It's Girls That Rush Us

Today was Sunday; coincidently, the last of its kind in the Month of July. I had taken my ten year old son along with me for shopping. I was almost leaving when I remembered;

“Jide”

“Yes Mum”

“Is next week Sunday not Yomade’s birthday?”, I asked him. Yomade happened to be my son’s best classmate . They’d both usually be selected to represent their school in various academic competitions. Jide was indifferent towards the mention of her name today and that baffled me.

“I just asked you a question”, all his attention was on the toy he was checking out.

“Oh! Is it? I am not sure! I can’t remember”

I startled: “what do you mean?”

“Mum, I like this toy”, he said turning to me, wiping the previous topic sentence. But why?

I grabbed him and made to exit the Mall when Bukola and her mother bumped into us. We were in the same neighbourhood before we finally moved to our own house;

Normally, Jide would go all out to have a little chat of his own with Bukola, but today, he was different. I noticed this ambience between them: Bukola tried more than three times to ignite a chat but the new Jide just locked up, as though he was hurt.

“My in-law”, Bukola’s mother called as she would call him usually, “is everything okay?”

Jide smirked directly at her. I was embarrassed. “Don’t mind him. He is on his code mode today”, I quickly calmed the situation.

On completely exiting the mall, I accosted my son, “Jide what’s wrong with you today?”

“Nothing”, he replied sharply, “why did you ask”

“You have been white all day. First, it was Yomade. Then, meeting Bukola seemed to be different today”

He quickened his steps as a mild smile lifted his lips, “Fine boys like us,” he murmured, “we no dey follow girls talk. Na dem dey rush us”

I heard that loud and clear! What the….!!

“Jide what did you just say?”

“It’s nothing Mum. Just reciting a poem”

I reached, and grabbed him, “where did you hear that?”

“So you heard me”, he laughed

“Jide. I am not joking with you. Where did you hear that?”

“Come on mum. It’s now all over everywhere. Even Dad has been saying it”

…NA DEM GIRLS DEY RUSH US by A.R. Olagunju