‘Zoo-gini? Which i is that?’ Uchechi’s olfactory organ was wrinkled as though the mere audio of the course of instruction itself added a foul odour to the air.
She did non hold back for her daughter’s answer earlier she went on. ‘Why didn’t y'all create total the Dr. I asked y'all to fill?’
Again, she did non wait.
‘Okay, since y'all don’t desire Dr. again, why didn’t y'all create total engineer, or fifty-fifty lawyer? After all, Mama Nkechi’s 2nd daughter, Uzoma, don’t y'all know her? She is inwards i of the universities studying lawyer now. And she is exclusively a few years older than you.’
She turned her eyes circular the room, as if to live certain every object inwards the sitting room was hearing her, bearing witness: the framed photograph of Jesus Christ on the wall amongst i manus on His glittering catch too 2 fingers of the other manus held up; the broad Toshiba TV amongst 2 long, silvery arms of antenna forming a V on it; the faded-red armchairs too the total tabular array covered amongst a white lace fabric.
Her begetter sat downwardly on the chair, looking on inwards silence.
Adaku was to a greater extent than interested inwards what he had to say. Uchechi, her mother, she knew would ever live Uchechi.
Now Uchechi was serenity too, staring at her husband. She has said enough; it was at nowadays fourth dimension for Papa Adaku to buoy her comment past times agreeing amongst her. It wouldn’t modify anything because at that topographic point was almost nada that could live done now, except, maybe, to enquire Adaku to hold back for adjacent yr to retake JAMB, but his agreeing amongst her would somehow brand her experience better.
Mollified.
But Onochie was taking besides long to speak.
‘Papa Adaku, won’t y'all state something?’
‘Sit down, Ada,’ Mr Onochie said, finally
Ada obeyed immediately. Her begetter was the exact reverse of her mother. Most times, this made her exceptionally glad, for she’d ever known exclusively an Onochie could get hitched amongst an Uchechi.
‘With my petty education,’ her begetter started, ‘I know the course of instruction has to create amongst animals. Can y'all tell us more?’
She was staring at her begetter now, examining his features; his night too thick brows, his bright-white eyes, directly olfactory organ too finely-cut lips, all inwards a clay-coloured complexion. She admired him.
‘Adaku?’
She stirred. ‘Papa, Zoology is the report of animals. I love biological scientific discipline too Aunty Rose in i trial said it’s a rattling dainty course.’
She felt a twinge of guilt for having lied. Aunty Rose, their Biology instructor inwards Community, praised her each fourth dimension she did good inwards a show or practical. One day, she told her that a biological course would live her best bet inwards the university. But Aunty Rose never specifically mentioned Zoology.
‘Hey!’ Uchechi clapped her hands. ‘So when others are going nearly calling themselves mothers of doctors, lawyers too engineers, what volition I telephone call upwards myself? Eh, Adaku, ngwa nu, tell me, what? Mother of an beast trainer, onye ozu aturu—shepherd!’
She looked at the other pic of Jesus Christ hanging on the wall reverse her where He was surrounded past times white, woolly sheep, as if to live certain she hadn’t upset Him amongst her comment.
‘Will y'all live able to acquire a chore amongst the score at all?’ her begetter asked.
‘Yes, Papa. There are many places i amongst a Zoology score tin flaming abide by employment.’ She swallowed hard, hoping she hadn’t lied again.
‘Ok. Go within too celebrate your admission. Everything happens for a reason.’
‘Thank you, Papa.’
She hugged him too took the other agency out, as if scared Uchechi’s disappointment mightiness drive her to violence too she’d strike her.
***
Ada was surprised to encounter how different the schoolhouse looked now. It had exclusively been about months that she was hither to write the Post-JAMB exam.
The paths lead maintain turned overgrown too many novel buildings were nether construction.
At the Bus Stand, she stopped a plump missy inwards a blueish skirt to enquire for direction.
The girl’s skirt seemed to lead maintain bundled her hips too thighs into i circular trunk part.
‘Please where tin flaming I abide by First Bank, I demand to pay my Acceptance Fee,’ Adaku asked her.
The missy turned excited. ‘Are y'all a novel pupil too?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Which department?’
Adaku wished she hadn’t asked. ‘Zoology,’ she mumbled out.
‘Geology?’
‘No. Zoo. Zoo-logy.’
The girl’s eyes flew broad inwards excited surprise. ‘Serious? Zoology?’ Unlike Adaku, she called Zu-logy too non Zuo-logy. ‘I’m inwards Zoology too!’
‘Really?’
‘Yes!’
Adaku works life something melt inwards her. She never imagined it’d live that piece of cake to abide by about other Zoology, to the lowest degree of all i that screamed it hence boldly.
She asked the missy her call too she said Mary.
‘You?’
‘Adaku.’
As they walked to the banking concern together, she asked Mary if she is happy to lead maintain been given Zoology.
Zoology is a course of instruction schools give after all, non i people pick out past times themselves.
‘My dear, this is the 5th yr I’d live writing JAMB,’ Mary said. ‘I am tired.’
Now Ada wished she had asked her something else.
‘The funny matter is that I was given this exact course of instruction 2 years ago, but I was busy pursuing Medicine. Shebi I would lead maintain been inwards 200-level past times now.’
Not knowing what to say, Ada shook her caput slowly.
She was kickoff to sympathise it now. Zoology is i of the courses people ran away from at first, exclusively to come upwards dorsum to when they are ‘tired.’
Somehow, she works life herself of a precipitous different. Her Zoology had come upwards foremost too fresh, too she was accepting it inwards its prime. She hadn’t gone ahead to choke on trying the other courses. She has non acquire tired too desperate.
She managed to twist this feeling into petty hope. Because she wasn’t ‘exhausted’ yet, she was going to create something different amongst her Zoology. Something to a greater extent than energetic.
She too Mary entered the bank.
As they stood inwards the long trouble amongst other newly-admitted students, she wondered why they had to pay to bring an offering of admission they’d written 2 tests for inwards the foremost place.
More similar collecting coin for the prize win after a strenuous competition.
The cashier was exceptionally dainty to her. He was slim too dark. His greyness shirt was good ironed, but she idea it was besides broad for him. His dark necktie matched the shirt good too, but she idea it besides long.
In her eyes, no other human being was, could be, perfect. Only one.
But when the cashier revealed a laid of create clean white teeth inwards a cute smile, she saw, for a dissever second, a petty of Obinna inwards him.
‘Hmm, Zoology,’ he said, looking at her details on the screen. ‘I read Botany.’
She smiled dorsum at him.
Later, she would come upwards to larn nearly the other as unattractive cousins of Zoology: Botany too Parasitology. And the diligent wannabe—Microbiology. The proud Biochemistry too the mendicant Science Education.
Glimpsing her smile, the cashier’s broadened, similar her smiling dorsum offered him neat satisfaction. Perhaps it had.
She has a rattling cute smile, after all.
He called her zoologist as he handed her her printout. She said give cheers you.
‘Can I lead maintain your number?’ he asked.
She smiled at him too walked away.
Outside the bank, as Mary battled to acquire reception on her ‘open-and-close’ Bird GSM, it occurred to her that she’d live needing i too.
She wished Obinna had i now. Instead of handwritten letters, they’d hear each other’s voices.
Her begetter had bought 2 Trium GSM phones about months ago, for himself too her mother. But Uchechi had rejected hers maxim she doesn’t lead maintain the fourth dimension to live maxim hi to anybody, that whoever hence wanted to talk to her should come upwards to her house.
She called GSM a novel score of madness.
So she had given the telephone to her, but Adaku never idea nearly using it. The exclusively soul she would lead maintain been calling had no number.
Or does he now?
She concluded she was going to start using the telephone when she got home. After all, she was going to demand it at nowadays that she was moving into the hostel.
***
Ahanna was no longer smiling as he walked into the compound.
At the corridor, Obinna was bent over the round, light-green stove, turning the rice amongst a long spoon. He’d made it 2 days ago. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Jollof rice that came out yellower than intended, due to inadequate purpose of tomatoes.
They had had to assemble everything amongst them to consummate Chief’s money.
‘Welcome,’ he said as Ahanna walked past.
He wanted to enquire him if he succeeded inwards contacting those he’d gone out to call, but Ahanna had disappeared through the door earlier he could plough again.
Some minutes later, he came into the room amongst Ahanna’s plate of rice too meat too sachet water.
Ahanna had taken 2 spoons of the rice when he dropped on the rug beside him too asked, ‘So were y'all able to contact them?’
Ahanna hummed, oral fissure bulged amongst food.
Obinna concluded the hum meant yes too said ok.
The adjacent morning, Ahanna told him it was at nowadays fourth dimension to choke too confirm.
Obinna gave him a curious glance earlier bending to send the bag.
At Alaba, they couldn’t locate the shops they’d visited earlier amongst Okechukwu.
The store trouble looked different, as though people had left too novel people came in.
They finally entered a shop. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fellow inwards white singlet too jean trousers rolled upwards to his knees sat on a plastic chair inwards the store fanning himself amongst newspaper.
Ahanna greeted him too asked him if he knew Mr Kayode, the call of the human being that had told them he’d pay double for the powder.
The immature man’s eyes went narrow inwards idea too and hence he shook his head. ‘There is no Mr Kayode here.’
Ahanna turned to leave, but Obinna held him. In a serenity voice, he asked the human being if he knew nearly whatever baking pulverisation that sells for N100, 000 per bag.
‘Hundred yard for baking powder?’ The man child was staring at them amongst a crooked frown. ‘Can I encounter the powder?’ he said finally.
Obinna brought out i purse too gave him. He opened the sachet slow too took a fleck of the pulverisation amongst i finger.
Smelling it, he started to laugh. ‘This is custard na!’
Something hammered Obinna’s chest. ‘Custard, are y'all sure?’
The man child pose his white-stained finger to his nose. ‘Smell it na! Custard! Vanilla flavour!’
He continued to express joy too and hence started to telephone call upwards people around, to come upwards too encounter about other mugus that had fallen. The most recent mugus.
Ahanna disappeared.
Obinna bent too carried the bag, but couldn’t abide by Ahanna again. The people that had gathered stared pitifully at him. The women amidst them murmured consoling words. Some of the men laughed difficult inwards amusement.
Sweat poured off him. He felt similar crying. He prayed the basis would but opened upwards up too swallow him.
At home, Ahanna was lying downwardly on the floor, wearing exclusively his boxers. His eyes were moisture too reddish.
Obinna dropped the purse past times the corner of the wall. He pose a pocket-size quantity of H2O inwards the kettle too lit the stove.
He dissolved a pocket-size business office of the pulverisation inwards a stainless bowl. When the H2O boiled, he held the kettle to the bowl.
He stopped pouring when the mixture started to plough xanthous too he confirmed that it was actually custard. He took the bowl exterior too flung it away amongst the hot food.
Back inwards the room, he couldn’t abide by Ahanna again. ‘Nwanne!’
He ran outside, to the backyard. Ahanna was sitting on the well.
He joined him. He battled amongst what to say.
But Ahanna started earlier he could pose anything through.
‘Can I tell you?’
Obinna shifted a petty closer. ‘I’m listening.’
‘I did non come upwards to Lagos to sell clothe on the basis inwards Oshodi. I came to this metropolis amongst v hundred yard naira.’
Obinna’s eyes came wide. ‘Five hundred thousand?’
Ahanna nodded. ‘Papa sold our land. Chief Ozua is edifice on it now.’
‘Your state inwards Agu-oye.’
Ahanna nodded again.
‘So what happened to the money?’
‘I came to Lagos 4 years ago. On August 2001. Nwoye brought me. He owned a boutique inwards Ikeja then. By Dec that same year, my ain store was already up, but adjacent to his.’
Obinna listened amongst all attention.
‘Sales were to get down the adjacent year. But something awful happened inwards Lagos on the 27th twenty-four hours of January, 2002.’
‘What happened?’
‘It was a Sunday. Nwoye too I had but returned from church. It was the fourth dimension my belief was yet strong.’
‘What happened?’
‘We were nearly to start eating when nosotros heard the foremost boom! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 neat audio similar the heaven brutal to earth.’
Obinna’s brows came together suddenly.
‘The drinking glass shattered. The roof was vibrating. And too hence at that topographic point was another. And another. The entire theater shook. Nwoye too I ran down. The route was already filled amongst people. Everyone was screaming, running inwards all directions. Many were trampled. Many were hit. Then a whole lot of others drowned inwards the canal.’
Tears flowed downwardly Ahanna’s human face upwards now.
A trickle sped downwardly Obinna’s cheek fifty-fifty though he did non yet understand.
‘What was happening?’ he asked.
‘Many claimed it was a unusual attack. Some said it was Bin Laden attacking Nigeria. Others called it goal time. It was afterward that the existent truth came out. The bombs they stored inwards the cantonment caught burn too went off, every unmarried i of them.’
Ahanna sniffled.
‘Nwoye’s swollen trunk was amidst the hundreds pulled out from the Oke-Afa canal the adjacent day. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 meaning adult woman inwards our chemical compound was also found. There was a petty man child inwards the compound, his call was Ahmed. He was the i that foremost called me Papilo. Once, he told me he’d grow to acquire a neat thespian but similar me. That different me, he’d pursue his dream. He’d brand certain it came true. He would play for the national squad too live similar Kanu. But that he would ever recollect me. His foremost coach. I believed hence much inwards him. I didn’t believe it was his trunk when I saw it, dark, swollen too devoid of life.’
Ahanna’s shoulders heaved, his entire human face upwards soaked amongst tears. Obinna was crying too.
‘I lost everything. The store was razed down.’
Obinna took his manus too pressed tightly.
Ahanna looked at him too gave him a slight nod, but his tears did non halt coming.
‘I idea I wasn’t going to locomote it.’ He sniffled. ‘But I did. I survived. But this one, brother, I am no longer sure. I am non certain whatever more.’
Obinna drew closer too Ahanna clung to him, vibrating amongst tears.
Obinna rubbed his back. ‘We volition survive,’ he told him. ‘Nwanne, nosotros volition survive.’
***
For those nosotros lost that day…we remember.
Adapted from Something Bigger Than Love past times Daniel Nkado.
Buy consummate mass here. Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/