~Adam~

"Did dad hit you again?"

I asked before I could stop myself, before I could wrap my head around the impact of the question and mom's reaction to that question, the panic in her eyes, her hands gripping each other till I could see her knuckles turning white and her almost agitated breathing.

Did she actually think I did not know or that I had forgotten?

"Mom, why is dad always beating you?"

I once asked her that question. I was 8.

Her answer was to bend down to my level, something like fear in her eyes. She had cradled her face in her hands, her fingers running over my face gently.

"Your dad is not a monster, Korede."

That was the first thing she said to me, a slight tremble in her voice.

"He has... He just have things going on. That's why he's like that. He just... He's a good man and he's going to change soon."

If there was any change, it was the fact that he had gotten worse over the years.

"You should forget this and just remember that your dad is a good man."

How can I forget when over the years, I had watched mom sink deeper and deeper into her shell?

When I've seen her crumbled over and over again?

Right from that moment, we never talked about it again and judging from her expression, she actually thought I had forgotten.

That I had forgotten, that I was actually capable of forgetting some thing like that.

"Adam.."

She called out, her voice, a frantic whisper. She just called me Adam. I can't even remember the last time she called me by that name. She avoided looking at my eyes and she biting her chapped lips, her skin turning more red than yellow.

"Korede, what do you.. What are you...?"

She trailed off, her voice cutting and I could tell that that was the onset of a sob. I could feel my heart splittering into a thousand pieces, each piece hurting as it splitters.

"Korede, your dad is not...."

"My dad is not a monster? Is that what you're about to tell me again?"

I asked-shouted, shocking myself at the intensity, at the anger I was feeling, this intense anger, compared to the calmness I had felt just minutes ago.

Mom was shocked too because she looking at me with bewildered eyes, huge eyes but I wasn't done.

"Mom, please. I've tried, really tried, all these years to see dad, to unsee dad as a monster but how could I? When I keep seeing are the bruises on your back, on the whole of your body. How could I unsee him as a monster when every day, I keep hearing sounds of him hitting you?"

There was a frantic fear in her eyes now as if it was all dawning on her that I really knew and what the impact of that was doing to me.

"Korede, we.. He.. doesn't. He is... Just..."

My clenched fist came slamming down when I realized that she was really going to to defend him again. The ice pack and the empty bottle jumped and mom jumped too, shocked at my violence.

I've always, always try to avoid anything that would trigger me to violence.

"Mom, do you even have an idea what this thing is doing to me? How much this thing is breaking me? I can't even have my friends come over whenever I wanted. I can't even really be at peace when I'm not at home because I don't know what I'd return to..."

I trailed off, not wanting to start saying all the things I wanted to do but couldn't do.

Thousand of things.

Mom was looking at me frantically, as if searching for her son, the perfected sweet innocent boy she was used to and when her gaze flattered, I concluded that she must have realized there never was a boy like that.

Her shoulders quaked and she buried her face between in her palms, muttering; oh my God, I had no idea. I never thought...

I stood up, grabbed my back pad that was on the chair beside the one I sat on and walked out of the dinning room towards the stairs, towards my room, feeling a huge weight in my legs, making it difficult for me to walk. I entered the room and I sat down on my bed, face buried in my hands when I heard a car drive in and then the sound of the front door being opened, the sound of someone walking downstairs.

Dad.

Seconds later, I started hearing his voice, barely above a whisper and I wondered if he was apologizing for hitting her and promising to be a better husband. I heard nothing more for a while, then the sound of footsteps, someone climbing up the stairs in slow steps, defeated steps and I could tell it was mom.

I heard the sound of their bedroom door being opened, then closed and the keys turning from behind.

I held my breath when minutes later, I heard dad climb up the stairs and his footsteps as he walked towards their room, then his knocks that ended up turning into pounding on the door, then his voice, something along the line of a whisper and a sob, begging her to please open up so they'd talk and settle this.

I was stuffing my stuffs into a bag before I could help myself.

I needed to get away from this house, even if it meant going to that excursion.

***********
~KUNMI~

I was already sitting inside the bus beside the window. That was why I left others behind because I wanted to sit by the window. Aminah had gone off to God knows where, Sophia, Adam and Kunle were talking in hushed whispers in the classroom when I finally decided to leave them behind, worried that all the window seats would have been taken.

We were going with two buses, one for the SS1 student and the other, for us. The bus was designed like a booth, a seat that can accommodate up to four people, an armrest serving as a demarcation. Only one booth was totally empty out of 12 booths. I just sat down, still trying to fix my earpiece when I heard a footsteps walking towards me. I looked up to see Alex looking at me, nah, smiling at me.

What's this guy's deal?

And I've met him before? How? When? I've cracked my brain countless times and I just couldn't come up with where we could have met.

"Good Afternoon Kunmi."

At least, he wasn't calling me that weird name. I mouthed my reply, expecting him to walk away but to my utter surprise, he just walked further into the booth and he sat down right beside me.

"What are you doing?"

I asked, my voice coming out in a whisper and he whispered back, his head turned towards me, mouth near my ears.

"Sitting down."

Nah, I thought you were flying.

I pressed my palm against my left ear so he'd move back and he chuckled to himself before he actually moved back. I released a breath I did not know I was holding, looked up to see Adam looking down at us, eyes blank, brows raised as he looked to and fro at us.

What's he doing here? I thought he wasn't going.

His expression remained blank, stoic even as he walked further into the booth and he sat down directly in front of me, not saying anything.

"Adam, Good Afternoon."

That was King weirdo and I turned to look at him, puzzled because I don't think they even know each other's name. Adam's face remained blank as he looked away from the window and he replied with a brief nod. I could feel the air thickening with tension that it was even becoming difficult to break. I wanted someone to say something, anything to reduce this tension. I took back that wish when Alex actually said;

"Kunmi, do you remember where we met now?"

God! Why is this boy sitting here in the first place?

I eyed him and I turned back to see Adam looking at us with something like renewed interest, almost like he was trying to see when we got this close but Alex was undettered because he actually poked me with his elbow and he mouthed hmmm?

"What's this one doing here?"

We all turned towards the direction of the voice, Sophia's voice and she was standing in front of the booth, looking down at Alex.

"This one has a name and it's Alex."

Was Alex's reply and Sophia's mouth twisted in mock disgust.

"Sorry oo. I thought it was Olundu."

She replied before sitting down in front of him and Alex chuckled to himself before muttering "This girl can never change." while still looking at her.

Well, King Weirdo and Queen Weirdo, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Adam remained quiet, eyes closed and I couldn't help but to wonder why he had made the decision to join us, why he seemed to be in a bad mood. We were meant to leave the school premises before and now, it was already after 1 and Aminah and Kunle were still nowhere to be found. As if on cue, the two of them entered the bus at that time and while Kunle sat down casually beside Sophia, not minding the fact that Alex was sitting with us, he almost acted like it was normal and he even greeted him and they even exchanged the guy's handshake, Aminah paused when she saw him, her eyes searching ours as if looking for something there. Eventually, she sat down beside him and for a very long moment, there was thickening tension in the air, Adam's eyes were still close and his jaws looked clenched, adding a brooding feature to his face, Sophia was pressing her phone without a care, Kunle was doing absolutely nothing, even Aminah wasn't her usual chirpy self and the one beside me was just cleaning his fingers. A minute or two passed before Alex spoke up;

"But why is it this awkward here?"

"Because you're here."

Sophia replied in less than an heartbeat and my mouth formed a small O.

"I thought as much. Should I leave?"

"Please."

Sophia answered again and Alex made to stand up before he sat down again, making himself even more comfortable.

"You're not getting rid of me that quickly."

Sophia up from her phone at that and she looked at him as if he just uttered the most amazing nonsense in the whole world. The former only cackled and Sophia went back to pressing her phone.

For unknown reasons, I found the bickering cute and I had to wonder why they got this close.

Or if they've always been this close.

I stopped my overactive brain from its need to start overthinking and I looked for the perfect Playlist to play. I finally settled on Energy, mostly Ariana, Rihanna, Wizkid and Alessia's songs. The bus drove out of the school premises and soon enough, we were already on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. We were still very quiet in our booth and because of the loud music in my head, Ariana's soothing voice, I felt less apprehensive because of the too quiet atmosphere even though I couldn't help but to wonder what was going on with Adam. He was still in that same posture since we started the journey, straight back, hands crossed over his chest and eyes closed. He looked like someone in a yoga session and I wondered if his body wasn't even hurting him. As if he could tell that someone was looking at him, his eyes fluttered open and they met mine.

Honey eyes, piercing gaze and increased heartbeat.

I knew he wasn't going to look away, in fact, it almost seems like he derived some sort of pleasure in looking at me like that and in doing what ever his eyes were doing to me so I looked away, my fingers increasing the volume of my music as that would not allow me to hear the pounding in my chest. My phone vibrated in my hands and I looked at it to see a message from Queen Weirdo. I frowned, looking up at her and wondering why she was sending me a message when she basically sitting in front of me. She must be doing something silly again. That was what I thought as I opened her message.

How can I keep it a secret when you're making it so obviously obvious?

I frowned, wondering what she was talking about. Obviously obvious about what?

Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

I sat up straighter. This girl was actually still talking about that? I raised my brows as I looked at her and the girl in question only nodded at me and gave me a thumbs up with a smile on her face.

Biko, what's wrong with this girl?

I looked away from her to see that Adam was still looking at me. Even when Sophia bent down to whisper something into his ears, he did not stop looking but whatever it was that she said to him made him turn to glare at her and the girl in question only burst into laughter.

"Sophia, what's so funny?"

"It's this...." She trailed off in reply to Kunle's question, her shoulders quaking in laughter that she even had to clean the tears that were now pooling in her eyes.

"Don't mind me, it's Adam. He's just being shy about what we talked about yesterday morning."

She finally voiced out, in between laughter and Kunle only nodded.

"Ohhhh! That, it's one of those things. Don't mind him, he's going to come around."

The two of them started laughing again and Adam only started massaging his forehead, head bent down and a little smile on his lips.

"Don't you find this trio weird?"

Alex whispered in my ears again and without thinking twice, I nodded and I felt him smiling as he leaned back on his seat. Whatever the joke the trio shared brightened Adam's mood a little and he started doodling on his. Kunle and Sophia was talking, almost whispering between themselves and that made me realize that Aminah still hadn't said a word since the journey started and we were almost in Oyo State.

Weird.

I leaned forward so I'd be able to see her and she was just pressing her phone, earpiece in ears. Maybe she was just lost in the music she was lost in the music she was listening to but that assumption did not stop me from wondering if something was wrong with her.

The music blasting from the bus speakers changed from Fireboy's scatter to a more sober song, the beat started off slowly and I paused the song I was listening to, removed the earpiece from my ears even as if that would allow me to hear the song more clearly and connect with it, even more deeply.

All the indistinct chatters in the bus stopped, making it look like all the students needed to listen to this music without disturbance but I had to doubt that assumption when Sophia looked at Alex worried and even Adam looked up from his pad and was that a worried look on his face?

Now, what's going on?

The singer started singing, clear masculine voice that made me think of a combination of Wizkid and Fireboy's voice and again, it sounded so familiar and the lyrics.....

"Can someone please change the song?"

Came a clear, somewhat uncomfortable feminine voice from somewhere in the bus, making me frown and I couldn't help but to wonder what the history of the song was.

"Let's just leave it."

Alex replied, his voice and edgy and so unlike the Alex's usual lazy voice that I was used to.

"I insist."

Came the girl's voice again and I could basically hear Alex gritting his teeth, his body growing tense.

"Let's just leave it."

He replied again, his voice unusually calm and was this the boy that just gritted his teeth?

"Alex, let's just...."

"For fuck's sake, Gab, just mind your goddamned business!"

I flinched, surprised by the intensity of his voice and did he just curse? He sounded so angry that even Sophia flinched. And was that Gabriella, Sophia's cousin?

I heard him muttering fuck and shut all over again underneath his breath. Nobody said anything afterwards and I couldn't even listen to the music even if I wanted to. The silence in the bus was that loud and deafening that I was only able to breathe properly when the music changed to the next one.

"Guys, it's so quiet here, do you want me to tell you a story?"

"Ezekiel, please have sense already, ehn."

A girl replied him, laughter in her voice and slowly, people started to talk and to laugh again but no words, not even a whisper from our booth.

***********

Our first stop the next day was the Bowers Tower, Ibadan. It was located on the highest hill in Ibadan, Oke Are and right from when our bus turned into the are, the steep roads and how the road stretched higher and higher had scared me. Our bus came into an halt at the front of the tower and I could literally feel the excitement of my classmates as the door slided open and they started to climb down.

"Well, let's go there. I can't wait."

One of my female classmates said, excitement radiating from her as she stood up from her seat, binoculars in hands.

"After all these excitement, I sha hope you remember our Yoruba assignment about all these historical places we're going to visit."

Ezekiel who was at the door said, bursting the excited girl's bubble.

"That Oluko is a joy killer. Must he really give us an assignment. We're meant to come here to enjoy, not to think of school work."

Sophia who was sitting in front of me said, a scowl on her face and Gabriella, who was sitting beside her laughed at her. Gabriella, the most brilliant girl in our set. I've seen her countless times in class, in the music studio and if there was anything that startled me about her, it was her face, her beauty. The kind of face that would make you to pause and stare, and to wonder if that kind of face was actually supposed to be walking around. Her skin was just a shade lighter than Sophia's and they shared almost the same facial feature. She was the kind of girl that was friends with everyone and no one. She made casual conversations with almost everyone and she was always in the library. That was how I saw her, the nerd but yesterday, I started to see her in a totally different light when she stayed awake for the better part of the night talking with her cousin, low whispers, occasional laughters and giggles. Yeah, the four of us including Aminah were in the same room.

"Don't mind that man. I'm going to enjoy this excursion and I'm not even going to think of that assignment at all."

Aminah replied in her usual chirpy voice. Gone was the quiet girl yesterday. I ended up asking her if anything was wrong with her yesterday night after we checked in and she still remained quiet. Her reply was to smile and tell me it was nothing.

It wasn't nothing.

But she was back to her normal self now so I guessed I actually don't have to worry about it.

We were the last set of students to step out of the bus but we ended up among the first set to enter the tower. We were divided into groups of fifteens and I paused, stopped even as we got to the foot of the stairs.

Wait, we're going to climb these steps to get to the summit of the tower? No way! Not me.

The stairs were spiral ones but that wasn't even the problem, they were narrow, too narrow that it would only take one person on a stair and definitely too steep.

Not me. No way.

"So, the Bowers Tower was built in the early 1930's by Taffy Jones, the same engineer who designed Mapo Hall and it was commissioned by Captain Robert Lister Bowers in 1936. He was the first British Resident in Ibadan and he was appointed by the British Government to administer the ancient city."

Our tour guide was saying again. We had exchanged pleasantries before we entered the Tower and I was surprised to see the old man, almost worn out with age speak that coherently in clear and well accented English language. But then, I wasn't even exactly following what he was saying, I was just eyeing the narrow stairs.

Maybe we won't have to climb the stairs. Maybe we don't have to go to the summit.

What's the point of coming to a tower if you don't go up to the summit?

"We should go up first. We can continue the discussion there."

Pa Ajani said and again and without waiting for anyone to reply, he started to climb the narrow steps as if he had done that a thousand and one time.

Maybe he had climbed them a thousand and one times.

We all did and said nothing for a while until one of the teachers that came with us cleared his throat;

"Guys, are you not going to follow him? We don't have all day and we still have other places to go."

Then he too started climbing the stairs without waiting for us. Then, some of my male classmates started climbing up too, then some of my classmates, then Alex, then Kunle and Aminah with their hands intertwined.

"This kind of things, you do them with your full chest, not half chest. Coz, let's go."

Sophia grabbed her cousin's hand and they took a step with Sophia taking the lead. She was about to climb the third stairs when she nearly tripped. She would have tripped if not for her cousin holding her hand.

"Jesu!"

She screamed and she retraced her steps back, pulling Gab with her and she stopped right in front of us.

"I cannot climb this thing. Coz, let's just wait for them. Kunmi and Adam, you guys are up next. Take lots of pictures on my behalf, hmm?"

Then she really started to walk out of the tower. I would have laughed out loud if it wasn't for the fear paralyzing me.

"Sophia, stop acting drama. Let's go jhare. The stairs are not that plenty."

"Yes, Sophia, just climb this thing. Don't be a chicken."

The girl in question looked from her coz to Adam and she started shaking her head.

"Sophia, stop acting up and climb this thing."

Kunle said and from his voice, it looked like they were already at the summit. Too bad I can't get there because I definitely won't climb this thing. Sophia made a crying face before she turned towards the direction of the stairs, her hands grabbing her cousin's tightly.

"Gab, let's do this."

And they started climbing with Sophia almost shaking. The minutes she was spending on one step was enough to climb to the very top self. God! Who would have thought queen weirdo would be scared of something like this?

"We're up next, Kunmi, let's go."

I turned to see Adam looking at me.

Honey eyes, piercing gaze and even my stupid heart had the nerve to flip in this situation.

Stupid, stupid heart.

I shook my head

"I'm not going. I'll just wait for you guys here."

He actually smiled at my expense, followed by a chuckle.

"Come on, don't mind Sophia, the steps don't look that bad."

They looked that bad, infact they looked worse than bad to me.

"Trust me and just hold my hands. We'll be at the summit soon."

I looked from his outstretched hand to his face, then to the narrow steps. My mind couldn't just overthinking and picturing someone falling down the stairs.

"We, that we don't have someone's hands to hold like, it's to hold on to our creator, our chi, our head."

Something nodded behind me and I needed no soothsayer to tell me it was Ezekiel. I heaved a sigh and I finally decided to climb the stairs. What's the point of coming all the way only to chicken out?

I grabbed his hands and we started climbing with him taking the lead. I looked up only to see that Gabriella and Sophia were still on the fourth and fifth step respectively.

Since morning.

Sophia was climbing the stairs as if she was walking over hot leads. We were directly behind them in no seconds.

"Sophia, what are you doing? Do you want us to spend the whole day climbing this thing?"

"Don't talk to me oo. Adam, please don't call my name." Her voice was jiltery and I could tell that she was really scared.

"Aswear, if I should get to the top of this thing, I won't come down again. I cannot climb these stairs again."

The rest of us burst into laughter at her words, at the evident fear in them.

"Kuku, start living there."

"Ezekiel, you people should stop talking to me oo. God! Is this an excursion or a torture?"

At the very moment, we heard a shrill sound and I felt something in the air, almost like an invisible spirit was moving in the air, on the stairs and the back of our air and touching the back of my neck lightly. I froze, my grip on Adam's hand tightening, he glanced back, a worried look on his face and I watched as his Adam apple bubbled up and down.

"Jesus! What's that? Is this place haunted or what? Let's just turn back. Gab, let's go back."

Sophia cried out again, a voice, a broken sob.

"It's this spirit of the woman that died here. She fell from the stairs and she broke her neck. Her spirit lives here, she's welcoming us. It's a normal thing."

My mouth dropped open at Ezekiel and Sophia froze.

What?

"Ezekiel, if this is a lie, please..."

"Sophia, it's a lie. You should know Ezekiel by now."

Adam replied, his voice bored and Sophia breathed out, heavily.

"But what was that? Was I the only one that felt that? My God! If I should survive this thing, I'll change for good."

Everybody started laughing again.

"Sophia ehn, and after this, you'll start forming one big girl for us. Oga oo."

"Kunle, shut up!!"

Nothing said anything afterwards and corners after corners, rounds after rounds, we finally got to the last step.

I exhaled.

Sophia breathed in, hand on her chest and she was even panting.

"Who would have thought would be scared of something like this?"

Aminah said, stretching out Sophia's water bottle to her. Wow, they've gotten close to the point of holding things for each other?

"You don't know me, even I don't know myself when it comes to situations like this."

The latter replied her, collecting the water bottle and she drank from it as if her whole life depended on it.

"Now, that you guys are here, this is the summit of the Bowers Tower and from here, you can see the whole of Ibadan."

I did not look before but on hearing the Tour guide's voice, I couldn't help but to see and God, it was really the whole of Ibadan. Colorful conference of the rustic brown metal roof stretched off, far in the distance and it was almost like I was looking down from an aeroplane.

"Back then, in the days, our forefathers used to come here in times of war to see where the enemies were coming from and because they could see everything and every where from this hill, they were always able to figure out the enemy's plan thereby leading to their many victories."

Wow!

"Like I said earlier, this tower was commissioned by Captain Richard Bower hence it's name Bower's tower though Ibadan people, the people of the town gave it another name, a name more befitting, can anyone tell me the name?"

"Death's trap."

Sophia replied in less than a second and I gasped. See the girl that said she was going to change if she should survive climbing the stairs. If any other person heard her words, they ignored it.

"Oke Layipo."

Adunni finally replied and our tour guide nodded appreciatively at her.

"Yes, Oke Layipo and do you have an idea why it was named that?"

Silence answered him. I don't think anyone here knows the middle of Layipo, not to talk of why this place was named after it.

"Well, the meaning of Layipo is to go round and it was named layipo because of two things. The first one is because to see the whole of Ibadan from this summit, you have to go round this top."

He started walking round the apex and we followed him and true, we could see the even more.

"The second reason is because to get to this summit, you have to turn round and round while climbing the stairs, it is all the turnings that made it to be called Oke Layipo."

Oh wow. Makes more sense.

He continued to tell us about how it came to be, how this area, Oke Are used to be feared back in those days, how it represented dominance because Bowers had governed the people of Ibadan from the summit of the tower. He also told us about the popular belief that if you visit Ibadan and you did not visit the Tower, you've not visited Ibadan hence the saying; Ibadan lo mo, o mo lipo.

He went on and on, telling us more things and he even pointed some notable places to us, The University of Ibadan, UCH, The Lagos-Ibadan toll Gate, the Ife-Ilesha toll gate, the Adamasinga Stadium, and we could even see all these places clearly without the use of binoculars.

Makes more sense.

Eventually, we were given time to take pictures before the next set of students would climb the stairs. Students started taking pictures and when Kunle jokingly asked Sophia to come and look down from the tower, she answered that they should just get a funeral train ready.

"Guys, come closer, let's do a live video."

Sophia was doing a live video on IG. Where was this girl that was almost crying while climbing the stairs?

"Hi guys, so I'm here, with my friends and classmates at the ancient city of Ibadan and we're live at the summit of Bower's Tower, ain't we guys?"

She screamed the last part and my classmates that were now behind her hooted.

When we still have those stairs to climb!

P.S: the tower is not that high, it is just 60 feet and has just 47 amazingly scary steps but it was built on the highest hilltop in the city.

Who expected the conversation between Adam and his mother to turn out the way it did? Me, I sha hope she will be able to get her shit together after this.

Sophia ehn, like seriously, that babe 😂😂😂😂💔💔. She's just 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️😂😂💔💔

See you guys when I see you.

❤️❤️❤️