Straight Boys 25 A touch of Home That night was filled with fun. We had so much fun and so much to eat. We were so happy. I actually felt a little bit different because of what my brother had told me. I did not know that all the pain I had caused myself and my parents also affected them. I did not know that the pain I created transferred to multiple people. I wonder how many more people would have felt the pain of me—just me—being so angry. When it was time for bed, Mustafa offered to allow Obi to stay in the room with me, and he went to stay over with Ejiro. So in Martin's room, there were three guys, and in Tunde's room, there were also three. The week that was given for the matric break was coming to an end, so everybody was busy trying to rush back to school and complete their assessments because it was almost exam period. I was more concerned about my brother, who got admission late, and how he could cope. I had to help him do some assignments so that he would be able to meet up with classes and all. To my greatest surprise, everybody contributed to helping him copy notes and keep up to date. The guys, Nathaniel and Larry, had bought new higher education notes for him to congratulate him on his admission. I was just surprised. Tunde had gotten him one of the most expensive textbooks for his department. I didn’t know what to say. Not until Mustafa bought him a student’s handbag and other things he would need for school daily. The guys all surprised me. I almost shed tears when they handed him all these gifts. He, too, became so emotional. He did not know how to show it, but I can tell you that my brother was more manly than I am. He did not shed a tear or make any sign—just said thank you and gave me all that they got him. That was two mornings after he had arrived. I didn’t know that the guys had already planned all this for him. We had so much food. We had not even finished the ones that Ejiro’s sister brought for us, plus the ones my mother had cooked, and the ones that Tunde had recently cooked—not knowing that my mother was going to give us even more food. So the house was filled with a lot of food to last us at least a month, eating at our normal ratio—morning and evening. Everybody took care of themselves in the afternoon, except when we were all around, then we could find something to eat for lunch. But we mostly ate breakfast and dinner. Some of us did not eat breakfast because we had early morning lectures, so they all rushed for their lectures early in the morning. I was not having any classes the next day, so I followed my brother to take a studio picture of him in Martin's matric gown so that he could have a memory to preserve. But within all this activity and everything going on, I had not really had a chance to speak to Martin. He had been trying to reach out to me, but I had not given him the opportunity. One time, he called out my name, but I pretended to have a phone call and walked out of the room. I did not know how to look at him or how to speak to him anymore. I don’t know if I was feeling ashamed or what, but I could not just face him anymore. I don’t know what happened, and I guess he felt the same way too. But he was very instrumental in helping with school and everything. He is a very good boy—intelligent. It was through his notes that others were able to help my brother meet up with notes so that he could read and prepare for his exams. I had told all of them that if he did very well in his exams, that meant they all contributed to his success. Naturally, my brother is a very intelligent boy. It took us two days before I drove the car back to the house, carrying back all the warmers and coolers Mama had used in making meals for us. When I got home, it was around 3 PM. She was around with my younger brother. Eke: "So you guys have finally left only me in this house?" Me: "Nobody left you. You are doing the most important job of all." Eke: "Which is?" Me: "Taking care of Mama and Papa." Eke: "Don't deceive me, biko." Me: "Haha! No one is deceiving you. You are doing the right thing, my dear brother." Eke: "But you know you have to be coming back sometimes, right? So that I'll be seeing you." Me: "What about Obi? Am I the only one you want to be seeing?" Eke: "Yes, for now. It's just you. I have seen him too much. I barely saw you when you went to school. And when you came back, you got admission. I barely had time with you, and now you are in school. I will try so that I will enter school before you graduate." Me: "Yeah, that will be nice. Finally, when you enter school, I will have one year with you. But I promise I will always be with you whenever I can. Wow, that reminds me—Mama, I have something to ask." Mama Emeka: "And what is it, nna m?" Me: "Can Eke come and visit us in school during mid-term break? Maybe two or three days, so that he will just be around us, and then we will bring him back? Since he is all alone now at home." Mama Emeka: "Hmmm… You and I know that I have no hand in deciding that. When your father comes, you tell him." Me: "But Mama, you can tell him yourself. You know I will be going back to school soon. I can't wait for him to come back. Since they made him the district manager, he comes back home late." Mama Emeka: "Ohooo! Now you see it? Don’t send me a message. If you want to tell him, you have to stay over and tell him yourself. Besides, you are not going to class tomorrow, is it not next week school will open? Me, I know that I did not go to university like you, but I know that they have a matric break." By whiteman micheal Me: Hahaha, ahaha, Mama m, don't say such things. University or no University, you are the best mother in the whole world. Even my friend that came here the other day for the first time already loves you like this. Mama Emeka: I am a mother now, what else will I do? I cannot be anything else except Mama. And I gave my mum a kiss and hugged her tightly. Eke: Big bro, stay now for me. I looked at him in his eyes, and I could see the pure love he had for me, so I decided to stay. I called Mustafa on the phone and asked him to take care of my bro, that I would not be coming back since I had important things to do at home for my parents, as there was no one else at home. That evening, I waited for my father while helping my brother with some assignments and helping my mother with some teacher’s jobs that my other brother used to assist her with before. It was happy and nice for me staying at home for at least one day. When my father came back late in the evening, let’s say by 6 p.m., he was surprised to see me at home but was happier than all those who had been at home. When I told him I had stayed back just to see him and ask for a favor, he did not wait to ask me what the favor was. He just went in, had his meal, took his bath, and took me out to have a beer. On this occasion, my brother had to come with us. Papa was just so happy having me around. He practically addressed me now as a full-grown man, sizing me up and asking me when I would bring the girl I was with. It occurred to me then that I had not experienced the other part of my life. He had ordered beer and goat head for me and my younger brother, but my younger brother was to take soda and not the beer. Just my father and I took beer. Papa Emeka: Nna, you are growing so fast. When I was your age, I was not as big as this. Is it because of the army school you went to? See muscles everywhere! Me: Hahaha, Papa, it’s just a normal body. There are no muscles. I have even stopped carrying weights. Papa Emeka: Oh, oh, I hear you. So who is now pumping the weight on the body? You know you young men have pumping machines in school. Me: Hahahahaha! Please, oh! I don’t have any pumping machine, oh. I am a holy boy, ooo. Papa Emeka: Iya, make I hear. Eke: Hahahaha, ahahaha, ahaha! Me: You are laughing at your dad? Eke: And you are also laughing! Papa Emeka: I know all these things. I know all these things. But I’m just joking. You think I don’t know all these things? Let me tell you, when I was a young man like you before I met your mother, I had three girlfriends. Me: Wow, eh! Eke: Papa, did you say three? You mean only you had three? Was it at once or systematically? Papa Emeka: Hahaha! What do you mean, "at once or systematically"? Come here, this boy! You are too small to be listening to adults' talk. It is not for you; it is for your brother here. Well, the three of them happened in the same year. I don't know whether it was the same month. Don’t ask me that one! Hahahahaha! Me: Ahhh, Papa, why? Hahaha, ahahahaha, hahaha, haaa! Papa Emeka: Abigail, Mercy, and Favour. Well, I met Abigail from church, and Mercy was my neighbor, living in the same off camp hostel with me that year at UNN Nsukka. Then I cannot remember exactly where I met Favour. I think maybe it was on the bus or in the market, but she was so fine! In fact, she was more beautiful than all of them. My neighbor, Mercy, she could cook! That was how she deceived me into eating food, and before you know it, we started eating other things started from there. Hahahaha As soon as he said this, I just remembered how Mustafa got into his own relationship. It was exactly the same way! So these ladies can just use food? No wonder they say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Papa Emeka: But Abigail, now, church prayer warrior. You know we used to pray that time. We were in the same society in the church. We used to pray, and she could pray very, very well. Because of her prayers, I just liked her. I felt like anytime I was around her, her prayers worked. But she had other needs, and we had to meet her other needs too. Do you understand? Hahahahaha! Me: Papa, you will spoil Eke, ooo! Papa Emeka: Mchew! Spoil somebody that is already spoilt? What spoil do I want to spoil him again? Eke: Ah ah, Papa, I’m not spoilt! I’m a small boy! Papa Emeka: You think I don’t know what you do at night? You take your mother’s phone, and you enter the bathroom. Everywhere is now smelling like something I don’t know. Me: Ahhh, Eke! Hahahaha! They caught you! They have caught you! Eke: Papa, so you wake up? Hahahaha! Papa Emeka: It is my house! I can wake up anytime and do anything I want! Me: But Papa, why didn’t you stop him since you saw him? Or shout at him? Papa Emeka: Let me tell you, young man. We learn every day. Even as parents, we learn. The way I treated you as a son is not the same way I treated your brothers. I learned. What should I have done to him so that he would not be angry at me like you were angry at me? For how many months or years, you did not even come home! So there is no way I’m going to treat the other boys like that, so they will not hate me like you did. Me: No, I didn’t hate you! I can never hate you. I love you with all my life like this! By whitman micheal join us on facebook OurStory TB Papa Emeka: "And I know that you do not hate me. So, the other reason why I did not stop him is because he's a man. A man does what a man does. When I was his age, I did worse. I think that time, to get petroleum jelly—we called it oil for our body back then—the thing used to finish every time. My mother would be asking who drank it, not knowing it was being used for something else." All: "Hahahaha! Hahahaha!" 😂 Me: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣! Papa, you were a bad boy!" Papa Emeka: "Emeka, you are the son of a bad boy!" Me: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!" I enjoyed every bit of that evening with my father and my brother. It was such a nice time for me. I would have regretted it if I had gone to school without staying to have this fun time. I did not know what was to come. I was so happy to see my dad laughing and sharing some fun moments with him. Yeah, also, there were many things he told me that I would not be writing or telling you people in this book. I love my dad so much. Me: "But Papa, out of the three of us, who do you think is going to be more like you? Like, who will behave like you or have three girlfriends like you did?" Papa Emeka: "The answer is simple because I already know it. I saw it in all of you. You see you, like this—you are my carbon copy, like a photocopy printout. Everything that is written for me is written for you. Everything I did is what you will do. If you have not started flowing around with the ladies for now, I think maybe it's due to your own decision. I don't want to relate it to whatever happened in your past, but I know it’s your own decision. But I know you want it because it is in my blood, and it is in your blood. And whatever is in your blood is in my blood! "Can't you see your younger brother? This one that has not even reached SS3? See what he is doing with his mommy's phone! Let me catch you near my own phone, and you will see what I will do to you!" Eke: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!" Somehow, Papa was right about everything he had said, but I really did not know how I could relate it to my life right now. Maybe I can, maybe I wouldn't. That night, while we were out having fun, I didn't know that my mother had already entered the kitchen to make me nice soup. When I came back, I told her that the soup she gave us that was stored in the refrigerator was still there. She said I should still take more. She didn't want me, my brother, Mustafa, or Ejiro to go hungry. She told me that whenever we needed cooked meals, we should always come home so that she could give us at least a painter of well-cooked soup. Then she asked me if Ejiro was coming along and getting better. When I told her that his sister had finally reached out and had dropped some food for us, she was so happy and asked me to give her Ejiro’s sister’s number. She wanted to reach out to the family and have a personal conversation with them. I obliged and gave it to her so she could reach out. My mom is a real loving and caring woman. “I love you mummy, I said”. When I had my bath and entered the room, my younger brother came to take my phone. I was wondering if he was going to do the same thing he had been doing with my mother's phone, but I did not ask him. I just hugged him and slept off behind him while he was in front, busy with my phone. At School Martin was in his room, arranging his books. He went out to bring in the clothes he had washed earlier before he heard a knock on the door. Martin: "Yes? Who is that?" Obi: "It's me. Good evening. How are you?" Martin: "Well, I'm good, I'm good. How was your day? Is everything okay?" Obi: "Fine, fine. I want to say thank you. Thank you for everything—like your notes, bringing me up to speed, everything you did. Like, they really helped me catch up on time, and yeah, thank you so, so much." Martin: "Well, thanks to your big brother. He's also my big brother. He helped me when I came to school with most things I needed, and he was my support and everything. It's just that things went weird between us." Obi: "Yeah, I noticed. Did anything happen? You guys have been acting strange around each other." Martin: "I really can't say exactly what happened because a lot of things actually happened, but it's not something we should talk about right now. It’s a discussion for another time. So, has he not come back to the dorm? Where would you be sleeping?" Obi: "I don't know. I really don't know about that. I'll sleep in his room. If there are changes, I'll know." Martin: "Did you finish your Physics 101 assessment?" Obi: "Yes, I did. My brother helped me with most of it. Yeah. What about you? Did you finish yours?" Martin: "No, not yet. Usually, your brother helps me with it, but since we are having this up-and-down, I’ve been lagging behind." Obi: "Ah, don't have a problem with my brother. Whatever it is between you two, settle it. You can use mine to finish yours so that we’ll both be on the same page. After all, you've been helping me since I came here. But whatever the issue is with my brother, when he comes back, sort it out with him. Do you want me to speak to him for you?" Martin: "No, I don't know... I don't know if that's necessary. I don’t know how he would take that." Obi: "Can you at least tell me how the problem started? Was he teaching you something, and you lashed out at him? Or did something happen? What exactly happened? If you don’t want to tell me what happened, at least tell me how it happened—where did it happen?" By whitman micheal Martin: "I don't think all that information is necessary, my brother. Just give me your physics notes, then go and sleep. When the time comes, you will learn those ones. It’s a gradual process. See how tall you are." Obi: "You too now. We are like the same height, and we have the same body stature." Martin: "Yes, I know. No wonder he always reminds me that I am like you." Obi: "You see? So, he likes you. You guys are cool now. If he thinks you look like me and he has been taking care of you like a younger brother, I don't know why you both should be having problems. It doesn't really make sense." Martin: "All right, it's no problem. Thank you so much. Whenever you're bored, we could go out together and, you know, explore the school." Obi: "Yes! This weekend, we’ll go out. My brother said I should ask you to take me around so I can see the school, the cafeteria, and the places close to our department. He also wants me to learn the shortcuts around school so I can always walk home or take a bus when I'm late—things like that. So, can we do that this weekend?" Martin: "Yeah, yeah. So, I just have a funny question to ask you." Obi: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣! Ask." Martin: "I haven't even asked the question, and you're already laughing!" Obi: "You just said it's a funny question, so why wouldn’t I laugh already?" Martin: "Okay, so… your brother is like my brother. I call him ‘Big Bro’ because he's been cool and helpful to me. But now that you're here, are we supposed to be friends or brothers?" Obi: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣! Okay, Martin, chill. That’s a funny question to ask, right? So, we can start from friendship and then move to being brothers. It depends on how we get along. You know, by temperament. If our temperaments match up and we're cool with each other, we could be really good friends. You know, just because you're my brother's friend doesn't automatically mean you're my friend like that. But if you want us to be friends, yeah, we could move along. And besides, from what I can see, we are the youngest and smallest in this group of boys here. Like, there are so many boys here." Martin: "Then ask your brother where all these boys came from." Obi: "No need to ask him that. I already know. My brother went to military school, so we scrub IT guys and yeah." Martin: "So, you don't have any problem with just guys—like, guys?" Obi: "I don't understand your question. This night, you're sounding funny, actually. What do you mean by ‘like’ boys? I like everybody now." Martin: "I mean, since you like everybody, can I hug you? You know..." Obi: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣! Martin, leave me alone. I want to go and sleep. You boys have recruited yourself into these gay jokes, right? Since I came here, you guys have been joking a lot. Now they’ve recruited you, and you're trying to practice it on me, abi? Understand this—thank you very much, I’m not interested. 🤣 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂!" Martin: "Ahhh! I can be very playful, but I can touch you anywhere on your body, I hope you won’t be offended?" Obi: "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣! Guy, good night." And with that, he left for my room. When he got there, he entered his room. I was about to sleep on the bed, where Mustafa was already lying. Mustafa asked him if he was okay for the day or if he needed something. He knew Mustafa would always look out for him. Everything seemed fine, until Ejiro knocked on the door and asked him to go and join Martin in the other room, saying he would be staying with Mustafa. Mustafa: that's bully Ejiro; no they are both in 100 level bond and be friends. Ok ? Obi: ok So, he stood up, changed into his boxers and singlet, and went to Martin’s room. By Whitman Micheal join us in facebook OurStory Tb Morals When was the last time you had a laugh with either your dad or your mom? When was the last time you sat down and had a heart-to-heart chat with them? Some people lost their parents when they were young and never had the opportunity to sit and talk with them. But you do—you have that opportunity. Yet, some of you avoid your parents simply because they are telling you how to live your life. Parents are like that. Even their own parents were like that with them. They are not trying to destroy you; they are just trying to make sure you don’t fall into harm. Yes, some parents can be overly controlling, and you need to find a way to navigate that. But still, take the time to have conversations with your mother or father. Ask them about their youthful days. They may tell you the truth, or they may not, but whatever happens, it’s important to know how they lived when they were young—the mistakes they made and the lessons they learned. Sometimes, the things happening to you are not because of "village people" or someone trying to harm you. Sometimes, it’s simply a pattern, a character trait hidden within your parents that you are unknowingly repeating. Have you ever wondered how a caring, loving mother could have a daughter who wears short skirts and stays out late at night? Maybe Mommy GO has not yet told you how she spent her youthful years. Have you ever wondered how a strict, disciplined father could have a son who smokes, drinks, and engages in activities that go against his principles? Maybe Daddy has not told you how he lived when he was younger. Everyone has a backstory, and whether they share it or not, it often reflects in their future—and in you. Think about your behavior right now. You know the good and bad things you do, the questionable activities you engage in. Don’t assume they are lost in time. Don’t think they will simply disappear. If you’re going to have children one day, remember—they will inherit more than just your looks. They will inherit your habits, your traits, and even your mistakes. Be mindful of the choices you make while you are young, because as you grow older, those choices might come back to you in ways you never expected. Pain and anger can be transferred to others even without you being aware. Your good deeds can be of value to others who know you. Either by blood or otherwise. By Whitman Michael Join us on Facebook: OurStory TB Like, share, and comment! Thanks to our anonymous sponsor. God bless you!