Elvis

Episode 2

48 hours earlier
Elvis bounced into the hostel, he had gone home the day before with the hope of spending the weekend in the comfort of his father’s house far from the stress and turbulences of the school. He was shocked when his friend called him about the MEE test slated for Monday, he couldn’t believe he forgot such a crucial test. He had rushed down to school to put finishing touches to his preparations or rather for him to prepare.

“Kelly, how far now” he greeted his roommate as he entered his room
“Finest, how now, I think say nah tomorrow you go come now” Kelly said sitting up from his lying position
“Oga, nah my classrep call me say test dey on Monday o, you no go believe say I forget totally” He replied
“You be baba nah, if you no do the test self, nah still 5 dot” Kelly teased
“Nah now I know say you no well, abeg where Kunle and Chinedu?” he said slapping him playfully
“Dem talk say they get MEE test on Monday, say they wan go practice some drawings”
“So those two whereys no know say I dey 100level too abi, and you self dey waste my time, oga pack well joo” he said, rushing to his corner to grab his MEE board and dashed out.

“Oga, shey you no carry anything come from house ni?” Kelly asked as Elvis dashed out.
“You know say nah me send you come school” he fired back as he busily punched his phone to place a call to Kunle to know their exact location.
……………………………………………………………………………
They had finished practicing several mechanical drawings in preparation for the test on Monday, working at it for several hours, Elvis stretched like a lazy woman who’s still lying wearily on bed, he rolled the upper part of his body on his waist in a bid to get readjust his waist to its normal workload after bending for so long. He yanked off some beads of sweat from his forehead. He arranged his materials and arranged them neatly into his bag.

“So you guys wouldn’t have alerted me if my classrep didn’t abi?” he asked his friends
‘His friends’ comprises of his two rummies, Kunle and Chinedu, a stout guy named Smart, a department mate of his and Tayo.

“I thought you were aware and you planned on coming back tomorrow” Kunle answered intelligently
“Shey me no get house ni, if you no come the test, nah you o” Smart fired back, his carefree laughter bouncing around the hall.

“Even if he no do the exam self, nah still you o” Tayo buttressed causing feats of laughter among them all.

“You guys no dey go hostel again abi, hunger dey kill me o” Chinedu said cutting their laughter short.

They hastened the packing of their drawing materials, each tugged at their MEE board as they started the journey to their respective hall of residence.

“Abeg, whey the venue of the test?” Elvis asked again earning puzzling looks from his friends as they approached the famous BTU hall.

“Elvis, tell me the truth, shey you be student of this school?” Smart asked sarcastically
“Leave Elvis o, he’s a student of this school, but a dormant student”
“No he’s not dormant, he just don’t go to class”
“He goes but doesn’t listen”
“He listens but doesn’t understand”
“He understands but…..”

“Will you guys just shut up and answer me and stop this your illegitimate argument, no be your fault, nah me wey ask question” Elvis asked gesticulating like a beggar, switching from good English to pidgin.
They are now in front of the BTU hall
“Oga nah here” Tayo answered him pointing towards the hall “and you fit come by 12 noon for your own test” he quickly added, to the amusement of others and also a glare from Elvis.

“So nah here and I still dey carry board go that hostel, make we drop our boards for here now” Elvis said recovering
“Nah you o, me no dey drop my board o, I no go let person carry my board” Smart interjected again.

Elvis looked quizzically at the others expecting answers which is not forthcoming, his shoulders fell, he groan but went ahead to the space underneath the BTU hall, he located a secluded dark area close to the big pillar that holds most of the weight of this side of the hall and dropped his board. He checked to see how well hidden it is, satisfied he ran out the enclosement to join his friends as they rambled unending towards their respective hall of residence.