"Aholah, you're back." Esther walked up to me after GST class that Monday morning. The hall was buzzing with noise, chatterings from students who can wait to exit the hall. I just sat there as usual waiting for the crowd at the door to lessen before I found my way out. I replied with a nod and turned away, but she persisted.
"I'm sorry Wura. You are my best friend, and I was only trying to be there for you."
"You are not my best friend!" I corrected, surprising my self. It was the first time I verbally acknowledged our distance and eventual separation.
"I know Emmanuel took that from me months ago but…"
"If you say that name around me gain I will kill you Esther!" I snapped, fist clenched, my stomach groaned for food. I would have left but the crowd at the door and a silent part of me also that didn't want to be left alone.
"I'm sorry…" She continued. "Student chaplain asked of you when you were not around. He said she had always admired us and never thought we would be the ones being suspended few weeks after matriculation…"
I hate it when she reminds me of our past and I hate even more how near that past seems. Isn't it just yesterday, we decided to be chaste and today, and I'm as empty as empty can be.
"I told her we only had little misunderstanding and were misunderstood at the council…"
"So she said you should see her when you are back…"
"For what?!" I almost spat in her face. Why is this girl always bringing bad news to me?
"Aholah will you calm down?" She pressed.
"I told her nothing about us or you. She just wants to meet you, for her own personal reasons, I guess. Besides, she's the one God as appointed a spiritual leader over us in this school after chaplain. You may have to see her okay?"
"I'm not seeing anybody, and please keep me out of every story you tell anyone from on …" I paused. " Esther I need a break, on humans on everything. Will you let me, please? I need to breathe!" I was shouting without even knowing it.
"Noted. I will… Keep my distance." I saw her retreat from me, hurt, pain and a bit of pity written all over her. "Wura, I wish you the best." She waved at me and left.
A wave of silence hit my face and I wished I could tell myself I had done something I really wanted to do. Anyway, I have the alone time I wanted. I went back to my room giving up on lectures for that day.
That night, my name was announced on the hostel's intercom, and I was told my room had been changed to A101. The same Senior Khadijah, our student chaplain's room. I wished to die.
***
"Janet" I sent her a direct message when I finally settled in that night and as the ever present friend she was, her reply came almost immediately.
"Holah babe, what's up na?"
I hope you guys know Janet. The lady I met when I left home to get rid of any risk of pregnancy. We've been friends ever since that day. We never missed a day without talking. She taught me all the wisdom she had in her head and in one week I felt my timidity ease away gradually. She was the only face I could look to because at this point-- the world was against me. Even my parents are still angry that I got a suspension because of a slap so they have not given me much attention since then. They just lay out all their expectations and orders that I must fulfill them as I return to school. They also filed complaint to the school for improper punishment as my father especially felt his ego dented as his child receives a suspension from school for alleged assault on fellow students.
Only God know what they would do if found out about my escapades with Emmanuel and how I sneaked out of the house to get myself cleaned. Janet helped me conceal that so well. I owe her my life.
"I feel like I'll die in this school o. These people are after my life."
"Awwn baby. Sorry, yuye"
"What happened exactly? Abi no be yesterday you resume?" ("What happened exactly? Is it not yesterday you resumed?")
She sent as voice note, there was loud music playing in the background, and it was so easy to guess where she was.
"Where you dey? No tell me say na club at this time."
It was just some minutes after 8pm, what is Janet doing in a club at this time?
"A bar mama. I get appointment with person pikin" (meaning "i have an appointment with somebody's child")
"Okay o" I sent. I knew I didn't have to ask much because she doesn't really like to discuss the big client she goes to meet at bars.
"Gist me jare. Wetin school do you?"
"I attended one class in the morning. It was so boring. All the man said didn't make sense to me, and he said next class we'll be having test." I typed.
"Wow" she urged me to go on.
"And then one yeye girl like that came to me after the class to finish the work."
"The girl wey the school say I slap" (The girl that the school accused me of slapping)
"Oh the assaulted. Hahaha" she laughed in her voice note.
"Aswear (laughing emoji)" (I swear)
"You know say this girl carry my matter go student chaplain office… " (Do you know she reported me to the student chaplain?)
"Student chaplain kini? Who be that?" (Student chaplain? Who is that?)
"Like the student pastor…"
"Oh, na Papa Mama we dey call them for our own school." (Oh, we call them 'Papa' and 'Mama' in our school)
"Wait let me guess…" She sent.
"They come carry you go inside office, you sef come knee down make dem dey pour ororo for your head as to cast out demons of physical vawulence." (They invited you to her office, asked you to knee down and anointed you with oil to cast out demons of violence from you?)
She popped gum continually in the voice note. I could tell she was drinking from the way she talked. Janet and her ways.
I laughed.
"No o abeg e no reach that level o" (No o, it's not up to that o) I typed, wishing I could do a voice note but I feared for my new roommates.
"They connived to put me in her room"
"Wait wait wait. Which room?"
"The pastor's room na."
"Eh! " She laughed. " Baby, sorry o. You don dey share room with spiri spiri."
"You see when I say they're after my life" I replied.
"But THE WORD says you will not die but live." She said with emphasis on 'the word'. " You know what my friend, You will be fine. My client don reach here. I'll talk to you later."
"Ok na."
She went offline. I close my eyes and wished it could be shut forever.