Esse - Episode 6

 

"But I don't want economics," I said in a quavery voice, tearing up. Mr. Jonathan was looking at his laptop with so much interest, acting like he wasn't listening to our conversation.

My dad sighed, before he said, "Young lady, you're disturbing my peace. I wonder why I'm still negotiating this with you. You said you wanted art, I let you . And now you want to study music? That's never going to happen. Music is a useless subject, it's done to waste time. And you have no time to waste. The moment you argued you wanted to go to art, I knew you'd become a great lawyer, and take over the firm. And now, that's my only aim. If you can get 'A' in maths, and you've been getting Bs and Cs in economics, I see no reason for you to drop it now. You're a brilliant girl, and no subject is hard for you."

"But father..." The phone beeped and the line went off. He hung up on me? Argh! I don't have the passion for economics, but I do for music. I'd only mess the subject up, if he forces me.

I dropped Mr. Jonathan's phone on his desk, and said a very low 'Thank you sir', before walking out and heading to the hostel.

Night prep was over, and everyone had gone to the hostel. But I had to talk to my dad, I had to convince him

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

. But no, his head is too strong. How I wish there's something I can do to this man, that would pain him. As I walked to the hostel from the main staffs office, which was in the Administrative building, which stood in the middle of the school compound right behind the fountain; my mind couldn't stop thinking of all the possible things I could do to my dad, that would hurt him. Kill him? Fail? Poison him? Run away? Nah, that one won't pain him. Stab him? Plot a robbery? Argh! The best is to poison him.

I walked straight to my dorm. The whole building was dark, except for the light reflecting from the bathroom. Immediately I stepped into the hostel, Mrs. Adigun, the most chitty-chatty staff in the school asked me, "Where are you coming from?". She never minds her business, and she also never keeps it a secret. 

My head was throbbing, throbbing from the tears I had poured out during the call with my dad. With the way I was feeling, I knew I wasn't going to give her good answers. "Mr. Jonathan's office."

"What were you doing in a male educators office? By this time? What were you doing there?" Corrupt dirty minded fish. I didn't give her the amebo she wanted, instead I made her assume more.

I sighed. "Ma, it's confidential." With that, I started walking away.

She pulled me back, reflectively. "Are you walking out on me? You're talking to me like that? I'd report you to the principal." Can't this woman look into my eyes and see its redness? Can't she use her common sense?

I sighed, before using my anger to reply her. "See ma, I'm respecting you oh. Don't you think you're more than amebo? See-ma please, just let me be. Allow me to go in peace."

She also became angry. "Ah! Esse I did not know you're this rude oh." I hissed and turned away. "I'd report you to the principal." She thought I was going to apologise. Mtchew, apologise ko, apologise in.

"Mtchew. Amebo." With that I walked away.

"Burn!" someone shouted within the hostel. It came from Iseoluwa's bed corner. Iseoluwa really hated that woman, so I wasn't surprised.

She reflectively turned to the direction of the voice. "Put on the light, and come here," she commanded Matilda. She walked to Iseoluwa's bed space, and asked out loud, "Who said that?"

"WASSCE!" Someone from Ebun's corner shouted, after sucking in a deep breath. Some-people had started giggling, but I wasn't in the mood. I sat down on Dammy's bed, Dammy was my bunk mate.

Mrs. Adigun became confused, and got really furious. "All of you come out!" Most girls pretended to be at sleep, while some ignored her. "I said out!" The 'good girls' came out.

"What's going on here?" Miss Tunji, the most respected and trusted housemistress, walked in. "Or forget, Esse. Come out and explain." Pfft, always Esse. Because Esse won't lie abi? Be deceiving yourself.

I walked out quietly to where she was standing, in front of the hostel. "Ma, it's actually nothing serious. Mrs. Adigun asked me why I came in late, so I tried to explain to her that's it's confidential. But...she won't listen to me." Miss Tunji didn't like Mrs. Adigun too.

She looked at Mrs. Adigun up down, and sighed out loud. "Okay girls! Back to your bed. It's light out." With that she walked to the light switch, turned it off and left the room, leaving Mrs. Adigun standing in her usual position, stunned.

After few minutes of standing, and realising that she has being put in her place, Mrs. Adigun sighed and left. Mtchew amebo.

I sat down on Dammy's bed, remembering the words of my father, remembering how he made it clear to me that my opinion was still irrelevant. "Hey." My head snapped up, and I was met with Ebun. "Wait! Are you?" she asked with furrowed brown, as she walked closer to me.

"No, I'm not." I stood up from the bed, dusting my house wear skirt, like it was dirty.

She smiled warming. "It's not a sin to cry you know. I feel it's the best, when you let it all out. Cry as much as you want, as long as you feel better," she said as she placed her left hand on my shoulder. Lie lie, I'm never going to let myself feel weak, even if I feel so all the time, it still mustn't show.

I pushed her hands away, and insisted. "I said I'm not crying, are you going to force me to accept it?" I snapped.

She laughed, and raised her hands in a mock surrender. "Never would. Accept it or not, it's your choice." She turned to leave, but she sighed instead and turned back to me. "Pushing people away, won't provide solutions. Isolating yourself, won't help. You need to come out of your shell Esse. And sometimes it's not bad to feel weak, some things are understandably too tough." She smiled warmly at me again, and turned to leave.

But I didn't want to be left alone, if not I'd cry myself to death. "Wait! Pls don't go, just stay for a sec. Just a sec," I practically begged her.

She chuckled and said, "Okay then, my job is done. Your sec is over."

I sighed and smiled. "I didn't mean practically a sec, fish. Just keep me company pls." I've never begged for someone's company like this, her company is cool. She keeps it lively. I like it...a little.

She smiled satisfied, and jumped on Amarachi bed. I flinched, I didn't like people staying anyhow on my bed, but Amarachi and Dammy didn't mind. So it's none of my business. "So...what should we talk about?" I asked her, as I raised my legs and tucked it, yoga style.

"Care to share why you were crying?" she asked curiously with a wide smile.

I shook my head. "Please, I'd appreciate if you never bring up that topic again. It's confidential." She didn't seem offended by my reaction, she smiled instead and nodded. But I felt the guilt, but also ignored it. "Okay then, tell me how you're always so happy and find it difficult to hate?"

She laughed as she adjusted, so she was now sitting upright and facing me, allowing the moon that was breaking through the window shine on her. She's fair oh, hmm...I'm noticing this for the first time. "I simply don't let stuffs get to me. When you let it get to you, you let it destroy you. Just simply push it behind you, and smile. Try it once, laugh at stuffs that make you angry, and you'd find yourself smiling, living not hating. It's amazing," she said with a smile. But before I could speak, she continued. "You look like that kind of girl who doesn't talk much, but in her mind she has a name she calls everyone, and describes everyone in a bad way. And mostly hate. Am I wrong?"

She gets me so right, but I'm not concurring to that. I chuckled. "Almost right, and almost not. I do have names I call most people, but I don't describe people in a bad way. I do mostly hate though, but not mostly. Okay...that was confusing," I murmured the last part to myself, chuckling.

She laughed heartily. "I get, you don't want to agree. Omo art, I won't blame you. You art girls like arguing ehn."

"No, we don't," I tried to defend us quickly.

She laughed at me again. "You see. You just argued."

It was my turn to laugh. "Abegi." And immediately something crossed my mind, so I quickly asked her. "I'm not trying to pry or anything oh, but I want to ask you something."

She smiled and nodded. "Ask nah, no p." She really is a nice girl oh.

I took in a deep breath, before asking. "Where do you get your gist from?" I asked completely curious.

"You've not heard of Miss KnowAll? Wait, do you even know about the TalkFree app?" She asked in complete shock. I shook my head. "What? Are you in this school? Do you live in a cave or something? That app is in vogue! Everyone has it in their tab or system."

I feel a little out of place, like I don't know anything. Suddenly my intelligence, feels useless. I feel like a wise-fool. I nodded, before speaking. "Okay, so who's this Miss KnowAll?" I asked eagerly, and also trying to avoid getting abused again.

"She's the person that gives all of us gist nah. And anyone that she doesn't give us, I get it from Nimi. Nimi is international amebo master, but she mostly gets it from Tochi." Wow! So that's how it works! "Oh, Amarachi and Dammy are coming oh!"

I didn't want them to see me talking to Ebun, so I jumped off Dammy's bed and whispered, "Can you send it to me tomorrow?" She nodded. "Thank you." With that I climed my bed, and pretended to be at sleep.

"Wait...was Esse just talking to you?" Amarachi asked in shock, immediately they both arrived.

Ebun gave a humourless laugh. "Esse? Me? No oh, she was just asking where you guys were, and I should tell you guys she's tired." I smiled to myself. She gave them the perfect answer. "Esse have liver oh, if you see what she did to Mrs. Adigun ehn!" She changed the topic, and caught the attention. I smiled to myself, and tried to put myself to sleep.