Living In The Ghetto - Episode 13

 

Mama later allowed Chimaobim to visit his friend. She was surprised that Chimaobim finally had a friend. She exchanged glances with Adanne till Chimaobim waved at them and had vanished from their sights. Chimaobim walked past the spacious playground and saw some young boys playing football. He was fascinated and stood at a corner, and watched them. One of the spectators that sat on the floor with his legs folded gawked at him endlessly . Their eyes finally met and Chimaobim pulled away his quick gaze. He waited for some minutes, returned his eye again and noticed him still staring at him.

"What?" he gestured at the boy with his hands.

"You wan play? I fit tell coach to put you if you wan play," he replied.

"I am not interested," Chimaobim said and began to walk away.

Most of the boys in the ghetto stared at him unnecessarily each time he walked past them. He had once overheard one talking about how he carried himself with so much pride and the other said maybe he just came back from America. They spoken pidgin English and he understood them perfectly but doesn't know how to speak it well. He could make some attempts but falters at a point. When the other one said maybe he is from America, the first one concurred and said his friend reiterated it because he had heard him speaking through his nose

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/living-in-the-ghetto

. Chimaobim would frown anytime he heard slight gossips about himself and would then walk away.

As he kept walking, immediately he left the playground, he saw a group of older guys entering towards the playground. The younger ones that played football there, excused themselves one after the other, for them. They always knew their game had ended whenever they saw them.

Arriving at Tobi's house, it was a big compound with a small gate that one would be able to see activities going on in the compound. Unlike most houses in the ghetto, it wasn't a "face-me" apartment -- a building built with each rooms facing each other. He walked towards the gate and made to knock but noticed the gate wasn't locked. He pushed the gate open immediately and a dog peered out quickly where it was tied. It barked furiously and Chimaobim shook. His adrenaline ran up so quick. He screamed, made to run but stepped on the Mango peel on the floor and fell immediately. He yelled and grunted in pain. Standing up to dust himself, his eye met with a young girl standing in front of the door smiling. The dog kept barking.

She laughed but covered her mouth when she noticed Chimaobim was feeling embarrassed. "I am so sorry," she finally pleaded. 

She turned to the dog, trying to caution it by pointing at it and rambling some unknown words Chimaobim couldn't assimilate. Chimaobim wished the dog understands what she was saying. He was surprised when the dog cowered its head and laid on the floor.

Chimaobim had finished cleaning his messed up body and walked towards the door where she stood. He opened his mouth to ask about Tobi but paused when he saw people walking out from the door. It was Tobi and a woman Chimaobim guessed was Tobi's mother. 

Chimaobim smiled. "Good morning, ma," he said.

The woman smiled and responded to his greeting. The young lady walked out from the doormat and walked towards the dog.

"You are Chimaobim?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Ma," he replied.

He gestured towards Tobi and they greeted each others with sign.
"Come in.

Read " The Missionary's Journey " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. My son already told me how nice and brilliant you are. I like your new friendship with my son," the woman said. 

Chimaobim climbed the mini staircase and up to the door, then to the side the long was. She adjusted a bit on the long stool she sat on, and allowed Chimaobim to sit.

"How are you?" She asked.

"I am good," he replied.

Tobi stood by the door with his body rested on the wall and watched them. Chimaobim would answer some questions and look up at Tobi and they would smile.

"My son tells me everything about his school. He told me how cool and calm you are," she said.

Chimaobim smiled but didn't utter a word.

She continued, "...I actually told him not to make friends with anyone in that school. We moved in to this our house last two years and we haven't found any good school where he will mingle with like minds. That school breeds some bad students and I don't want my child to mingle with anyone there. He should just be learning there."

Chimaobim smiled and nodded his head. "I was wondering why he didn't have a friend. I thought he was just shy."

"Shy? Tobi is far from it," the young lady replied while she rubbed the fur of the dog with one hand and held the chain on its neck with another. "I am her sister, so I know everything," she said and laughed slowly.