Adventures of buju

Buju lifted his head up from his book, in a clumsy way at first, to see if the noise he heard was real, or if his mind was playing games with him, he hated being distracted from his school work especially when he was busy with an assignment, but this very sound which he heard really got his attention, so he had to look. Then he went stiff with fright. A few meters away from his chair something glided. A shape moved smoothly along the window Frame, which was at the left hand side of the children's room. He saw something that had a flat head which was being held up by a slim neck.

"A cobra?!" Buju asked as if rather frightened to death.

The snake stopped moving startled by the noise, and lay still without moving a muscle. It looked dead, but all the while it was trying to sense if there was anything like food in the room.

Buju felt trapped in his chair , but still he knew had to warn his little sister Bola who sat on the floor playing with her toys oblivious of what was happening with her brother. He remembered what his mother had told him so often. He wanted to whisper to his sister but his whole mouth and tongue where dey with shock. He dared not move. His throat joined together as he tried to say something. "Oh, if only she would look as him!" he wished.

Bola must have noticed that there was something weird about his dead silence, so she turned her head to look at him. When she saw the fear on his face she quickly shifted round, tracing his gaze to the point he was stairing at, she moved her head to see what those eyes where fixed on, and boom, she covered her mouth to prevent her gasp of terror.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Buju lay on his bed, reminiscing on the events that occured on that day when his sister was almost killed by a snake's venom , but for the timely intervention of their mum Mrs Tolu who had rushed out after hearing bolu scream in pain, she rushed in just in time to stop the venum from moving upwards into her heart, but wasn't fast enough to prevent the cobra's triumphant escape. Well that was 3years ago but the memories still flooded Buju's head like it was just yesterday. The sound of someone running down the staircase brought him back from his deep thoughts "mehn it's Monday again?" He thought. Mondays where one of his worse days in the week cos it meant he had to go to school, school was once fun for buju until his experience with the snake where his homework was interrupted and his sister nearly killed, he now looked at school with a different perspective, like what was he even going to do there. Now he thought of a way to stay at home l, he checked his body and found no ailments, he reflected further, suddenly he discovered something, one of his upper teeth was loose . At least he would use that as an excuse to stay at home, but then he remembered that his mum wouldn't buy that, but it seemed well worthwhile to chance it, so he fell on the bed and groaned loudly.

Dominos international secondary school was one of the most popular schools in Lagos Ikoyi axis, at the entrance, there's alot of beautiful flowers, well decorated and arranged in a way that any one who comes into the school admires it with great enthusiasm. With the football pitch located strategically at the center of the school, well trimmed and leveled. Immediately after the football pitch they had a nice basketball court where the "big boys" in the school go to stretch their muscles during break.

After the basketball court where the class rooms, the Junior secondary classes well arranged in a beautiful 3 storey building by the left. The Jss1 class was located at the lowest part of the floor, Jss 2 at the middle and Jss3 at the top, while at the right hand side they had the senior secondary classes arranged in the same pattern.

Buju Ladipoe and his sister Bola Ladipoe (for their father's name was Ladipoe) had been attending the school since the last 3 years, He was in Ss3 while she was in ss1, she still had two more years, but buju was in his final year and even if he didn't think going to school was the best option, he still wanted to make the best out of it. When buju walked into the class that morning (his mother didn't buy his excuse to stay at home ofcos), the English teacher was already in class teaching them about "lexis and structure", he walked straight to his sit which was beside his best friend chima. Chima was from the Eastern part of the country, he was chubby and 4ft tall unlike buju who was 5ft 2inches and a bit muscular. Chima was also an introvert, he didn't talk much in class, probably because he was shy or like in most cases he doesn't really know what to say, he does most of his talking for the day with buju, who on the other hand was an extrovert, buju had alot of friends in the class infact the popular quote was "everybody loves buju" because he was very friendly to everyone, but despite his friendly disposition he had just two very close friends (chima his best friend and Rachael his female bestie), people often wondered why he was friends with chima, because they where both of totally different character more like they where opposite of each other in all ramifications, buju was tall chima was not, he was jovial chima wasn't , he was intelligent chima was..... Well the opposite of intelligent.

The English teacher Mr okafor a round plumpy man, had frowned at buju when he walked in, "why are you late? " He had asked, buju shrugged "slight head ache and a tooth ache sir" he replied, "that's not an excuse as to come late Mr Ladipoe", "now you have to answer this question correctly before I let you in". Buju nodded. "Mention 5 figures of speech from our previous class" Mr okafor asked. "Simile, irony, personification, oxymoron, and hyperbole" buju answered easily. Mr okafor looked at him briefly before nodding at him to go and have his sit , "thank you sir" he had answered courtly before going to his sit, chima smiled at him as he sat down beside him "brain box!!" He had hailed, buju just smiled and they both nuckled before he sat down and the whole class laughed. Mr okafor shut them up by raising one finger to the air and then he continued his teaching for the day.

Rachael was Very beautiful, she was slim, tall and fair in completion with fresh skin which made her look like she uses organic products even when she doesn't, Her beauty and intelligence was what attracted Buju to her when he first got admitted 3 years ago, the principal Mr Kanayo had brought Buju into the class and introduced him as a new student, so He asked him to pick any student of his choice to take him on a school tour (it is customary for Dominos international School that any new student be taken round the school to be shown important and interesting places by an old student).

Buju looked up and of cos the beautiful Rachael caught his attention and he chose her for his tour, she took him round the school to show him his personal locker, the fields and court, and other interesting places, as she showed him around they talk about many things and she found him attractive and lively too, but buju was not yet as mature as he thought he should be to ask a girl out, so he asked her to be his bestie and she accepted, they have been close friends ever since then. At first every body thought they where dating until their SS2 third term when Buju asked Nene out... That was when the whole class found out that he was just besties with Rachael .. oh this made some guys very happy at least they thought they had a chance with her . The girl on the other hand had only wished they had known "I would have even asked him out myself" they said.

The whole class had often wondered what Buju saw in Nene that made him date her instead of Rachael,she wasn't nearly as beautiful as rachael, or so they thought because she was dark and thick, and kinda bursty too, "I know it's because she has big boobs that's why you went for her" , the Guys had always teased him but he just shrugged them off. Buju knew how hard it was for him to get Nene to date him, she was kinda uptight at first but after much persistence she agreed to date him.

Presently, after the English teacher left the class the students had divided their selves in groups involuntarily tho, but they where all discussing about the up coming SSCE (Senior School Certificate Exam) organised by WAEC (West African Examination Council) every year, but it was their turn to write the exam and they where to write next term Buju was sitting with Rachael and Chima discussing when some guy walked to them "Bujski what's up nau?", Emmanuel the school's basketball captain had asked while shaking Buju and Chima's hand and hugging Rachael slightly more like a shoulder path, the type Nigerians would call deeper life hugging, all the other guys with him did same. "I'm fine boss how far" , Buju replied. " I came to remind you about our big basket ball friendly game coming up on Friday with the Tornadoes, Coach sent me, he said you haven't been turning up for training and he needs to know if you are fit for the match, he wants to see you on the court tomorrow". "Sure I'd be there for the training just been a little busy" Buju said. "Alright see you then, can't wait till train with a real baller again", Emmanuel replied, laughing at his own jokes, the boys didn't find it funny tho but they kept mute and followed him out of the class. So Rachael, chima and Buju continued their discussion and the whole class continued to chat loudly.