Oaths

Episode 15

Something funny happened the next day at our Lecture Hall during the exam. In the midst of the struggle as everyone cracked their heads in one way or the other to answer the questions, there was this certain girl who sat a row before me, asking and demanding for extra sheets from time to time. In less than an hour, she had used up to three answer sheets.
Everyone’s attention was on her. The supervisor himself was surprised.

The funny thing was that, Oluchi sat beside me and we had barely written anything. She was as clueless as I was, and we had little time left.

“Oluchi ask this girl na,” I whispered.

“You ask by yourself,” she replied.

“Abeg na, we donʼt have time.”

“You don’t have mouth?”
“Please na,” I pleaded.

She hesitated briefly before tapping the girl. She turned back to face us.

“Babe abeg, any number you have answered, help us biko,” Oluchi asked.

“If I tell you I haven’t answered anything yet, you won’t believe. Help me with number 1,” she asked.

I and Oluchi shared glances and couldn’t control the laughter that emerged. We almost got ourselves into trouble. If not that the supervisor was a nice man, he would have seized our papers.

We ended the paper for that day and met outside. I, Oluchi, Mimi and Jovita strolled randomly about the school, discussing along the way till we found ourselves at the school field. It was actually Oluchi’s idea for us to go there.

When we asked her why she preferred the field instead of the cafeteria we intended to go to, she asked us not to worry, that we would see for ourselves. It actually happened that a match was being held there.

To my surprise, I saw Boma, Simon and Kingsley all dressed in football jerseys. They were training before the match. I wanted to call out to Boma, but Oluchi hushed me not to disrupt their training. So we took a sit among the crowd and watched them train.

“How did you know they were here?” Jovita asked, referring to Oluchi.

“Simon informed me earlier on today. He wanted me to see him play,” Oluchi replied.

“So this is what they are playing? It’s very boring.” Jovita shrugged.

“They haven’t started yet na! This is just training. Don’t you watch ball ni?”

“I do, but not anyhow ball. This their own is dry,” she complained.

“Let them start first,” Oluchi said, trying to die off the matter but Jovita wasn’t up for it.

“Should we bet?”
“Bet say wetin?”
“Iʼm sure they wonʼt win. Iʼve seen their rival team beat other teams before. That team is very strong compared to them.”

“So you donʼt believe your boyfriend’s team can win?” Mimi asked.

“Leave boyfriend aside, I know they wonʼt win. Let us bet?”

“How much?” Oluchi asked.

“One Kay each,” Jovita responded.

“Deal!” Oluchi agreed.

They both pulled out a thousand Naira note each and dropped it with Mimi.

The training session ended and soon, the real match started. The referee blew the whistle for kick-off. In the first 10 minutes of play, it seemed like a warm up for both teams. Their focus was more on defence than that of attack.

20 minutes passed into the game, yet no goal came forth. It was like a tug of war between both teams. I especially wanted Bomaʼs team to win, not because of anything but because I wanted to prove Jovita wrong as well as Oluchi wanted.

The anticipation for a goal was credibly high as a member of Bomaʼs team dribbled across the field and made it towards the rivalʼs goal post, only to make a wrong move that ruined the shot. He could have simply passed to someone else and clear a headway for a goal, but he chose not to.

The first half soon ended with no goal from both teams. The coach could be seen from afar, shouting at the guy who ruined the only chance they had at a goal, while Boma and the rest of the team sat on a bench looking tired.

I waved to him from where I was but he didnʼt see me. I called out his name, he didn’t hear.
Then I had an idea. I borrowed a cardboard paper and a marker from someone seated next to me and wrote Boma on it, visibly clear, and waved it up.

He initially didn’t see it at first until a guy seated next to him tapped him and pointed towards my direction. He looked up and saw me, immediately tapping Kingsley and Simon likewise to see us. We all waved at each other except Jovita who just shrugged, pretending not to see them.

“Babe, your bobo dey greet you na,” Oluchi intervened.

“I’m not blind. I can see that. Mind your business,” she snapped.

From her remark, we easily knew they were having issues. Little wonder why she didnʼt support our team.

The second half began and now, the anticipation was more high. Both teams played with much enthusiasm. Much morale. Much vigour.

I personally cheered the team with my cardboard raised up to signify our support. Oluchi and Jovita werenʼt smiling either. Their bets were at stake.

Halfway into the game, it already seemed like the match would end in a draw. Everyone’s expectation had reduced, including mine.

All hell broke loose when a guy from the team Jovita supported waved across the field, dribbling past the defenders and making a headway for a goal. He passed to a teammate and with a swift kick, the ball found its way into the net.

The crowd went haywire! I couldn’t believe it.
I also saw the look of disbelief in Oluchiʼs eyes; she was literally dumbfounded. Jovita jumped up screaming in jubilation. Her prediction was correct.

The match soon ended with our team on the losing side. We lost the match, as well as Oluchi lost her bet.

“Didn’t I tell you?” Jovita mocked as we climbed down the small podium we had sat on.

“I told you they would lose, you didn’t believe me. Now see your life,” she continued mocking at Oluchi specifically.
Oluchiʼs countenance felt like she wanted to react at a point, but I gave her a sign to keep calm.

We ignored Jovitaʼs taunts and walked towards the pitch where the guys stood. They looked devastated and unhappy, especially Kingsley who was the goalkeeper.

“Common ball you cannot catch, but if it’s to romance somebody now, that is where they will see you inside,” Jovita mocked, referring to Kingsley to our surprise. We thought it was a joke until she hissed and walked away.

Kingsley on his own part didn’t even act like he cared. He hissed back and excused himself from us.