His excuse is too weak, Bra, I heard that underneath the call and I could recognize the voice, it is Adam’s voice, a friend I met who keeps visiting lately in this new environment we relocated to.
The way he presents himself whenever he comes by, prostrating to my parents and putting up a reputable composure around them, that makes him quickly gain respect at home, so that is how I became closer to Adams, and this I recall, but I have made up my mind not to go out with him again.
And I am standing by the claims.
Mother is unwell and I won't be able to show up, I repeated even though it was a lie.
What did you say again?
Our mentor, Big Rastar, asked, But today is your birthday, or is it that you are afraid?
You are a man now, he said.
Big bro, I stammered, referring to Big Rastar. He noticed the fear too, and cut me short with a reply, I am coming to your house right away and cut the call.
While the call was going on, my younger brother, Oye, noticed that I was fidgeting.
Big Brother, Oye uttered, but you are the one who always says that there are no excuses for failure, and you are giving such excuses when you know mother is well, he warned.
Then we heard a knock, and it was my mother.
She said, Your friend Adams is here for you and she left the door.
The fear gripped me and got intense, and indecision almost covered my decision, but I almost died the last time. I soliloquized, then summoned the courage and went out to meet Adam.
But as Adams saw me coming, he stood up and walked out of the sitting room, and I followed, knowing Big Rastar was outside the gate, awaiting us.
Getting outside, Adam spilled the beans by telling Big Rastar that I lied and mother is healthy, and he concluded that I am a weakling.
Yes, I am a weakling, I answered.
Don't you want to be feared again, don't you want power, joining the Big boys, Big Rastar said, holding firm to his cross bag and looking at me with a frown face.
I didn't want all those things before, and I don't want them now.
Adams is the one who wants them so he can go with you, I answered, looking straight into Big Rastar's dark eyes.
No problem then, we have no more business, but just know that the money is nonrefundable, he said and left as Adams followed.
It was then that I knew that Adams had paid for both of us that night, which was an unfortunate, lucky night for me.
I went back in and straight to my room.
Knowing that I have cut ties with Adam's friendship.
Getting to my room and sitting down, my younger brother, Oye, followed me in.
We have an unfinished business and have not yet concluded with our discussion, he said as he sat beside me on the bed.
I looked at him this time and wanted him to learn from my experience as usual, and I replied, Aburo, which means younger brother. If I say no excuses for failure, I mean taking full responsibility for outcomes, regardless of obstacles or circumstances.
I also use it to build a mindset that rejects blaming others, external situations, or bad luck.
While instead focusing on accountability, resilience, and problem-solving, and in broad form, failure shouldn't be justified, only to earn from and to overcome obstacles was my point when I made this statement, but it is not in all situations, I said as I was strict with him.
Bad companies corrupt good manners. I stated.
Last week, I went to a cult initiation party with Adams, and we spent the night there.
I told Daddy I am passing the night in Adams house to read and do assignments which was what he told me before he received a call around 11 pm telling me to follow him to a birthday party around the vicinity and I followed him and we got to the venue and that was were he introduced me to Big Rastar who told us that the party has been moved to another venue and he took us in his ride then we had a forty five minutes ride and landed in this unknown location.
Getting there and walking straight down, I noticed that it was in the middle of an unknown bush, and people there talked in a strange language or slang.
When I asked Adams what we were doing, he told me that we were at an initiation party of a deadly cult.
At this stage, there was nothing I could do, so I followed obediently after recognizing that they had different Arsenals in their position.
We were asked to sit in one hut like that, and I noticed that there were hundreds of us sitting there while we confirmed these groups of people singing, smoking, dancing to this song, and singing in that strange language.
Adams was also among us, and he just kept telling me to calm down.
Around 1 am, we were asked to strip to our shorts and line up outside in an open field like that, and we stood there till around 2 am.
All of a sudden, some of the group ran in our direction and shouted GOATY has busted, GOATY has busted and before we knew what was happening, they ran and ran as everyone joined running helter skelter, as we heard gunshots.
I ran as fast as I could, even though I didn't know what was chasing me, and I lost contact with Adams.
After running, running, and running in an unknown, very thick bush which looks dangerous and could harbour wild animals, I climbed a very large mango tree I saw around and hid on a branch, gasping heavily.
After a few minutes, I saw some movement towards my direction, then later I noticed it was a group of people, but as they moved closer, I saw that they were police officers.
I just kept still, as I confirmed that they have arrested so many people, and they are moving them towards that route.
It was then that I knew I was luckily running towards the exit route before climbing the tree.
I hid there for another hour, and I was worried about Adams, who took me there, feeling cold as I was in shorts and a singlet.
I jumped down after some minutes, then moved outward towards the route I saw the police take, and after some minutes of trekking, I burst out of the bush to a road, and this time, from how the weather looked and the continuous cold griping at me, I reasoned the time would be around 5 am, so I kept on streking, and all of a sudden, I saw a car packed beside me, and as I wanted to run, I heard my name and recognized it was Adams's voice.
Big Rastar said, Coming in, you lucky dude.
How do you escape the GOATIES, he asked as I just bumped into the car and it drove away.
It was then that I knew the Police were recognized as GOATY, and I said nothing till I got home, disappointed with Adams's behavior.
My brother Oye said, What a slim escape that was, brother.
It will have been a disaster if you were caught because Mummy and Daddy will be disappointed in you, as they always warned us against keeping bad company.
I replied saying that that was the reason I have to cut it off with Adams and Big Rastar this night and Oye nodded and said, wise decision big brother then he stood and up ghugged meand said your secrets are safe with me big brother, I will not let mummy and Daddy here of this as I got your back. He affirmed me.
Thank you for your understanding, I said.
