Chapter 4: Brotherhood and Hope

Na then, person for back slam desk, shout. Everybody head turn.

My best friend, calm pikin, stand up. Face red, sweat dey im head.

You go see say him dey fight imself. Hand dey tremble, eye dey red.

Teacher vex. "Wetin dey bite you?"

He no even reply teacher. Eye meet my own, he ask, "We be brothers?"

That question touch me. For Naija, brotherhood get weight. If pesin call you brother, e no be play.

I nod, voice steady: "Brothers till we kpai."

He gats my back, he bring out him phone, ready to stand for me.

He go extra. Use ruler, remove e own screen, hand am to me. "If he dey lie, collect my phone join. I trust am, I no fear."

Teacher just shake head. "Na craze dey worry all of una."

He use strength remove the screen, give me, no even fear say e own go spoil too.

As I collect screen, I breathe deep. My hand dey shake, hope dey small.

E dey good to get brother wey no dey fear stand with you.

Na so I get hope. As the world dey dark, small light enter.

I remove the screen, heart dey beat. I dey pray make everything work.

Na there class scatter again. Everybody want see miracle.

Two other boys wey dey into phone work join, dey help. One bring cable, another dey clean board, dey assist.

Teacher dey look watch, dey calculate. "The ten minutes wey una dey waste, multiply am, na how many hours go waste?"

I ginger, press power. Screen dey hang by wire, but I pray make e show logo.

My eye bright. Everybody dey hold breath.

Thank God. I breathe like person wey dem just free from prison.

Nobody fit sit. Even teacher dey peep small, e no wan show interest, but e dey watch.

I click open message app, finger dey shake. My heart dey pound like ogene drum.

Na then wahala start. I see nothing. My own shock, I dey look everybody.

Message blank. My mouth open. For back, some girls dey sigh, boys dey shift.

Teacher face sharp. "Where the message? We don waste time."

I try explain. "Oga, maybe when you break phone, storage spoil. Some app no dey work again."

Teacher no get patience. "You don waste enough time. Carry your wahala commot. I go report for expulsion now."

He point, eye sharp. "All of una wey dey help, punishment dey come."

E face my best friend. "You sef, join am. No difference."

My guy still smile, no fear for face. "Na so brothers dey run am. I no fit abandon my own."

Teacher dey mock. "Make una trust una self. Pack your load, go house. Parents go come sign expulsion letter."

My guy just dey arrange him things, no word. Loyalty tight like knot.

I grip fist. I no fit cry, I no fit shout. But my chest dey shake.

I ask God for mind: "Why?"

I dey pain say my own wahala dey affect my padi. But e dey for me, so I dey proud.