Abu slid down the street, light-footed, Karl bouncing behind, grin his on face, shoulders relaxed, dreamy eyes focused. The pair of them like a cut-out from an urban youth-wear magazine. The shades, the textures, the different pieces that came together. All proper. You couldn’t complain. This was style. Except Karl noticed Abu’s trainer now, something black smeared over one side. Funny he hadn’t seen it all these days. How not, like whoa, what was going on? Right? Janoma, all was Janoma now. His attention all over the place.
‘I like her. She’s perfect for you.’
‘Told you.’
Karl was grinning.
‘Your mum’s cool with her?’
‘Loves her. You said I can please people’s parents? You should see Janoma. We should open a centre together, give workshops on how to wrap parents around your finger.’
The sun was finally setting. Abu had met Karl back at King’s Cross station after Karl dropped Janoma off in East London. It got quiet as soon as they entered Argyle Street.
‘Just her aunt. We only have a week and she doesn’t want her to stay at mine.’
Abu waved it off. ‘Take what you get for now. Then make your plans.’
‘Yeah.’
Abu looked at him. ‘You have some plan don’t you? You didn’t go through all of this to never see her again?’
Karl pointed at the black smear on Abu’s trainer but Abu shrugged like he couldn’t care. Did proper mean he had to throw away a pair? Of course not. It just meant that some shit had burned into the side of one of his trainers. He took it as a trophy, a reminder. Big mouth didn’t mean wrong crowd. Not for him. He wasn’t that stupid.
‘There might be a plan.’
Abu was all over the place still, walking the same, taking over the pavement walk as earlier. Happy. His main man and the whole crew. It didn’t get much better than this, did it?
‘I’m listening.’
‘It would involve me leaving again.’ Karl avoided Abu’s eyes. ‘Like longer.’
Abu’s head was moving but he didn’t turn to Karl.
‘Yeah.’
‘Yeah what?’
‘I figured this much.’
They stopped in front of the school gate.
‘I mean it’s like new and I don’t even know how and everything, let alone what my mum will say or Godfrey. Of course Godfrey doesn’t have much to say and actually my mum … I’m eighteen innit, but also how would it work and stuff, so really at this point—’
Abu slapped him. Not in the face but on the hand. Took his other hand and placed it on Karl’s mouth. Started laughing.
‘Do you ever shut up?’
Karl surprised, shocked for a sec, then realised his mouth was running and running and he was standing still. Long enough to figure shit out.
‘I’ll come visit.’ And Abu started walking again. ‘A lot.’
Karl, giddy again, followed him, imitating Abu’s bowlegged strut.
The wannabes appeared out of nowhere – trademark anyone? – right at the bottom of the street. This wasn’t their usual route but they cowboy-style positioned themselves in the middle of the pavement, nodding with cocky smiles. Abu started laughing.
‘What’s this supposed to be? A threat?’
Karl, all caught up with what plans could be made, not paying attention until one kicked his shin.
‘You want to go down, like you used to? Carla.’
They had to make their minds up. Was this a question? Was this for effect? Karl all busy with what the heck next. Didn’t even notice the way they tried to tower over them. A whole group of them.
‘But we’re not here for you, sweetheart. We’re here for your friend. Your boyfriend right, you can tell us, we don’t mind. We’re all for gay rights, you know.’
They were five this time. Karl didn’t know the other two. The threesome was familiar. Predictable shit like this was boring, so last season. He had other things on his mind. Abu was still laughing. ‘You really need to start getting your facts straight.’
Karl kicked the shoe that was in front of him back, looked at Abu like not today, so not in the mood. Abu laughed more and more, mouth open, head thrown back. Abu was ready for standing his ground, was defo not getting his arse kicked. Not by some wanna be someone grand.
He put his arm around Karl’s shoulder, whispered, ‘Just follow my lead, I’m making a point here,’ pulled him close, planted his lips on Karl’s, all gentle, all meaning, held on there, soft lips on soft lips, Karl’s face in his hands. He could feel the plumpness pushing back at his. His legs slightly apart as if he was imitating some movie star. Held his lips on Karl’s. Just held them there, steady on his feet, relaxed, taking his time. Then he let go, looked into Karl’s eyes, way deep. Looked and looked and waited, Karl’s face still in his hands. Karl a tad confused, but smiling. Their friendship, it was even more than just tight. It was being yourself. All the fucking way.
Then Abu started talking again, out loud for the shitheads around them but really for Karl: ‘I love you.’
Looked and looked and smiled and raised his voice.
‘I love you, man.’
He stuck two fingers up in the air, took Karl’s hand and walked away. Simple. Hand in hand. Teamwork. He didn’t look back when he started speaking again. ‘Come after me if you want. It’s getting boring now, innit. Seem to be losing your magic; you almost doubled in size. You’re five now?’
It didn’t matter where. It mattered how. How to be in life. And then it came flowing back, right back to the source. Of course not always exactly the same way.
Karl was laughing too. Abu was smooth, you could say what you wanted.
‘If I was you guys, I would take it a bit easy.’ He stopped Abu in his strides, pulling at his hand, turned only his head around. ‘Almost-dead woman? Not very funny, not at all. If not for this one here’ – and he raised Abu’s hand, still holding it – ‘I’d be blabbering whatever I know, and as you know that’s everything there is to know, as far as Abu is concerned.’
‘That wasn’t us.’
They were coming after them. Two of them more nervous than the others now. Caught off guard, there were things to hide and other things that had got out of hand.
‘It was just supposed to be a scare. Those guys, they’re out of control. Next generation, you get me. Still have a point to prove. Wasn’t us at all. Nothing to do—’
‘Why are you telling us? You want some fucking redemption?’
Abu was surprised. Karl had pulled him back, turned around completely. Calm as fuck. No running, no disappearing in his eyes, no nothing, just straight on focus.
‘If I was you I would shut up and leave it. It ain’t going to be your words against Abu’s. It’s hers against yours. And you broke her bloody rib. Punctured lung. Serious shit. But your choice of course, your choice …’
You look at it from this way and it is nothing. You look at it from that way and it is still nothing. You look at it with closed eyes, shut everything out, listening, really seeing, seeing what is there from the inside, and it is everything. You can call it karma, you can call it heavenly intervention – whatever floats your boat. Truth is, you can’t see everything; you can’t bloody take in a whole junction in one go. Not possible. Half of the time you get it wrong, see only the upcoming traffic. And still you’d act as if you’ve invented the effing wheel.
What’s knowing? Same as seeing. Overrated. Unreliable. If you ask me. That’s why they tell the story about the two friends. The friends who had never quarrelled.
You can’t know everything by looking at it.
Impossible. You cannot know what the other sees.
When the time comes, you can ask.
That’s all.
Esu, do not undo me,
Do not falsify the words of my mouth,
Do not misguide the movements of my feet,
You who translates yesterday’s words,
Into novel utterances,
Do not undo me,
I bear you sacrifice.
– Yoruba prayer