Junkyard Blues

Chapter Ten

45 C Chapter Ten uch things happen, he wanted to tell himself. Such things happen to people around the world, they had been happening and they will always be happening. It had happened to people far greater than him, presidents and kings and all the like. It was normal just like breathing was normal. It was nothing big, nothing at all. He wanted to believe all that, wanted to accept that consoling reality, but there was no way he could do that. It’s nothing! But it was something, even if there was still that voice inside that was trying to tell him that this was not happening, that it was all… A dream? Was this all a dream? Was this all some cruel dream, some cruel joke that was being played on him, some dream that he would wake up and find all gone? A nightmare that was going to disappear into the mist of forgetfulness once he was fully awake? It’s nothing! But it was not a dream, and even as much as he wished it were, he knew he was wide awake, standing in the shop, holding the piece of paper in his hand and that Niba was standing there before him. But right now he was willing to accept any absurdity that could come into his head. It could be a joke, someway she’s trying to get at me, he wanted to believe that too, but he knew better. She was not capable of that. Or could Niba be the one playing the joke? Could Niba decide to jerk him around in that manner? No, he did not think so, Niba was a lot of things but that was not something he could do. And that look in his eyes was genuine. God, why is this happening to me? Why me? He would’ve loved to hear an answer, but there was none, God was on vacation again. Jude looked at the almost illegible words on the piece of paper again, those letters that were printed out on the paper as if they had been refusing to appear on the paper, those words that looked like the author had taken a century to put them on paper. The words looked bigger as he stared at them, bigger and growing bigger… “Hey, Man?” S 46 Jude looked up at Niba. Pregnant! “Are you okay, what’s…?” She’s pregnant, pregnant and I don’t know what I’m going to do about it. She’s pregnant, can’t you understand that? Pregnant and… He opened his mouth to say a word, but nothing came out but the sound of his dry lips parting. “Hey…” “Pregnant,” Jude murmured. “What? Who’s…?” “She’s pregnant.” Okoro stole a glance at them, but Jude was far gone to notice it. “What’re you…?” Niba was trying to sound genuinely surprise. “She’s pregnant,” Jude said, he could still feel the shaking, even in his voice. “I can’t believe it.” “Look at this,” Jude placed the unfolded piece of paper before Niba. Niba looked down at it without picking it up and shook his head. “I can’t believe it,” he repeated. I can’t believe it too. But he could believe it, voice of reason told him. He could believe it because he knew how it had come about, because he had been dumb enough to end up in here. Not believing it was like trying to build a dam only when the river had already changed its course… But still, how did I end up here? How was I stupid enough to be carried away in this river? This river that looked so clean and inviting; this river that looked so tiny and easy to cross, but a river that was very deep? He looked at Niba, and felt the hate start to rise inside; this was all Niba’s fault, all Niba’s fault and he knew it. Niba had taken him for a ride and now here he was. Niba had manipulated him, taken him out to the wolves and allowed the wolves to tear him to pieces. It is all your fault! He wanted to shout to his face, all your doing. Granted Niba had been the one with the knowledge, the one with the brain, the one with all the experience. But he had accepted to come along for the ride, accepted without much prodding. So, if he really wanted to hate...