Gradually, everything settles around me. The youth corpers catch their fun by going to Ife or the palm-wine joint in Abagboro, which I found amusing, because I never knew it existed. When I’m in the mood to have a refreshing, relaxing evening, I follow them. Much of my entertainment is to watch the village drunks display while the owner of the joint, a fat, dark-skinned woman called Iya Elemu I’d never met before, top up their cups.

“How does she get her money back?” I ask Kenny one of the evenings, when the woman kept refilling a man’s cup despite the fact that he was dead drunk.

Kenny laughs. “Iya Elemu. She knows where she catches them o.”

We return to our accommodation the corpers now tagged “Aluta Quarters” in a sober mood. Kenny is drunk and touching Fortuna indecently. She’s tipsy as well. Jang did not follow us, never does because he is more committed to God than any of us.

Toro and Steve as usual are not in, or perhaps asleep or fighting. Hard to tell the things they do sometimes.

I prepare my bed and crawl in, glad to have this privacy to myself. I open my diary and write a poem for Bisi. It’s my aphrodisiac. I’d written quite a few before, when I wanted her so much, a cold shower didn’t do the trick.

In moments of want

I think of you

So far so near

I think of you

Through thin through thick

I think of you

I think of you

Though you don’t know

I think of you

Though time will tell

I think of you

My love my life

Cos thoughts of you

Do feed my dream

I close my diary and hug it to me.

I hear Kenny and Fortuna talk a little too loud for the time of day. Jang paces the back of our windows praying aloud too.

I hug my diary to me and close my eyes.

The following evening, Foyeke comes to Aluta Quarters after school hours with a bowl of corn pap and local mixed vegetable soup.

Fortuna calls me over to Kenny’s room for a meal. I never pass up an invitation to eat because I still don’t cook. I’m surprised these teachers allow a student to cook for them. Even Jang, who seems usually disconnected from the rest of us joins in.

I feel a little uncomfortable with Foyeke and the cold rift between us but I ignore it for the sake of the others. The vegetable soup is well-cooked and tastes nice.

Kenny feeds the cold corn pap to Foyeke, and she feeds him too. My mind reels. I hope this is not a set up. Does Kenny know she’s the village head’s daughter? I don’t want to associate with this. Yet, a quick glance around and I seem to be the only man uncomfortable so I keep my thoughts to myself.

Steve and Toro arrive and come into the room.

“Just to say hi all, and we’re back,” Toro says at the doorway.

“I was smelling the soup about a mile away.” Steve sits on the floor where we all surrounded the bowls of food. “My hands are clean.” He dips his hand in the pap and touches it on the vegetable soup. “Hmmm.”

“Aha, Steve. You’re such a funny person. Don’t you plan to eat the rice I boiled?”

“With your tasteless stew.” He laughs. “Come and join us. This is very nice.” Steve tweaks Foyeke’s cheek and the silly girl laughs.

Kenny slaps Steve’s hand and both men laugh. I look at Toro. She stares at Steve with a hard expression.

“Well, goodnight everyone.”

“Goodnight, Toro.”

I was the only who responded. We finish the meal and stand. Foyeke packs the bowls and takes them to the kitchenette. How many times has she done this? It is just not right.

“Thanks for the meal.” I say to no one in particular. “Goodnight.”

There’s a chorus response. I leave the room but the others remain. I’m not willing to get entangled in a student-teacher-student affair and I wish Steve would treat Toro with some more respect, regardless.

I’m morose and though I pull off my clothes and prepare for bed, I wonder if it is in my place to caution Toro. She’s not a kid anyway, but I don’t think she can take care of herself.

I curl on my bed and write a grieving poem for Bisi, then I hug the diary to my chest and close my eyes. Toro’s side of the block is quiet but the other side gets noisy. I suspect they are playing a game or so. I’ve seen them play cards several times but I never joined in.

After a while, Fortuna opens her door next to mine on the other side. She hums for a while and I doze. But I am startled awake by consistent knocking.

“Abbey, are you awake? Please open up.”

I jump to my feet. “Jang?”

“Yes. I want to sleep in your room.”

I unlock the door. “What happened?”

Jang looks confused and disoriented. “I don’t support this.” He walks in and paces.

I lock the door and turn to him. “What?”

“She, the girl from the village, is spending the night.”

I shrug. “I guess Kenny knows what he’s doing.” I sincerely hope.

Jang clenches his teeth. “And Steve?”

  Image of man courtesy of Photo stock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net