On the last Friday of the following month, the school closed at noon. As the sun was melting away in the air, a crowd of youth glided to the village stadium to observe the live soccer. This was a contest that had Master as the sponsor behind it; aside from his exposure to a first-class politics, Master's taste for football sprouted from the well of passion.
Adigun's local team was also booked to rival against the other team. In truth, he was the captain of his squad. He sought the consent of his mom who gave her granting. Then he briskly narrowed his way to Jimi's dwelling and met his teammate standing akimbo in the front yard. They enclosed each other in a warm embrace, turned and quickly jogged off to the field.
On the wide, greenish football pitch, Adigun stripped his khaki shirt that was dressed over a brown pair of trousers, wore the team blue, crumpled jersey and shorts and mingled with his teammates. No player was allowed to pull on a pair of boots for fear of injury that might render one a cripple. It was some minutes to four; the spectators were now edgy as the game was at hand. In two rolls, a group of lads assembled, jumping up and running around with their jerseys and faces soaking in streaks of sweat.
It was during this physical exercise that Adigun's scrutiny met a good-looking lady, clad in a purpled blouse over a charcoal-like skirt. Awe climbed his face as he did not think of a casual meeting on this day. Her sweet-sounding voice at the market square still enthralled the young man. He transiently lost his steadiness as a ready player. He paused to think about a trick with which he would slither to her side. His instinct seemed to have whispered to him that Aduke had not taken a notice of him. As he stepped out of his thoughts, an idea came to him. He fooled his coach about the need to urinate behind the building that nestled near the field. The anxious coach nodded with his focus on his boys. His gesture prompted Adigun to hack his path toward the lady's direction. She was hovering alone except for the two other spectators standing by her sides. Adigun, as a kid, had engaged in different plays. One of such plays was tickling his friends. The other was the suddenness of chanting a loud 'Action' to a friend who would promptly stay paralysed until he decided in his power to free them. There was also a face-covering game which they did by covering a face from the back and allowing a new person to replace the covering while the original initiator of the covering would squat at a corner or pretending to be innocent, leaving the victim to his fate to be guessing the first person. They also relished hide and go seek. The games were refreshing and fun for the kids. When Adigun approached Aduke's back, the only stunt, among the games he learned as a kid, that came to his mind was the covering of her face from the rear. He did.
"Adegoke," she guessed as she struggled wildly to part his hands that smelt of sweet potatoes, her mind was pounding within.
Of course, Adegoke was among her male friends. And she had come to the football pitch with him, but the young lad was absent at the time Adigun dared the game; he had gone to the next junction to run an errand for his Aunty who wanted him to make some purchase on his way coming home. As Adigun pulled back his hands, she whistled with surprise.
"I did not know it was you,"' Aduke smiled, and her chalk-coloured teeth were visible. She smelled of baby powder.
"All right, but you are as strong as Samson in the Bible," Adigun teased and saluted.
She quivered with laughter, "Why?"
"I should be surprised you are asking the why" his hands dramatically flew to his chest, "Didn't you know that I almost reached England as you struggled to pull away from my hands"
"You are a comedian! Haha. You are a born comedian," she chanted with a high girlish laugh that had itself diminishing to a smile.
"A comedian? I doubt it or perhaps I suddenly became one because of the hibiscus flower standing before me," he said and turned back to catch a glimpse of his teammates and then his coach. He could see his coach's glaring stare. Obviously, the man awaited his arrival with anxiousness.
"Please, wait for me. We need to talk at the end of the match," he said and ran back to the field.
Aduke's head was full of questions. She was choked with emotion as she looked around the spot she stood. She did not see a stick of hibiscus flower, let alone the flower itself. She wondered what the young guy was referring to when he mentioned the hibiscus. She had not pleased the reflection when she thought about Adegoke. She debated if he would watch the match to the end or leave the field halfway. His resolve would determine her next move: to welcome or debut Adigun's wish.
The spectators seldom breathed as the ball began rolling on the leafy football pitch. It was during this time that Adegoke came back from the errand. He placed the hefty shopping bag down on the balcony, against his left leg, right beside Aduke. Yells and handclapping followed every dribble and pass among the skilled ballers. A group of spectators argued with arresting eloquence, almost riding on the wings of physical violence, but for the presence of the charismatic men and women who would tongue-lash them.
In his team, Adigun served as the captain. Tracing the movement of Aduke's wavering stare, one would spot she mostly fastened it towards Adigun as though he were the only great lion on the field. His dribbling prowess was huge and it filled her heart with great splendour. She smiled often---an endless and confusing smile that left Adegoke in wonder, despite the opponents of Adigun's team being her neighbours.
The first half of the match was over. None of the teams was able to score a goal. Adegoke was nervous and he opted not to see the second half of the play to get back to his Aunty in time for dinner preparations. It had been long since he had a leather wire spanked to the flatness of his buttocks. To dodge the beating, it was necessary to ignore the concluding part.
"Are you sure about your not waiting for the second half?" Aduke asked keenly.
"I am. Sisi must be waiting. She wants to cook dinner. You know the ingredients are right here with me," Adegoke said and lifted the shopping bag from the ground and hurried home. His departure was preceded by a few words of the prayer in favour of the team he treasured, but the prayer was bootless because when the match was over, The Castle Of Great Lads Football Club lifted the small, metallic trophy. Captain Adigun completed many passes, in addition to scoring one of the goals. His team made five goals against Golden Football Club which scored only three.
The captain was not as enthusiastic as others over the scent of victory. His thought centred on Aduke. His chest was heaved with the eagerness of being at her side. Instantly, he darted backwards to catch a glimpse of her, but she was not in sight. Then he turned to the giant tree near the pavilion and came across her standing against the tree and looking skywards to examine the praying mantis clung to a leaf. She was about to pick a pebble and throw it at the insect when Adigun paused for a while. His sense of humour was of an ineffable status. As a result, he sought a way of jokingly scaring Aduke. An idea came to him. He looked for a stick of white feather and tiptoed in the direction of her back. Even as he approached the place, Aduke never thought a human was behind her. Still having the feathery stick in his hand, he bent down and tickled her leg with it. Aduke thought it was a buzzing fly as she gave herself a loud swat on the thought-fly-standing spot.
Immediately the smash went across her hairless leg, Adigun romantically softened the leg and rubbed it with his sporty shirt. Frightfully, she turned. Once she saw him, she smiled broadly and placed her palms on her chest to avert the pounding. Very quickly, Adigun friendly grasped her hands and began to speak:
"Aduke, I've seen and mingled with heaps of ladies, but I doubt if I came across a sparkly beautiful girl like you. It was my thought that only human beings exist in our world. Little did I know that water mermaids were also in existence. You are so full of talent: the qualities in you drive me crazy; your decency and high sense of responsibility, your courtesy and high sense of maturity; the humility with which you speak makes you so unique that no decent lad would come into contact with you without putting a romantic word across," he paused and went on his kneel. The gesture startled her as she brushed her face to be sure she was not dreaming. She looked at him sideways, surprised and impressed by his command of English. In a flash, Adigun carried on:
"Your snow-like eyeballs are the kind every romantic guy will love to look at. Your smooth skin, bouncing hair, and a set of gaping white teeth that shines like the morning star are the kind for a true kiss,"
Aduke turned her back against him and frowned to give her mien greater seriousness to avoid being labelled cheap. Adigun hobbled to her front like a stubborn beast, held her hands again and went on:
"Your overall striking features make you so special that not even the devil could deny the fact that you are the handiwork of God. You have hypnotised me with your love, that there is no going back for me. In fact, you are everything I desire in a girl. I want you to be the angel that brings sunshine to my life. If not now, in the future. Will you?' he glanced at her, his own heart pounding rapidly. Aduke was at a loss for words.
"No no," she waved her hands in the air and chuckled.
Her response was lucid and it made him feel short. But he brushed away the 'NO' answer and never gave up in his yearning. His countenance helped to tell how serious he was and Aduke could feel it. He looked like a person who was under the spell of her enchantment. And as his persistence became unbearable, Aduke whispered about giving him a response in the morrow. She ducked and followed the direction that led to her dwelling.