No Way Out
My middle childhood was full of drama, those who knew me as a child marvel at how calm and simple I became when I grew.
Those days, I was known to be the chief fighter in our locality. I was just looking out for any opportunity to fight. Not that I was strong, I just wanted to prove that I was not weakling. Apologies then was not a word I know, once you offend me, whether you like it or not we are going to fight.
If you are wondering how I became like that, here is the gist: I knew my area to be on the police blacklist right from when I was a kid to date, if it's fighting, cultism, or rebellion, just count us in.
In fact, there used to be a period when my area organized fighting marches with other areas. If your area seems to feel they are stubborn or attack anyone from our area, there will be a fighting match, it's more like a riot, it has happened many times and trust me it used to be bloody, the youth of my area are just too bad.
As a kid, if someone offends you and you take a flight instead of standing your ground to fight and return home crying, you are finished, your parents will beat the hell out of you and send you back to fight.
Almost everyone believed it was the best way to earn respect. You fight to prove that you are a man or woman. Those who apologize or run are considered weaklings.
I have this neighbor, Joy. She was always feeling too big and classy, probably because she came from the city and knew how to speak English fluently. Back then I was not good at English, I only knew how to speak Hausa(a native language).
Joy was everyone's crush among our peers, I won't lie, I also liked her but she always formed a boss around me. Though I like her, but I hate her too, I just hope you understand.
One of those days, I was weeding our backyard. It was the rainy season, my dad asked me to weed the grasses off. It was in the morning, while I was weeding,
I heard, "Emreal, isn't that our hoe?"
I paused and turned to see who was talking, well, it was joy.
Mtchew, I hissed, "Does this look like your hoe?" I responded, raising the hoe up.
"Let me see it," she said, coming closer.
"If you know what's good for you, don't even come near me, because I am going to beat the hell out of you," I replied.
"What? Are you talking to me? If you know that you are a man, repeat what you just said," she hesitated and responded.
"Yes, joy, I am talking to you if you come near me I'll beat you blue, black," I told her the second time.
Actually, I loved fighting, but I know the kind of people I fight. Joy was bigger than me, and comparing strength, I knew she could beat the hell out of me.
I was only making a mouth because I felt she was a lady, if I kept quiet, it would be as if I was scared of a woman, and a few kids were there witnessing what was transpiring. I mean it won't be nice to hear that the whole Emreal was scared of joy, those guys will mock me till I hate myself.
In my mind, I thought, all the disagreement would lead to agreement in the end because I was raising my voice, I expected that she would be scared.
But the reverse was what happened, Joy started moving faster towards my direction with her face frowning, "Should I fight or take a flight?" I was wondering inside in confusion.
But my lips wouldn't keep mute, I was so scared but that feeling of being a man wouldn't let me stop challenging her. Until she came close and grabbed my collar.
Gosh, that lady was strong, she almost raised me by the shirt, a thought came to apologize and let everything slide but turning my face towards our back door, I saw my father standing with his hand folded and smiling while watching us
You know what that means? If I let joy beat me or even throw me to the ground, I am finished. I would get a kind of beating that would never let me get involved in a fight unless I knew I could conquer.
Immediately I saw him, power just flowed into my body, "stop this, I pushed her hands away, are you trying me?" I asked as I removed my shirt.
"Yes, what will you do," Joy off her shoes and positioned well to throw a punch. I didn't know how it happened but I raised her up and put her to the ground.
Those kids watching us started cheering me, and it hurt the lady, she cried and went home. Those kids thought I was strong, they didn't know I had no option other than to fight, if I begged or returned while crying, I would be in trouble.
When I got home, my dad was just praising me, he said, "That's my son, I was just watching to see if you would run and come to the house or allow her to beat you, only God would have saved you. When you look for trouble, stay there and fight, don't even think of coming home because I will beat you more."
After that day, Joy respected me a lot, whenever she was talking, if I said "You want to try me?" She would apologize and turn it into a play. If only she knew I won by chance that day, LoL. She and I became cool subsequently and she later became my first love while I was in senior secondary school.