Campus Tales: Episode 9 – Party Fight (Brawl At The Bar)

PARTY FIGHT- BRAWL AT THE BAR

I hardly felt hatred towards people. But when you’re a bully, I just can’t help it.

The cute bartender I was speaking with had gone over to attend to some customers. I felt pressed, so I stood to take a piss. Unknown to me, some guy was right behind me with his glass of beer, so I mistakenly bumped into him, spilling his beer on his shoes, as I turned.

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed. “I’m so, so sorry.” I apologized, as I produced my handkerchief from my pocket. I was about handing it to him when he shoved me so hard that I stumbled and fell, colliding into a stool that was by the bar. I was shocked and embarrassed. All eyes in the room were now fixated on me. The embarrassment was more hurtful that the impact of the fall. But I tried to keep calm, conscious of the fact that I was new to the environment.

“You dey mad?” he shouted, looking fiercely at me. “You sabi how much I buy this shoe?”

“It was a mistake na!” I explained, while helping myself up. “I told you I was sorry.” I stood straight, straightening out my shirt.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “So now you fit talk abi?” some guys that were with him came over, with cigarettes between their fingers. I knew then, that things would get nasty.  “I go show you say for this town, na me them dey call Scorpion.” He concluded, dropping the glass, and folding his shirt.

“Oga there’s no need for all these na,” I said. “We can settle this thing like reasonable p…”

“You say?” he cut me off gyrating as his friends cheered him. “So you dey talk say I no get sense abi? Ha! E don be for you. I go smash you. Idiot!” He said, with a terrible frown on his face.

Things were getting pretty intense in the room and no one was willing to interfere. It seemed he was notorious. And this was just the man fate brought my way. I looked round for James, but he was nowhere.  Neither was the birthday man in the room. I was virtually alone on this. Standing before an angry thug, that looked ready to smash my head in.

“Baba that’s not what I mean na!” I said in a calm voice, as he proceeded to fold the other arm of his shirt. “There’s no need for violence.”

“Dey whine yourself. I go finish you.”

Oh! God. What have I gotten myself into? I said to myself, as I tried my best to explain things to him, but he didn’t listen. His mind was set, and it was obvious there’d be a showdown.

I tried to retreat, but realize that a wide circle had been formed round us and that the only way out, was through a fight. The bartender I’d been conversing with had noticed the uproar, and standing some meters away, looked pitifully at me. I was finished.

I considered the man closely. He was well built, and probably in his early thirties. He was bearded, and had a nasty scar by the side of his face, that slightly missed his left eye. As he smiled at me, probably thinking of how well he’d lash me, I noticed he lost one of his teeth – probably in a fight. He looked experienced when it comes to rough fights of this nature and so I knew the fight wouldn’t end well for me and so I started searching for the nearest exit. Unfortunately, it would be dashing through the crowd.

“Guy, today you go sabi say nobody dey fuck me up.” He said, beating his chest, and posing for a fight.

He was about charging at me, when someone ran into the room, and shouted something I didn’t hear clearly, but what he said, had great effects because everyone went hysterical and started running towards the nearest exit. Some went through doors, and some through windows, screaming. Without waiting to get further explanation, I joined in the race.

I ran towards the front door and was about getting through, when someone shoved me from behind, and sent me tumbling to the ground. I was about getting up, when someone else got tangled with my legs and fell on me. It was like a stampede. Luckily, they got off fast, and the hysterical race continued.

It was when I got outside, that I heard sirens and it dawned on me what was happening. Again, I looked round for James but couldn’t find him and so I kept running.

I didn’t know where I was headed, but I kept running.

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