Misty Morning

The clock was reading at exactly five o clock in the morning, the alarm clock went off, but He refused to get up. Then, it rang again and again and out of frustration he hit the clock so hard it fell off the bed to the floor and shattered. The shattering sound made him jut out of bed just to be sure if the clock is not broken. Fortunately, only the battery was out of its place in the clock, 'Thank God' he sighed. It was the beginning of a new term in school, he was not so happy about it. 'Nothing good comes out of school' he said to himself as he completely threw off the blanket, first thing he did was to go to his playlist on the mp3 connected to a speaker. But, just as he was about pressing the play button he remembered he had not said his morning prayers, the thought of kneeling to pray, came to him but as soon as it came, he shut it out and pressed the play button he wanted to have pressed in the first place. The playlist began with his favorite song by Nelly Furtado 'All good things come to an end'

Honestly, what would become of me? Don't like reality,

It's way too clear to me. But really, life is dandy

We are what we don't see, we miss everything day dreaming.

Flames to dust

Lovers to friends

Why do all good things come to an end?

Come to an end ...…

The song continued, and he sang along knowing every lyric to it and every beat break in the song. His mom was already up doing all necessary cleanings in the house.

'Morning Mother'

'Morning' his mother responded. Hey, you know it is the beginning of a new term, you should not be late to school o, go and have your bath now.

'Am not a kid mum, stop reminding me what to do, and besides, why do you make it sound as if first day of resumption is so important than any other day?' she was quiet and she continued with her works ignoring him like no one had spoken.

He took his bath and was in his room preparing for school, his mp3 was still playing the playlist of songs already created. Now the time was reading at about twenty minutes past six. He was done with everything he needed to do including having his breakfast which was fried yam with egg and was ready for school, there was more than enough money in his wallet but still his mother would give him some more just in case. Sam had everything he needed, everything a boy his age would need, and the only thing he might seem to lack was the attention he did not always get from his parents. He turned off his player and left for school at about seven o clock exact. Sam did not really have friends, so most times, he had a lone and quiet sad walk home and to school. He got to school and nothing much had changed, the school painting remained old and faddy, the classes were all cleaned up. The only change he noticed was the school flower, it had grown a lot bigger and occupied much more space in the compound which made the school looked more beautiful and also new teachers were employed.

He used to think of it this way, High school is a world onto its own. Students seem to have organized themselves into different segments in which he chooses to call NATIONS. Everybody had a place to fit in, had a role to play. The so called 'big boys' who sometimes looked overfed, with their belt way below their waist and some 'The normal low lifers' some 'The unchanging stubborn boys' and the same applied to the girls. He could not fit in any of the NATIONS, so he created in himself the idea of causing no conflict with anyone and having an easy pass to everywhere. 'I hate high school' he said between whispers, he had a problem relating with people, as he was believed to be an introvert. He hummed his favorite song as he walked along the hallway to his classroom.

Why do all good things come to an end?

Come to an end...

His shoe lace loosened at a corridor and he stopped to tighten it, he did not stop his humming but he heard some teachers talking in the class room by which he was. He was of no interest to what they were talking about, but his ears definitely caught a voice saying 'Her test was today?' The voice sounded sad, shocked, and sober but still Sam was of no concern and was done tightening his shoe lace as he continued humming till he got to his class. He entered the class and lecture has not begun and the teacher was yet to come, some students were on sit while some were standing in corners and others probably giving themselves an account of how and where they spent their vacation. This relieved Sam a bit as he moved in search of a sit by the window, he loved sitting by the windows, he loved watching the blue skies, loved watching the blue and white colour mix in the clouds during the day and the black garment with a stone design that is usually spread across the face of the sky at nights, the combination do look as if someone was wearing a black garment with a beautiful design of shinny stones all over it, that is what he imagines the dark clouds to be most times. He enjoyed staring at the clouds, staring into nothingness, staring into a void space, he believes behind the clouds lies his answers, lies all answers, answers to the entire questions he had ever asked himself.

'But why did God decide to paint the cloud White and Blue by Day? Of all the colours in the world, how was he so sure that the best colour combination for the cloud is White and Blue, why not White and Wine or White and yellow or better still, just pure White'. He was still staring at the clouds making an argument within him as the teacher for the period walked in and ready to teach. It was the Math teacher who had a very rough and an unshaved beard. He hated Math, not only did he hate the subject but whoever teaches it, because he could not understand how a human could understand and interpret the meaning of symbols combined with numbers and sometimes notes. Math was a frustrating subject to Sam and he never for once paid any serious attention to it, yet he had never failed the subject or any subject, he was a student slightly above average. Mr. Tunde already began teaching as Sam was still lost in his world of how a man could dedicate his own life to the understanding of notes mixed with symbols and numbers. The world seemed to have a slow button and God or maybe an Angel must have pushed it, cause if not, why hasn't this man's class ended by now? He soliloquized, lamenting why the class has not ended yet. Just as if God heard his thought few seconds after, the period was over and he had this feeling of listening to a sermon to be over, He took a deep breath as if he had been holding it throughout the class. After a few more classes, it was time for break, students rushed out of class like they had been serving a jail term for years and finally released. Some had nothing to do, but would sometimes still follow other students to rush out of class just for the fun of it. For Sam, it was a silly thing to do, he remained in his sit and since he had no one in particular he could call a friend or someone to mingle with, he just turned his face again to the clouds watching the skies. Now the sun had risen almost to the highest point and its rays were hitting his eyes directly each time he tried to look up the sky.

After school hours, students walked in groups, some in groups of three or more. Sam was still packing his books in which most were filled with drawings.

'Oh Sam, never knew you were in school today, how was your vacation? My, you look taller'

Remilekun was a dark girl who had bright white eyes like his, with face so spotless. She too was tall, but not as tall as Sam, she had very straight legs with curvy hips, her skirt could not reach her kneels anymore, which made her appear sexier, Her smile revealed a sparkling set of white teeth which always left Sam wondering if those teeth were actually all natural, She is the kind of girl most guys would sort after.

'Yes, I came a bit late and my vacation was nice, Thanks'. He replied. Sam only answers to what he is been asked and nothing more, a part of him wishes to continue the chat with this Dark beauty, this goddess of cuteness, this girl Sam sees as the real definition of the word 'BEAUTIFUL' but he could not. He does not know how to start a conversation or keep a conversation alive; his quietness and maybe his boring lifestyle now seemed like a virus that infects anything that comes in contact with him. Sam searched for words in his head, searched for questions to ask her but nothing came, he felt disappointed in himself as they both stared at each other in silence.

Remilekun broke the silence 'Anyways, will see you some other time, Am kind of late now, you will be in school tomorrow right?'

'Oh yes, I will be' He replied as he watched her run carefully down the stairs, The running made her breast obvious as they were bigger than they were last section, firmly held in her bra but yet caught his eyes and attention, sometimes colliding with each other. 'We will meet tomorrow I guess' he said, but to himself. Everyone had left, only those who chose to wait behind to read or have a private lesson with their teachers were left in school. Sam embarked on his sad, lone, quiet and boring long walk home, sometimes he does enjoy his walks but most times he wished he had company to roll with. He was home sooner, and for some weird reason he had taken a shortcut, a shortcut a friend once made him know. The gates were locked, he knew very well where the keys are usually hidden, and his mom does hide the keys under some flowers by the fence in case nobody was home when he arrived. Sam picked up the key, opened the gate and the door to the parlor. Home, of a four bedrooms flat and mom had travelled for a friend's mom's burial ceremony which is to hold in Ibadan, she would be back in two to three days. Sam knew this after reading the note mom had left him on the dining table. The note was firmly placed under a glass cup half filled with water.

Hey Dear,

Sorry I didn't inform you earlier on, it totally slipped my mind. I will be travelling to Ibadan today for mummy Ileri's mom's burial. The burial is tomorrow and am going to pass the night at her place, so will be back home in two days or three. Oh, I left you a little package on the Kitchen cabinet, Stay safe, and Love you.

Mother.

He felt a painful sting in his heart reading the note, though it was not the first time mom had left him alone in the house, he had probably gotten used to the feeling of loneliness but with each time the thought struck his mind, it brought along a sharp pain to his heart. A pain which sometimes really had him wondering if it is normal to live like this.

'Oh well, safe journey mom' He said, still looking at the note as if a display picture of his mother was attached to it and the picture was talking to him, and him replying. He dropped his bag, walked straight to the kitchen and saw the package in which his mom mentioned in the note. The package was a white envelope and was not properly sealed. He did not even bother opening it, like he knew what was already in the envelope. He just put the envelope back inside his bag and left it there. He proceeded to the fridge and brought out a sweaty well chilled juice, he gulped it down without pouring it out into a cup, and he definitely was hungry. There was more than enough to eat at home, food never was a problem but making what to eat is the problem. Sam was lazy when it came down to cooking; He hated cooking, so he just took the bread on the fridge and ate it with the juice. He headed straight to his room, turned on the T.V, connected his 'XBOX' and started playing his favourite video game titled 'SPLINTER CELL CONVICTION', He derived so much joy in video games especially the Action-adventure types, whereby you have to go on a quest to save a kingdom, sometimes to find answers and also at times you have to rescue a whole country from a terrorist attack. Games like that are what he enjoyed playing, and are what kept his company. He was still playing his video game when he heard a knock on the gates, he paused to go check out who it was, behind the gates was a man, probably in his mid-forties. He had a well shaved beard and a very clean spec he applied on his face, he was huge and his voice was thick but clear, he was nicely dressed as if going for an appointment. Sam wondered who the man could be; could it be one of Dad's friends?

'Pardon me, my young sir' The man cut in before his mind could wonder any farther, A thousand thought already came rushing into his head and if the man had not cut in, he would still be wondering.

'Am a Doctor and am wondering if am at the right place as described to me, please is this Block 9 shagari Estate?'

'Yes, yes this is shagari Estate but not block 9. Block 9 is three more buildings from here… It has a red gate with yellow and purple flowers by the fence, you cannot miss it'.

'Thank you so much my young sir'

Sam watched the man walk back into his car and zoomed off; as he shut the gates back, he could not help but wonder what was happening in block 9, Rachael's house. Reaching back for his video game, power had been ceased and everything was void again, his only companion was dead and solitude crawled in. He finished his juice and crawled into bed, he gazed at the drawing of the moon he had made on the wall and an animated figure of him smiling that he also had drawn. Sam does not smile a lot; he wears an indifferent face unconsciously most times. In bed, he wondered why his mother would leave him just to go for a burial party, he also wondered what his future would look like, what marriage felt like, what having kids felt like and what God looks like and what is he always thinking about, why is he called an awesome God? Is it because nobody had actually seen him? Or is it because he is the biggest thing in the world? Questions kept trooping in and answers were not provided. Just before he dozed off, he reached out to his mp3 player and turned it on, applied his earpiece and the player began with his favourite music 'All good things come to an end' by 'Nelly Furtado'

Honestly, what would become of me? Don't like reality,

It's way too clear to me. But really, life's a dandy

We are what we don't see, means everything is day dreaming.

Flames to dust

Lovers to friends

Why do all good things come to an end?

Flames to dust

Lovers to friends

Why do all good things come to an end?

Come to an end

Come to an end ...…

He sang along in whispers as the song sank into his heart, mind and soul. His eyes gradually shuts as he was not listening to the music with his ears anymore but now with his heart and it brought greater meaning to him. Sam was asleep and taking each breath like it was his last, like a child whose mom had sang a lullaby and found solace. The music continued as he dived deeper into slumber.

Come to an end.........