Dr Fixit (121 - 130)

 121

we added our own words and message to it.

With a made-up lyrics, I jumped on my feet 

to such a hit blaring across the neighbourhood 

and my happiness was soon I'd know every dude 

and dame who composed the beat from the cards 

my new friend, Bendit, had with him. Now, I had 

a new vision too - I wanted to be big,

real big, and to have my face like the stars sit

on a card too. The door opened, I threw 

my bag and uniform on the bed and withdrew 

122

into the kitchen, touching this, opening that 

till I found my food and the pot I dragged 

near the low stool at the centre and sat 

on it to eat. It was ahfang soup and fufu. I tapped

my free on the side of the stool 

while the other moulded balls of fufu which in the soup

I dipped and then swallowed them. Done eating,

I washed my hands and utensils for cooking,

put my school things properly away 

and to the other rear building I let my feet stray 

123

to meet the children of my grandma's 

co-wife who were busy on their verandahs 

after coming back from their different schools.

They had with them different tools 

peeling and washing tubers of cassava.

Near the half wall at the front verandah,

I stood long near the entrance and then asked 

for a knife. But instead, another task 

they said I should carry out for them.

They were all girls and the oldest, a maiden,

124

sent me to go meet her friend in the compound 

adjoining their house and asked where in our town 

I would find the stuff called 'ehtoh hedakha'

which I'd borrow and bring it back to her.

Swiftly, I strode into the adjoining compound 

and asked for the said person which I found 

busy in their kitchen and passed on

the message. 'Oh, my Goodness, quickly run 

back to the street. My sister just took it

to go give to my grandma,' said Lookit.

125

'If you had come a second earlier,

you definitely would have got it.' To the sister,

I streaked across two streets slipping through 

hedges to catch up with her pace. It seemed I flew 

before Lookit's sister because I was told 

she hadn't reached there yet or if I could hold 

my stay for a while, we would meet.

I waited long. Then, someone suggested the feet 

of Lookit's sister could have turned elsewhere.

They doubted if the message I did hear.

126

I told them what I said was what I heard.

An old army ant with gray hair on his beard 

argued with me. 'You got the message wrong,

my son. I'm glad your bones are still quite strong.

Run back and ask again so you don't waste 

ample time. Of course, I left the place in a haste.

But then, I met Bendit with a bucket 

heading my way and though like a rocket 

I'd flown, I'd halted and told him the message 

I'd been sent. He laughed. 'In this time and age,'

127

he said, 'you don't know in all of Antburg,

there's no object by such name. You got

into trouble for visiting your kith and kin 

and stood there like a stranger would've been.

Army ants don't wait to be told to sit down,

eat and drink. We feel at home all across the clan.'

I smiled and nodded. So the message was a prank.

I went home with Bendit through the rear flank 

of the hedge around grandma's compound.

Hedges of evergreen shrubs did surround

128

everyone's compound when I was growing up.

Barbed wires were around the homes of those at the top 

of government establishments, big shops,

factories, hospitals and the precincts of the cops.

The most famous concrete wall 

in our town was that of the prison. Quite tall

it was that no roof of any nearby structure 

was taller than it. Who would nurture 

escape from it would die with their futile dream.

I picked my bucket and headed to the stream 

129

after I'd informed my grandma.

After cackling, those who tricked me did holler 

we waited for them. By the time 

we left our neighbourhood, we were nine -

five boys and four girls. The stadium route 

we followed. We were all in fun mood.

Passing the stadium, we stopped under 

a mango tree. Our feet searched to uncover

any fallen mango hidden in the grass.

What we found was enough for every lass 

130

and lad. While some sat in their buckets

and sucked them as some from their pockets 

brought out packs of cards from the packets 

of bubble gum. One boy had ten with their jackets 

still on and he distributed them to us who had 

no card at all to chew the gum and the card 

gave it to him. Bendit and two other boys 

were the ones with the cards. But two were to toss 

at any given time. Bendit asked the others

to start while  we watched from the borders