying his head on Bisi’s shoulder. This was the first he was being vulnerable since his dad died. He's been bottling up all that emotion trying to be strong for grandpa.

"I lost my mom when I was two. I barely knew her though. I've never known what a mother’s love feels like. and I still feel that void till this day. After her death, my dad raised me from that point on. Until eight months back, when I lost him to cancer. The only person who seem to be constant in my life is my grandfather who has always encouraged me to be strong. Life has been tough ever since my dad died as grandpa’s pension is all we have to survive on." Bayo shared his story.

For the first time, Bayo opened up about his turmoil.

"I've never told anyone else about this, until now."

"I'm glad I was a safe space for you to share that. I may not know exactly how you feel, but I want you to know I'm here for you. You can always talk to me." She assured with a hug.

Then Bisi got a little more curious. "Why me though?"

Bayo recused himself from her embrace, looked into her eyes.

"I don't know. It just felt right."

"It’s nice of you to trust strangers." She chuckled trying to dry the tear off Bayo’s right cheek with her left hand.

Bayo smiled at her sarcasm. "Well, you're no stranger now. Please tell this to no one. Let’s keep this between us." He pleaded.

"Your secret is safe with me."

"A pity it’s not a secret anymore." Dotun said coming out with his friends from their hide out in the bushes. Bayo quickly stood up with Bisi holding her hand firmly.

Fiddling a huge stick in his hand, Dotun voiced.

‘Well. Well. Well. Look who we have here. If isn’t the corny Bayo. I’ve always known something was off about you. You don’t only have nothing, you have no one!" He echoed even as his friends fiddled their own sticks.

They mocked Bayo being an orphan. At this point, Bayo was bitter and wanted to hit back at Dotun but Bisi kept telling him not to respond, so he refrained.

"Ooh come on now! You want to take on four of us? Let’s see how macho you are. You're hiding behind a girl. Hahaha!" Dotun cackled like the monsters from Disney movies.

"Go away, Dotun!" Bisi hauled those words whilst behind Bayo.

"Sorry dear, but we have to teach him a lesson never to show off in class or even hang out with you anymore."

"I hang out with whoever I choose. You don’t tell me what to do!" She yelled. But Dotun shrugs and ordered his friends to take her away from Bayo's grip.

"Noooo!" She screamed even as Bayo tussled to keep her by his side but the numbers game was against him. 

"Step aside girl, I have to deal with Bayo in my own way. Maybe I should just send him to his father. That way, he wouldn’t miss him so much anymore. Hahahaha."

Bayo knew he was helpless at this point as Dotun and his friends edged closer, slowing moving their sticks side to side like a pack of wolves closing in on their prey. [To Be Continued]