chapter fifteen

' jimi', you've been missing football practice', lami, Jimi's friend,asked, what's wrong.

" I've been busy.

' okay. hope you're coming for CK,s bash tonight.'

' oh, I'd forgotten. don't think I'll be there.

' come on, where did you ever miss party? it'll be great there will be snooker and all the girls will be there.'

Jimi hesitated and said, lami, don't you think there's more to life than just partying? anyway, I want to study.

lami looked at Jimi in mock,s horror. ' you of all people! you never need to study and you always come out tops.

about then Michelle and Becky passed, smiling and saying hello as they walked by, since the day of disturbance,he and Michelle had become friendlier. sometimes,four of them .he, Daniel Becky and Michelle went to the hospital together, and Becky always said a short prayer.it always made him feel much better.

' Jimi striker! when did you and Michelle start saying hello?' lami laughed.

" she's not that bad really.'

"oh well,if you say so .see you at practice.

Jimi arrived for practice late .

' Williams" what's the matter with you?' the football coach snarled.

' I'm sorry sir,' he said lamely.

" we have important matches coming up. I could kick you out of the team.'

" I'.....

shut up' get on the field!'

during practice he kept missing passes." Jim's what's wrong with you?. a teammate yelled in frustration.

" Williams, you are playing like a legless cockroach! the coach shouted from the sidelines.

" don't mind him, he's been going home to eat Mama's food; another teammate said innocently.this was too much . Jimi pounced on the boy and they rolled on the pitch, kicking and punching. the others had to drag him away.

' Williams,get out of here! frog jump out!' shouted the coach.

Jimi looked at the shocked faces of his teammates. he knew they were all wondering about his erratic behavior, and he wanted to say sorry. instead he ran off.

Mrs Williams died on Saturday morning.it had rained heavily the night before and on his way to the hospital the road were slippery. ominously he was with her when she stopped breathing. he shouted at the doctor and nurse and they Rushed in and pushed him out. later, the doctor explained to his father that they have done their best, but that the prognosis was very poor.his father put an arm around Jimi's shoulders and said, "we understand.

' we are very sorry,' said the doctor.

Jimi was quiet,but it seemed as if he was watching, everything from a distance. someone shouting ' mummy! mummy!!' Jimi wasn't sure if it was him.

their apartment had been full of visitors since then.uncle Kenneth, aunty Sharon, aunty Beatrice and a host of other relatives that Jimi half knew. their oldest brother uncle Felix arrived from UK . he was smaller than Jimi remembered and he enfolded him in a bear hug.felix has never done that before. usually, he was dealing with blows for the slightest thing, once , when Jimi was small, Felix flung him down a staircase by accident, he claimed. father had given Felix the beating of his life then, now, Felix sat in his expensive clothes and said I can't believe this".

Jackson wandered in and out like a ghost.jimi kept expecting his mother to come in and say something like, " imagine them saying I was dead! what would you like to eat?' it would never happen.

she was buried in a private cemetery and some of his school friends attended the funeral.the coffin made scraping sounds as it was lowered into the grave and he couldn't see through the tears that blinded him.

he moved off to a deserted part of the cemetery, wishing and praying it was all a bad dream and he would wake up.

' please God...' he choked.what could he say? he sank down to the ground.

he heard footsteps beside him. it was Michelle.

' I'm sorry.....,' she said

she stood for a little while, then sat down beside him. ' I don't know.. I'm not close to your mother,but I can see she how much you loved yours,' and she went silent.

he clasped his hand over hers. she tightened her fingers over his and they sat quietly for what seemed like a long time until Becky and Daniel came over.

' your dad is looking for you ,' Daniel said to Jimi . Michelle jumped up when she heard his voice and stared at her hands.

" thanks,' Jimi said, and went back to his family.