TEARS OF MY PAST

TEARS OF MY PAST (CHAPTER ONE) My name is Okechukwu Ikpeazu but my friends used to call me ikpe, I was born and bred in Onitsha in a family of three, I and my younger sister were the only children of our parents, it was unfortunate that we were single handedly raised by our dear mother, sad to say that our father died when we were still tender. It was in the early year of 2016, in the month of march. The year was still young for It has not yet started raining, everywhere was still dry and dusty. That bright Monday morning I was in the bedroom preparing for school, the floor of the room was cold and damp and I was enjoying the coldness as my bare feet was on the floor. We lived in an old dilapidated building, in which we occupied two room apartment, the bigger room served as the siting room though there were nothing much in the room just two outdated cushion, an old wall clock which hung helplessly on the wall, faulty black and white television which had not be working for God knows when. The floor of the sitting room was covered with a shredded red carpet, at the center of the room was an old worn out table, the bedroom had a little bed which I and my little sister used to share with our mother, the bedroom was smaller, my clothes and my sister’s clothes and some shoes were littered all over the floor, a rope tied to each end of the room was where our mother used to hang her own cloths. My little sister Juana loved education but unfortunately for her few years after our father’s death things became so hard that our mother could no longer afford to pay both our school fees so it was resolved that my sister would be helping our mother in her akara (bean cake) business until I was done with my WAEC exam, the decision was hard on her at first but with time she was able to cope. Seeing my asister dropping from school because of me really hurt me but there was nothing I could do since our mother was the one who made that decision, left for me I would never go to school, I hate school and I hate to study too. As I was still in the bedroom reluctantly preparing for school, my mother then walked in. “Okechukwu you are still here lazing about, while other kids are already in school, what kind of a child are you, I suffer myself to woke up early every morning to make sure you go to school on time but you always end up going late, now tell me why that boy Ejike is waiting for you outside, I still remember I told you I no longer want to see both of you together. That boy is a bad news’ My mother lamented bitterly “Mama Ejike is not as bad as you may think, he is not like other bad boys in this area” “Is he not the one that was caught stealing the other day?” “mama that’s just rumor, Ejike is not a thief, people are just jealous of him” “people are jealous of who?” My mother queried angrily “Mama people in this street are jealous of Ejike that’s why they are saying a lot of bad thing about him” “Are they jealous of him because he is handsome or because he has money or because his father is dangote or adeleke? why would people be jealous of such a useless person who broke into people’s homes to steal their money?” My mother was then furious “Mama one day you will see that Ejike is a good person” I tried to say more but my mother wouldn’t hear of it “Shut up before I lay my hands on you” My mother lifted her hand as if she was going to beat me and I raised my hands in defense “Before I close my eye and open it you are out of this house” Without wasting time, I jumped into my school uniform and picked my bag where it was lying helplessly on the floor and left the room. When I came outside the house I met Ejike still waiting for me and we both left for school. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… It was around 10.30 am when I and Ejike arrived at king”s comprehensive secondary school which was a mixed school of boys and girls, it was unfortunate for the managements of the school that I and Ejike happened to be one of their students and also in the same class at the same time. Teacher Akaolisa was in the classroom when we walked in, we greeted him and was about to go to our designated seats when the teacher stopped us. “where do you two basket brains think you are going” Teacher Olisa asked angrily and the class burst out in laughter “Sir we are going to our seats” Ejike answered boldly “which seats? You think you can just walk into my class anytime you want. What do you think is the time now?” Teacher Olisa said and glanced at his watch “this is 10.30 and you are just coming to school” “Sir, my father sent us on an errand” Ejike lied. “Who is your father? and why would he sent the two of you on errand during school hours, mostly when you are supposed to be in class studying even though your brains don’t contain anything, Continuation........ are telling me that all this while you have been coming late to school he is the one that have been sending the two of you on errands?” “yes” Ejike answered simultaneously “I don’t perceive any atom of truth in what you are saying, anyways I will like to see that your father, from him I will know whether you are telling the truth, and you Okechukwu I will like to see your mother too, she has to be aware that you always come to school late” “Teacher my father travelled today” Ejike lied again “He travelled? I am perceiving lies in all these you are telling me?” “No sir, am not lying, he travelled today” “Ok whenever he comes back tell him to come and see me” “Sir I don’t know when he will be coming back” “I don’t care, once he comes back tell him to see me. I want to see two of your parents as soon as possible, do I make myself clear?” “yes sir” I and Ejike answered in unison At the mention of my mother coming to our school to see teacher Akaolisa my heart flew into my stomach, the truth was that no body was sending us to any errands, we actually were diverting to a beer parlor any time we were going to school to drink some beer with the money Ejike stole, I knew if my mother happened to come to my school to see the teacher I would be in trouble. Ejike wasn’t scared of anything, he had mastered lying and thievery like he had mastered the back of his hand even if his father happened to come to the school to see the teacher and it was discovered that he was lying, he would always find way to cover up his lies, but I was not something like him, though I have my own evil ways but when it came to lying Ejike was the master. Ejike was a well known bad boy in my street, he was short and dark in complexion, he was not handsome though he had a plumpy body. I was still deliberating in my mind what the teacher told me about inviting my mum to the school when I heard the teacher telling us to go to our seats. When Ejike breezed pass teacher Akaolisa, the teacher perceived the alcoholic that was oozing out of his breath and had to stop him “Ejike what is that smell in your mouth?” Teacher Akaolisa queried angrily “what smell sir?” “You are asking me? Is that not alcoholic that is oozing out of your mouth?” “Alcoholic? sir there is no alcoholic oozing out of my mouth?” “shut that your mouth before I lose my temper and do something I will regret later, you were caught red handed and you are denying, you are just a pathetic liar” “Sir am not lying” Ejike said persistently. At that moment if I knew how I would kick Ejike unnoticed for him to stop lying because he was putting us in more trouble but he was a bit far from me “really? so you are not lying? ok come here” Teacher Olisa said and held Ejike on his school uniform and drew him closer, as he drew Ejike closer to himself the alcoholic oozing out of his mouth was much that he has to push him back “Is that not alcoholic I smelt from your breath? You drank alcoholic and still have the effrontery to be lying before me, so you actually went to drink and you said your father sent you on an errand, you are such a disgrace” “sir eee…m actually my father sent us on an errand is just that we got there and we were offered a little drink, just a litt……” Before Ejike could finish what he was saying the teacher landed a heavy slap on his chin. “Stop that your lies, if ever you repeat that your lies again you will regret the first day you met me in this school, what kind of a child are you, don’t worry you will tell that lies to the principal, I will make sure you are severely punished for this and you Okechukwu come here, you two are partner in crime” I drew closer to the teacher who also smelt alcoholic in his breath. “my God, you two are sons of the devil, so at this age you have started drinking alcoholic, what am I going to do with you two, anyway the principal will handle it, now go over there and kneel down” Teacher Akaolisa pointed to a corner of the class room where he wanted us to kneel down, and we like rats caught in a trap humbly went to the corner and knelt down. After the teacher had finished teaching he took us to the principal who gave us twenty-four strokes of the cane each. When the school dismissed, I and Ejike went into one of the uncompleted building outside the school and hide, we knew teacher Olisa normally follow that path to go home, so we decided to hide in the uncompleted building and wait for him so we could pay him back for humiliating us. Teacher Akaolisa was known to be a no nonsense person in the school. All the students used to fear him, he was in his early 40s but not yet married, some time ago it was reported to the principal that he was sleeping with the female students and he was suspended for a month. Olisa was a handsome young man, tall and fair in complexion, some of the female teachers used to admire him and he had slept with almost all of them. Continuation...... As we were waiting for the teacher inside the uncompleted building we defecated inside a polythene bag and tied it, our intention was to throw the faeces at him when he would be coming through that path. We waited for him, for what seem like forever but there was no sign of him. “Ejike are you sure that Aka O Aka was not aware we were waiting for him here and he took another route” I said sarcastically. Aka O Aka was the funny name we gave to teacher Akaolisa “I don’t think so, how could he have known, don’t worry he will come by” As we were still debating whether he will come or not we sighted him coming from afar, we hid inside the building so he wouldn’t see us. Ejike readied the polythene bag which contained our faeces and was waiting for him to approach, as he was about walking pass the uncompleted building Ejike threw the polythene bag at him and the faeces plastered his whole body. The teacher stood there for some time confused and embarrassed, for what seems like forever he was still standing there, he couldn’t believe what just happened to him, it was all like a dream, but when it later done on him that what happened was a reality he threw a way his bag in frustration which was also plastered with faeces and started looking for the person that threw the bag of faeces at me, by then I and Ejike had fled the scene. TEARS OF MY PAST (CHAPTER TWO) I was enjoying my sleep that breeze filled morning when a hot slap landed at my back. I woke up confused, I didn’t know what hit me, it was when I saw my mother standing akimbo before me that I realized what just happened “Okechukwu why are you still on the bed by this time of the day, are you not going to school. why are you always coursing me pain, am working hard to make sure you become somebody but all my effort on you seems to be in vain, I wish your father is still alive, at least this burden will not be too much on me” “mama good morning” I said abruptly “keep your good morning to yourself and answer my question. Okechukwu why are you still on the bed by this time?” “Mama today is Friday, every Friday is our school manual labor, I will go maybe around 10 or 11 o’clock” “Oh now I get it, so you want to skip school manual labour, so that others will do the work for you, now I know why Ejike is not yet outside waiting for you, you two are a big problem. You want to skip the labour for who to the the work for you, if every other person is skipping manual labor the way you and that useless friend of your do how then will your school compound be clean, now before I unleash my anger on you, get up from there and start preparing for school” My mother said sadly I reluctantly got up from the bed and started preparing for school. It was around 9.25 am. when I later left the house, but I didn’t actually head to school, I went to papa Eike’s house, where Ejike showed me the huge amount of money he stole in some people’s house, so we decided to go to night clubbing and spend the money. We didn’t go to school on that day. We wasted the whole day learning how to smoke weed. Around 7.30 pm I left papa Ejike’s house, when I got home my mother and sister were not yet back from, I changed my clothes and went back to Ejike’s house. Later in the night I and Ejike and some other guys who newly became our gang members left the house together to a nearby night club. When we got to the club everywhere was jam-packed, a hip hop song filled the dancing hall and everyone was dancing, the speaker was so loud that one can barely hear each other, the DJ was doing his best to make sure there would be no dull moment in the party, all the ladies were almost half naked, sometimes I would feel like holding one of them close to myself because I was liking what I was seeing but then I have control myself. I tried to dancing with some of girls but they seem not to be interested in me, not that am not handsome, I guess it was because I was wearing a cheap polo and jean, my canvas was a cheap one too but that was all I got. Later that same night I succeeded in dancing with one of the girls in the night club whom I later learnt her name was Anita, she was pretty and a good dancer too, she liked me and I liked her too, I wasn’t much of a dancer but I can follow the beating of any song without dancing off key. I and my new found girlfriend danced for quite a long time before settling down by the corner of the dancing hall a bit far from where Ejike and our gang members where drinking and smoking with some girls, I was seated close to Anita, feeling the heat of her body and the beating of her heart. So was so beautiful, dark in complexion, her eyes is dark and very attractive, she had the figure that no man can resist, her nose and mouth were nicely shaped, she looked like someone that was created on a special day. That night she was wearing a pink shot gown and a black canvas, her weaved hair was packed backward, as we were discussing I was so carried away by her beauty that I called her my midnight angel, which made her burst into a loud laugh. “why are you laughing? is it because I called you my midnight angel?” “Okechukwu you are just funny, we just met and you are already calling me your midnight angel, we barely know each other” “I know we just met but to me it’s like we’ve known each other for a long time, Anita I really love you, I can do anything to be your boyfriend, the way am feeling right now, I have never felt like that before, please be my girlfriend” “I don’t know much about you Okechukwu, I like you, you are the kind of guy that I want, am not after money what I want is a man my heart accepts, my heart accepts you that was why I agreed to dance with you in the first place, since I started coming to this night party I never danced with any man, I only watch those that were dancing. I can’t just accept to be your girlfriend when I don’t know anything about you” “Okay I will tell you everything you want to know about me, my name is Okechukwu as you already know, am a student and I live with my mother and sister who is as beautiful as you are” I said and we both smiled “You didn’t make mention of your dad is he not living with you guys?” “My dad died some years ago” I commented pathetically “Am so sorry my dear? Anita said feeling sorry Continuation....... “It’s okay, it’s in the past now. I guess it’s your turn now to tell me about yourself” I said in conclusion. Anita gazed at me for a while and smiled “Anyways am Anita, from Imo state, am a student of Nora girls high school Onitsha, I live in the boarding. my parents are civil servants who also live here in Onitsha, I am the only child of my parents. I believe you are satisfied now” Anita asked jokingly “Well not yet, I will like to know how you manage to leave your school in the night since you said you live in boarding house” I asked inquisitively “I and three of my friends used to bride our gate man to let us through every Friday night for night clubbing” “Hmmmm, bad girls,” “Am not a bad girl, I just want to be free once a while from that prison called boarding house” “If you never liked it why did you allow your parents to enroll you into into you should have been a day student” “I wanted freedom from my parents but the boarding house is worse that a prison, there too many rules” “Talk of rules how are sure you will not be discovered one day that you are and your friends are sneaking out of the school” “They will not found out” “How sure are you, what if one of the house supervisors come in to check whether you girls are okay and he or she found out that you girl are not on your bed, what do you think will happen” “you are beginning to sound like my mother, anyway we use to cover our pillow with our wrapper so it will seem as if we were there” “nice play but it’s still dangerous leaving your dormitory at night, to attend party, if you are guys are caught you might be expelled suspended which I know your parents will not be happy with you” “what of you, did your mum know you are here” Anita asked scornfully “Anita am a man, whatever I do doesn’t really count but whatever a woman does matters a lot” “So you are telling me you are right by leaving your house to attend night club and that I am wrong by leaving the dormitory, is that right” “That’s not what I mean, what am saying In essence is that I might escape been punished any time I sneak out to attend this night party but you might not be so lucky all the time, the case of a man and a woman is not the same” “I have heard you, I will think about it” “I can always come to see you in your school during visiting days. Promise me you will stop sneaking out to attend night parties” “You are talking about me, what about you? Are you going to stop too? “Yes, after this night, I won’t come here again, it’s a promise” I assured her “I don’t believe in men’s promises” “then believe in mine” I said looking into her eyes. “okay I promise” Anita remarked “thank you my angel. One more thing” “what again? Anita asked playfully and then I held her hand close to my heart “should I take it now that you are my girlfriend?” I asked gently and Anita smiled, “I think we are already friends” “I want us to be lovers not just friends” Anita looked at me with the corner of her eyes and then smiled again “okay if that’s what you want” “is that a yes” I asked happily “yes” Anita answered and I was so over joyed. I hugged her and we held each other as if our lives depended on it ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… By the times I came back home from the night party it was almost 4 o’clock in the morning. I was afraid the door would be locked but fortunately for me when I turned the knob the door cricked open and there was no electric power supply, the only light flickering into the sitting room was the lamp in the bedroom, I counted myself lucky, I avoided going into the bedroom so not wake my mother, I resolved to sleep on the cushion but as I was about to lie down the voice of my mother brought me to a standstill. I didn’t know She was lying on one of the cushion in the sitting room watching as I sneak into the room. “Okechukwu where are you coming from by this time, is this the school you went to is this the time your school dismisses, I and your sister waited for you throughout today but you were nowhere to be found, we were still in this house around 6pm waiting for you to return but to no avail, it was around 6.30pm we later left the house for my akara business, I know your school dismisses around 1.30pm, so where did you go to? and where is your school uniform? so you now put clothes inside your bag before going to school. Okechukwu you have now turned to a wild animal” “No mama, I didn’t put any cloth in my bag, I came back and change the cloth by then you and Juana had gone to sell akara” “So you now go out and come in as you wish. This morning if you don’t tell me where you are coming from and where you have been since morning I will know if you are the one paying the rent of this house or I am the one” “mama I was at papa Eike’s house” I said fearfuly “doing what there?” “nothing ma, we were just watching movies” I lied Continuation....... “you mean you went to watch movie in their house after I told you to go school” “am sorry mama” “Sorry for yourself, so what you are telling is that it was at papa Eike’s house you were coming from by this time of the day” “Eeeeee mm I……eeeem” “if you don’t tell me the truth I will beat the truth out of you” My mother was then furious, she got up from the cushion and approached me angrily as I was about to run she got hold of my polo and drew me closer to herself and landed a heavy slap on my face which made me to stagger in pain. At that instant my mother perceived alcoholic from my breath and she was mad at me “Okechuku so you have started drinking as well, upon all the bad things you have been doing, oh my God, what kind of a child are you, I won’t allow you to drag the name of this family to mud, no child of mine will kill me before mine time” My mother said angrily and raised her hand again to strike me but I held her hand, by then I was very angry, I held her hand and couldn’t let go for a while my mother was still struggling to release her hand from my grip, when it seem like I was too powerful for her she give up strong, and then to my greatest shock I heard my mother moaning in pain, her tears started dropping in my hand, that moment in that semi dark room I felt really bad and heart broken, I loved my mother so much but I don’t know how to stop hurting her, at that instant I let go of her hand and she left me standing in that semi darkness and went into the bedroom. I stood there frustrated and confused, I then sank on the cushion and started weeping, I wept until sleep over took me. TEARS OF MY PAST (CHAPTER THREE) The uncompleted building was filled with smokes coming from the cigarettes and weed I and my gang members were smoking. That Saturday evening was cool, breeze was penetrating through all the openings in the uncompleted building, I and Ejike had planned the previous day to gather the boys who had become our gang members in the uncompleted building which serves as our hideout, the building was few miters across our street which was across our street so we can plan on how we will be carrying out our operations where and when. Ejike was the gang leader while I was the second in command. We are five gang members. Every one of us has a unique nature. Ejike was the bravest, I was the smartest, chike who the youngest among us was good with computer, he can hack into any account without difficulty. Ben was our informant; he was good in gathering in information. Tony who was a year older than I, was an expert pick pocket, and also a good driver, his father had a 504 Peugeot which he had the privilege of driving. I was seated by the corner watching as every one of the gang member was infusing smokes up in the air then suddenly came Ejike’s voice “we all have gathered here for our own good, to make plans on how to survive in this jungle, man has to make some cash, if any of you know where we can steal some cash let the person say it” Ejike said boldly “I think I know where we can steal some cash, there is this woman in our yard, she is a daily money collector, she always come back with people’s money which she usually people in the bank the next day, I think we should rob them this night before she takes the money to the bank tomorrow” Ben suggested “Ben that is petty stealing, besides we are not sure if she will collect any more today, I suggest we go for this one in my yard, there is this man living in my yard I overheard him telling somebody yesterday on the phone to come to his house today evening and collect the money he is owing him, I don’t know the amount but am guess it will be a big money, he normally come home around