Onome’s Race.
An Anthony Jollof story.

Onome bin dey run. No be small jog, na serious race. The road wey im come dey run untop na slope. Onome teacher, Mr Festus, talk say the correct word na ‘downhill’ but Onome no too like plenty grammar.
How Onome take start to dey tear race na small thing sha. Im bin dey play football with im guys untop monkey post field, im bin wan come score like Ronaldo, na so e shoot ball commot the line of the field. Na Jofizy draw the line and na im talk say any person wey shoot ball commot for line gats chase am. The real name wey im papa and im mama give am na Joseph but everybody dey call am Jofizy because na bad guy.
Na so Onome come dey run like Okagbare and the ball dey roll like rollerblade. E pass Mama Ejima shop where the woman bin dey try give the two pikin dem breast milk while Caro, her househelp dey help sell the puff puff and buns wey dey the showglass to the other small pikin outside.
The ball pass the recharge card people wey dey under different umbrella, some red, some yellow, another green and some green and black. E still dey go, pass Papa Bomboy vulcanizer shop and Mama Bee buka. And still upon still, e still dey go.
Onome begin dey tire. Im bin think say im strong, but as the road be like say e plenty for front, e come know say e no be John Cena or Batista. Instead, na ordinary Onome im be. As the ball dey move down, e pass Nneka house wey Nneka and her sister dey outside dey sit down for bench as Mama Nneka and Aunty Ose dey help dem plait their hair. The women come dey shout make dem dey alright because as the girls dey play tinko tinko, the women no fit concentrate.
Onome look round come notice say e don go far from the pitch and the road dey empty. E remember say im Mama warn am about this kind thing. She talk say one wicked man wey im name na Evans dey carry small pikin for inside ghana-must-go. Onome come increase im speed so e go catch the useless ball. As e stretch when im want collect ball, na so the ball enter one small bush stop. Onome slow down. E thank God say the ball stop as e dey kneel down to pick am. As e stretch hand, the ball just go back small. Onome bin think say na breeze push am back till e see say person hand dey untop the ball.
Na so cold rush Onome like say person bring Air Conditioner, im short knicker wet as e piss for body. Im breathing wey been calm before start to dey come fast fast. The head and face wey get the hand come appear beside the ball and Onome shout the kind shout wey e never shout for the entire twelve years wey e don spend for this world.
The face na the face of Johnbull, Onome friend from when dem be small pikin and na the two of them bin dey cause trouble for everybody. The only problem be say Johnbull bin die last year when one big truck jam am for T-junction. So Onome no come understand how Johnbull dey here. Onome sharply stand up, E know say no be Hollywood film where person wey don die go come back greet im friend. Dead people for this side dey come back give punishment. Onome come remember that time when Johnbull mama bin call am to do something and Onome thief Johnbull biscuit. E come dey go back small small as Johnbull start to dey stand up.
“Onome, how far? E don te-”
Na so Onome start to dey tear race again.
