Hearted People
He turned away from her and towards the busy Nwaniba road his feet sauntered. Though he almost running late, he couldn't will his body to go faster than it wanted, his mind ruefully aching as images of those lovely children poured into his being. Almost painfully, he replayed in his head, the manner in which he left. Clearly still, as though it was happening right in front of him, her beautiful, concerned face stared up at his.
"You're thinking about your exams", she stated bluntly.
On her lap, a small child dawdled. His reply, was as perplexed as he was, each word, torn between need and want - or need and need, he couldn't exactly tell. His antsy fingers eased a little as he sat on the concrete railing to play his song, a children's poem he wished he'd sang as a child. To his utter surprise, the kids had heard the things he said, and the questions they asked, he longed to answer, to blind them with sights of hope and goals for the morrow. But there was no time. He had to go. He wore his bag over his shoulders and headed out. Those concerned eyes refused to merely sit and watch him go. He saw the worry on her face, almost tangible enough to touch.
"Let me escort you", she said, standing up almost immediately.
He heart beat its gratitude. He took a final look at the kids, and them who'd come all this way for them and he knew he had a lot to do. But giving it thought now would mean disaster for the exam he was headed for, whose last courseware he'd not so much as touched since he photocopied it.
They trumped through the grasses, and headed for the gate. By the time they reached the gate, he had enough love and encouragement to fill a G. P tank. He was still worried and he tried to smile.
"Don't worry about us", she soothed. "We'll be fine. And don't think of me in the exam hall. Focus".
"I'll try" came his weak reply.
"I love you", he said - or his heart did.
She kissed the air, and somehow, he felt it. Her eyes were his beacon of strength, and even when she closed the wicket, he could still see them, saying they loved him in the way no one else ever would..
He was now back to the bustling Nwaniba expressway, waiting for a taxi. It took a while. Images of the fair little twin girls assailed his mind again and as the first taxi pulled up, with only the driver and an elderly man in front truncating its emptiness, a tune reeled into his head. He hobbled in, bringing out his phone at the same time for he needed to record it or he would forget. The first line was touching. In his head, it sounded like myriads of children were singing it.
"Where are hearted people?" they asked.
And he sought answers for them, all the way back to the Annexe campus.
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