HUNGRY IN A DREAM

Like in the days the sun used to remember the day Ikemefuna was murdered by those who knew him more than himself, the clouds kept running after the other in the dense atmosphere of Cele Suites. Perhaps, they were aware of what had happened before the moon tapped the sun, "wake up". It was so unusual; what had never happened since Sab came into college and had been staying at Cele Suite with his friend; Pine. The winds were playing drums on the Mango tree in the middle of the compound, alongside the dust, on the flutes. And, many other particles in the atmosphere were playing instruments that were scary in the ears of the audience; the occupants of Cele Suite. Sab burdenned his mind with impossible thoughts to ascertain the cause of the omen. He began to think that the Landlord at Las Vegas House where he was packed out for not paying rent was still hunting him, or the wizards in his village had find their way to him, or betterstill, the garment of mighty invisibility was hovering over his roof to get him dressed. But, whatever he tried to point out to be the cause of the omen, kept him in a thicket of melancholy. He could not help himself out until he laid himself on the six inches bed in his friend's single room apartment which he had recently paid ten percent of the annual rent and sleep.

His friend, Pine, was washing his clothes on the varendah as Sab could remember before he slept. And, at the time an unusual noise, squabbles, or quarrel to be more polite; which Pine was a part of, broke out between an unnumbered occupants of Cele Suite who were not conscious of the omen, Sab was somewhere in a dream:

It was an evening at Minda Quarters, where Ada; a female friend to him and Pine at the College, had an apartment. By the time he had reached the compound, she had left for Wurukun. This was made known to him by a female tenant who was his friend per se who would have let him wait for Ada in her apartment if she was not leaving with a friend to where Sab could not dare ask. But, Sab was not bothered at the time about where to wait for Ada; he was bothered about the possibility of waiting for her and at the end getting nothing to eat. As he had trekked from Cele Suites to Minda Quarters, he considered going back the same way a suicide mission and dared not embark. He decided then to wait for Ada. Although, there were no signals or whatever to show whether Ada would come home sooner or later, Sab sat on the varendah, by a pillar, with his head, mind and hope resting peacefully on it from behind, waiting for her return.

Minda Quarters had structures that were similar to those at Cele Suite. The only thing that made it unique was the numerous entrants and the well which was dug in the middle of the compound.

He was hungry; one of the priorities that prompted him to visit Ada. He believed that he would get something from her to at least, quench his thirst; like virtually other times. At this time, he was not certain whether he was misled by his thoughts or rather confused in a way he could not understand.

The tenants who were around; whom many knew him facially, were too busy on some other things and so were not bothered to say even "hi". Chike; among the tenants around, was busy on the kitchen box. Perhaps, he was cooking. But Sab could not convinced himself that actually, Chike was cooking because, like Shiana at Cele Suites, Chike was always on his kitchen box whenever Sab visits Ada. But, to state the obvious, Sab was less considerate whether Chike was cooking or not. He remembered what Chike did on his second visit to Ada with a readymade empty stomach to package some available food stuffs to his apartment. With a hiss which pushed his lower lip to stand against the upper as his eyes blink by the time he turned his face to the other apartment which a lady he knew very well to be Jane in the Department of Accounting was gazing through the door; perhaps she was observing the visitor that just arrived and was not even bothered to greet anyone around, but made straight to where Chike had disposed the water which he washed the parboiled rice which Sab was suspecting him to be cooking and began to pick them one after the other, Sab murmured "that stingy boy!".

Jane laughed like she'd just remember a fortune that has befallen her as she re-enters the room. But, Sab could discern from the times he had visited Ada so far that she was into the fashion of laughing at anything. Looking at her in the eyes of Sab, she was nineteen years and had been recently matriculated into the college. But, it was not easy to know her age by looking at her dark skin anyway, especially when she ties a wrapper around her breasts that were like a dwarfed set of twins. Sab could not doubt his thoughts to rate her a third class student from the way she talks, walks about the streets with men that were facially older than her parents and barely had time for her books.

Apparently, it was when Sab murmured "that stingy boy", that Jane laughed. Sab's heart knocked his ribs like a sting of a scorpion; he thought Jane overheard him. But, as she closed the door behind her, Sab heard her speaking amidst laugher, "See eh, I called Ella this evening and she was complaining of hunger".

The person she was talking to, whose voice was of a lady; probably her mate at the college, could not stop laughing; Sab thought there was a different thing going on within her and not because someone was only hungry. He saw hunger as an unsatisfied visitor that no one should be blamed for not accommodating. He could not conclude thusfar but questioned his conscience; "that may be how Ada too talks about me whenever I come here and ask for food?"

Before he glanced at the lady that just opened the well in the middle of the compound, under a tree that he could not imagine to be found in a forest, he whispered to his other ear; "Sab, what are you up to now, eh?" He was not even sure of going back to his apartment at Cele Suites. He sat then like a desperate woman store of cucumbers from the plantations of men.

"That means they are not hungry! Imagine how they are laughing..." he said after a brief sudden pause from existence as another visitor interupts him with his footsteps on the groundnut pods that formed a carpet by the other rarely used entrance which Jane was perhaps observing the first visitor to catch him red-handed if he had come to steal. Before he could turn to see whether it was Ada who he has been waiting for, the other visitor who was by then, eating the rice like he was on the same pace with him started croaking invitingly. This reminded Sab of Chike. He turned to Chike's apartment just to find out that, he was no longer on the varendah before his kitchen box. "Ei!" Sab exclaimed absent-mindedly. He began to think again whether Chike has done cooking. He began to imagine how he would be eating the food; probably, the rice. He worsened his thoughts to think the possibility of Chike's girlfriend eating with him, indoor.

As he sits thinking many impossible things; from when Ada would come back, to how he will trek back to his apartment if she doesn't. Chike opened his door and came out with a dish, containing numerous spoons. Before he could close the door, and as the unusual noise that grew from inside fades, Sab swallowed a morsel of saliva that if you'd asked him why he did so, he will ask you in response; "does what?". It was at this time he understood that actually, Chike was fetching the rice from a pot to the dish when he came in. He could not think anything at this time like a mad man who don't know where he is going but is sure to reach somewhere. His intestines were making a hurriable noise like a choir group of toads; he could not think of anything than to calm them down. He then put his right hand on his belly and the left on his forehead as he frowned and sailed his head in-between his kneels to fight the time of waiting for Ada with somethings on his mind.

As Chike came out, he greeted the lady that was fetching water from the well; "Doose!"

Although Sab had been seeing the lady around Minda Quarters whenever he visits Ada, and sometimes, on a path at the college, it was when Chike called her "Doose" that he knew her name. He raised his head and glanced at her again then send his ears to bring to him whatever they were saying.

Doose stands on the well as she smiled and greets; "Chike, are you indoor?"

"Yes" Chike responded as he then opened the kitchen box. After closing the kitchen box, he sat on it as he perhaps, wait for Doose to bring out the bucket from the well. When Doose had brought out the bucket from the well, he saw that the bucket was not full; "ahah, why are you fetching half buckets?"

"The well is dried again" she responded with much confidence that Chike could not ask her whether she was joking or not. "I am wondering how it will be in March" she added.

Sab hissed absent-mindedly. It would be that, he had began to think the possibility of getting enough eba, and if he is lucky enough, with ice fish, but no water; he would be compared to look for water himself. He sneezed under his palm and the vibration creeped into anywhere air could pass around the compound. Chike and Doose became interrupted.

From the way Chike stared at Sab; with his left eye almost closing and his mouth tossed out for a speech, and the four unique ridges that grew on his forehead, it was not a matter of doubts to say he wanted to mock Sab, or say something to that effect. But somehow, he did not say anything but stare at him for a minute or two.

If Sab would have raised his head to look at Doose again, he would have met Chike looking at him like a commodity in the market place. He was somehow ashamed of himself from the way he sneezed like a fowl which has stepped into fire. Had it been, Ada was around, would he have felt better? He said on his mind; "if Jane had heard me sneeze like this, I would have been a skit of comedy now".

"Is he alright?" Doose asked like a caring friend would do.

"I don't know!" Chike responded like he was curious for such a question. "He is Ada's friend." he added.

Doose cast a smile that forced out some audible sounds from her throat, but perhaps, because Sab was some apartment's far from them, he could not hear her out. "Is he her boyfriend?" she asked as if if he is not, she would make him hers.

Chike could not understand when ladies on campus asked such questions because he was a fresher. He responded with much humility, "I don't know. But I'm very sure he is not".

"How do you know?" Doose asked emphatically.

"Like I said; I don't know!". Chike defended himself like in a court of law.

"Well..." as she roll the bucket through a rope in the well; "it's not my concern" she concluded after all.

Sab could not hear the last words they said, but, he was aware that they were still talking. He began to think that they were talking about him, or Chike had taken advantage of the time to toast her. He looked up at them again and saw that Doose was still on the well fetching water and Chike was on the kitchen box like as usual. And, the attitude of Doose was so suspicious in the sense that, unlike other ladies of Minda Quarters, who bend on the well as they fetch water, she was standing, and Chike was sitting opposite to her on the kitchen box; smiling momentarily.

At the moment; thinking over vallies and mountains, he refined a thought that if Gidi - the hero of Burner - was capable of refining, wouldn't have died at his own cost. But, he also thought that, if he launches the thought, he would not be allowed to wait for Ada any longer, and even be bound from visiting her henceforth. Then, he scorned his thoughts and borrow a sleepmask from nature to keep off from the despondent atmosphere of Minda Quarters. As Doose took the bucket of water to her apartment, and Chike re-enters his room, Sab was not aware and shows no concern.

At a point in time, he took a stick on the ground and began to scratch the ground like a pair of children playing 'Bury my Brothers'. At another point, he started humming a tone that everyone would say; "he was singing". Suddenly, Jane and her friend came out of their apartment, dressed for an outing. Despite Sab been engrossed in the song he was singing, their footsteps interrupted him. He raised his head like a convict waiting for his execution. His head became that of an owl; his eyes were almost removing from the socket. At first sight, Jane became subtled. She screamed absentmindedly; "Sab!"

Sab could not respond audibly; he was as weak as a jobman whose opportunities are always postponed. He then nodded sluggishly but like a servant would do to a king, as he opens his mouth without any sound produced. The veins on his body became visible like a scar on the face of a celebrity. Jane hastened to where Sab sat. She felt the same way a mother whose son is ill would do. Looking careful at Sab's face; "what's wrong with you?" she enquired.

Even though Sab knew that Jane was capable of feeding him throughout his stay at the college, he was doubting himself to tell her the truth. Because, many ladies on campus were not so caring but would always ask each other; "how are you?", and whenever they see you depressed, would ask; "what is wrong with you?". He thought further that after Jane would know that he is hungry and has come to Ada to eat, she will meet at him. But Sab proved his manness and told her; "I'm very hungry!" without any obstruction from his vocal track.

"Just that?" Jane asked emphatically. Perhaps, she thought Sab was just kidding.

Sab could not say any word in order to save the energy he had in his legs to trek back to his apartment. He discern from the way Jane asked him "just that" that, they are not birds of the same feather. He then nodded agreeably to win more favours that were capable of convincing her to give him a plate of the jollof rice she'd cooked.

Jane, looking pitifully into the eyes of Sab; "come on, come over to my apartment"

"For what?" Sab asked pretentiously. On his mind, he was laughing like a madman who has found a roasted yam in a dustbin.

"Ahah!" Jane exclaimed. "Wait, are you waiting for Ada?" she asked.

"Yes"

"You guys have an appointment?"

" No"

"Then..." as she helped Sab to stand. "Come and..."

Sab rose as gentle as the sorrowful smile of a mother when she holds her little one after labour. He rolled his eyes around without sighting anything in particular. He then stretched himself and yawns simultaneously, then let the stream of thoughts made an ocean with his mind.

He could not remember exactly the chronology of the dream but the last words "Come and..." kept flashing on his mind. Suddenly, the name Ada; which broaden the horizon of the dream on his mind and posed a recognisable picture of the effect of the dream on him, echoed in the wilderness of his uncertainty and he began to retrace the kind of people he knows or mingles with that were called Ada. This became a beehive of activities on his mind. He became unsure of himself whether he dreamed or not. Because, he could not remember any Ada he knew even at the college and at home. At the college, he knew Adelle; his cousemate, not Ada. And, at home, he knew Adoo; his stubborn cousin from his mother's side.