Bukky - S01 E17

Story 2 years ago

Bukky - S01 E17

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 17

Bukky instructed her sales girls on how to sell the bean cake,

bread and corn pap. She had just increased the prices of her

wares and her customers were already complaining. It wasn’t

her fault. Everyone knew how hard things had become in the

country. Everything from foodstuff to social amenities had

gone up. At times, she wondered how people were coping.

Taking her compound for example, she noticed that most

families barely ate thrice a day. Breakfast and dinner had

become the order of the day. Many avoided coming to the

kitchen because they did not want others to know what they

were cooking. The landlady warned her tenants that anyone

caught cooking in their rooms would be sent packing, but,

people paid no attention to her.

She hoped that the situation of things in the country would

change for better soonest. The masses were suffering while a

few people squandered the nation’s wealth. She wished super

heroes like Superman and Captain American were really in

existence. The country needed to be rescued from the fangs

of greedy and selfish people who think of themselves and

loath the common man.

She did a quick estimate of how much she might earn that

day and left her sales girls in charge. She wasn’t going to be

around. She was taking her examinations that morning at the

Adult Education Centre. If she passed, she would be issued

her First School Leaving Certificate. If she failed, she would

be asked to retake the examinations over and over again,

until she passed it. Initially she had been afraid, but, after

series of study section with Chike, she became confident. She

was sure that she was going to pass. She had also prayed and

asked God for success. Although she was nervous, she

believed that everything would work out for her own good.

xxxxxx

Gbemiga called his girlfriend’s number again and again, but,

he couldn’t reach her. He was beginning to suspect that she

probably blocked his line. Why did she do something like

that? Was it because they slept together? At least, he didn’t

force himself on her. She gave him access. What did she

expect? They were not made of wood. They had emotions

and desires. The thought that she had actually barred his

number on her phone infuriated him. He threw his phone on

the bed and leaned against the wall.

He loved the girl. He craved for her in such insatiable way

each time he was alone with her. She was like a drug he was

addicted to. The God that made the rules that unmarried

people should avoid sleeping with one another would

definitely understand that it was a near-impossible task.

He hoped his girlfriend would come around soon. He was

finding it hard to resist the advances of girls in his class and

those that live in his hostel building. If Bukky kept giving him

a hard time, he might eventually turn to these girls for sexual

satisfaction. After all, they were around him almost every

day, while his girlfriend avoided him most time during the

holidays.

There were times he wondered why he asked her out in the

first place. The initial feelings he had for her were beginning

to wear off. Come to think of it, does he really love her? Or

was he just driven by the fact that she wasn’t an easy prey

like the girls he was used to?

xxxxxx

Bukky returned home tired and hungry. She met her aunt’s

absence. The woman sent her a text earlier that she had an

occasion to attend and might not return home until the next

day. She had her bath and changed into a white sleeveless

knitted blouse and a pair of blue knee length shorts. She

prepared a meal of plantain flour, popularly called amala,

and ewedu soup with meat stew. She settled on the carpet

floor, in front of the flat screen television and ate with relish.

She finished the meal in a matter of minutes, set the plates

aside, washed her hands and returned to her position in

front of the television. It’s been a while since she had the

television all to herself. Whenever her aunt was around, the

woman colonized the T.V set.

She heard the knocks on the door and groaned. She got up

and dragged her feet to the front door. She turned the key

and opened the door. She gasped in surprise when she found

her friend by the doorway.

“Hello stranger,” he smiled at her.

“Chike…”

“Where have you been?” he walked into the room,

She scratched a spot on her head and closed the door.

“Every time I come to your shed, I meet your sales girls,” he

sat on the plastic chair adjacent to the television.

Bukky returned to her spot in front of the television, “I had

exams.”

“Oh…” he searched her face, “I didn’t know that you have

started.”

“Four papers to go.”

“Nice, my second semester examination is starting next

week.”

She met his gaze, “Good luck.”

“Thanks. How has the examination been?”

She shrugged, “More or less like what we have been taught

and drilled with for months.”

“Okay,” his eyes remained on her face.

“I believe that I am going to pass. God owes me a birthday

gift.”

“Oh really? See levels,” her confidence gladdened his heart.

He had been a bit worried about her.

She laughed lightly and returned her attention to the T.V

screen.

“You and Zee World,” he eyed the T.V set.

“I use it to relax,” she defended her actions.

He rolled his eyes.

“You and Sports channel,” she turned to look at him.

“It is better than all these fictional pretentious non-existence

love portrayed on Televista, Telemundo, Zee World and what

not.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Have you called your boyfriend and wished him luck in his

examinations?”

She blinked and turned her head. She didn’t want to talk

about Gbemiga. She had a lot of things to iron out with him

when he returned home for the long holiday.

“Bukky…”

“Hmm…” she looked up at him.

“What is it?” he sensed that something was bothering her.

She shook her head.

He got up and came to sit by her side, “Bukky…”

“Chike, I am not in the mood.”

“You know that you can always talk to me,” he observed her

pale face.

“I am fine. He is fine. We are fine.”

He raised an eyebrow. Doubt clouded his face. “Bukky…”

She hissed, got up and went to the bed. She lay down, hoping

that he would get the message and leave.

“Bukky…” he got up and came to sit by her side.

“Chike go away!” she lashed out at him and turned on her

side, facing the wall, “I said I am not in the mood.”

He stared at the back of her head, sighed heavily and got up.

He found his way out of the room and shut the door.

xxxxxx

Bukky stood with a group people in front of the notice

board. She scanned the white sheet listed with names of

students who wrote the Common Entrance examination. She

found her name and saw the bolded letters beside it

‘PASSED’. She screamed with joy and pulled away from the

crowd. God had answered her prayers. He had just given her

an early birthday gift. She looked up and stared at the blue

sky, face brightened with joy. Her dream of getting educated

was unfolding in leaps and bounds.

She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and called her

mother. The woman was excited and impressed that her

daughter was leaving the illiterate class. Soon she would be

able to boast and tell all who cared to listen that her

daughter was now educated.

She thought of calling Chike, but, wasn’t sure if he would pick

her call. It had been a while since he came to her shed. She

had a feeling that he might be upset at the way she treated

him the last time he visited. She heard from students in the

area that the second semester examination had already

started. Maybe he was probably busy studying.

She missed his company. She hoped that he wasn’t angry

with her.