Uduma be him who be called coward. At fourteen, neither riding a solarbike over Hangman’s Cliff, nor jumping off Ideora Falls, we boys of Square call him so. Odd one him be, true talk. Jagged afro and jaggeder combats. Ever shirt on, even when sun be burning so bright, so hot, that mamas leave breasts bare, sit out, drink citric drink, and curse these skies for letting it shine so harshly.
Uduma be he own best friend to self. Boy be preferring to sit and watch; you get? To just sit under giant mango tree and watch we other boys. Watch we play hoverball. Watch we share rabbit kills. Watch we fight play fight. Watch we fight real fight. Ever not talking to anybody. Just sitting and watching. Yet, ever, never failing to show up at Square, like lizard to pavement; like spy of we papas and mamas. Maybe this be who him be. Maybe. Who fit know?
One time, Mbadi knocked this crazed hoverball outside play, onto giant mango tree this goddamn thing went, and dropped next to Uduma leg, gbam! Boy did not move. Not even to pick up hoverball and throw back to field of play. Me glided there, and spat near him foot as me picked up the damn hoverball. Boy did not move, still. Like a goddamn statue thing.
Many times, while we chatty-chatty, the topic to kick this docile laddie out of Square come up among we other boys. I champion most. Him presence irrelevant. Some of we affirm this. Some of we disaffirm. The ones not agreeing be reminding we all of Umustead code, which itself be the blood pumping up and down in these hearts; through these veins. Kin be kin, them say. We be grudgingly accepting. Hencing, we be dismissing this proposition of banishment.
*
All of Umustead, all of Confederacy, know of Uduma papa. Man be legend of old; hero past.
Our papas call he the Greatest Warrior of the Great War. Them say him been created an elite unit, the Edoziuno Echo Grey, which employed ancestors’ magic against the battalions of Mornanian aliens during the war for we planet one century and fifteen years far back. Uduma papa unit been conquered the alien base and returned the Earth to we humans, them say. Them swear on Mother Terra that he efforts been ushered the peace we enjoy this very today.
Our mamas affirm this. Them talk also of the time before the Great War. Them tell of the reign of Mornanians, when humankind been shut off cities and towns, been segregated against, been lost collective sense of self. Them say the Edoziuno Echo Grey been reminded we of our Ancient Past. Them swear on Mother Terra that Uduma papa unit been teach people the old ways, been bring back odinani which we enjoy this very today.
You confuse, yes? How Uduma just fourteen if he papa run battle one century and fifteen years far back? No frown face. This be the tale: toughman Captain leaved he sperm inside a medical tube that been handed over to the Confederacy. Now, fifteen years far back, on the 100th anniversary of victory over the aliens in the Great War, Uduma mama, genius person, designed this tercationator, possibilized teleportation and earned a patent. To commemorate this landmark achievement, the Government been handed over Uduma papa sperm tube to Uduma mama.
The thinking be this: brilliant soldierman plus brilliant scientist be bringing forth best of brilliant pikin.
You see why Uduma be big disappointment?
Uduma, opposite to he papa; opposite to he mama. Uduma unremarkable and forgetful.
Instead of force of action, instead of creation ingenuity, boy’s a watcher. A damn docile watcher. Watching we other boys play hoverball, share rabbit kills, fight play fight, fight real fight. Watching. Never doing. Just watching. A fuckity!
*
Mbadi own birthday soon come. As be Square tradition, we raise talk on running celebration. The sky hazy this day, ungood for hoverball. Hencing, we congregate under giant mango tree, next to where Uduma sit and stare alltime, and raise talk.
Gwurudi first suggestate. ‘We fit swim up and down Ideora,’ him opine. ‘Invite them girls too.’
‘That be how we run me own celebration four months far back. You forgots?’ Ojih ask, snapping fingers up and behind he head.
Gwurudi widen eyes, ‘Oh.’
‘True talk,’ Mbadi say, ‘Plus, me not too like swimming.’ Him shrug, like obdurate child been offered vegetables for mealtime.
‘So, what we do?’ Ikuku ask, folding hand.
‘We fit go get you the new Hov-85 II Prime,’ Ajah-ani suggestate, pointing Mbadi.
Ojih burst laugh. Me join in. Gwurudi hold mouth. Ikuku shake head.
‘We talking jokes now?’ Ojih ask. Him bend head go one side.
‘How we do this?’ Me ask Ajah-ani, me mouth still overflowing chuckles.
‘We burgle Atom Hut.’ Ajah-ani say.
Now, for sake of clarity, the new Hov-85 II Prime be the baddest, wickedest hoverglider, from the Prime fleet of Fechi Hover Automobiles. It sleek, slender and goddamn sexy. It the latest, fastest hoverglider in country and only yet used by professional hoverballers in the Confederational Hoverball League. Them say the magnetism between boots and glider be so firm that it be felt within bone of rider. Them say its response so swift, you reckon it be reading your goddamn mind. This be what Ajah-ani suggestate we burgle. And from where? Atom Hut, number two biggest sports shop in city! No idea madder!!
‘You joke,’ Me say.
‘True talk,’ Mbadi say, yet he voice not overly firm, and me deduce him thinking it.
‘I no joke,’ Ajah-ani say. ‘Think it. We achieve perfect gift for you. We achieve best thrill for we.’
‘Sense in this o,’ Gwurudi say, swinging from close branch of tree.
Me pause. Me look round. Everybody pondering it. We wild. We rugged. We breathe adventures. Yet, a heist attempt; that, we been never do. It madness. These boys wan kill me.
‘And about Atom Hut security robots who themselves stand watch when shop closed?’ Me ask.
Ajah-ani look me. Me look Gwurudi. Gwurudi look Ojih. Ojih look Ikuku. Ikuku look Mbadi.
‘Me fit do look-out,’ we hearing a voice say. It not a voice we know.
This be the first time we hearing Uduma say pim. For like five seconds straight, we all just quiet.
‘You?’ Me ask and break silence.
‘Yes, Keneanyi,’ Uduma say, standing up.
I shock him talk this. I further shock him bold enough to say me name.
‘Good, good,’ Ajah-ani say.
‘Good, good,’ Ikuku say.
Gwurudi nod head, like old man flashing wisdom.
Ojih smile.
‘We running this,’ Mbadi declarate. I taste he excitement in tone.
Birthday boy getting best birthday thrill. Everybody keen to do this. Them, majority. Me, minority. Kinpower be a true thing. And, of course, kin be kin. So, me nod.
*
Atom Hut be inside Umustead’s Central District of Business. Off from Square like six, one-quarter kilodistances. We meet up at Square on nine o’clock, every laddie on he hoverglider. Me not know about the others, but me surprised Coward Uduma been owning a hoverglider and him daring enough to sneak out from house, like we, deceiving parents. Ajah-ani give everybody this plastic clown masks him bring. This criminal laddie long been fantasizing this shit. Ikuku hold a lock destabilizer and declarate that it fit fuck up them locks at Atom Hut. Gwurudi run small late, and give a hundred apologies when him finally come. Ojih say a prayer. We hold hands and nod heads as him call on spirits of ancestors for guiding. We do this every time we adventure-going, never minding even if – like now – the adventure be against the law.
We move on ten minutes bringing ten o’clock. We glide quietly, finding shadows and being away from streetlights. Fact be: there be hardly thieving in Umustead, so much so, guard be down on perpetuality; we not even having police to investigate if thieving be occurring. Approaching Atom Hut, Mbadi signal we glide upward. We shoot up! Clown masks protect eyes against rushing air. Reaching hundred difometric fenifeets, him signal again and we shoot down into shop complex.
The compound bare, save the shop building at center. We congregate on rear door and Ikuku start working the lock destabilizer. Me tap Uduma, point me eyes and point around this perimeter. Uduma nod and glide from we. Ikuku fuck up them locks and we move in.
Of holy fucks, Atom Hut bearing a resemblance to what en’igwe fit be. True talk! Piropet sneakers. Hydrostop solarbikes. Sonic starcatchers. Mountain-range exerquishers. Myriadums of sporting wears. And of course, thousand plus one hovergliders. Of every making. Fechi. Emudiamen. TimiUmar. Mention only.
Not meaning it, yet doing it, we stare for counting minutes. Just stare at gear glory, up till Mbadi call we to order. Him point at a Hov-85 II Prime, stacked in a showglass. It glistening. Mbadi pick it.
‘Carry only one thing, and not let it be big,’ Mbadi say.
We nod. We pick things. I selectate a TimiUmar sonic starcatcher.
Coming out, we find a scene not one of we been prepared to visage. There, by same door we enter through, be Uduma, over three security robots. Them machines twitching, broken, battered. Uduma hand inside the metal head of one.
‘Have to take out them memory disks,’ him say.
We just look him, struck with dumbness.
Finding it, him yank. ‘We go now.’
Me have so many questions. Pretty sure other boys be having them, too. Yet, here and now not appropriate, so we glide away, off from Atom Hut.
*
It be appearing that while we dumbstruck inside of Atom Hut, them security robots who otherwise at shop’s main gate entrance, run routine perimeter inspection. Them begun whirring up and down the compound. Noticing exit door ajar, them proceeded to it. Uduma fitn’t allow that happen. And he fitn’t call up to us just yet. So, what him do? Well, boy swung upon action against said robots. True talk. Actual kpisha kpisha. It turn out that Uduma fit fucking combatate. Jabs, punches and flipkicks unto steel robots. Man!
We other boys learn this, not sake of say Uduma tell us, but sake of say Ikuku read them collected memory disks on him instrosmart drive. The hologram film play before we very eyes and everybody goddamn shock; our mouths agaping as we watch this glorious action thing in neon holocolour.
You think Uduma chatty-chatty after this? You think him proud and raise shoulder? No! Him still sit alone under giant mango tree and watch. Ever not talking to anybody. Ever, never joining our play. Not even when offered lead position on hoverball team. Not even when Mbadi offered he the Hov-85 II Prime. Not even when we gossipate on new adventure-going to him hearing. Him just sit alone and watch alltime.
We other boys desist calling he coward after the Atom Hut heist. Uduma earn we respect, in unequivocal totality. Now, we be understanding that Uduma not docile, not timid, not weak. Uduma simply holding back. Uduma papa fire pump up and down him heart, run up and down him veins. If not, how him bold enough to take on them robots in Atom Hut compound? Uduma mama smarticity stay in him brain, sharpening him senses. If not, how him be knowing where to jab them robots to be causing technical malfunction? Uduma quiet alltime for Square, because Uduma hold back. Maybe if him let go, him win every game and we other boys begin hating he even more. We talk this amongst ourselves and we see reason.
So, we let he hold back. Let he sit and watch we in the quietness that he is liking. Sometimes, we stop play and go sit next to he under giant mango tree. Even then, Uduma not speak. We respect this. We respect he. Every boy sit in silence at this time. This be what Uduma enjoy: the silence of being still. So, now, we play what we like, and play what him like, too. Kin be kin.
END
