Virus Read Free Page A

and get
depressed because of it. She believed very much in the saying that
life was in phases and men were in sizes. This was just one of
their low points. She firmly believed that it could only get better
from here on out.
    A smug smile lifted the corners of
her near perfect lips. Alaba called her an unrepentant optimist;
whatever that meant. The fact remained that she had been like that
for ages and she did not see that changing anytime soon. With a
weary shrug, she strode to the door of the bedroom, which led into
the tiny sitting room, opening the door of the sitting room she
stepped out into the corridor closing the door firmly behind
her.
     
    Wole strode down a narrow path,
which had tall bushes rising up on either side. Because of the
height of the bushes, it kept most of the path shrouded in gloom.
It was not completely dark though. He could see where he was going,
and since he had walked this path over a hundred times, he knew he
could find his way even in the dark.
    The path went on for another couple
of kilometers ending at the main road. This road was the major
conduit for traffic and it ran through all of Oraromi. His commute
to school would include a four-kilometer trek along the road before
turning off and going down another path.
    Another five or ten minutes walking
through some thick bushes would lead him to the front gates of the
school. Some people were of the opinion that the trek was long but
to him it was not. In fact, he enjoyed the walk. It afforded him
the opportunity to think, especially in this first stage of the
journey.
    Today like most days when he walked,
his thoughts fixed on his strange dream. When the dreams first
started, he felt it was a one off thing. Now it had been coming
more frequently. So much so now, that sometimes there was barely
two days interval between each dream. What did the damn dream mean?
The flying and then suddenly plummeting; was it to his death? He
had no idea.
    The falling scared the hell out of
him. He kept getting closer and closer to the ground in each dream.
It would not be long before he struck the earth.
    His troubled thoughts came to a
swift halt when he realized that he had almost reached the road.
Two shapes stood at the point where the path joined the road,
almost hidden from view by a thick cluster of plantain leaves. A
small smile curved his lips.
    Tunrayo and Chike stepped out from
under the shroud of plantain trees. They both had broad grins on
their faces.
    “You are late!!”Tunrayo said still
smiling. Her face seemed to glow in the early morning light. Her
orange pinafore and white cotton blouse fitted her perfectly. The
socks and sandals she had on sparkled polished to a bright hue. Her
long hair tied into a bun at the back of her head.
    The school allowed the girls in the
senior classes to plait their hair. Tunrayo however never did. When
asked about it, she said her mother did not want plaiting her hair.
Wole did not really believe that story.
    “How long have you guys been here?”
He asked smiling at the two of them.
    “I got here first__obviously__.”
Tunrayo began grinning like a Cheshire cat. “__ Chike got here
about ten minutes later.”
    Chike walked up to him at that
moment and smacked him on the shoulder. Wole jumped
startled.
    “You better lets get going__ you
latecomer.”
    “So just because you HAPPENED to get
here before me today you are posing and making Ako* bah?”
*Bragging, strutting, pride.
    “I will be here before you
tomorrow__ you wait and see.”
    “Is that a challenge?” You are so
on__”
    “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Wole asked in a sardonic voice. “I will win and you know it. I am
sure the only reason you got here this early was cos your mother
took a cane to your behind.”
    “Na you sabi!!” Chike growled
striding away. Wole and Tunrayo burst into laughter and followed
suit walking towards the school.
     

Chapter Five
     
    Chike chattered as they walked
leaving Tunrayo and Wole to simply sigh