Chapter 7: Regret and New Journey

I return school.

The road dey long, sun dey hot. My heart dey heavy. I dey reason everything wey happen.

My papa dey office, first thing na slap.

As I reach gate, before I talk, na slap land. I shock.

“You this boy, say you sick go see doctor, I sneeze all afternoon! Where you go! You dey do rubbish!”

My papa no dey hear excuse. As I dey open mouth, na shout.

I ask my papa, my mind heavy: “You believe say parent fit hate their own pikin reach like that?”

I dey look am, eye red. I dey wait answer.

My papa slap me again: “Which kind talk be that? Ancestor matter no dey help you, wetin you do?”

The second slap reset my brain. I just quiet.

I say I go collect my money back.

I dey talk am low, no want trouble. My papa dey look me, dey fear.

My papa begin fear, ask if person beat me, look class teacher, then ask if I collect the money.

His eye dey scan my face, like say I thief something.

I say no, but I go collect am. Make e no worry.

I dey try calm am, but my mind dey far.

People dey funny.

As I waka for street, my mind dey replay everything. People fit wicked, but sometimes, na circumstance dey push dem.

When Halima Goat Fringe dey, everything about her dey vex me, even that fat guy join.

Her voice, her smell, her wahala—everything dey pain me. Even fat guy own join.

To see them dey talk for front dey disturb me, even my reading dey suffer.

As I dey look dem for front, my brain dey jam. I no fit concentrate.

If my guys joke about me and Halima, I dey vex.

Any small joke, I go change face. Dem go laugh, but I no dey find am funny.

I wan make everybody know say me and Halima no get anything.

For my mind, I dey broadcast am. I no want wahala.

I even plan to write am for big paper, make everybody know say we just dey the same school.

One day, I almost carry cardboard write am: "No connection. No history."

I even talk about my ideal girl whenever she enter, everything opposite her own.

As she pass, I go dey describe my dream girl: long hair, small eyes, different face. My guys dey look me, dey shake head.

“Long hair, small eyes, big mouth, pointed face—”

I dey list am like say na WAEC question. Boys dey frown.

My guys frown, ask if I dey mad, say I like long hair goat.

Dem dey laugh, dey call me name. But my chest dey pain me.

Halima face no show anything, as if she no hear.

Her eye dey front, she no dey look our side. She dey pretend, but I know say she dey hear.

But I see am touch her short hair as she sit, body no comfortable.

She go run hand for head, dey fix her hair. The pain dey show small for her eye.

But after she waka, I begin see round face, short hair, small mouth as fine.

E shock me. I dey reason say maybe na true beauty dey for natural face. The way her head round, the way her mouth small—e dey make sense.

Even fat guy, his “oh oh oh” dey sweet me.

I dey miss the noise, the laugh, the confusion. Even his "oh oh oh" dey sound like music.

I tell am make he dey teach me, especially those things wey Halima teach am, even the “let’s look here.”

I dey copy him note, dey ask question. Sometimes, I go mimic Halima style.

After small time, fat guy dey avoid me, look disturbed.

He dey dodge me for corridor. Sometimes, e go hide for toilet till I comot.

“Baba, I actually like... girls.”

One day, e tell me for whisper. I burst laugh, but I no talk anything.

“Comot! Wait, come back, finish this question... you even dey listen? You forget to add ‘let’s look here’—”

I dey tease am, but e dey run. The thing dey amuse me.

Maybe na Halima spirit enter my head.

Sometimes, I dey dream of her. I dey see her dey laugh, dey play keyboard.

Weekend, as I dey go house, I see one stray dog for street, e hair be like Halima goat-bite fringe.

The resemblance funny die. Dog dey waka like say e get pride.

I shout: “Halima Goat Fringe.”

My voice loud. Dog stop, look me, wag tail.

The skinny dog run come, sniff me, wag tail anyhow.

E dey dance around me, dey jump. I dey laugh.

I dey craze, I no like dog, but this one sweet me, I carry am go house.

People for junction dey look me like say I dey mad. But I no care.

Auntie look me: “Who get am?”

She cross hand, dey look me for eye. I smile.

“Na my own.”

I bold. I carry dog enter house, dey bath am with Omo.

I introduce: “Name na... Halima Goat Fringe.”

Even the name dey sweet me. Dog dey bark, dey wag tail.

Class fine girl wey dey sit near me, talk don reduce.

She dey quiet these days. I dey wonder if na because of me.

Next month, she tell teacher she wan change seat, before she go she give me address.

The way she pass the paper, e be like secret mission.

“Na Class Three.”

She talk am soft, no smile.

The address na one remote town secondary school.

As I see address, my heart beat fast. I dey reason how far I fit go.

As I see address, na so I realize, stand up during prep.

E shock me. I dey restless. My mind dey race.

Class teacher look me.

Teacher dey eye me, dey wonder wetin dey happen.

I talk: “My papa sick, this time na real sickness, I gats go see am.”

I pack my bag, dey ready to waka. For my heart, I know say journey just dey start.

Maybe na now I go learn wetin love and regret really mean for this life.