Prose: Eloho

“Sooo long…bitch you did me so wrong!

 I don’t wanna go on,

Livin’ in this world without you!”

                                - Marshall Mathers

Each time Eloho played Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP album his mind would go back to that day, that day when everything changed. Whether for good or bad he was never sure. Some would argue that it was for good, others would have taken the contrary position. But what was done was done, and did he have any regrets? He most definitely did.

It was his last day before going back to school at the University of Benin aka Uniben. The localised strike had just been called off so his two week “break” was over. The school had been shut down over an industrial action carried out by the non-teaching staff who as usual were clamouring for one benefit or the other. He was tired of it all and after staying idly in school for two weeks he had gone home to Lagos. He did not understand why lectures had to be affected really but after a week of non-teaching support the lecturers had simply not turned up. Who was going to maintain the classrooms, clean the lavatories and carry out the other more serious admin roles in the school? It was a good reason to go home and he took it.

He had things to do, friends to see and things to catch up on. Inasmuch as his school was his pride and joy, Benin offered little comparatively to the action of Lagos. So his two weeks had been spent eating free food from his mum’s kitchen, watching movies and visiting friends. One friend in particular was important to him – Henrietta. Henrietta or Henri was his girlfriend of two years and he was totally in love with her. They had met while they were both waiting for admission into the university, during that period people called “University of House”, the one year between graduation from secondary school to university admission. For some more unfortunate, it took longer than a year, sometimes even up to four years - JAMB and O-Level exams were not known for their lack of difficulty.

For him it had been love at first sight. For her, a gradual coming into love as some teenage girls are wont to do.  They had been together for two years save for a brief breakup when they both ended up in different schools. She had gone to Lagos, University of Lagos (Unilag) and so they thought the best thing to do was to break up given the long distance. But after a semester apart one missed the other so much that they decided to make it work, and try they did. The past year things had been great given the time apart and they made up for it with long phone calls and even longer letters. The phone calls were murder on the pocket for him, but hey true love comes at a price, he told himself. 

So during this break period he had tried to see her as often as possible given her classes, three times so far. Just because his school’s non-academic staff were on strike did not suddenly mean that the rest of the country’s ivory towers would grind to a halt as well.

Eloho had had some last minute running around to do which involved picking up a few items and stopping by at Unilag to say his goodbyes to his friends and his babe Henri. He took a bus to Yaba Bus Stop and from there got on the Unilag campus bus shuttle service. Once on campus he located his bosom buddy's room. Pedro shared a BQ (Boys’ Quarters) room with a classmate in the senior staff quarters. Eloho had settled down and after the usual pleasantries had produced a bootleg copy of Eminem’s The Marshal Mathers LP. The other two guys in the room went nuts. The whole world had been waiting for Eminem aka Slim Shady real name Marshal Mathers to release his sophomore effort. His first album The Slim Shady LP was ill! For a white dude, Eminem could rap…his flow, word play, punch lines, and pop culture references were out of this world. He had given the established rap stars a run for their money and the rap and hip-hop community and indeed the world had taken notice of this white boy from Detroit.

“Eloho! How?! Where did you get this from?!”

Eloho grinned. “I know a guy.”

Pedro snatched the CD from his hand and began to scrutinise it.

“I picked it up from my audio CD guy on my way here. He said it just came to the market and this was one of the few copies available”, Eloho continued.

“Have you sampled it?”

“No, not really, I just listened to the intro and The Real Slim Shady track on my Discman. I was waiting for you guys.”

Pedro’s roommate, Chinedu boomed, “Abeg, let’s jam this CD!!!”

The white disc with the reverse “E” was slot into one of the trays of the Philips 3-loader VCD/CD player.

“This is a Public Service Announcement brought to you….”

Over an hour later the three boys were numb with awe. What had they just listened to? The Marshal Mathers LP was a couple of light years ahead of Em’s first album. Where he had been psychotically petulant in a white boy but brilliant rap way in The Slim Shady LP, Em had matured greatly, successfully transforming the previous drug related theme into one of seething rap rage against the success the machine had brought him. Where he had attacked himself, his mum and his wife in the first album, in this effort he attacked everyone else while going up quite a few more notches in his attacks to his mum and wife.

The trio were speechless. They had listened to Stan almost ten times. The message was one for the ages, who else had come close? The entire album was one giant pulsating middle finger but the craft and skill were undeniable.

With that album echoing in their ears, Eloho and Pedro walked towards Henri’s hall of residence hoping to get a cab. Eloho had just one more stop to make before heading home. He was going to see his girl and kiss her goodbye.

Moremi Hall was the premier female hall of residence in Unilag. For one to have entered even for five minutes was a feat not many guys could boast of. The supposedly finest and “it” Unilag girls lived there. Eloho did not get what the fuss was all about really. In his school, the “it” girls nay students lived not in the halls of residence but in the senior staff quarters or off campus in privately owned hostels that were mostly co-ed. But the standing of Moremi Hall was not fully lost on him. The kind of girls that walked in and out of that place would turn heads in his school. The women were fine, all of them. So it was with a sense of pride that he acknowledged the fact that his babe lived there. She was up there with the school’s top percentile of babes.

Eloho and Pedro got out of the cab they had taken from the beginning of Pedro’s street. It was about 7pm and the car park was already getting filled up with boys in their own or their parents’ cars. What a show! Eloho thought to himself. These kids really knew how to separate the classes and he was not referring to the years. Uniben had rich kids and there were students from different backgrounds and classes but it was never exhibited deliberately nor obnoxiously like it was done in Unilag. No wonder a lot of these kids have complexes, he thought. He spotted a smallish girl in the smallest pair of shorts he had ever seen standing next to a guy fully kitted in a sweatshirt, baggy jeans, a baseball hat and bat to boot. Hip hop lives!!!

The two friends walked into Moremi Hall and headed for Block C. Eloho had told Henri that he would be coming so he was sure that she would be in. They climbed up two flights of stairs and walked down the corridor to the right. He could find his way to her room blindfolded. They stopped in front of 208 and knocked. He hoped that her room would not be too full today. Moremi Hall was hopelessly crowded with a 4-woman room becoming a 10-woman one. The porters turned a blind eye to the rules and deep pockets to the squatters as demand far exceeded supply. Who no wan be Moremi babe?

A tall dark girl with a screaming white towel walked past him as he waited. She was quite pretty and the towel only outlined her lovely physique. Eloho and Pedro smiled to each other with a knowing look. That was the thing, there were so many beautiful women in the world, both in Lagos and in Benin but he had eyes for only one. No one could match his babe. Henri was that chocolatey brown skin, slender, with the loveliest almond-shaped eyes and a girl’s body that had grown into and wore its womanhood proudly. She was pretty and people were beginning to notice. But Eloho did not care; he had no fear for she was his. He recalled their many walks in their first year, the endless telephone calls, the hours of fevered making out. He had found someone he could be with. There was never a “just there” moment for every second was golden. He loved her and she loved him. Their relationship was near perfect, it was only the long distance that plagued it.

“Who is it?” a girl asked from within.

“Hi, I’d like to see Henrietta please.”

There was a cough then footsteps. The door was opened by one of Henri’s roommates. Eloho could not remember her name so he just smiled and said hi. Roommate smiled back at him. “Hi, is Henrietta in?” The roommate pulled her head away and looked back into the room. After receiving the go-ahead from Henri, the roommate allowed them in.

Eloho stepped into the room with Pedro right behind him and spotted Henri sitting on her bunk at the far side of the room. As they navigated to her bunk while saying hello to the other women in the room, he noticed that there was a guy sitting in Henri’s bunk. A slight frown came to his face but it was quickly gone when Henri walked up to him.

“Hi,” Eloho greeted Henri with a smile.

Henri smiled back and returned his greeting.

“I hope I’m not too late?”

“No, it’s ok; I just got in from class not too long ago.”

Pedro coughed.

“Oh Pedro hi, I didn’t see you there.” Henri said with a wave.

Pedro waved back.

Eloho looked at the guy seated on Henri’s bed. The dude was portly but tall about his height. Then he remembered him. What was that his name again? Uche. Yeah he had first met him at Henri’s best friend’s birthday party. Then he had met him again at a beach thing Henri had taken him to. Eloho had even spotted him driving down Henri’s street as he left her house during the last semester break. Hmmm…what was going on here?

“Eloho you remember Uche?” Henri said by way of introduction.

“Guy how far?” Eloho greeted.

“Nothing much” Uche responded.

Pedro just waved.

“Look guys, let me check on someone in 311. I’ll be back in a bit.” Pedro exited.

Eloho checked his watch. It was getting late and he did not have much time. He had one more stop to make before heading home.

He took Henri’s hand and pulled her, “Look I can’t stay long. Can we talk outside?”

Eloho walked out to the corridor as Henri spoke briefly to her other guest. She soon joined him.

“What’s up with this Uche guy?” he asked.

“Who Uche? He’s just a friend.”

“Really? Does he stop by often?”

“No, not really. Just once in a while.”

“Really? But I know that he doesn't go to school here.”

“Yeah but you know Tope in my class? Well he’s good friends with Uche. That’s how I met him. He gives some of us a lift sometimes.”

“Okay.”

Eloho was tired. It had been a long day and he wasn't really there to fight. He just wanted to spend a few precious moments with his girl before he left for school the next day.

“I've missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

He looked into her eyes and all the apprehension and suspicion disappeared. They talked for a while, about twenty minutes. Saying whatever lovers say to each other at moments like these. Uche did not come out of the room.

“Which kain guy be dis?” Eloho thought to himself. “Can’t he use his church mind and take his leave?” He really had not expected to be standing on the corridor talking to his girlfriend for this long. The Bro Code demanded that Uche having been deferred to initially would politely take his leave after a couple of minutes if not immediately. The guy had obviously not been schooled properly. These “Lag” boys sef! But wait o, dude was not even in the school!

A few minutes later Pedro returned and found both of them talking on the corridor. Strange. Well maybe they wanted to whisper sweet nothings to each other and did not want others overhearing. Pedro kept a respectable distance, waving and saying hi to the odd girl who passed by that he knew.

Eloho was a bit disappointed. He wanted their parting to be extra-special but apparently it could not be helped. Time was going and he had to be on his way.

“I got to go.”

Henri sighed a little. “Okay, let me see you off then.”

Eloho made to go but turned and poked his head into Henri’s room.

“I’m off,” he said to her roommates.

“Bye!!!” they chorused.

“Chief, I’m off.”

Uche just nodded and smiled at him.

Was that a sneer? Eloho wondered. Nah! His mind was playing tricks on him. Dude was harmless. Henri loved him and no one was going to change that.

The three of them walked to the gates of Moremi. Pedro gave them space as the two love birds stood talking. He expected them to spend a few more minutes for Eloho and Henri were known among their friends for their long goodbyes. Not this time.

“Pedro, I’ll see you later,” Henri said as she turned and walked back into her hostel.

Eloho followed her with his eyes.

“What was that bro?”

“I don’t know o. I wanted to hug and kiss her goodbye and she said no.” Eloho said with some surprise in his voice.

“Really?!” Pedro laughed.

Eloho looked at Pedro. “Yeah, she said she’s shy, you know PDA and all.”

Pedro looked at his friend, “Would this be your first time of hugging her goodbye here?”

The answer was no.

“Look Eloho I’ve seen that guy quite a few times with Henri oh, forming picking her up and dropping her off. You never know but I don’t trust that dude!”

Eloho turned and began to walk away slowly. He was confused; this was not the Henri he knew. Why was she acting strangely? He looked around the car park. Rich kids in their cars and co-eds. He spotted the small pretty girl with her hip-hop boyfriend. He closed his eyes and the events of the last hour or so flashed through his mind. He stood still for a good ten seconds with his eyes closed. When he opened them, he saw red.

Eloho walked up to Mr. Hip-Hop.

“Homez can I borrow your bat for one second please?”

Eloho took the offered bat and headed back into Moremi.

“Eloho wait!!”

“All is fair in love and war.” Those were the words in his ears as he bounded up to room 208. This time he did not knock but opened the door himself. He saw Henri laughing at something funny Porky Pig had said. In four steps he was across the room baseball bat in hand. Roommates made way while Henri and Uche only noticed him at the last moment getting up at the same time.

“Eloho what are doing?!”

“Henri step aside please.”

Henrietta nimbly moved aside as Uche tried to look for a way out. No luck. However Uche’s frantic movements were misconstrued as aggressive as Eloho somehow swung the bat within the tight confines of the room hitting Uche hard on the arm.

Crack! Uche yelled in pain grabbing his arm.

Henrietta screamed.

“Eloho stop!!!"

“No, it’s okay, I just want to ask him a few questions. Ehen, Chief, what exactly are you doing with my girl? Shey you know we are going out….as in we are in an exclusive relationship, dating and all?”

Uche did not answer but glowered in pain.

“You don’t want to answer now abi; you’re forming bad guy?” Eloho ran the bat into Uche’s midsection. As Uche bent over in pain Eloho smashed the bat across his face.

Blood spewed forth.

Henrietta screamed.

The roommates ran out of the room. Pedro ran in and tried to restrain his friend. He had never seen Eloho like this before.

“Eloho please stop! Please!” Henrietta begged.

Eloho turned to look at Henrietta. He dropped the baseball bat and walked towards her as she stood shaking. He reached out for her and she shrank back afraid.

Eloho smiled at her wryly, “I would never ever hurt you Henri. But I needed to teach him a lesson. I couldn’t just stand there and watch him steal you away.” Eloho looked down at the groaning Uche. “He would have if I had done nothing.”

Tears came to Eloho’s eyes and Henri’s heart melted. She grabbed him and held him tight.

“I love you so much Eloho. I swear I do!”

“I love you too Henri,” Eloho responded as they held each other tight as voices of authority approached.

This was the way it was meant to be. Two hearts, first love, forever love.

*********************************************

“Eloho! Eloho!!” Pedro called.

Eloho opened his eyes.

“Did you hear what I just said? He comes around campus with Tope but he’s definitely interested in Henri. I’ve seen them together a few times.”

Eloho shook his head. 

“Nah, it’s cool. She says they are just friends and he’s just being helpful. She can have friends can’t she?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really! I trust Henri.”

“Okay cool, no problem then.”

“Bro I have to head. I’ll see you when next I'm around.”

The two friends hugged each other goodbye.

Eloho got into the cab that would take him to the university gate and from there he would find his way home. Discman in hand, he began to listen to Kim as the taxi carried him and three others to the gate. He would return to Unilag a few more times but that was the last time he would step into Moremi Hall.