The Scars -- Eps 1: Young Dreamers By Preye Johnmark

 

EPISODE ONE:

YOUNG DREAMERS.

Dreamers they were, so avid and impertinent on doing and knowing new things. They had been friends since they could possibly remember, and they had great dreams ahead of them. Deep in the thick bushes of Arhavwarien, a town of the Urhobo clan in Delta State of Nigeria, roamed two young girls, running aimlessly through the small but thick forest and searching for only God knows what. “Run faster!” the first one said, who was obviously ahead of the other. “Ese wait, wait for me!” cried the latter who tried to keep up with the former.

“Ah, Ogho! Sometimes I wonder why you have the body of a model when you’re typically lazy! As in, laziness should be your middle name! Fia! Keep up jare! Except you want to miss this” Ese said from a distance she’d covered, mocking her best friend. “Well, it’s not my fault that I hate sports now, is it? I am not a boy, so why should I, Oghonoro Akpenvwoghene fancy to do anything that is considered boyish?” Ogho asked, when she finally reached where Ese was standing. Ese scowled at her friend, eyeing her from head to toe as she poked her forehead repeatedly, “Yen, yen, yen, yen! And who said sports were only for boys? Huh? Sometimes, I just don’t know where you get all these silly thoughts from!” she said while Ogho rolled her eyes. “Keep rolling those eyes of yours until they fall out of your eye sockets, may be then you’ll be contented, since you won’t have eyes to roll like a ceiling fan without control”, “Ese, Ese?”, “My name, and I can spell it out for you if you want.”, “Ese, stop nagging me, I am happy that with your own ‘model-like’ body, you’re able to run, climb trees like a monkey, and do things that boys do, you in return should be happy for me!” Ogho said with a faux frown creased on her face. They both burst into hearty laughter.

“Oh, see we’re almost close, the sun will be setting soon, so walk faster.” Ese said, pulling Ogho with her as they walked through the grassy ground. They finally stopped by a stream that flowed calmly, “Wow, the water is so crystal clear!” Ogho said, beaming with awe. “Shebi I told you, you were doing face like rotten fish?” Ese teased with a broad smile on her face. “The sunset is so beautiful over the flowing water oh this is beautiful indeed.” Ogho smiled, Ese turned to her friend, smiling slyly. “What is with the smile now, eh?” Ogho asked, knowing fully well that her friend had something mischievous going up in her head.

“Want to go for a swim? Hmmm? It will be fun, at least there aren’t any leeches in the water.” Ese said with pleading eyes, “Hmm, how sure are you about that? You know there are lots of bacteria everywhere, and plus I don’t know how to swim.” Ogho replied reluctantly, dragging her feet slowly at the brink of the stream. “Ooh! Ogho, you always have one silly excuse or the other! I literally checked this stream yesterday, and I promise you that there aren’t any leeches, and stop saying you don’t know how to swim, because you do!” Ese said persistently, Ogho sighed tiredly, knowing she had no escape from this one. “Fine!” she agreed as Ese happily hugged her, “Oya, oya, oya, take off your clothes, I’ll race you to that end, lazy chicken!” Ese teased and laughed at the shocked expression on Ogho’s face, “Okay na, we’ll see who’s the lazy chicken!”.

The duo happily ran into the stream with just their panties on. Enjoying the cool water as they raced each other back and forth. “I thought you said sports were for boys only? But look at you, swimming like one mami-water that wants to get killed by pirates.”, “Eseoghene, don’t tease me.” Ogho warned, “Yen, yen, yen, yen, yen!” Ese mimicked. “Oh, you’re such a child!”, “Aren’t we both? Sometimes I wonder why we’re even birthday mates, but remember, I’m still older than you with five hours, so talk to me with respect, thank you very much.” Ese said, “In your dreams. You act like a child, so I’ll treat you like one.” Ogho retorted sarcastically. “Well, you act like an old woman, so that’s your plight, not mine.”, “It’s not a plight, it’s called maturity! You’re going to be 15 in just three months, so get matured!” Ogho said, Ese rolled her eyes. “Now who’s rolling their eyes?” Ogho asked teasingly, Ese chuckled and grew silent.

“What’s the matter?” Ogho asked, noticing the shift in her friend’s mood. “I want to be someone great. Look at us, we’re in SS2 and our parents are barely coping with our schooling. If not that this government education was free, I wonder what will be our fate.” Ese said, Ogho stared at her fingers that had already gotten wrinkled in the water. “Don’t worry, we’ll be great people, I’ll be a lawyer like I’ve always dreamt of, and you my dear will be that journalist you want to become, and together we’ll be the ‘Law-Journs’.” Ese burst into laughter as Ogho followed suit. “That is the most ridiculous name combination I have ever heard. Oya, get out of the water, the sun is going down, before our parents do something the ancestors never thought was possible.” Ese said, walking out of the stream.

Ogho followed behind her, they got to where their clothes were kept and Ogho chuckled, having a silly grin on her face. “What?” Ese frowned. “You have tiny nipples, mine are bigger than yours!” Ogho answered laughing. “You are looking at the size of nipples, when my breasts are two times bigger than yours? Look at someone who said she was mature, abeg wear cloth make we comot for here eh!” Ese deadpanned, wearing her gown over her head.

They both walked side by side when Edewor, Ogho’s younger brother came running towards them. “Sister Ese, your father calls you, Ogho you too, Papa seeks your presence.” He said and ran back. They both shared a puzzled look and went to their houses to know what awaited them…

Watch out for episode 2.

The Imaginator.

  -Preye Johnmark.

Disclaimer: The photos was gotten from Pinterest and has nothing to do with the story. 

About The Author: Preye Johnmark is a sixteen year old young Bayelsan writer, and a scholar at ACER. 

For more of science stories follow the ACER blog page or the ACER group.