The African giant is a vast country of over 250 indigenous cultures. Diverse belief systems, norms and tradition. It's a wonder such a place hasn't turned on its head. The people however have embraced civilization and come to the understanding that every culture has something profitable in it. The three most prominent tribes however– Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba tribes have shown the most promise in all facets of the nation's economic development, especially politics and governance. The Niger Delta, is something of a fourth element in matters of geopolitical zones with other zones belonging to the big three. Regardless of their minority, they manage to stand out in more ways than one, be it for fame or infamy.
Monday morning arrives and the hummingbirds' song starts to play. The sleeping city wakes up to the bright sunshine and warm air. The bustling city of Port Harcourt is set in motion. The coarse bus conductors, jolting petrol generators and the many different vehicles (of course amongst things the eye can see). Jonathan or Timi as his friends and family call him wakes up like every weekday to prepare for another challenge– high school. Being the only child of his parents Kennedy and Tomi Ade, his heavy footsteps are the last to be heard coming down for breakfast. Each step draws him closer to the sweet and alluring smell of – as we say in Nigeria – today's bread.
Jonathan Timi Dickson is a Bayelsan and proud indigene of the Niger Delta. He aspires to study Psychology or Criminology as per his path to becoming a detective. His father however wants to pass on the family temple to him. Oba Kennedy Dickson sits with his tablet scrolling through news portals. He is the prestigious owner of Rivers' most prominent art gallery. He prides himself on being a big dreamer and as such tends to dream for others unconsciously. Jonathan and his father rarely ever talk about his aspirations, He's still in High school but his Dad constantly tries to persuade him away from his own dream.
"The art gallery brings in enough revenue for you to start a family. I don't see why you want to waste your life in the armed forces. Do you honestly think the system is that welcoming?" His father would say often.
Jonathan was an only child. He lived with one of his cousins on his father's side till he entered Prominence Academy's high school. A five star school for the elite of society. He (Jonathan) had always had a proper home to grow up in and his father thought deciding for his son would be more than proper.
There is no common family tradition they share. They just come, sit, eat and go their separate ways. Timi's Dad drops him off at school since his Art Gallery is in the same area, while in the car Oba tries to convince his son to make better life decisions (from his perspective at least).
"Timi, if you really want to become a detective and join the armed forces as you said, you should be knowledgeable of the risks involved. Let's forget the way the civil servants are treated by the so-called corruption-fighting government——" he says glancing periodically at his son with disappointment. "——Let's say you get into a bind with a cartel or a gang being bankrolled by the government. Would you be willing to put your life on the line for a broken system?".
Oba is a kind man at heart, one that provides for and never neglects his family, but when it comes to his son he tends to be a bit of a control freak.Trying constantly to convince him that he knows best and forget about chasing a "pipe dream". Even with the question Timi remains silent, keeping a poker face and looking ahead. Oba expects this from him as this is common ever since Timi turned 16. His coldness towards his father had become second nature. Suddenly, Timi clenched his fists, takes a deep breath and asks his Dad in a soft but demanding tone,
"Dad, have you EVER seen me do a good painting, or even a sketch that you can make sense of——" he says his intensity increasing, "—— think about it, I like puzzles, chess, riddles, connecting dots, that's just how my brain is wired."
His pent up frustration makes him do hand gestures pointing to his head and chest,
"You may be thinking I'm just gonna be another cog in a broken clock, but I work the systems and not the other way around."
Timi takes another deep breath and faces the window as they pass by the Art Gallery. His father refusing to budge from his stance says in the most tone-deaf way Timi could imagine,
"Timi once you realize how naïve you are, it may be too late to turn back."
Timi has aspired to be a detective for so long, he prides himself to be a good analyst and confident in deducing complex situations. To call someone like that naïve is to do more than strike a nerve. The silence after the conversation lasts till they reach the school gate. Timi steps out and exhales as if giving off the feeling of exasperation. He doesn't turn his back and walks away to his class. He walks briskly in the school hall. Prominence Academy, the prestigious school located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Port Harcourt. Only the elite are able to enter as the school has high standards. The money although wouldn't be all you need to get into the hectare of excellence as it's popularly known as. The ward would have to be exceptional in either academics or a select skill.
Timi walks in to his classroom. The den of miscreants, he calls his classmates, welcome him with their usual teasing that washes away the anger on his face. Painted in peach, the class holds 30 students along with eco-friendly writing desks, stylish oil-finish wooden shelf for books and an electronic board. Prominence was founded by a university professor who sought to prepare the students for the true toils of tertiary institutions. The school is the most prestigious in all the Niger Delta and holds the number three spot in national rankings. The students roam it's premises with pride in their plaid uniform dyed with different shades of brown. The school is majorly for junior, middle and senior students and has branches all over the nation.
After the morning assembly the students head to their classes to get ready for first period. Timi was studying the arts but not the kind his father did. His was a path that lead him down the road of a detective.
A man dreams, in pursuing those dreams sets goals and ultimately creates his future
The art students of Class 2-B are a very controversial bunch. Even though they're all in the B class, they never thought themselves to be second class. The Quixotes as they referred to themselves, were an eccentric lot. Theodora, the self proclaimed genius of analytics and deductions. She turns to welcome Timi with a devious smirk, she tends to be very bold and brazen despite her condescending stature which does not conceal the glistening brown skin, bright melanin-filled eyes, neatly goddess-braided hair and soothing voice she possesses. She aims to be a lawyer as per her inspirational hero figure, Judith Susan "The Voice of Justice" Sheindlin.
Next is Babatunde, trying his hardest to understand aath assignment whilst scratching his head vigorously. He's more brawn than brain, he's a staggering six feet and twelve inches, broad shouldered dark skin bouncer. An enthusiast in the art of music, Babatunde aims to become a music producer. His brawn may seem to set him at the basement level but he makes up for that with his big... (clears throat) ...heart.
Social skills, confidence, a plastic smile and an atomic personality. That's the formula for the creation of Amelia, the class's Marilyn Monroe and a ray of sunshine or spotlight depending on your perspective. She is as usual, on her phone, she does not excel greatly in academics but boasts of a high EQ which allows her to be calm and collected in nail-biting situations. She is also a social media influencer with over a million followers on Instagram and TikTok. She does the marketing for different cosmetic products that help keep her fair skin glowing. She's supposed to study Mass Communications but that would only satisfy her parents. Her real aim is to own her own show like Ellen DeGeneres or Tiffany Haddish.
Blake, much like Jonathan has the dream of becoming a detective but already possesses a plethora of deductive skills. His IQ far surpasses his peers but tends to be an introvert, the kind that guards his secrets like a Dragon's cave. He is Quixote against his will. He tends to be silent sitting by himself as always, the brooding intellectual. The black silky hair and long canines that makes him look like a vampire scare off anyone trying to talk to him. There is deep story behind him, but he keeps his stories classified.
Jonathan the self proclaimed rival of Blake. Even though the two never really converse their behaviour towards each other is always competitive. Moderately tall, brown skinned and muscular, he's proficient in Aikido and Judo. All of course in preparation for his goal. Jonathan isn't one to pry in matters that aren't related to Justice so he doesn't question Blake's origin story.
And finally the saint amongst the savages, Fatima. A northern girl with a timid personality that contrast her endowment. A voluptuous ebony-skinned beauty. She is the envy of every girl in the school(body-wise). She suffers from presbyopia and so wears medicated Chanel specs. She frantically waves to Timi who's standing at the class door. He is after all the only person she's comfortable around. Babatunde would have been included but his physique is far too intimidating for her to handle. She was by far the most prestigious among them. Her father was a top politician in the north but sent her to Niger Delta to get a new experience. And so with that, I give you the Quixotes; the Genius Theodora, Babatunde the Giant, D'Amelia (as is her social handles), Silent Blake, Detective Jonathan and last but most certainly not least the Timid Fatima.
The school day starts and like everyday, it's characterized by the teacher's narrative voices, the alarm for change of lessons, the noise of the delinquent students, lunching, gossip and the most notorious of all, the school's unofficial blog. As the school's custom was, every mid-second term there would be a cultural display festival. Every student was to form groups based on their ethnicity and show the school the delights of their culture. The event was in six weeks. Unfortunately for the school they were clueless of what was about to unfold within and without.
School is dismissed and Jonathan returns home to his mum whom he finds in a very awkward moment. In a high pitched tone she sings,
"You better run, you better do what you can, don't try to be tough, don't be macho man..."
singing and dancing like MJ (Makanaki Joneson) whilst cleaning the kitchen. Jonathan however watches in horror whilst his mum is being her usually overly excited self. He quietly walks to his room to avoid any contact at all with her. The fact that Tomi doesn't have a daughter means she's extra clingy to her son. She instantly stops mid song and thinks to herself,
"Shouldn't Timi be back by now?"
with an smirk on her face she climbs up the stairs to his room and flings the door open. Timi eyes that were closed shut widened as if he was about to be murdered. Tomi sits like a younger sister that's been waiting for her big bro to get home. Timi reluctantly sits up and says,
"Mum you know I'm about to be 18, which means you can't keep barging in here like I'm a cute toddler and––" Timi is immediately cut short, "Hey! Boy!" with a cold sinister look in her eyes, "Have you forgotten I'm a 3rd degree black belt? Or should I break something first?"
The atmosphere is as hard as a diamond and the once confident Timi becomes like a rat being choked by a boa. This turned dark fast, he thinks to himself, but then, with a condescending but serene look,
"Why do you think we opted for you to learn martial arts?" His mum is a lot of things at a lot of times but overall she's sweet and caring. "W-wasn't it 'cause dad did?" with a confused look on his face, she giggles before saying, "That's what he wants you to think. It's actually because I beat him up on our first date thinking he was one of those pervy artists that just wanna get ladies naked. Also so that the same doesn't happen to you I guess?" Timi lets out a sigh of relief, "If that's the reason, it's a good thing I'm not getting married." he says as he lies back down. He can however still feel the pressuring gaze of his mother that makes him queasy. "Say that again boy and you'll have an actual missing rib. (her killer eyes turn sad in an instant) Why would you even say that to me? You know it's my dream to become the world's greatest grandma." She sobs lightly facing the door, Timi however does not feel the sentiment and sees her aspirations as a pipe dream, but he hated to see his mother cry and so he apologizes for his insensitivity which leads to a long tight hug, breathlessly begging for his life, "Mum please, I--can't breathe."
It's 6pm and now dinner time. The Man of the house had already got back from work 30 minutes ago and so they began. Taking in the savoury taste of mashed yam and plantain could make one forget about their problems. As was the chef's (Tomi) custom, a very spicy hot sauce to go with it and a glass of yoghurt for the weak willed. The evening started off as quiet until Oba decided to break the tension with his steel tongue,
"The cultural festival is in less than two months. What have you prepared to showcase the beauty of the Ijaw people?" While still eating Timi responds, "Don't you mean preparing? The notice only came to us yesterday. Even the son of an artistic genius needs time to process things." His father is now full of discontent and about to be the firestarter he is, "Listen son..." As he makes his way to Timi, the mother steps in, "Maybe you all need a little more sauce. (gazing at her husband with a menacing look) You need to let the boy rest and allow him figure himself out." The room falls into a deep silence, short as it may be, it's a relief for Timi. After dinner he goes up to his room to think about what his mother said about marriage, "The two of them claim to be happy, but they disagree about almost everything. True love only exists in fairy tales..." he says as he settles into bed, "...I should probably not worry about it, wouldn't want to have a Deathmatch with someone I claim to love."
'In deep darkness the mind of man wanders, away from logic, away from reality. The abyss reveals the unknown innate desires, darkest fears or the unravelling of destiny'.
Timi falls deep in sleep and travels to the land of dreams. The space around him is colourless, emotionless, white terrain. He sees trees that form thick woods, beyond that mountains and where he stands grass but all white. In this colourless world he says to himself,
"This kind of place would be dream come true or a bad nightmare for my Dad. Then again why am I here?".
The dream state impairs proper reasoning abilities, making the dreamer think that which is before him is reality. Still there is a glimmer of doubt. Timi walks around the white world in hope yo find something interesting. His inner detective is raring to discover something unexpected. Soon he meets with a mysterious entity in a terracotta mask wielding a machete. He is startled and takes a step back out of caution. The mysterious figure stares at him for a while before putting the weapon down and rushing towards him. Once again Timi takes a step back but this time to get into his battle stance.
Faced with an unknown figure who has chosen the way of chivalry to face Timi barehanded, rushing with a bloodlust like nothing he's ever seen. Timi takes his stance and lets out a sinister grin. He was startled at he sight of the masked man but now his whole body wants to know what the man can do. He comes to the conclusion that by the way the masked is dressed, his fighting style should be somewhat crude and waits for his first strike. The masked swings a right hook with great speed. Timi of course is expecting this and swings his body in the same direction of the hook tilting to the side. With one hand on the ground he lands a decisive kick to the target's ribcage. The masked is driven back but rushes again as if not fazed.
"You must collect!", he says in a jocular manner referring to a beatdown.
The two now go back and forth exchanging blows and kicks. Timi seems to be more skilled as he is able to dodge more and gain the upper hand, but something is wrong. Timi seems to be the only one losing stamina and the masked keeps charging at the same speed from the beginning.
Panting from exhaustion, Timi maintains his stance ready for the next attack. The masked rushes towards him, dodging a desperate jab from Timi he shoulder tackles him to the ground. Mounting him it looks as though Timi has accepted defeat until...,
"Hey! Continue. Let's go. I'm not done with you." he says with a menacing tone.
The masked figure swings a fist towards him that knocks him out of his dream and back to reality.
Timi jolts from his sleeping position as per the shock of the sucker punch, he comes to notice his soaked bed (with sweat) and pain he feels as if the dream was real.
"What kind of nonsense is this? How am I feeling pain from a dream?"
He chooses not to think too much about it and starts to get ready for school. After showering and putting on his uniform, Timi heads down to the dining table. He greets his Mum and Dad, makes his way to sit down but starts to feel off.
Taking each step means more drowsiness. He heard the faint sounds of his mother's voice calling his name, trying to respond he stretches his hand before losing consciousness and falling to the ground.
He opens his eyes to see only white, a man in the corner with some instruments. He tries to get up but is too weak, soon the man turns to him and says,
"Welcome back, Jonathan."