Chapter Three
At about 8.15 Olumide peered out of the window; Gbesan was not in the garden. He decided to sit there and wait for him. He was not aware of Gbesan’s presence until he touched Olumide’s shoulder; ‘you seem to be in deep thought, what’s the matter with you?’ asked Gbesan ‘Oh! I did not here you come’, Olumide sat down on the opposite bench facing him. ‘I have a problem’, Olumide started, ‘My father is hiding something from me and I know it. Ever since my mother died, my father’s farm production started diminishing, and has not yet improved. That is why we are here in Lagos.
You see when I got to out of school, he told me I would learn some fundamentals of practical farming if I would attend any Modern School, and he said I would take to agricultural science. I liked it then and I still do, but the problem is he keeps taking about later and I think he is joking’. The worse part of it is that he orders me around like I am a child, I am an adult and I know I can take care of myself. I ought to live a free life; it drives me crazy to be ordered here and there like a kid. Do you understand Olumide?
Olumide did not say anything; he just kept silent and gazed into the sky. Then after sometime he said abruptly. ‘Yes, I do understand you Olumide, yet I don’t know what sort of help you need from me’. Olumide who had wanted a quick solution to his problem, said excitedly: Look Gbesan! I want anything that helps me get out of that village. I want to be somewhere I will be in control of myself. ‘I see, Olumide said, as a matter of fact, it’s not going to be an easy task.
First, if you want to get out of that village of yours, what are you going to be doing here? Olumide hesitated, and then said: ‘I don’t want to go to school any more anyway, what’s the need’. ‘Then you want to work?’ said Gbesan, ‘Yes’, replied Olumide ‘What sort of work? inquired Gbesan ‘Anything, any type of work; hen? Well I have an idea, Can you type? ‘I can type well, I do about 45 words per minute’, said Olumide pacing very slowly, his face serious looking at a flower pot and stopping by it briefly, then turning back to Olumide said, I need to start work immediately’.
Do you think your father can continue working without your help as before? said Gbesan ‘That would not be anything to his work, he has my uncle Felix Ogunbeshin as his assistant, who takes care of the farm now’, said Olumide
‘I want to help you, have you got all your credentials with you? Olumide asked. Olumide looked puzzled and said ‘what do you mean? ‘I mean your school certificate, testimonials and so forth from school, with you’. ‘No, it’s not with me, it’s with my father, he keeps everything’ replied Olumide
‘Why should you give it them to him? He did not take the exams for you did he?’ and without waiting for an answer Olumide said, ‘Okay, do you know where he keeps them?’ ‘Not really’ said Olumide, ‘Well I will tell you where to find them, people like them keep their documents and valuable papers in his wardrobe in the drawer in his room, the third one is under his big wooden suitcase, and if you can get to those three places without him noticing, that side of your problem is solved’.
‘Now another thing, when you come to Lagos, without your fathers consent, you can’t stay with us, you’ll have to hire a room, the period between the time of your arrival and the time of your getting a job, you’ll have to spend money on food, on clothes, transport’, Olumide hesitated, then continued where do you intend to raise that money from?’ Olumide dropped his head slowly, he had not thought about this before, but as Gbesan mentioned it, he knew it was the biggest of all problems. ‘You haven’t any savings?’ Gbesan asked.
‘A very small amount’, Olumide answered ‘How much?’ Gbesan asked? ‘Thirty Five Pounds’, ‘It’s nothing, Olumide said heavily. ‘You’ll have to get those papers fast, how do you think you will reach them now?’ ‘My father told me yesterday evening that, I’ll be going home, to inform Uncle Felix Ogunbeshin of the possibility of an inspection of the farm by the banks’ agriculture specialist’ replied Olumide Ogunbeshin
‘When will you go home then?’ continued Gbesan ‘Next week’. responded Olumide, getting to his feet Gbesan said: ‘that is alright’, and brought out a box of cigarette and a match, he stretched out his hand for Olumide to take one. Olumide refused: ‘I do not smoke’, ‘why not’ Gbesan sounded surprised, ‘It’s not just for me thanks’ Olumide said without interest, he lit his own, drew in the smoke slowly, then let out a coiled rising white air into the silent night sky.
After a moment’s silence he said: this matter of money is the major problem at the moment: I can’t think of how you’ll get it, it’s rather difficult but you think about it, and let me know if you come up with anything’. He blew out the smoke in a wisp. How about going to a party with me tomorrow? Gbesan asked, ‘Yes, I will like to, if my father allows me’. Olumide replied, Gbesan nodded, and continued ‘there are some girls coming to visit me tomorrow. My dad would have gone to work, your father too won’t be at home, my mother goes to shop tomorrow and she takes the house maid with her, so we will have a clear house try to stay at home’
Do you have a girlfriend at home at Ipetu?’ ‘No I do not have a girlfriend at home’ replied Olumide, ‘ How old are you anyway?’ asked Gbesan; ‘Nineteen’ replied Olumide not thinking, ‘It’s surprising, anyway you will have one soon. There are lots of them, you will soon get used to it’, said Gbesan. He began walking towards the house, and parted Olumide on the shoulder, ‘Let’s go in’, Olumide stood up and walked into the house his mind wave of multiple thoughts Olumide thought Gbesan was a lucky boy, he has nothing to worry about, his father was rich and knew the value of a Modern School education.
In the morning, while his father was taking his breakfast, Olumide was still rolling longingly on the bed. When Soji Ogunbeshin was ready to go out and Olumide was not in the sitting room, he went to look for him, to see if something was wrong. Olumide complained that he had a terrible pain’s all over his body; Soji Ogunbeshin, who had an early morning appointment at the bank, could not give much attention to Olumide.
But before he left he gave two codeine tablets to Olumide instructing him ‘Take these and you should feel much better soon’, about 30 minutes later, Mrs. Busuyi Ajigbotinu left, together with her house maid, as soon as they left Olumide jumped out of bed taking along the codeine to the bathroom, he melted the tablets in water and threw it away.
Olumide was pouring a cup of tea, when Gbesan appeared in the doorway. ‘Hello Mr. is your pain gone or did you manage to crawl to the breakfast table? he asked with a mischievous snicker. Olumide grinned at him, ‘won’t you join me here? I’m having a big breakfast’. Gbesan joined him at the table, filling up a cup with hot water, and spreading some blue band margarine on a slice of whole grain bread.
‘How did you know I complained of pain?’ said Olumide, ‘Father said you were ill, something about pain, since I have no school today, I was to make sure you were alright’, answered Gbesan. They talked about their parents rules and wondered how many of those rules are really necessary. Gbesan picked up his cup of tea and washed down the last mouthful of bread and fried eggs.
They cleared the Table and went into the parlor. Gbesan said ‘I think you’ll catch up fast, the way you pretended this morning; one would think your ribs were almost breaking’. Pouring himself some brandy in an oval shaped glass, he raised it as if to drink, then set it on the table, and picked up another glass, waved to Olumide to come and handed the glass to him.
‘Perhaps you are not familiar with these things’ ‘come and see, you might like to help yourself to some wine’, and pointing his index finger to one bottle after another, or brandy, or whisky or dry gin and sherry, and as a mixer you can use ice, water, lemon or lime, you’ll know them as you use them’, continued Gbesan, ‘There are some interesting places you’ll like to know in Lagos, we’ll see about that when you come back to stay here’. ‘Hey! Have you ever been to a cinema?’ Gbesan asked abruptly, ‘No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard many stories from a classmate, who said his father took him to Lagos every month end to visit a branch of his business.
‘Yes and they have a lot of interesting movies, when you talk about black American films, American detective films, Indian adventure films, Indian love films and Chinese kung-Fu and Karate films, there are lots of them. You’ve been missing a lot you don’t know. Life in Lagos is thrilling pleasure’, Olumide was becoming tipsy because of the brandy; he did not show it to Gbesan.
‘There are also parties to attend; you’ll get to know many people, and their ways. A knock came on the door came on the door, Olumide moved forward and opened the door, and stood aside letting in two young girls of about 20 – 21 years of age, ‘Well, here we are, come in’, Gbesan said urgingly, ‘we have been expecting you, what kept you for so long?’ asked Gbesan and the two girls turned to themselves and back to him they said: ‘sorry, don’t get excited’ almost in a chorus, smiling as they came into the parlor.
The girl in a short red skirt and a semi-transparent blouse Elsie Alatigbe said ‘Do you are have a visitor?’ You didn’t tell us there was going to be somebody here?’
It’s just a coincidence, I did not know he was going to be around, until yesterday’, Gbesan said and changed the topic. ‘We were celebrating before you came in, join us’ said Olumide. ‘A two man celebration, what are you celebrating?’ the other girl asked. ‘We are celebrating because we are still living happily, can’t you see?’ Gbesan sounding larger than normal and very cheerful as he paced majestically to the wine bar, he filled two other glasses and gave it to the girls, ‘I’ll tell you something, he is a very intelligent young man, he loves living in Lagos and be part of it. The girls were very obliging and cheerful. They talked freely, Olumide later found out that the name of the girl in red cotton skirt and white blouse was Elsie, and the other girl in a white skirt and light blue blouse was Bolanle Asora a very beautiful and very fascinating girl.
They had more drinks together while Olumide and Bolanle were having a chat; Olumide and Elsie were introducing themselves. She said, she was a worker in the ministry for external affairs as a typist. She said it with such flair as though the place she worked and the work she did was one to be extremely proud of. ‘Have you heard of the party taking place tonight’, she smiled, an alluring smile that had effects on Olumide, he knew there was something at the back of that smile. ‘Oh yes? Olumide said there is a party? her glass got dried and he stood up, refilled the glass for her and as he was about to sit down he noticed that Gbesan and Bolanle were not there, a look of surprise jumped into his eyes.
‘You are not surprised, are you? Elsie asked. ‘Yes, I am how come they’ve disappeared? ‘But you are a new-comer, aren’t you? Olumide did not show his feelings, he had felt Elsie was wrong to have said he was going ‘to learn soon’; he knew he was proud, but to be called a newcomer by this woman hurt him. But he said to himself: ‘It’s too early to think in that way you must learn’, ‘that’s a lovely blouse you have on, you know?’ remarked Olumide moving nearer to Elsie. ‘They all fit into their places properly, I wonder how many girls can dress like this’ continued Olumide smiling, then he said something that made her talk, ‘I’m sorry if I’m being forward, but I must say you are very sweet and lovable’, looked him in the eyes and said, ‘thank you, I do admire you, too’, He was overwhelmed by her beauty.
And suddenly he knew there was more than an ordinary friendliness between him and Elsie, it was open burning desire that drew them together and before he knew it, his lips were close on hers, his chest closely pressed to her succulent breast, they remained like that for some time, then he gently pulled his mouth, still holding her soft small hands in his, a feeling of desire ran over him in a whirl, slowly and gently his lips covered hers again, it gave him a feeling of satisfaction.
He knew he was into something deep and he wanted to get to it’s root’s. He wanted to belong to this dainty young lady. The sound of Gbesan’s footsteps coming from behind with Bolanle, brought him back to realty, he had heard Gbesan saying something about ‘the two of you getting along fine, and Olumide was fast at making friends’,
‘You think so? I am not that fast anyway’, said Olumide as Gbesan turned to Elsie. ‘You look brighter how is he? ‘He is gentle and loving, I like him, I think we’ll get along well’. ‘We can all use a drink, can’t we? asked Olumide, they all said ‘yes’, heartily, ‘you know what we’ll do?’ said Olumide , ‘You serve Bolanle, and I will serve Elsie’, ‘so you know their names already, said Gbesan surprised at the ease with which the names rolled off his tongue, ‘don’t worry Gbesan I will get along all right’, Olumide replied feeling giddy headed.
Gee! exclaimed Gbesan , the time is two, who knew it’s that much long you have been here, I should be sleeping now or preparing for the party. Hen! Olumide there is going to be a big party tonight, I suppose I mentioned it yesterday, but I did not tell you what type of party, it’s going to be groovy’, said Gbesan.
Olumide Elsie told me about it, and I promised I will be there’, Olumide replied, smiling. ‘You do not hold back anything, do you? Olumide said to Elsie grinning as he took a last minute look at himself in the standing mirror opposite the center table to the wall with family photographs all around it.
When they were ready to leave, Gbesan and Olumide escorted the two girls a few yards off Aderobi street where Mr. and Mrs. Ajigbotinu lived, to a public road where it they quickly found a taxi for Elsie and Bolanle. As they were about to go back into the compound through the gate, a taxi stopped behind and horned, they both turned back, it was Olumide’s father in the front seat Olumide’s heart skipped a bit, why was he in a taxi and not in his car? where was his car? Had he met an accident or had he offended any traffic law?’ All suggestions seemed to be a possible answer. Soji Ogunbeshin gave the taxi driver 2 shillings and left. The two boys greeted him welcome. ‘What are you two doing outside? asked Soji Ogunbeshin as he started walking towards the house, ‘I was showing him around place sir’, said Gbesan.
‘That’s okay’, Soji said and turned to Olumide ‘how do you feel now Olumide? ‘I feel fine now sir’, Olumide replied, ‘So where is your car, dad? Olumide queried, ‘Oh, it is with the mechanic, the back left tire got flat on the way as I was going in the morning, I almost got to the bank late for the appointment’, Mr. Ogunbeshin replied, showing little interest in the question, but feeling thoroughly wiped out. ‘Are your parents back yet?’ he turned to Gbesan, ‘No sir, mummy should be back soon, but Father get’s back around 4.30 pm’, replied Gbesan, ‘Yes, I forgot your father arrives later in the day’, he said casually and walked hurriedly into the house, leaving them at the gate. I’ll be in my room, I’ve some work to do’, he concluded.
