CHRISTMAS LONG STORY.

        I've done alot of things in my life, but what happened that Christmas Eve was all on the Devil. It was December 24th 2006, I remember quite vividly, Harmattan was tearing up the little flesh I had on me, stubborn me, refused to wear a shirt "Hard guy, Hard guy!", With my then over-flowing tap of a navel, I looked like a homeless child, I didn't care. I was with Grandma, I could do whatever I wanted and would get away with it. I went to the neighbor's house in search of Osaretin. We were so excited, Christmas was the next day, y'all know what that meant na, especially for 8 year olds, it sure meant alot to us.

       Now Osaretin and I had gathered up some money for knockouts (bangers) and disco lights just for the fun of it, the greatest obstacle was convincing my big sister to show us where we could get the quality stuff. We begged and begged, I even battered my Christmas meat in exchange for this information. Las las, hanty didn't even know where the stuffs were sold, we eyed her, walked out, murmuring about how she had wasted our precious time. We sat outside, all moody, you'd think our parents just died (God forbid Sha)

       Then the Devil whispered words to me. Mumu me! Mumu me! I listened o! I told Osaretin of what the devil had just whispered to me, She asked "are you sure?" I replied in the affirmative. Our short legs carried us upstairs -I wish I had broken my legs whilst climbing- knocked on the door, ah! Just the person we wanted to see opened the door. The one and only Big-headed Efosa. We dragged him out and told him of our plan. I should've known with that wicked, mischievous grin plastered on this stupid face to call quits on the plan, but the devil was telling me things. Efosa agreed to the plan on the condition that he would select who we would Target with the knockouts. Now I want to categorically state that my plan with Osaretin was shoot our knockouts peacefully in an open field with few persons around, it was never in the line of our plan to have a target. But that condition was the only way to get the Stuff. Again the devil whispered. We agreed.

        9:30pm, we all sat outside, my self-righteous elder sister was busy running her mouth spilling details of how I wanted to play rough that evening to my grandma, -because I had told her the deal of me giving her my Christmas meat was off, - jealous girl-, Osaretin came over, called me into our house, we went outside through the kitchen backdoor, there was the big-headed Efosa with our Stuff, for the first time in my life I was excited to see Him.

        Long story; Efosa led us behind the well in front of our Compound, where could carefully select and aim our targets. Efosa in a cheerful mood, gave me the mantle of leadership, to select who our first victim would be. Osaretin and I exchanged glances, we both knew who we wanted. Teacher Odion. Our stupid lesson tutor, who enjoyed flogging us for no special reason. Efosa was thrilled. He hated the teacher too, him being a regular customer of teacher Odion's "Atarodo, hot-like-pepper as he had nicknamed the cane, Efosa readily agreed to our choice. It was getting dark as we waited for Odion to pass by. At last, we saw him riding on his rickety bicycle, although we couldn't see clearly, we could recognize that oblong head of his anywhere. Efosa quickly lit the knockout, threw it at the bicycle. It exploded the moment it landed of the ground, sending both man and bicycle flying, man on ground, bicycle atop him! We didn't care what would happen to him. We quickly ran out of our hiding place, back into the compound. We would have made away with our victory o!. Efosa just had to stop in front of the teacher and gloat at the fallen man. "Ntorr! Ntorr" Efosa cried. It was up to I and Osaretin to go back and drag Efosa from the spot, Gbagaun! Mumu us! We had exposed ourselves, all three of us to our victim. Pulling Big-headed Efosa , we ran back into the compound and into our various homes. I slept peacefully that night but not without a scolding from my Iye, about me coming in late.

        The next morning, I woke up with a start, grandma outside, yelling my name. I rushed out innocently to answer her call on that beautiful Christmas morning. What I saw almost made me faint. Papa Efosa sat on a chair, facing our house, his legs swollen, red-anger-filled eyes, Efosa and Osaretin lay face down on the bare floor. I put two and two together. In a split second, I followed suite with my fallen comrades on the floor. On that Cold (no longer beautiful) Christmas morning, we received 12 strokes of peppered cane each, I received mine on my bum, I was wearing no pants, just shorts.
          The underlaying matter was that it wasn't teacher Odion we had targeted, it was Papa Efosa returning from work. Hewww!!. After that trashing, big-head Efosa had the audacity to smile at me and say "afa Uyi, we go see later na". Idiot, like we were buddies, Stupid boy!😒

         Moral lesson of this;
1. The devil is not your mate don't listen to him
2. Don't make plans with Efosas specially the one with big heads