DIARY OF A BLACK BOY (EPISODE SIX)



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11: 05 am.
Tade's phone rang as he stretches his hands towards the phone which lay few distance from his mattress. The caller was his father and suddenly an hatred developed in his veins as he wanted to cut the call and either go back to sleep or go downstairs to watch football. Following his mind he dropped the phone but the caller still continued persistently which serves as a frustration to him, making him pick the call.

"Hello" Tade said. "Tade is that you?" His Father asked. "Yes, sir" Tade replied. "I need you to come home" His father said. "Am busy with some projects" Tade replied
as if already prepared for the request his father made. "If you know that your mother gave birth to you, you must come home" his father shouted over the phone and then hung up immediately. "What is all these nonsense" Tade murmured as he hit his bed wildly. Deep within him he still knows there is still a certain amount of fear for his father, maybe because of how the way he was brought up or he just have that fear for him.

A part of him wants to pack his bag and leave for home while another part want to bask and swim in his new found faith and freedom. Not quite long again, his phone started ringing again. "Not again" He wailed, but his fear was soon soothed upon seeing that the caller is an unsaved number. "Hello" A female voice said from the other end of the call. "Who is this?" Tade asked. "Hello, it me Deborah" The voice replied. "Deborah?" Tade asked looking confused. "Yes. This is my second number" The lady said. "Okay, anyways how are you?" Tade asked trying to be calm. "Am fine. I want to remind you of the revival, it's starting today" Deborah said. "Hahn, I am going somewhere, but, I will try and if I couldn't make it, I hope tomorrow isn't too late" Tade said. "Yes. God bless you" Deborah said and ended the call. What a funny world someone called and dampen your mood then another one called and makes you happy.

Deborah is a dark skin lady always with a broad smile and dimples. She has always plague his head since their HND1 days. She is eager to learn and make friends and encourage people, but Tade's ego or is it shyness that always restrict him from going to her. At first it was her simple dressing that attracted Tade to her. She loves putting on anything that isn't flashy and no makeup not even a necklace or earrings. She walked that day in the HND1 days and sat beside him. Throughout that day he wasn't himself he was just trying to talk to her. HND1 she had the highest G.P.A, 4.67.

Tade couldn't really discern how he started talking to her but he just asked for a pencil
 that day when nobody was ready to give and she gave hers. He was mesmerized by her kindness. Soon he graduated from asking for pencils to papers for test and even once got the opportunity to sit her down and ask for help on a particular course. It was during one of their discussion that she invited him to her fellowship's revival. He agreed because he was already enjoying her friendship. She would explain the courses to him and tell him to try and understand them in his own way and then tell him about Jesus. He even started omitting meetings with T-baba and the rest just because he wants to hear Deborah talk. He is fond of telling her he was once a bible scholar and went on to prove himself by reciting some memorized Bible verses. He sees Deborah has that sister he never had, thanks to his father who beat up his mother when she was pregnant back then.

Tade dressed up, pick up his phone and then went out. He was just about exiting the hostel when T-baba stopped him. "How far na guy?" T-baba said as he shook Tade's hands. "Boss, I wan quickly reach home, paale dey call me" Tade replied hastily as he was keen on leaving. "Alright but no forget code 7 o" T-baba said as he bounce away. Hailing from all and sundry fell on T-Baba as he passed by in the hostel premises. Code 7, is symbolic name used for their meeting. Throughout his journey home he was just thinking of how he will try and return to school and attend the revival. From Iwo road, he boarded Olomi and off to their house.

Tade found something unusual about their house. People were standing outside
speaking in low voices. He was able to hear a particular sentence "omo ena na niyen (that is the person son)"... He opened the unlocked gate and find yet a large number of people with grimly and sad faces. Some were seated on white plastic chairs while some on the staircases that enters the main house. "Tade!" Someone shouted and rushed towards him. It was Aunty Aduke, his mother's elder sister. "What happened?" Tade asked. "Aburo mi ti Ku oo (my younger sister is dead)" Aunty Aduke screamed and then fell to the ground crying and screaming. "What?!" Tade yelled. "Your mother is dead!" Aunty Aduke said again from where some people were trying to console her. Tade went crashing down as he broke down into tears, tears that has been holding down for years. He had sworn never to cry again since he was in ss3 when his dad flogged him blue-black for failing his WAEC, but now he is here crying because the only person he knows or still care about is gone.

"He killed her!" Tade started shouting as he ran towards his dad who was weeping inside. His father's friends, secretary, their pastor and some church members with big post were there. "Shebi you've finally killed her" Tade shouted as the tears flows down his face. "What are you saying" One of his father's friend said. "Keep shut!" Another said from the angle he sat. "You shut the fuck up!" Tade retorted as he attempted to slap the man. "Ani ri esu (we won't see the devil)" someone shouted as people grabbed Tade. "You frustrated her and killed her, now you can have any woman you want, drink and stagger all night" Tade said as he forced a faint smile on his face.

"She killed herself by consuming a lot of drugs oo" Aunty Aduke shouted. Tade walked out to their backyard, to cry alone. Nobody followed him. Wasn't it few months ago when his mom called to apologize for the fightings but he snubbed her. Suddenly memories of his mother flooded his head. His only friend and companion. She was at first wanting him to become an engineer but later allowed him follow his dream.

Tade broke down into tears, letting his dead emotionless soul cry itself out as he realises he just lost a
gold to the cold hands of death.


TO BE CONTINUED...

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