Shattered Beyond Repair (Episode 2)
Tomi was inconsolable even though the neighbours tried their best to console her. Tomi's neighbours collected the number of her mum's relatives from her and informed them of the incident. Since all of them stayed in Lagos, they came to carry her corpse very early the following morning amidst tears and loud wailing. Arrangements for her burial was hurriedly made and she was buried in the evening.
Tomi's uncle came to the house with her to get her belongings because she was going to start living with him now that her mother was dead. Their properties were put up for sale; it wasn’t much. It consisted of a 15-inch flatscreen tokunbo television, a DVD player, a two-seater sofa, a rug and a 4 by half mattress which was put on the floor. Tomi knew where her mother kept her money, she had no bank account. It was in one of the things that were going on sale that morning and she was hoping for a chance to take it without her uncle’s knowledge. She was afraid that he might collect it from her if she told him about it. So, she decided to keep quiet about it because she had no idea of what her new home would be like and she might need some money.
Her uncle stepped out of the room to negotiate with someone who had come for the TV. Tomi dashed to the mattress and quickly turned it over. She dipped her hand into the opening which her mother had made in the mattress and took all the money she could lay her hands on in the opening. She put the money in her bra without counting it. When her uncle eventually consented and sold the TV to the man, he came back to the room. The mattress was the only thing remaining to be sold and when he waited for a while and no buyer seemed to be interested in it, he decided to take it home with him. “We could make use of the mattress at home judging by our number,” he said. He had four children of his own and with the addition of Tomi, they became five. Tomi excused herself and went to the bathroom, she bolted the door and then carefully brought out the naira notes in her bra. They were in the denominations of 1000, 500 and 200 naira notes respectively. She counted the money and it was twenty thousand naira, a lone tear ran down her cheek; this was the money her mother had been saving for her fees. She had overheard one of her classmates talking about a kind of account known as the zero account at GTBank; she made up her mind to open the account and put the money in it. Her hopes of attending a private school was dashed because her uncle’s children attended government schools.
“Tomi, I guess you’ll meet me at home if you don’t join me this minute,” uncle Lanre called out to her. She wiped her face with the back of her hands and stepped out of the bathroom.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting Sir,” she said. Her uncle nodded as he tried to fit the already folded mattress into the boot of his Volvo jalopy.
******
It was Romoke who ignited the fire of passion and slutty behaviours in Tomi. They weren’t in the same class because Tomi was in Arts class whereas Romoke was in Commercial class. One morning, after the assembly, Romoke had ran after her to tell her that she had something to show her.
“Tomi, meet me in my class during break. I have something funny and interesting to show you” she had said.
Tomi couldn’t concentrate in class, she kept wondering what Romoke wanted to show her might be. Immediately the bell rang, she ran out of her class and went straight to Romoke’s class. She was already waiting for her in front of the class.
“Tomi why are you breathing like this?” Romoke asked a panting Tomi.
“I was running all the way to your class, that’s why” Tomi replied. “What is it that you want to show me? I’m anticipating and restless. I can’t wait to find out.”
“Calm down nah. Person wey dem dey carry bride come meet nor dey stretch him neck” Romoke replied in Pidgin English. “Come with me” she waved her hands urging Tomi to follow her.
Tomi followed her till they got to a class that had been abandoned for a long time, it was very far from the other classes and it was close to the school farm. It was very quiet and scary. As they approached, they saw two senior students leaving the class. The boy had just zipped up his trousers and was buckling his belt while the girl was straightening her gown and adjusting her bra straps. They were both in SSS3 and Tomi knew them. The girl was looking down as they passed Tomi and Romoke. Romoke winked at Tomi but she had no idea what the wink implied.
They entered into the class and Tomi was surprised to see that most of the seats and benches were clean, she had thought they would be dusty. The tall benches served as the desks in their school and the seats were long low benches that had space for three to four people depending on its length. Tomi asked Romoke why the abandoned class had such clean seats and desks.
“Students come here to do it,” Romoke replied.
“Do what?”
“That thing now,” Romoke was beginning to get irritated.
“I’m sorry but I don’t understand,” Tomi said, looking lost.
“Don’t worry, you’ll understand very soon,” Romoke said as she brought out her phone from the purse she was holding.
To be continued...
Tomi's uncle came to the house with her to get her belongings because she was going to start living with him now that her mother was dead. Their properties were put up for sale; it wasn’t much. It consisted of a 15-inch flatscreen tokunbo television, a DVD player, a two-seater sofa, a rug and a 4 by half mattress which was put on the floor. Tomi knew where her mother kept her money, she had no bank account. It was in one of the things that were going on sale that morning and she was hoping for a chance to take it without her uncle’s knowledge. She was afraid that he might collect it from her if she told him about it. So, she decided to keep quiet about it because she had no idea of what her new home would be like and she might need some money.
Her uncle stepped out of the room to negotiate with someone who had come for the TV. Tomi dashed to the mattress and quickly turned it over. She dipped her hand into the opening which her mother had made in the mattress and took all the money she could lay her hands on in the opening. She put the money in her bra without counting it. When her uncle eventually consented and sold the TV to the man, he came back to the room. The mattress was the only thing remaining to be sold and when he waited for a while and no buyer seemed to be interested in it, he decided to take it home with him. “We could make use of the mattress at home judging by our number,” he said. He had four children of his own and with the addition of Tomi, they became five. Tomi excused herself and went to the bathroom, she bolted the door and then carefully brought out the naira notes in her bra. They were in the denominations of 1000, 500 and 200 naira notes respectively. She counted the money and it was twenty thousand naira, a lone tear ran down her cheek; this was the money her mother had been saving for her fees. She had overheard one of her classmates talking about a kind of account known as the zero account at GTBank; she made up her mind to open the account and put the money in it. Her hopes of attending a private school was dashed because her uncle’s children attended government schools.
“Tomi, I guess you’ll meet me at home if you don’t join me this minute,” uncle Lanre called out to her. She wiped her face with the back of her hands and stepped out of the bathroom.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting Sir,” she said. Her uncle nodded as he tried to fit the already folded mattress into the boot of his Volvo jalopy.
******
It was Romoke who ignited the fire of passion and slutty behaviours in Tomi. They weren’t in the same class because Tomi was in Arts class whereas Romoke was in Commercial class. One morning, after the assembly, Romoke had ran after her to tell her that she had something to show her.
“Tomi, meet me in my class during break. I have something funny and interesting to show you” she had said.
Tomi couldn’t concentrate in class, she kept wondering what Romoke wanted to show her might be. Immediately the bell rang, she ran out of her class and went straight to Romoke’s class. She was already waiting for her in front of the class.
“Tomi why are you breathing like this?” Romoke asked a panting Tomi.
“I was running all the way to your class, that’s why” Tomi replied. “What is it that you want to show me? I’m anticipating and restless. I can’t wait to find out.”
“Calm down nah. Person wey dem dey carry bride come meet nor dey stretch him neck” Romoke replied in Pidgin English. “Come with me” she waved her hands urging Tomi to follow her.
Tomi followed her till they got to a class that had been abandoned for a long time, it was very far from the other classes and it was close to the school farm. It was very quiet and scary. As they approached, they saw two senior students leaving the class. The boy had just zipped up his trousers and was buckling his belt while the girl was straightening her gown and adjusting her bra straps. They were both in SSS3 and Tomi knew them. The girl was looking down as they passed Tomi and Romoke. Romoke winked at Tomi but she had no idea what the wink implied.
They entered into the class and Tomi was surprised to see that most of the seats and benches were clean, she had thought they would be dusty. The tall benches served as the desks in their school and the seats were long low benches that had space for three to four people depending on its length. Tomi asked Romoke why the abandoned class had such clean seats and desks.
“Students come here to do it,” Romoke replied.
“Do what?”
“That thing now,” Romoke was beginning to get irritated.
“I’m sorry but I don’t understand,” Tomi said, looking lost.
“Don’t worry, you’ll understand very soon,” Romoke said as she brought out her phone from the purse she was holding.
To be continued...
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