Chapter 15

They later left the police station with Reuben boiling to get his hands on Ajah, but based on Bitrus‟s advice he decided to allow God to take vengeance. Besides, Bitrus let him understand that he had so much to accomplish in Abuja without allowing Ajah and his antics to distract him.

„You are already progressing,‟ Bitrus said to Reuben as he wore his belt and tried to

straighten himself up as much as he could manage under the circumstances. „Your shop and transport business dey grow every day. Just focus, put your mind for your business and make sure you dey careful where him dey. People

like Ajah no dey last, very soon e go leave that place. No worry your head about am.‟

Immediately he got back to his shed, Reuben started to make arrangements to move out. He no longer wanted to share anything with Ajah. Luckily, he had money with him and there was a large shed a friend had wanted to sell to him, but because he didn't need it at that time he

had declined buying it.

After arranging his wares, he went to see the friend with the shed for sale. He met him and ended up depositing money for the shed, and moved his things to the new place. Then put the place in order, making it grander than the one he left.

Alex was livid when Reuben finally got in contact with him, but was stunned when he saw Reuben's altered appearance.

„What happened to you?‟ he asked his friend, looking him all over, noticing the insect bite scars on his arms and his leaner look.

„Police case‟, Reuben replied succinctly, thinking of the matter still infused him with

bitterness, he didn't want to talk about it.

„Police arrested you?‟

Reuben told him about it as briefly as he could manage. Alex shrugged. „Anyway, that woman you are looking for was around. I couldn't get through

to you so I didn't bother going to see her.‟

Alex thought, by the look on his face, that Reuben was going to develop a stroke, or even hurt himself. Then it was like he was going to go mad when he bellowed.

„Oh my God!‟

Alex took some steps backward. „Ol' boy take it easy.‟

„Oh God!‟ Reuben buried his head in his arms. „Why?‟

Alex could not understand such pain, he watched in embarrassment and helplessness as his friend moaned and roared like a wounded lion. When his wailing had subsided Alex wisely changed the topic, something to cheer him up. ‟By the way, the part-time school has opened

and I've got the form for you.‟

„Not now,‟ Reuben replied, in pain.

„Look, if you want to be educated enough to impress that lady when you finally meet her better start the school now.‟

Reuben sighed, looked up and down, Alex could see he was considering it. Anything that had to do with that woman always caught his attention. „Where is de form?‟ he finally asked.

Filling the form pushed the matter of the woman to the backburner. Alex helped him fill the form and it lightened the mood as they did so. Starting the school, with the intent of being good enough for her, sharpened his determination.

Reuben enjoyed his studies immensely. He had always had the potential of being a good student, especially when he was in primary school. His father had sent him to a good school up to primary three, then he died and his mother moved to an area where he attended public school and it wasn't even among the good ones. It set him back a great deal, but he loved his childhood in that ghetto nonetheless. He had many friends and they

gambolled all over the area playing to their little hearts content. He still recalled those

happy days, his friends and the games they played, including the pranks.

His mother had been a petty trader for a while and they lived in one room inside a small compound. He didn't quite feel the loss of his father who he hardly knew

anyway, because his work in a Chinese construction company kept him out of the house from very early in the morning until eight in the night. He could only recall a dark handsome man who always bought him sweets and clothes, and read the papers or watched football matches on Sundays.

He was sad when they had to leave for the village because his father's relatives decided it was what was best for him and his mother to be close to their kinsmen. They said they were going to take care of their late brother's widow. It was only when Reuben was old enough that he understood the reason his mother later later left their village for another

village where his father owned land, to farm. She was tired of being pestered by her brothers-in-law for sex. They had wanted to subjugate her into a kept woman who would assuage their sexual hunger when they couldn't get it from their wives. Reuben didn't like the village, he wanted his old area in town and his old friends, but his mother had given up her old room in the town and even sold off her trade wares before leaving for the village. Then, she hadn't enough money to go back or even start up another trade. So, when opportunity came for him to move to the city as an apprentice mechanic, he grabbed it.

Reuben liked cars, tinkering with them gave him immense satisfaction. He enjoyed fixing engines and that made his time with his old boss a bit tolerable. Now, he had to improve himself further, especially if it would help him get the woman of his dreams. Rose.

The tutors in this new school were professionals that understood adult education and how to bring out the best in their students. Reuben had gotten used to the school and the people in it, including its methods. Meeting people who were like him helped him appreciate his decision the more. The school was run inside a large Government secondary school after Dei-Dei Building Materials Market, close to Zuba. It didn't cost him much, though he was

prepared to pay anything to get what he wanted. He even negotiated for extra lessons.

Each day, The reading and writing class was the first on the timetable, though

he could read fairly well, he still passed through the basic reading class then moved up to higher reading class where he was to get used to bigger words.

He took his English class most seriously, since it was his main concern. His command of the English language would determine how far he would go with her. So, he bought all the books the class required and even went further to start buying and reading novels. He liked

Chinua Achebe and James Hardley Chase a lot, and was determined to purchase all the titles. He bought a shelf for all his books and started a sort of mini library in his sitting room. He read during his spare times or in-between jobs.

He was naturally good with calculations, so mathematics was easy and he knew it would help his business, which was growing very rapidly. Another class he enjoyed was computer class.

There were so many things to learn there and it was very interesting, things he got to see when they started visiting the internet.

The students were mostly young adults who wanted to get back into the educational system, there were few elderly people too. These men and women made up a big family with the school staff ruling over them. By the time he was in his second year, Reuben had acquired a self-confidence he didn't know he could ever possess. Though his spoken English

still left a little to be desired, he was determined to improve very fast, coupled with the fact that the students had been instructed to eschew from pidgin or wrong English until they were perfect. Reuben, despite being poked fun at by people around him, especially Alex, who

made jokes at his expense but at the same time encouraged him to watch a lot of good movies, Reuben persisted with his no-pidgin or wrong English regime and fumbled his way through to achieving the capability of speaking clean English that could keep him comfortable within

any social circle. Reuben's only problem in the school was Anne. Anne Lewis.