Chapter 19: chapter 19
It was Saturday, Richard had just finished cooking his breakfast. It was a noodle that barely took him five minutes to get cooked. He put the noodle on a plate and sat by the edge of his bed. It took him about five minutes to finish eating the noodles. After he was done eating, he went to the bathroom and took a bath before returning to the room. "Today is Saturday and yet you dressed early, are you meeting your girlfriend?" Gabriel asked.
"Not really, I just something to take care of," Richard responded.
"I heard that you've got a beautiful girlfriend," Gabriel said.
"I guess," Richard laughed.
"No wonder we hardly see you in the room, perhaps you are always with her," Gabriel guessed.
"Not really, you know very well that I'm a busy man," Richard said.
"Busy with your girl, right? I supposed you are going to her now," Gabriel said.
"You kept mentioning that I am going to meet her while I'm not," Richard answered.
"I would like to her when you come back," Gabriel announced.
"That won't be a problem," Richard responded.
Around 10 am, Richard walked out of his dormitory and headed to Prof. Grace's house. He knocked at the door and was asked to come in. When he entered, he found Prof. Grace sitting on the sofa with her son beside her.
"Good morning ma'am," Richard greeted her. "Good morning Richard, how are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm well Ma'am, is Rebecca awake yet?" Richard asked.
"She always wakes up early. I hope you don't have a lesson with her today," Prof. Grace said.
"Oh yes we didn't plan on doing it today, I was less busy today and I thought I could seize the opportunity,' Richard explained.
"Actually, they will be having an inter house sport next week. Her friends came by and took her to school to practice some few minutes ago," Prof. Grace answered.
"Oh so she finally changed her mind," Richard said.
"Change her mind on what?" Prof. Grace asked.
"She said she wasn't hoping to participate in any event in the inter house sport," Richard revealed.
"Well, then I think you did a pretty good job in convincing her," Prof. Grace said.
"I'm sorry you have come all this way for nothing," Prof. Grace said.
"No problem," Richard assured.
"Why don't you go to the dining room and have some breakfast?" Prof. Grace offered.
"I have just finished eating," Richard replied. "You should feel free to eat here, you know you are now like a family to us," Prof. Grace said.
"Thank you ma'am but I really am okay," Richard responded.
He walked out of the house and headed his way back to the campus. He was really sad that Rebecca wasn't home. At that moment, he decided to go to her school just to see her. He quickly stopped a taxi by the road and boarded it.
The taxi took him to the school and dropped him by the gate of Rebecca's school. From distance, he hear the sound of the band and it brought him to the conclusion that they are practicing match pass parade in the school. As he walked to the gate of the school, his heart beat increased. He felt as if he won't be welcomed if he goes into the school. But to his surprise, the security guard at the gate didn't ask him anything and allowed him to go in.
When he got in, he saw the students arranged according to their houses and that reminded him of his days in high school. He smiled and went to a bench under one of the trees in the school and sat down. He watched as the students practiced their match pass and wished he could be part of it. He was lost in his thoughts when heard someone talking to him.
When he looked to his right, he noticed that it was Amira talking to him.
"Are you looking for Rebecca?" she smiled. "Oh yes I am," Richard smiled.
"She is among the members of her house over there," Amira enthusiastically pointed. "My pleasure," Richard responded and stood and headed towards the direction Amira pointed.
Richard went to the extreme of the school close to the fence where Amira instructed him. When he got there, he noticed some group of students parading. He looked among them but thought he Rebecca isn't among them.
"Richard!" Someone shouted. When he looked in the direction he was being called, he noticed that it was Alice.
Suddenly, all the students parading turned to look at him. It was then that he noticed Rebecca. The moment their eyes met, he felt like his heart was freezing. She wore a white shirt, a black skinny jeans and white snickers and made her looked extremely pretty. They smiled at each other for a while before Rebecca ran out of her mates and met him. "Good morning," Richard greeted her. "Good morning how was your night?" she asked.
"It was nice I guess, I am glad you finally changed your mind," Richard said.
"Oh yes I did, can we please sit there?" she pointed at the edge of the veranda of one of the last classes.
"Okay," Richard responded. At that moment, he didn't care what her mates will think of their relationship. All that he cared for was to be with her.
"Who is that boy?" one of the boys among students asked.
"He was the one that challenge Mr. Salim," One of the boys replied referring to their mathematics teacher.
"Oh yes I do remember him now," the first boy replied.
"So why are you here?" Rebecca asked Richard after they had sat down. "I just come to see you," Richard smiled.
"Really?" Rebecca questioned. "Yes of course, is just that..." Richard said and hesitated.
"Just that..." Rebecca wanted to hear more. "Never mind, is not that important," Richard said.
"Oh Richard, please do tell me what you have in mind," Rebecca asked.
"I missed you, that's why I come to see you," Richard said.
They both became silent at stared at each other at that moment. It was the first time Richard has said something without thinking of the consequences of what he is saying. At that time, he felt like he was talking her with his heart not with his lips.
As for Rebecca, she could believe those words were coming out of Richard's mouth. Her heart was beating faster than ever not because she's scared, but because she felt something she has never felt before. "Do you realise what you are saying?" Rebecca asked. "Of course I do, isn't normal for teachers to miss their students?" Richard responded after coming back to his senses.
"You are talking as if you are an adult," Rebecca laughed.
"For you information, I already am an adult," Richard said.
"You are not yet an adult to me, I only consider people to be adult when they are 20," Rebecca responded.
"Maybe you will change your opinion when you reach 18," Richard replied.
"No I won't, I have been like this since I was ten," Rebecca informed.
"Look, most of the students' attention is on us," Richard said when he noticed how they were being looked at.
"Let them be, they are just jealous I have a sweet handsome teacher like you," Rebecca smiled.
Everything sounded perfect in Rebecca's sentence, but the fact that she mentioned "teacher" at the end, it makes Richard to think of it as ordinary.
"I am glad you changed your mind to participate,' Richard said.
"You convinced me actually," Rebecca responded.
"Good to hear that. So in how many events are you participating?" Richard asked.
"I'm participating in the match pass parade as you can see and the 100 meter race," Rebecca replied.
"That's wonderful. are you in the same house with Alice?" Richard asked.
"Yes I am," Rebecca answered.
"When is the inter house sport going to take place?" Richard asked.
"Next week on Saturday, I hope you will come and see me" Rebecca requested.
"I must come and see you," Richard replied. "Is good to hear that from you," Rebecca smiled.
They kept quiet for a while and watched as her house members were parading. "What do you think of our style of match pass?" Rebecca asked.
"It looks great, but..." Richard stopped.
"But what?" Rebecca asked.
"The way they moved their arms, the way they turn, and the way they arranged themselves are all wrong," Richard opined.
"Really? Then you should teach us," Rebecca said excitedly.
"No that wont be necessary," Richard replied. "Why not? Weren't you the one that told me you once led your school during children day and came first?" Rebecca reminded.
"Oh yes, but doing that here will make me seem so pretentious," Richard explained.
"No they will say so," Rebecca answered.
Rebecca stood up and went to her house captain who happened to be a final year student.
"Hey Ali," Rebecca called her house captain. "What is it?" Her house captain asked excitedly as he walked out of the students parading.
"That boy over there said he is going to teach us better, he noticed some mistakes in our moves," Rebecca said.
"Is that so?" He asked. "Yes, let me go and tell him to come," Rebecca said and walked back to Richard.
"Come on Richard, let's go there and them how to do it," Rebecca smiled.
"What did she tell you?" one of the students asked the house captain.
"She said the boy over there is going to teach us better," the house captain said.
"Is she trying to tell us that we don't know to do it?" a girl asked.
"Who does she thinks she is to say such things?" one of the girls asked.
"Oh why didn't you say that while she was here?" Alice asked.
"Do you think I can't say it in front of her?" the girl asked.
"Of course you can't Alice replied.
At that time, Rebecca and Alice got to where the students were.
"Thank God she is here, now, say what you said again," Alice said.
"What did she say?" Rebecca asked angrily. "She said who do you think you are to bring someone here to teach us," Alice replied. "What? You dare to say that? I will show you who I think I am you stupid girl," Rebecca said.
"Don't say that, this is exactly what I was afraid of in the first place," Richard said.
"I don't mean to cause any trouble; I just wanted to offer some new things to you that might help you. Is okay, if you don't like it," Richard said and turned to leave.
"Is okay, you can show us what you have," their house captain said.
Richard wanted to leave, but seeing the look in Rebecca's eye made him to remain behind. "Alright, what do we start with?" The house captain asked.
"Let's start with arranging you guys," Richard replied.
After had arranged them, he showed them how to do the parade properly.
They were all impressed Richard's method and accepted that it was better than theirs. He trained them for than an hour until some of them announced that they were tired.
Richard suggested that they should rest for the day.
"I really like your style, where do you come from?" the house captain asked Richard.
"I come from Kogi state," Richard responded. "That's quite far from here," the house captain replied.
"Yes it is," Richard replied.
"I heard that you are the best student in this university," the house captain.
"I think it has been exaggerated," Richard replied in surprise.
"Not really, I want come to this university after I graduated, which course do you think I should apply for," the house captain.
"That is a very sensitive case, it is a decision that will follow you for your entire life," Richard replied.
"You are absolutely right," the house captain responded.
Richard talked to the house captain with some other boys for a while. At the end, they invited him to the birthday of one of their house member which will take place in the town after their inter house in the evening. "Come on, it will be fun. Rebecca will also be coming," the house said.
"Actually, I am very busy person. But I will try to see through my schedule," Richard replied. They talked for minutes before Rebecca approached them.
"Hey Rebecca, I told Richard that you will be coming to my birthday, can you try to convince him to come?" The house said to Rebecca.
"He is the busiest boy on the planet, but I will try my best," Rebecca smiled.
"You see, it will be fun," the house captain said.
"I will be going home now, I'm so exhausted," Rebecca revealed.
"Alright, then we should get going," Richard replied.
"Goodbye Mr." Richard said and stopped.
"You can call me Ali," the house captain completed.
"Okay Ali, I will see you next time," Richard concluded.
Richard, Rebecca and Alice headed towards the gate of the school.
"You were great today Richard," Alice said to Richard.
"Of course he is," Rebecca responded.
"Who is that boy to you?" Richard asked Rebecca.
"He is a friend of course," Rebecca responded.
"Really?" Richard asked.
"Yes of course, you will like him. His father is the richest man in this town, and yet he doesn't show any sign of being wealthy unlike the rest of the kids in the school," Rebecca explained.
"Wow! I love people like that," Richard commented.
"Do you know that he was even offered the chance to study abroad but rejected it because he want to be with his friends here?" Rebecca asked.
"He is a good person indeed, no wonder you have a good relationship with him," Richard replied.
"So, will you be going to his birthday party?" Rebecca asked.
"I don't know, the last time I went to a party, it didn't turn out well," Richard explained. "Really?" Rebecca asked.
Before Richard could reply, they were approached by Amira.
"How was the match pass?" Richard asked her. "I didn't participate," Amira responded. "Why not?" Richard asked.
"My house mates made me angry," she replied.
"That's very bad of them, should I go and scold them for you?" Richard teased.
"I have scolded them already," she laughed.
They walked out of the school and stood by the road. Alice took a taxi home, while Richard, Rebecca and Amira remained behind.
"Are you going to take a taxi home?" Richard asked.
"Of course we will, do you expect me to walk home all the way from here despite how tired I am?" Rebecca asked.
"Didn't you say you will participate in a race?" Richard asked.
"I did, but I didn't say I will be participating in a long distance race," Rebecca responded. "Okay you should walk me to that building over there before you take a taxi," Richard requested.
"Okay, let's do that," Rebecca agreed even though she was so tired.
"So, were telling us about one of the parties you attended earlier," Rebecca reminded.
"Oh yes I was," Richard replied. "Why did it turn out bad?" Rebecca asked.
"It was the first party I attended, while we were there, police broke in and started arresting people.
We hardly escaped," Richard explained.
"With whom did you escape?" Rebecca asked. That moment, Richard felt like Rebecca should not about Janet .
"With my friend," Richard lied.
"Why did you attend parties like in the first place?" Rebecca asked.
"I was taken there unknowingly by a friend. I have never been so angry with him like that day," Richard explained.
"Hey, why have been quiet all along?" Richard asked Amira.
"I noticed that you guys are enjoying your talks, so I don't want to interrupt you," Amira laughed.
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