Adeife

"Telephone conversation by Wole Soyinka" Mr. Anya, the literature teacher, said drawing a line under the poem title, he had previously written on the black chalkboard. "You were all instructed to write a short synopses on the poem," he took an unnecessarily long pause before asking " how many of you did not do the homework?" the class stayed silent "Good," the teacher said "one of you should come up here and read it out loud."

Nobody moved.
"No volunteers?" the teacher asked with mock surprise, scanning the room for a scapegoat "Tahir Hadi" Mr. Anya called out
"Yes sir?" a lanky dark skinned Tahir responded from the back of the class
"Come forward and read out the poem."
Tahir got up and moved towards the front of the classroom, his long legs stretching out before him in his long strides.
He was so lean and so tall that he seemed to lean into himself as he stood before the class. He held the small leather bound book in his left hand; the title "African Poems" was written in gold cursive letters that glinted as they caught the light from the open window.
"Telephone conversation," Tahir said, his deep voice cracking as if he had a cold "by Wole Soyinka." He got into character immediately, pausing at all the right moments to obtain the appropriate effect. He bent and moved and made hand gestures, he even spoke in a high-pitched nasal British accent when he read out the landlady’s questions "How dark?" "Are you light or very dark?”
His 'performance' was so absorbing that Adeife was slightly startled when the classroom broke out in amused applause as Tahir ended the poem with a very convincing plea of "Wouldn't you rather see for yourself?"
"Okay okay, everybody settle down," Mr. Anya said, failing to conceal his amusement "Tahir back to your seat. So who can tell us the main, obvious, theme of the poem?"
"Racism!" Someone yelled from the corner of the classroom where the Tahir and his friends congregated.
-----

Adeife was sitting on the low fence of the parking lot with had her head cocked back and her face in the sun, her eyes were closed and she could see the red of the back of her eyelids. She could feel droplets of sweat forming on her forehead, it was a hot day, she could not wait to get home and take a shower. The driver was late again, he was new and she didn't like him very much, she didn't like the way he looked at her, that was why she sat at the back instead of the passenger side where she would have preferred to seat.
"Ife,"
she turned around to see who had called her, it was her classmate Amaka in her tight uniform; the navy blue knee length skirt stretched so tightly across her hips that the fabric formed folds from the tension.
"How far?" she asked her glossy lips glinting
"I dey, whats up?" Adeife responded, she noticed a group of boys walking across the parking lot towards them. They had untucked their shirts and rolled up their sleeves. She recognized them; well, she recognized everyone really, theirs was such a small school, and she didn’t have the luxury of pretending not to know anyone.
"So are you going for the party on Friday?" Amaka asked right before blowing a blue bubble with her strong smelling chewing gum.
"I don't know." Adeife said trying not to look at the boys that were almost directly in front of them, Tahir was among them, so it was pretty hard to focus on the rusty Peugeot she was trying to seem so interested in.
"Well," Amaka's tone turned teasing "Tahir is one of the organizers, so he will definitely be there-"
"So?"
"Just in case you were wondering." she giggled and pinched Adeife playfully before turning to leave "My driver is here, bye." she hopped into the red Camry that was parked across from them.
"Bye." Adeife said, but Amaka didn't hear her.
"Miss Bakare," one of the boys said
"Mr. Nwaneri" she said in reply. There were three of them, all her classmates; Obinna, Wale and Tahir.
"What's good?" Obinna asked, but before she could respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver mobile phone. He flipped it open and a few moments later said "guy make we dey go 'back gate'"
"I go meet una for there." Tahir replied
"Alright, bye bye Miss Bakare." Obinna said waving at Adeife and walking away with the other boy beside him.
Tahir waited until they were a good way off before turning to Adeife.
"So are you coming on Friday?" he asked, stooping a little so their eyes could meet. She looked away and asked, "Coming where?"
He laughed, "What do you mean coming where? You know my party is on Friday at Club Six."
"Well, I didn't get an I.V." she shrugged trying not to smile, they played this game often; he badgered her with questions, she acted uninterested.
"Ah ahn now, there were I.Vs all over school throughout last week," he smiled, his lips stretching across his slightly crooked teeth, the two in front were a little larger than the rest; buck teeth. "Or do you want a special invitation?" he asked teasingly, he had a slight lisp, almost unnoticeable.
She laughed in response
"But seriously, you never come out. I'd really like to see you in something other than this school uniform."
"Of course you would."
"Of course I would," he cocked his head to the side and put a balled up fist in front if his mouth "Adeife Bakare, I'll figure you out one day." he said
"Ah ahn, what’s there to figure out?"
He just shook his head and said, "You're sha coming abi?"
"I don't know, we'll see."
"Kai, see shakara," he threw his head back and laughed out loud "okay o, sha let me know if you're coming you hear?"
"How will I let you know?"
"Don't you know how to send a text?"
"I don't have your number?"
"Na wa for you o," he took a Biro out of his navy blue Jan Sport back pack and gently grabbed her right hand
"See me see wahala, why do you expect me to have your number, do you have mine?"
He just shook his head as he wrote his mobile phone number on her right palm
"Tahir, not every girl in school is your groupie, se you hear?"
"Sha just call."
"I thought I was texting."
"See, this girl, you can do anything you want." he laughed again, he laughed a lot Adeife thought.
-----

Her older sisters Roseline and Anu were in the kitchen when Adeife got home, and after taking a quick shower, she went to join them. Her sisters came by at least three times a week, usually in the evenings when their father was home; so they could all eat together. Their father was still in the office that day, he was a partner at his own law firm, he really didn't have to work, but he did.
"Ife darling, how was school?" Roseline asked when she walked in,
"Fine," she replied before deeply inhaling. There was always the most pleasing aroma in the kitchen when Anu was around; she made the most intensely delicious dishes. The cream and brown marble counter was covered in the ingredients she was using that evening; fresh ginger, garlic, onions, all sorts of spices and herbs, fresh cat fish, a small plastic bowl of deep red Zobo leaves, a larger bowl full of light green lemons and limes, small plastic containers of dried crayfish, nut meg and cloves.
"Baby!" Anu said giving her sister a tight hug, "Oya come and help me."
"What do you want me to do?" Adeife asked smiling a wide smile. She could not understand how her sisters made her so happy just by being there.
"Could you put about two handfuls of zobo leaves in that pot of water?" she said pointing at the medium sized pot of boiling water on the stove.
Adeife did as she was told; she watched the leaves bleed as they floated in the boiling pot of spiced water. She couldn't wait for the food to be done, she especially loved the way Anu made her Zobo, she used honey instead of sugar to sweeten the herbal beverage she also used tons and tons of ginger which gave it an extra kick.
"So what are your plans for the weekend, besides homework?" Roseline asked, she was gutting and cleaning the cat fish and made a repulsed face at the bloody mess.
"I don't know...well..." she responded coyly
"Well what?" Anu asked with a wide grin, she wiggled her eyebrows teasingly and added, "Do you have a date?"
"No, no no" Adeife was shaking her head "there’s a party on Friday-"
"That’s tomorrow."
"Yeah, and I kind of want to go, but..."
"But...?"
"I don't want to ask daddy."
Roseline and Anu laughed knowingly then Anu said "You could always spend the weekend with me" she put some chopped up peppers and garlic into a hot pan "I could drop you off and pick you up."
"Anu, that would be, like, I would really really really appreciate that." Adeife said, her palms pressed together
"Of course," Anu said, "I know you never go out, I'm not saying you should go and become a bad girl, but it wouldn’t hurt to hang out with your friends once in a while."
"Yeah," Roseline said, "your grades are great, you know, I think you should go." she washed her hands under the running faucet, "as long as you’re being smart, you know. And make sure you always have credit on your phone in case of an emergency, don't finish it texting all those boys."
-----

Classes always seemed to end early on Fridays and Adeife was grateful for that. Everyone was excited for the party including her, but she pretended as if she did not know what they were all buzzing about, the girls were discussing outfits and the boys with their undone ties and untucked shirts were already in party mode, drumming on tables and dancing on chairs.
When Tahir asked if she had made up her mind about coming she shrugged and said, "We’ll see."
and he just laughed, he was sure she was coming, this would be one of the last parties before their SSCEs and even Adeife Bakare wasn't too cool to celebrate one of their last weeks of peace of mind.

She texted him after school "What time should I be there?" the text said. She imagined him smiling and raising an eyebrow when he saw it. "We won't be at the party till about nine, but a few of us are meeting at the galleria at like seven." he replied.

Adeife: So should I meet you guys there?
Tahir: If you want.
Adeife: I want.
Tahir: I know.
Adeife: Disgo.So how are you getting to the club from the galleria?
Tahir: Why am I a disgo?I'm driving. You can come with me.

"If I'm dropping you off at the galleria, then I have to meet the people you're going to the party with." Anu said to Adeife as she handed her a pair of studded black sandals. Adeife nodded, she wasnt sure about the outfit she had on; she didn't go to many of these parties, so she wasn't sure if the purple and black tunic she had on would do. Whatever, she thought; she was tired of playing dress up. After going at Adeife's face with purple eyeliner and some lip-gloss, Anu drove her to the galleria. She parked right below the huge lighted sign that said 'Golden Hawk Galleria' in massive golden letters, and said "Oya call your friends so I can meet them now."
"Can you please come to the parking lot?" Adeife said into her phone after dialing Tahir's number. A few moments later Tahir walking towards them, he was wearing a dark T-shirt with what looked like brownish Grey plaid trousers, or maybe they were tweed.
"Good evening ma," he said to Anu when he was closer
"Ma? Okay," she shook her head and laughed a little "so what’s your name?"
"Tahir Hadi,"
"And you'll be driving to the party?"
"Yes, I have my license and my father knows I have the car, I've been driving for a while so I-"
"Will you be drinking?" she asked, cutting him off. He was nervous, and Adeife could see how he would perceive her sister as incredibly intimidating. Anu whose lips usually curled up in a smile at a moment’s notice, was frowning slightly, her expression wasn't mean, but it wasn't very friendly either.
"No, no definitely not I have to drive back home so I wo-."
"And you're classmates?"
"Yes ma." she could tell that he was getting flustered.
"Okay, well text me his number," Anu said to her "and call if anything. What time should I come and pick you up?"
"Around twelve..."
"Twelve? Okay, have a good time." she got back in the car and wiggled her eyebrows at Adeife before driving off.
"I'm really sorry about that," Adeife said as she turned to face Tahir "she's actually really...nice." Tahir just smiled his wide smile and they started towards the entrance "its fine jo," he said "I just wish you had warned me."
"I did not know..."she said rubbing the back of her neck, she was embarrassed.
"You don’t really look alike, but I can tell you're sisters." he said
"Yeah, you called her 'ma'" she suddenly started laughing as she recalled his slightly fearful expression when he was talking to her sister
"Well yeah, she, I don’t know, she’s scary!" he laughed too "she’s sexy though, you think she'll consider being my sugar mummy?"
"You wish."

-----

She liked him, he knew she liked him, she knew he knew, everybody knew. But she wasn't sure about him, he didn't talk much to other people, he just laughed and played the clown. He was always hounding her with questions though, always teasing.
"So do you like me?" she asked looking out the window, they were on the Falomo bridge and she couldn't help but notice how gorgeous the city looked at night.
Tahir started to say something, and then stopped; he was choking on his laughter, trying to hide an embarrassed smile. He was clearly thrown off by her question.
"You really aren't shy sha." he finally said
"I never said I was"
They were silent for the entire drive to the club and when he had parked the car and was helping her out when he said "You should come out with me tomorrow."
"Should I?"
"Yes," he took her hand and led her through the crowd of boys that were trying to get into the club. Apparently, there was a guest list but you could to pay your way in. "We can go to the galleria, to the cinema and watch a movie or something, if you want." By then they were in the dimly lit club and he had to shout over the music; the DJ was clearly into the reggaeton movement and the dance floor was packed.
She just nodded in response, "We can talk too, tomorrow, when we go out." he shouted
"Or we could talk here" she yelled into his ear, which she had to stand on her tip toes to reach, even in Anu's heels.
He smiled "I didn't bring you here to talk." he said, leading her to the crowded dance floor.