Christian - Episode 3

 

I went to my aunties house that weekend hoping I ll get some time away from home, she was my fathers junior sister and favorite auntie, she treated me like her own sister as we always talked about everything, she was married too with my little cousin Mikel who was 6, we went out to eat after which she  drove to the mechanic workshop saying the car had issues, I thought so too, though I knew nothing about cars, it didn't start on time when we left the restaurant just now, holding onto Mikel who was jumping in excitement over nothing, we walked into the mechanic workshop which was filled with cars and dirty men working...

"Saliu, abeg come check my car" my Aunt Lisa said
to her mechanic who ran out to meet her
"Madam good afternoon, wetin happen?"
"The car refused to start just now when I started it and I just changed the kickstarter"
He walked to the car and started checking things while I looked around, I bent down to relace Mikels shoes which had been unlaced by his jumping, as I stood back up, I looked up and saw someone familiar, very familiar and  just as our eyes held, he was called
"Segun come over here, help me start the car while I check the battery"
He looked away from me and did as he was told while I stared at him, he worked here? how?
 I stared at him as they busied with the car, finally they moved away from it
"Madam , start the car now..."Saliu said
My aunt went into the car and started it, it picked at  once
"We charged your battery, you might need new one later" he said tapping on the bonnet as he waited for his pay, Christian was walking away
"Sheggae.." He turned, "take these tools inside"he said still in Yoruba, Christian came and carried them away, I took Mikel and went back  into the car while my Aunt paid Saliu..

As we drove away, I wondered how embarrassed he must be feeling, am sure he didn't think any of his classmates would see him there, but what was his deal, was he training to become a mechanic?***

"why is Christian staring at you?" Rosemary asked as she paused on her eating during lunch on monday
"Is he?"
"He so is"
"Maybe he's bored or in a coma" I said dismissively
Rosemary stared at me
"Is there something I don't know?"
"What do you mean?"
"You got him staring at you for a reason, like his eyes have  not moved" she said, well did she know me too much or she liked to gossip...
"You just fishing for gist when there's none" I said and leaned back on my chair, when I looked, he had turned away, was he scared I would tell people? I wondered.

Dance practice*****

Our instructor was unusually hard on us that day
"We have to get the Chorus.." She screamed" fine take five" she said exasperated, I too was as I went to get my water, she was lucky I liked to dance if not...
"Are we going to talk?" I heard and  turned, seeing  Christian, standing there, looking vulnerable, I turned away
"What about?"
"About what you saw"
"Rather where I saw you?" I said "does it matter, why you so bothered, I'm sure no one would be surprised if I tell them about it"
"Why do you think so?"
Was he serious, did he not know "most people think you might have no future, seeing you there means you found your passion" I said with a shrug, he stared at me for so long I thought he was going to hit me, then he said
"Its good to know you think like that" he walked away, back straight.
Why did I have a feeling he won that round?

"Alright all, gather around, we going to run through the chorus once, then practice the separate routines.. by the lead dancers, I'm going to pick two males and two females, Elona and Jade, Jasmine and Christian"
I gaped, everyone knew he was a bad dancer though he was picking up
"To the center four of you"she said
Christian tsked in laughter, did he think it was funny being paired with him? ..she must have seen my glare because she explained."Now I chose you Jasmine because you're very good, you have to teach Christian so you both master the routine before next weekend, he has to be a lead dancer, so the principal knows he did something with himself.." She said spitefully and moved away to talk to the other two about their own routine, I looked at Christian and breathed out
"Guess I'm the sacrificial lamb"
"I need this for my grades, lest you don't care if I get expelled"
"I don't, since you already found your passion, what's the need of school" I said happy I had hit him back...
Mrs Balogun came back to holla at us to get in motion and started practicing....
After practice, I walked out angrily, I couldn't believe I had to be paired with him like he was some charity case...couldn't they have paired me with Jade who was a great dancer, I'm sure Elona would have jumped at the chance to be with him, he came out and stopped beside me as I waited for Tunde to come pick me up...
"Waiting for someone?"
"Would you just go....."
"And miss the chance to get under your skin, I don't think so..."
I turned to him "Would you go back to whatever it is you were doing before we talked?"
He stared at me"you think I enjoy being in dance class,  I don't want to be paired with you either, but even if you don't care if I get expelled, I need to stay in school for my family, I'm trying to do something with my life for once, don't make it difficult "
I adjusted my bag "just go.."
"Besides why you so pissed, it's just dance, you won't even know I'm there" he paused "lest I've gotten to you" he stepped down the stairs "see you around "he walked away.
Noah walked out as I glared after him, why did he have the last word...?
"Christian disturbing you?"he asked, I looked at him
"No..I'm fine" I said, he too walked away.
I looked around thirty minutes later, as everyone had gone home and Tunde was no where to be found, I decided to take a bus home myself, I was grown, I shouldn't be dependent on anyone, I walked for sometime looking for a bus going my way, my father had warned me against Uber and I had no idea where I was going and if I got missing...I kept listening to the bus conductors but they were confusing me with their destinations, great, guess I ll look for where to sit and call someone.
 I stopped at the bus stop when I looked up and saw Christian waiting there and looking at me...I looked away and pretended to know where I was going
"You don't know where your going do you?"he said
"What are you even doing here?"I said pissed again
"I'm waiting for my sister, she can't go home alone"
I paused and looked at him, he did that everyday?
"Well...can you um...direct me to Oshodin" I decided to ask
"Where are you going?"
"The island.." He walked  closer to me and directed  me on how I would cross and find a bus, I nodded and was about going when I looked at him
"Where are you going?" I discovered I didn't even know where he stayed
"Egbeda"
"Well is it possible for us to go together..."
He stared at me in a smirk "you don't move around by yourself do you?..."
My face flamed but I looked anywhere but at him 
"Meaning I could kidnap you now and earn millions"he said
I looked up at him" would you?" our gazes held then and I discovered he was really goodlooking up close, he had a scar on his left eyebrow and his lashes were too long for his eyes which were old with wisdom dancing beneath them, his lips were swollen and pursed in a grim line...I swallowed hard and looked down...
"There's my sister, we can go now "he said looking away from me,  I looked and saw a girl come towards us, she was younger than we were, about 12, and she went to a school less in status than ours, plus her uniform looked worn.
He said her name was Racheal.
We got on the bus together, and she offered me from the cherry she was holding but I declined politely, I felt so stupid and dumb judging people, that might be the only meal she ate all day and he also had to work to get a little money for his family, how could  I be so selfish thinking...
" you can stop here, "he said "walk to that junction and take a drop directly to your house" he said
I nodded as he hailed for the driver to stop, I got down as the sister waved at me , I stood there staring at the bus long after it had left.

****

"How many scholarship students do we have in our school?"
I asked my father at breakfast that tuesday morning, he looked up from the paper he was reading
"Why do you ask, your usually not interested in such stuff, is it part of school work?"
"No I just.."
"Then you have no business asking, you go to school and pass your SAT, if you do well I could send you abroad to study"
I swallowed, I didn't want to go abroad to study but I didn't tell him that, not yet, I still had a whole year to argue about that...
"So how does one apply for scholarship?" I asked
He stared at me weirdly
"Fine, they write an exam and distinction candidates are picked" he said and turned his paper as if that was the end of it, but I was okay..

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/christian

. does he mean Christian was a distinction candidate? what then happened, why was he suddenly failing in every exam...and uninterested in school altogether?...
The driver horned for me that he was ready and I stood up, took my lunch pack and bag and went out to enter the car.
He dropped me at school and I met up with Rosemary at the hall
" Have you seen Tunde, I've not seen him, he didn't pick me up yesterday either "I asked her
" I saw him just now, maybe something came up" she consoled
"Something always comes up with him.." I said as I looked up and saw Christian at his locker, I left her there and went to meet him, he looked and saw me
"Hey dance partner, hope you got home intact"he said
"Were you worried?"
"Did you think I would be?" he replied turning to look at me
"Can we meet up after school...and practice the routine?" I asked, he raised his bag and started to walk away
"I'm not sure your boyfriend would like that" he said
"I'm trying to help you out, " I said, he turned "left to me , I'm good, and Mrs Balogun is hoping on me to help you out"
Do I add that I wanted to spend time with him and ask him questions??
"I'm busy after school, I have to work".he said
" well when would you not be busy?" I asked
He stared at me then sighed "Saturday, we could meet up at Kace's , I know a place we can practice"
"My house' d be perfect" I said, at least I won't have to find my way home from wherever
He stared  long at me"I'm not about to come to your house "he said" kcee's"he walked away and I stared after him, I turned to go to class and saw Rosemary who had witnessed me virtually asking him out..I walked away in embarrassment
"What was that?"she asked
"We have to practice dancing" I said
"Hmmm and that came up how?" She probed
"Mrs Balogun paired us for the solo at the end of the play"
She gaped "Tunde would not like that"
"Who cares what he likes, I've not even seen him" I said pissed as I took out my note to write, the teacher came into class and began the lesson...I paused, tapping on my note before I turned to look at Christian,
 but he wasn't sleeping this time, he was looking at me.

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