THE CHANGE OF TIDES
EPISODE ONE
As he stroll through the tall buildings, empty tall buildings that most of them have been long abandoned by owners and were not completed; he picked a stick in one of them, he played and fondled with the stick as he walked some more.
Jake was a tall boy, fair in complexion and mostly shy in all his doings but he won people's heart when it comes to friendship, Jake soon approached the football pitch where other boys were, his nostrils filled with fresh breeze, as he walked further, the wind blew his clothes backward, this made him felt as a god that he raised his hands to the air
"He feels like batman"
One of his friends blurted out, looking at the way Jake walked like a popular actor of a movie.
"What is a batman"
Another of James friend asked, Christopher. When it comes to gist and latest news, you can give him the last position but when it comes to food, overall first.
All the boys roared in laughter the moment he raised the question except Jake who was not at that part of the pitch the boys were. They were close to the second goal post by the right. After the chorused laughter, Christopher, embarrassed, managed to ask again;
" what's funny? Does batman comes when a bat and man comes together"
The boys roared into another session of laughter, Christopher just left the area, feeling mocked, he kicked the ball towards Jake., who was at the centre of the pitch, he had been walking slow all along just to have the breeze to himself.
Sometimes, Mama's heavy meals land as a heavy drum into his tummy and it made him unable to work or move fast.
Jake had devoured two plates of yam porridge from the house before leaving for the pitch, he remembered hearing his mom screaming;
"Allow the food to digest first and wash your plates"
but he ignored and just moved on..
Jake got hold of the ball, performed some miraculous skills that made the boys marvelled and chatter like chickens seeing guinea corns. That's why he's called "Jake Okocha" cause his skills in football is second to none.
The boys divided themselves into groups to play football but Jake disagreed with their plans.
"This kind of game won't be interesting" he said beating his head.
"And why" Thomas who had been silent all the while blurted out.
"Well, we are not many enough to form two teams, let's play a new game. . . "
Before Jake could finish that statement;
" . . . .I'm in " Christopher shouted.
The main principle of the game was easy but very consequential, if the ball is played in between your legs serving as a goal post, all other participants will run towards the person to beat him until he touches the mango tree across the pitch.
That was the kind of game Jake loved, "football smackdown" he'd call it.
Christopher was the first, second and third person to suffer this smack down. As the ball entered the third time, before he could try to run, the boys had surrounded him and started their beating. He cried out in pain.
A passerby thought they were picking on Christopher, so he told them to stop and the game ended that minute. Juliet; Jake's younger sister saw Christopher crying, not knowing what to do; she gave him two puff puffs, he gladly accepted, cleaning his tears. This made the boys laughed in a very funny way, Jake was rolling on the floor laughing like a clown.
"QUICKLY, go home Daddy is back" she said.
"Sometimes she'd act like an angel, other times like a devil", he thought.
Juliet, being his younger sister was a beautiful girl, she's even as tall as Jake. Jake quickly stood up, making a stance to run, he said to the others;
"The last to get home will marry the tortoise's wife" all the boys ran helter skelter after hearing that.
"But what is wrong in marrying the tortoise's wife", Juliet thought as she walked home. She was going to find out some day.
© Clinton Fidelis