Moonless Night (Preview Edition)



  Moonless Night (Preview Version)

  By John Ishola Olafenwa

  © 2016

  Copyright Notice

  This preview copy of Moonless Night may be redistributed in whole without alteration. Redistribution in part is not permitted.

  CHAPTER 1 : THE BRIGHT SPARK

  Matthew sat comfortably close to the edge of a very large boat that conveyed cheerful boys and girls from different schools. They all were on holiday and had boarded the boat to ST. Patrick Island to attend an holiday program organized for them by a non-governmental organization. As they made the memorable thirty-five miles journey to the Island, Matthew beheld the beautiful sea all around him. He was specially fascinated by the stupendousness of the passing ships towards and from the sea. Hawks flew above in the skies and occasionally attempted to fish out their meals from the waters. Their display of various flying and diving skills soon drew Matthew's attention away from the sailing ships. A hawk landed on the edge of the boat and stood very close to him. He extended his hands to it, but the terrified creature misinterpreted his gesture and flew away in fright. Drifting him from the side attractions of the sea, Matthew plunged into deep thoughts of the amazing events that led to his participation in the program. Unlike all the other children on board, he was from a humble background and could never have dreamt of going on such an exciting but expensive holiday.

  His journey to the sea began about a month to the end of his third term in senior secondary school two. The non-governmental organization named LTCP (Let The Children Play) visited St. Andrews Government College to announce an upcoming holiday program which included the thirty-five miles boat travel to ST. Patrick Island and a fifteen day camp on the Island. Only five students were allowed to participate from each school and everyone was required to pay a twenty five thousand naira participation fee.

  All the students were excited about it but most of them whose parents could barely afford to provide them three square meals a day knew well that their common wish to participate in the program was nothing more than a tall dream. Among these less privileged ones was the sixteen year old Matthew who had yet to pay his school fees for the term.

  He could recall distinctly that he never bothered to tell his parents about it when he arrived home that day. He simply focused on his studies and prayed before sleeping at night.

  The next day at school, he was summoned to the school principal's office. His heart missed a beat when he was called. He was afraid that he might had been called to question over his unpaid school fees. Not for once did it cross his mind that a miracle was awaiting him. On getting to the principal's office, Mr Akinlade informed him that in recognition of his academic abilities which had brought immense glory to the school, his name had been included among the five students that would participate in the program. As a matter of fact, ten students had in less than twenty four hours turned up in school with the required fee, but only four of them were accepted to secure the fifth space for Matthew. He received the astonishing offer with great joy and expressed his gratitude to the school principal profusely. His ears were sweetly occupied with the good news, the congratulatory and the envious reactions from his mates, and lucky smiles were pasted on his proud lips for the rest of the day at school. His parents were exceedingly glad when he broke the news to them. As he sat down pondering on this wonderful chain of events, he was brought back to the present by a third tap on his shoulder after he had failed to notice the first two taps.

  "Why are you crying?” an unfamiliar feminine voice asked him.

  "It's nothing.” He replied, realizing that tears of joy had been trickling down his face while he was deep in thoughts.

  "Are you scared of the sea? Is it your first time on a boat?" Sarah asked as Matthew used his right palm to wipe the tears from his eyes. Sarah noticed that he was somewhat different from the rest of the children on board, judging by his physical appearance: he wore worn trousers and shoes.

  Matthew looked up beholding for the first time, the face of the damsel standing before him.

  "It's my first time on a boat but I am not scared. My name is Matthew, what's your name sister? "

  Sarah smiled when he addressed her as sister. She was not accustomed to being addressed in that fashion by a stranger. However, Matthew had always considered and adopted it a normal way to address a female.

  "My name is Sarah,” she replied, after which she jokingly reminded him that they weren't relatives. Matthew smiled before telling her it was his usual way of addressing a female.

  "In that case, thanks brother,” she said in reciprocation of his good will.

  She sat down beside him and demanded to know what made him cry.

  "You needn't trouble yourself but since you insist on knowing, I would tell you. You would be surprised to hear they were tears of joy."

  "That's fascinating; it would be great to know what memories brought tears of joy out of your eyes."

  They both discussed for the next thirty minutes and were glad to have made a good companion of each other. The cool sea breeze aided the amazing skies to spice up their healthy conversation with its natural blessings. Sarah's friends, mainly females were just a few metres away from the duo. They watched irritably as both of them talked. They made fun of her, as they were highly embarrassed how she interacted freely with a boy whose outfit was visibly inferior to that of the other children on board. As far as they were concerned, such an act was unbecoming of the daughter of a well-to-do man.

  "You girls don't know anything. These poor boys have no money but charms and spells they cast on girls,” said one of them.

  "I am sure Roslyn would be the next victim,” said another girl.

  "God forbid!” responded Roslyn.

  "I don't know about spells but one thing I know is, Sarah is very strange and she doesn't know how to enjoy life. Didn't you notice that she brought her Mathematics textbook with her? I think she has taken leave of her senses.”

  "That's true!” The other girls chorused.

  Meanwhile, the two new friends were too engrossed in their discussion to notice the resentment of Sarah's friends. Her physical appearance, in truth, reflected a striking contrast with Matthew’s. She was short, light in complexion and very beautiful while he was tall, dark in complexion and fairly handsome. Matthew’s old shoes and clothes were no match for Sarah’s new shoes and beautiful dress. But none of them cared about these differences. They got along so positively that negative impressions of any kind were dwarfed. It was plainly a nice meeting, on the part of each other, with a like mind.

  "God is a miraculous worker. He would surely help you overcome your challenges,” continued Sarah.

  "Amen. Now you know why I was moved to tears. Tell me about yourself, sister Sarah."

  Sarah took a deep breath and paused for a while before she responded. She was used to talking about her life with her female friends only. She had never said much about herself to a boy. But Matthew was not just any boy to her. His wonderful conduct impressed itself on her mind. She had developed a unique affection for him. He was simply interesting. She respected him as a responsible child of God, regardless of how others viewed him, particularly because he dressed poorly, he seemed to her, a responsible child of God.

  "My life is very simple; I am a final year student at Diamond Kids College."

  "You mean that big private school located about five kilometers from my school?" Matthew interrupted.

  "Yes,” affirmed Sarah.

  “I am performing well as a science student. The only subject I find hard to understand is Mathematics and I am praying to God to help me out. I am really scared about how I will cope successfully with
it in my final exams,” lamented Sarah.

  "Sorry about that. If you don't mind, during this holiday, we could spend some time doing Mathematics together. I brought my textbook along."

  "Wow, that would be great. I also brought mine. Are you very good in Mathematics?"

  "Of course sister. By God's grace, it's my best subject. I scored 96% in Mathematics in our last examination. "

  " Really? That's outstanding. Let me get my Mathematics textbook from my luggage. "

  Sarah was highly excited to have met someone who could teach her Mathematics. Matthew was very happy to have made a good friend during the trip, too. She chatted with him in a manner that made him feel he wasn't inferior to the other children on board as he had thought afterall. His outfit wasn't as good as theirs, but he was more brilliant than many of them. He looked into the sky, wishing he could see the face of God and thank him, but what he saw was one of the brightest blue skies, the great body of water that encompassed the boat and various birds that adorned the skies instead.

  Sarah was stunned by her friends who hissed at her in utter disgust as soon as she returned to their midst.

  "What is the problem?” asked Sarah.

  "You are the problem,” said Roslyn.

  "Have you lost your senses to the extent that you have suddenly fallen in love with a poor church rat who must