Chapter seven

Omotayo.

"Introduce yourself,boy." I heard the principal say.

"My name is Omotayo Humphrey,I am eighteen years old and I am pleased to make your acquaintances." My eyes wandered around in search for friendly faces. When I caught her eyes,I was...

Surprised!

I was surprised because I had never seen someone as beautiful as her. Her skin was a rich and clear chocolate colour that was rare to find. Her hair was braided in big box braids and gelled to perfection. Her eye colour was brown and her body shape was really captivating.

Focus,Tayo.

I tore my eyes away from her and tried to look elsewhere. 

Principal John spoke for a few more minutes but my attention wasn't on him,it was on that girl.

You took a pledge.

I shook my head, trying to free it of all thoughts of her and tried to focus on what the principal was saying.

"Why don't I pick?"Principal John voiced out after I had denied that girl. " Our very own head girl,Simone Adeboye."

I looked up to find out who Simone was, and when the girl waved a little,I almost jumped for joy.

"Fine by me." I said, trying as much as possible to sound calm.

**

"Omotayo!!"Someone screamed in my ear.

"Fuck!!"I cursed. I stood up and stretched, trying to rid my body of sleep.

"Ty."René shouted again.

"What the hell do you want?"I sat down and tried to concentrate. I looked around the class but saw no one there. 

Hmmm,maybe they went for a class or something.

"This school is amazing Ty."Rene said"No one even cares that I am blind. I have made three friends now and it's just so fresh. How about you? Tell me about how your day went."

As she said those words,my mind immediately went to that girl and I quickly swallowed my reply.

But René took my silence for something else"Are you mad at me?I am so sorry."

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Damn René for being too emotional.

"T-there's this girl and she's very beautiful and...."I didn't finish because René started squealing.

"Yes!I knew it!I totally knew it!I can't wait to tell mom and everybody in the family that you finally like someone."

"If you do that,"I threatened in a low voice"I will never talk to you again in my life. I didn't even say that I liked the girl, did I? I just said that she is beautiful. I took a pledge,remember?"

She shook her head at me and opened her mouth to say something but she closed it back quickly and then opened it again.

"You and your stupid pledge! Mummy have told you that you will spend the rest of your school year in Richview."She raised her voice. Something René never does.

"Mummy said that she will try."I emphasized on the word 'try'

"That is not enough for me."I added.

"I don't even have anything to say to you."She turned carefully on her heels but threw her head back"In case you haven't noticed,it's lunch break and you are ten minutes late for Principal John's meeting."

That got me sprinting out of my seat as I tried to tie my shoe lace quickly"What the hell?Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged and walked away fast,her stick making a loud tapping sound around the deserted hallway, because she knew that if I caught her,all hell would break loose.

**

"You are late,boy."The balding man snapped at me.

"I know sir. I fell asleep.I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

The man squinted at me as if he was trying to figure me out. His eyes ran over my face and he sighed and said,"I don't know why, but I like you very much Tayo."

"And why is that sir?"I said as politely as I could. All I wanted to do was to go back to that God forsaken class and sleep.

"You remind me of myself when I was younger."

OK...what?

I was nothing like this old man. My eyes were grey and my nose was pointy, not flat like his own.

"Could you please elaborate?"I asked.

"Never mind that."He shrugged me off" Do you know why you are here?"

"Yes!"I snapped"My father donated a lot of things to this school."

The principal's eyes widened in shock as he said"Young man,we do not tolerate rudeness in this school. We didn't ask your father to donate anything to us. He did it out of his  free will."

"Sure. Whatever."I mumbled.

The man ignored my second rude comment and said"You are here because you were a star student in your previous school. We don't usually accept students in ss3 but we made an exception for you because you are not a dullard. If you were one,you wouldn't have been accepted."

"Okay. Is that all?"I asked as a yawn escaped my lips. I was so tired.

"Am I boring you,Mr Humphrey?"He asked,angered by my harmless actions.

Did he really have to ask that obvious question?

"No sir."I shot back"You are just making me feel sleepy."

His eyes narrowed and he said"I would watch my mouth if I were you Tayo."

That made me clamp my mouth shut even though I had more sarcastic comments brewing at the back of my throat.

The principal took my silence for a feeling of victory and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk and he said"Your movements will be watched from now. If you have been moving around with shady characters before, I suggest you stop now. Henceforth,you will move around with classy people. Someone like my son and daughter or like the head girl,Simone. She is the one taking you on a tour this evening."

Could my life be any harder?

"Also,"Principal John continued"I noticed that your literature scores are a little low..so every Saturday,you will be taking literature tutorials in school."

Oh my goodness,I just jinxed myself.

**

I couldn't stop myself from looking forward to the so-called tour. Just the thought of seeing the girl one more time had my insides jumping up and down.

Pledge! You took a pledge,Tayo. I reminded myself.

I ignored the constant reminder in my head and took a turn so I could enter the class.

I practiced the "hello" I would use and how to keep my sarcastic comments at bay.

"Hello,my name is Tayo"I said to myself"But I am sure,you already knew that and I.."

I was cut off by noise coming from the class and I tried to move closer without making any noise myself. When I got close I saw Simone and four other girls and I listened to their conversation wordlessly.

"...because you can't fulfill this assignment."The girl close to Simone,said.

Simone laughed and it brought a chill down my spine. I didn't like where this was going.

"Leave before I slap you."The shock I felt when Simone said this,was insurmountable.

The other girl hesitated but she said"You wouldn't da..."

She didn't even get a chance to finish her statement because Simone raised her hand and slapped her across the face. Three times. 

I felt weak. What she just did went against everything I stood for. I didn't even listen to the rest of their conversation although I heard something about fishes.

The four girls walked out angrily and hurriedly. So hurriedly that they hadn't even noticed me.

Thank Jehovah.

I entered the class and I heard Simone muttering to herself. She said something between"I really hate Ada,"and"But did she really deserve what I did to her."

I couldn't stop myself from answering"No."

She turned around in fear and grabbed a pencil to protect herself.

Regardless of myself though,I still found her actions cute."Do you really think a pencil can defeat me?"

She squinted her eyes and it widened once she found out that it was me.

"H-hi."She stuttered"I thought I was alone. I didn't even know that I was speaking aloud."

I decided to ignore her and just go straight to the point"Did you really have to slap her?Three times?"

I could feel her defenses perk up and she said"She was questioning my abilities and annoying me at the same time."

I frowned and said"So just because she told you that you couldn't fulfill the assignment?What were you even saying about fishes?"

Her eyes almost bulged out of her sockets and I tried not to smile. I had to be serious.

"Um...I..we..were given an assignment in Agricultural science about fishes."

She was lying. I knew it and it made my frown to deepen even more"So you slapped the innocent girl three times because of that little thing?"

She moved closer to me and I tried to calm my beating heart.

Calm down,Tayo.

"Trust me,"said Simone" Ada is anything but innocent."

Her cool,calm words only made me angrier and I decided to lash out on her"That's not what this is about.  Your whole presence just disgusts me." I retorted"You know what,I don't even need the tour again. Goodbye."

When I turned,I tried to ignore the look of hurt on her face and I walked to the parking lot.

René was already waiting for me, albeit impatiently. She couldn't see me but she felt my presence and she started screaming as soon as I got next to her"Where have you been,Omotayo?It is not nice to leave your blind sister all alone oo. I have been telling you to stop all this nonsense. How many..." She went on and on....

I listened to her rantings as I opened the door for her. Her rambling continued even as I started the car so I just had to shut her up.

"Shut up,Rene!!"I shouted,my frustration taking the best of me.

René stared at my chest for a while before her face turned to one of anger"Did you just tell me to shut up,Ty?Where did you even go to?And if you give me a garbage response you will receive a slap. Hot one!!"

I am not going to lie. I was scared... big time.

"Someone wanted to take me on a tour."

Her face calmed down a bit but her voice was still strained"So why didn't you take me with you,ehn?Are you embarrassed by me,Omotayo?"

I sighed and said"Please René,I have no time for your childish behaviour. I was about to get you but then decided not to go on the tour again dear. Are you happy now?"

She relaxed in her seat a bit and said"Maybe. Why did you decide that you no wan go?"

I raised my eyebrow at her attempt to speak pidgin English and I cracked a smile. She was really bad at the language.

"That's my business sis."She wanted to say something but I cut her off"if you say anything,I will put on one of my rap songs."

René cringed but I could see that she would let it go.

After about one minute of silence,René said"Put on Gumbody oo. I want to hear Jorja Smith's sweet voice."

I laughed as the sound of the  music filled the car. 

Never a dull moment with my sister around