Before all this, he’d never even gotten into a fistfight at school. The worst rage he felt was when he was reading about characters like the Hulk and Wolverine. “Sorry,” he said one more time to the tree. Not knowing what else to do, he walked into the concrete building, sat on the cool floor, and gazed at the wall.
Glares and Stares
THE NEXT DAY, if Chioma stopped by to water the sunflower seeds, Nnamdi didn’t see her do it. He didn’t see her on the way to school or in the schoolyard. When he finally saw her during lunchtime, Nnamdi softly tapped Chioma’s shoulder. “Chioma,” he said, keeping his voice low so his classmates wouldn’t hear. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I think I was tired . . . or something.”
She turned to him, her eyes full of rage. She kept walking, showing her back to him as she hiked up her backpack and joined her group of friends.
Stung, Nnamdi quickly turned away and walked over to Ruff Diamond, Hassan, and Jide, who were playing nails in the box. Nnamdi watched as his friends drew boxes on the sand and competed to see who could dig the most nails in each box without the nails falling. Too preoccupied to pay attention, Nnamdi sat on the grass a few feet away and wrapped his arms around his legs as he watched Chioma chat animatedly with her friend Onuchi. She laughed as Onuchi showed her something on her cell phone, but every so often she’d glare directly at Nnamdi. He’d glare right back until she’d toss her braids and look away. He looked at his feet, his belly rolling with guilt. He wished he knew how to convince her he was sorry. But why did she have to make it so hard?
By the time all the kids spilled into the schoolyard on their way home, Nnamdi could barely contain his anger. All day, he’d seemed to be looking at Chioma’s back. In the hallway, during class, during recess, and now as school let out. As he stood with his friends, he watched Chioma and her girlfriends buy Fanta and Coca-Cola from a hawker on the side of the road. He knew she’d buy Bitter Lemon, her favorite.
“I think if we gang up on him, he’ll lower the price,” Jide was saying. Jide, Hassan, and Ruff Diamond were about to accost the bun-seller for having the nerve to raise his prices this week.
“The man is stubborn,” Hassan said. “He’ll probably raise the prices even more if we do that. He knows he’s the only one around here who sells them.”
“And it’s not the price, man,” Ruff Diamond said. “It’s the size. Who wants to eat those bite-sized things he’s switched to selling?”
Nnamdi couldn’t have cared less. He gazed at Chioma. How could he have raised a hand to his friend . . . his best friend? He had his school buddies, sure. They played soccer after school and talked about girls. But Chioma was the only person who noticed how quiet he’d gotten after his father’s death. She was the only one who asked him why he liked pepper soup with fish in it instead of goat meat. She was the only one who’d known his father as well as he had.
“Hey! Nnamdi?!”
He nearly jumped, taking his eyes from Chioma to glare at his friend Jide. He could feel a headache coming on. “What, Jide?” Nnamdi snapped. But he couldn’t help it. He glanced back at Chioma one more time. “What is it?”
Jide laughed loudly. “What is it with you and that girl Chioma?”
Ruff Diamond snickered. “Isn’t it obvious? She dumped him!”
“HA HA!” Jide shouted. “You must be kidding. You dated her? That rascally looking loudmouthed girl? I thought she was just your neighbor or family friend.”
Nnamdi could barely contain himself. His headache was raging, and he felt his muscles tense up.
Ruff Diamond chuckled lightheartedly. “If you get her to date you again, you should ask her to wash her crazy hair.”
“Shut up,” Nnamdi said through clenched teeth. “Do I need to mention Fisayo dumping you because of your body odor?”
The smile dropped from Ruff Diamond’s face. “Look at this idiot,” Ruff Diamond said to Jide. Hassan had long since backed away, seeming to sense things were about to get bad. “Who are you?” Ruff Diamond hissed, looking Nnamdi up and down. Jide laughed, siding with Ruff Diamond, and Ruff Diamond kept talking. “They kill your father in his own office, yet some shadow guy comes and takes out two of those criminals in two nights. He did in two days what your father couldn’t do in years! You come from weak stock, man.”
POW! Nnamdi punched Ruff Diamond in the face before he knew what he was doing. He felt his fist connect with Ruff Diamond’s chin. Ruff Diamond was a tall, strong boy, much bigger than Nnamdi. But to Nnamdi right now, Ruff Diamond was nothing. Ruff Diamond stumbled, then lunged at Nnamdi, bringing his fist back. Nnamdi easily stepped aside and pushed him down.
“Gonna kill you!” Ruff Diamond growled, trying to get to his feet, sniffing back tears.
Nnamdi kicked him back down. “Stay down!” Nnamdi roared, his voice deepening. He was shaking now. Ruff Diamond whimpered, went flat on the ground, and did not move. Jide and Hassan stood feet away, shocked. “Stay in the dirt where you belong!” Nnamdi said. “You cover yourself with all that bling, but underneath you’re just like everyone else.” He looked up and met Chioma’s eyes and immediately his clouded mind cleared. My voice, he realized. Oh God! What am I doing?! He felt himself deflate. Had he grown taller, too?
“. . . hurting him!” she was saying. She’d been standing there all along, shouting at him. “STOP IT!” Her friend Onuchi stood behind her, grabbing at her arm and staring at Nnamdi with terrified eyes.
“Leave him,” Onuchi screeched. “He’s crazy!”
THUMP THUMP. The pounding was deep in his head. THUMP THUMP. And it seemed as if a red shadow lifted from his eyes. THUMP THUMP. Nnamdi just stood there as Chioma helped Ruff Diamond up. His nose was bleeding and his face was swollen. Nnamdi looked around. Hassan, Jide, and several other kids stood around him, silent, eyes wide.
“What’s wrong with you, Nnamdi?” Chioma shouted at him. Nnamdi glared at her, ignoring a pang of guilt. All day she had refused to speak to him and now, finally, after he’d nearly killed one of his stupid friends, she decided to say something. Nnamdi wiped the tears of anger from his eyes, shoved his hands in his pockets, and quickly walked away.
He saw that Chioma let her friend pull her away in the opposite direction. Good, he thought. He didn’t want to be around anyone. His vision had gone red and black when he was beating his friend. He could feel the size and strength of the Man within him, powering his punches, fueling his rage. What was happening to him?
He pushed the image of Ruff Diamond’s bloody face out of his mind. He had done that. Car horns blasted at him as he walked onto the road, not looking to see if any cars were coming. He didn’t care. I should throw the Ikenga away, he thought. But throwing it away would make him feel more hopeless. No, he’d do no such thing. It wasn’t the Ikenga’s fault. Ruff Diamond had it coming, he thought darkly.