Episode 1

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
But when the laughter ends, the grief remains…
-proverbs 14:13
……………………………………….
Smridu… Joseph said to the cab driver.

Erhmm… Where is that sir? Asked the confused old man who doubled as the cab driver, Joseph was confused. He thought all cab drivers should know one of the popular hotels (at least Google said so).

“Okay do you know any hotel along this airport road? I am tired and I need rest”. He concluded as he dropped his travelling bag into the boot.

Smiling with his almost burnt teeth, the driver entered the car and asked “Is it the expensive ones or average sir ?” Only God knows what the old man has been consuming, but from a wide guess I would say it was tobacco. After all, the blacks copy everything about the white from their skimpy dressing to their intake of alcohol, Joseph thought in his mind and then replied ” the average one will be okay, but I would have preferred if you take me to Smridu , 39, Adekunle Fajuyi Way, GRA Ikeja” He read out from his Itel Inote.

“Ohh!! Simiridu! that hotel… I know the place sir!” The old man exclaimed with a jolt, as if he just remembered where he kept his money after a long period of searching.

The driver ignited the car engine and it roared alive. He sped off with Joseph thanking his stars the cab is not as old as the man.
He wondered what the old man probably in his late sixties was still doing driving a cab all around. And his mind dwindled back to his primary school days…
————————–
Why are you so old and still driving a bike? young Joseph asked with curiosity all over his face. His mother had stopped the bikeman and given the direction of his school to the old man driving the motorcycle, “Saint Anthony nursery and primary school” she said. “Don’t mind him sir, he is very outspoken, I apologise for his rudeness” she added.

The man smiled and bent his motorcycle for the young elated boy to climb and sit.

Joseph could not just wait to get to school, it’s the first day of resumption, and the same day he will get to know if he was going to be the senior prefect or not. “Nobody can contend that position with me in this school” he had told his two jolly friends.

Talking about his two jolly friends- John and James, they were referred to as the three musketeers. Excellent and very intelligent lads and equally rascals, as their teachers always find a way of not pitching them together in class if he or she wants to enjoy a good term for that session.

“Here he comes”. James was the first to sight him as he alighted from the motorcycle and bade the oldman goodbye. Well, not after some few minutes of advise “read your book and you won’t be struggling at your old age like me” Joseph told his friends mimicking the old man words.

“I was the first to get to school” John the seemingly reserved boy among the three of them said, he was always known for his punctuality because his father who works as a bank manager drops him in school on his way to work.

“Welcome back to school boys and to the lovely sound of my good friend kanako” Mr Femi said, making the boys turn around amidst their discussion about their plans for the term and who the various prefect positions would be given to. They smiled at Mr Femi’s statement knowing fully well that his good friend “kanako” referred to his long cane which he uses on the stubborn kids and will soon be their turn because he is going to be their Classteacher.

“The name of the senior girl will be Omoboriola Funmilayo” the headmistress said with smiles on her lips. Why won’t she laugh when her daughter has just been given the position of the senior girl. The classy Funmi as her friends call her catwalked to the front amidst clapping from the students who had gathered in the school auditorium to witness their first assembly of the session.

James who was the most notorious among the three and the only one standing beside Joseph because John had been called out as the punctuality prefect, pinched Joseph and the boy eyed him with anger bodly written on his face.

“Jossy, finally your crush is now the senior girl” he whispered into Joseph’s ears. And just before Joseph could respond, James practically ran outside because his name had just been mentioned as the assistant senior boy. And finally Joseph too was called forward as the senior boy. No one was surprised, he was always known to be the best person for the position.

As he walked up to the podium, he suddenly became scared and nervous as he saw his bestfriend whisper something to the ears of the senior girl.

“What could he have said to her” he thought within himself, with his face betraying his emotions…


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