What Love Did To Him – Episode 4

#EPISODE_4

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But Dad, I am meant to take the post utme exam like every other student, I dont need you to always do things for me your ways, I am 18 you know?”he said to his dad one evening as he stood in his parent room. His dad had actually called him to brief him about his schooling in Benin though he knew his wife must have already done that for him.” son, universities dont run on merit anymore, it all about the connections now. You should be happy you are lucky” his dad told him calmly, his dad actually happens to be gentle than his mom. ” But I want to feel the pains of being a student, Dad. I am a man” He shouted, he knew he couldn’t win the argument but anyways , he had to argue. ” Gabi, there Is nothing to argue here” His mom who had been seating on the bed quietly all this while added, ” Mom, its my life, I need to decide for myself” he countered, ” Its your life,but we are still your parent” His mom clarified. ” But mom…” He tried protesting but his dad stopped him. ” you are very ungrateful you know, you should be happy we made things this easy for you and not working urself up over nothing” his dad raised his tone, he had tried keeping his voice low but his son was just stubborn . ” You are going to uniben and nothing is stopping that”his dad concluded. ” Okay then” Gabi nodded and turned for the door. ” Wait, Uniben is a tough place, dont go there and start showing off your karate skills, stay off trouble” his mom added while he nodded and walked towards the door, he opened it, turned back and took a long stare them before finally existing the room. ” Are you sure this is actually my son, he is so tough” Dr Jason Silas asked his wife, ” Your dad caused it, why did he enroll him in the karate fighting group at a very young age?” Mrs Helen asked with a smile, ” My dad only wanted him to be a man” Dr Jason explained, ” Now he is a man” Mrs Helen concluded and bursted into laughter.

Grandpa Silas had been a very influential man, he had big connections and was very popular. His popularity had made him known lot of people, no wonder he was good friend with Sir Ajan, a karate coach. ” My son Jason is weak and I dont want

my grandson Gabriel to be like him, please help me train him, I just have this feelings I should train him, he might need it one day” Grandpa Silas had told his friend sir Ajan one day as they sat in a bar drinking their favourite, Water. ” Hmm, Silas, you must know Karate isn’t something you jump into, can Gabriel withstand it?” Sir Ajan asked gulping down his glass of water. ” Make him strong, he shouldn’t be weak as his father” Grandpa Silas had told him. ” Okay then, bring him to me tomorrow, we will do our best” Sir Ajan concluded. And that was it, at a very young age of 9, he had been enrolled into a private Karate institution. He had never wanted to do it at first, but when his grandpa cajoled him, he found himself having fun fighting karate. He had done that for five years and then withdrawn when he found out it was affecting his education but anyways, he was almost a pro in it. ” Gabriel, you must not use this on any individual, only for self defence” Sir Ajan had told him on the day he had told him you wanted to withdraw. ” Okay Master Ajan, I won’t use it ” he had assured the old man and truly, he had never used it, not on anyone and no one except his parent had a clue that he was once a karate student. He was calm and friendly only that he had a bad love life. He had always wanted a good girl, a girl who would understand how he is but destiny or fate hasn’t brought any.

“Sir, so you mean there is no way I can register for the post utme?” Queen asked still in tears, the guy was the only one in the cafe and he was trying his possible best to console her. ” What took you so long, why didn’t you come early enough?” He asked her, she wiped her tears with the back of her palms. ” I had to hustle for the money, I raised it on my own” she explained. ” What about your parents?” He asked in pity folding his hands on his chest. ” I dont have a dad but my mom is trying” she explained again. ” Am really sorry, but unilag post utme form has expired” The man concluded as he sat on his armchair. ” Sir, Unilag or Uniben?” Queen asked trying to get if the man had actually made a mistake, ” Wasn’t it Unilag you said?” He asked her looking confused, ” Oh my God, I said Uniben” She shouted throwing her hands up in the air. ” Jeez, sorry , I didn’t hear you well, Uniben own is still on sale” he apologized. ” Thank you!!” She shouted and jumped on him, she herself didn’t know when she had done it.

” So, let’s start, what are you full names?” The cafe man asked her as he opened the Uniben registration portal, he was holding a bottle of water in his hand ” Queen gift Nwok” Queen said in a rushed while the cafe man immediately spat the little water in his mouth on the monitor. ” Queen what?” He asked, ” Queen Nwok” she replied confidently while the man stared at her in shock ” Are you in anyway connected to IGP Nwok?” He asked looking sternly at Queen, ” Yes I am, he is my

mother’s father ” Queen answered staring at the monitor. ” Wait, dont tell me, you are his daughter, and you are struggling to pay for post utme?” He asked as he released his hand from the keyboard. ” Is that your business?” She turned as tears streamed down her eyes again, ” Sorry, did I make you cry? am sorry” he said and faced the monitor. ” Am really sorry ” he muttered again and continued the typing. ” So what’s your second choice?” He asked her, ” Agric” she simply replied, ” Weird girl ” he thought to himself trying not to glance at her. ” Sorry to ask, I need to clarify, Nwok is your mother’s father name, not your father’s father name, that isn’t meant to be your surname ” he said staring at her, ” Please, it isn’t your details, they are mine, just do as I tell you!!!!” She shouted as she forced tears not to fall from her eyes again..

•••

Gabi!!!” His mom shouted interrupting his moment with his flute, Tende. ” What again, Can’t I rest in this house again?” He murmured to himself as he glanced at the time, it was 9:15pm. ” Mom, what is it?” He shouted from his room as he dipped his phone into his pocket and made for the door. ” Gabi, please come now” His mom pleaded from the kitchen, he walked sluggishly to the kitchen. ” This is me” He informed her as he stood by the door, ” Gabi, my king, my hero…” He interrupted ” Mom, I know you want to send me on an errand, what should I buy?” He asked her while she signed, ” you aren’t a romantic son” she smiled, he didn’t reply her. ” Is it because of we want you to go to Uniben?” She asked rubbing his head, ” My son, trust mummy, she wants the best for you” she concluded and pecked him, ” Its okay mom, its fine” he smiled. ” Please, just buy me some cubes of Maggi down the street, I need to prepare stew for tomorrow morning as I would be going out, I forgot the cubes were finished” She said with a pleading eye, she had to ask him sweetly else he won’t go for the errand. ” Okay mom” Gabriel smiled as he collected the money from her, he then walked back to his room to get his cover head jacket, the night was cold. ” Dont stay long!!” His mom shouted to him as he made for the door. ” Okay mom!!” He shouted back as he entered into their large compound and made for the gate. The night was cold and only the moon provided a little light for it, the street was lonely, it wasn’t abnormal, it was always lonely. Lights from bulbs could be seen in some houses , while lanterns could be seen outside some shops. He put on his Jacket cap and walked towards one of the nearest shops where he knew Maggi cubes were being sold. ” Mama Rekpene, give me fifty naira Star Maggi” he shouted from the iron protector, ” Ah ah, is this not the flute boy? Gabriel, when will you come and play your flute for me?” The old woman with scattered teeth asked him as she dipped her hand into a container and

counted five cubes of Maggi, she walked towards the iron protector. ” Mama Rekpene, I will play for you one day” he promised also smiling as he collected the Cubes from her hand, ” The night is cold son, tell Helen not to send you out by this time again” Mama Rekpene instructed with a different facial expression, she wasn’t looking at him, she was looking beyond him. Gabriel turned to see what she was looking at, the bad pipe line boys had arrived.

The pipeline boys, they are fondly called omo oniles by the Yoruba’s, they specialize in causing havoc and bullying people in the neighborhood, the police doesn’t interfere in their affairs because as their names implies, they are the owners of the land. ” you can come into my shop and hide till they go” Mama Rekpene offered, ” No mama, my mum needs these cubes urgently” Gabriel rejected and turned to go, ” You know how troublesome the pipelines boys can be, anyways if you insist, you can go but run” She advised and walked into her shop. ” Old women fears a lot, I haven’t offended them so they can’t harm me” he thought as he covered his head with his jacket and dipped the cubes in his pocket.

” Bros show!!” One of the pipelines boys who was battling with his cigarette shouted as Gabi made to pass them, ” Good afternoon sirs..sorry sirs, good evening” he greeted as he walked towards them, ” I should have stayed with Mama Rekpene o” he thought, ” Oya declare” Another pipeline guy ordered, ” Declare what sir?” Gabriel asked In all sincerity. ” You wan use us play? Bring everything you have with you”Another ordered. ” I have not….” He was saying but was cut short ” Masobe ( Dont say so), you will surely have something, what of your phone? ” The one who had called him first asked, ” It’s in my pocket” Gabriel answered, ” Then drop it for the pipelines boys, kilode ti o shey bi ode bayi? ( Why are you acting like a fool?)” Another with scars on his face asked, ” But it is my phone, not yours , so why should I declare it?” Gabi asked , just then his phone rang, Mom was calling.

• ” So Queen, I wish you goodluck in your upcoming examination” the cafe man told her as he handed her the printout and invitation slip, ” Thank you” Queen turned to go. ” Am sorry for anything you might be passing through” The cafe man added, she turned, shook her head negatively and walked out. ” What a weird girl” the cafe man thought as he continued staring at her until she was out of sight. ” Oh God, do I always have to go through this?” Queen asked herself as she walked back home, ” why can’t I just have a normal life style like any other person?” She asked again and then crossed to the other side of the road, ” can’t I just have peace of mind?” She asked herself.

” Hello mom, have bought it, am coming home now” Gabi told his mom over the phone, he was still standing in front of the muscular , five pipeline boys, they were all staring at him in surprise. ” So guys, please my mom needs me now” he said to no one in particular, ” Werey le leyin o ( this one is a mad man o) collect it from him” The guy with a face scar ordered another one, ” Hand it over in peace” the instructed guy ordered, ” Take” Gabriel surprisingly handed over the phone to him but the pipeline guy refused to collect it, ” I dont want the phone any longer, I want the girl , girl, girl” his voice echoed. ” Which girl?” Gabriel asked in confusion, ” The girl behind you” The same man replied, he was about turning back to see the girl when he felt something like water on his eyes, he rubbed it vigorously and opened it, he was on his bed in his room, his mom was standing in front of him with a bowl of water, there was no one like Mama Rekpene, No one like the pipeline boys, No one like the girl, it Was Just a Dream.

TO BE CONTINUED

#WHAT_LOVE_DID_TO_HIM