At the security office, while the two male security guards tried their best to settle the matter amicably, the female among them rained abuses on me. She said so many horrible things to me “Ashawo…i just pity your mama. only you, two boys. na so your toto dey scratch you?”
I buried my head in shame as one of the male officers giggled. “After listening to all of you carefully, it’s safe to conclude that the girl is the biggest culprit here… I would have sent you all to the school’s disciplinary committee but that may lead to your expulsion so I won’t do that, instead I will advise you as a father to leave here in peace and face your studies squarely henceforth. Your parents didn’t send you here to mess around with the opposite s*x, focus on getting your degree for now, after that you can think of dating and marriage. Is that clear? ”
“Yes sir. ” we replied in unison.
“Is not by saying yes sir.. ” the woman cut in rudely “Are you sure you can keep your yansh in one place?” she said eyeing me furiously.
Tears began to trickle down my face, her insulting remarks were just unbearable. Chuks and Somto walked out and went their separate ways while I stood there crying. The kind male officer moved towards me and was about to place his hand on me, when the woman shouted “Bayo nor touch am ooo—this girl na winsh. she dey use men play ball. ” she turned to me “Oya disappear from here before I change my mind and take you to the disciplinary committee.”
I looked at her with teary eyes and ran out without saying a word. I went to my hostel feeling devastated. Now almost everyone in school thought I was a w***e. I knew that in no time, the story would travel round like wildfire and then I would be unable to show my face in public. I wasn’t wrong at all, despite staying at home for three days hoping the situation would die down, the day I stepped out, curious eyes stared at me wherever I went and tongues wagged. All my female friends and roommates stopped associating with me, all except Lola—the same girl I had shut down rudely when she tried to advise me.
I cried in her arms as she consoled me one afternoon “please don’t say ‘I told you so’ just tell me that everything will be alright.” she sighed “But I told you so, didn’t I? you should have ended your silly games a long time ago, you could have prevented all this embarrassment.”
“Do you think I’m ever going to come out of this? ” I asked, still sobbing.
“I hope so but—” she had a worried expression on her face.
“But what? ” I asked, sitting up abruptly.
“I don’t know if it’s true but I heard some really disturbing news on campus today.” she whispered.
“What did you hear?! ” I asked curiously
“Bring your voice down! ” she whispered ” I heard that Chuks recently joined a dangerous confraternity in order to get a good revenge on Somto.”
I gasped in shock and horror. “Jesus! is he planning to kill him? ” I yelled.
“I don’t know what he’s planning but tell Somto to watch his back—he’s a promising young man, I don’t want to see him dead because of your foolishness.”
Somto was leaving for his I.T in a month’s time, I had to warn him to be very careful but I hadn’t spoken to him since the day of the incident involving him and Chuks. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number with shaky hands. I was scared to death, I never imagined that a handsome, quiet and intelligent young man like Chuks would go as far as joining a confraternity just to get revenge. I tried calling Somto severally but he rejected all my calls. I decided to text him, he deserved to know what was coming for him. “Chuks is after your life—please watch your back!! ” I texted. I was sure he received the text because I got a delivery report.
Meanwhile I had to continue attending lectures despite the gossiping and ridicule that trailed me wherever I went because my grades were suffering terribly. I needed to make a C in all my courses at least because in my department, a D in any course meant automatic transfer to a lower department like Fishery or Botany. I tried as much as possible to put everything behind me but I couldn’t. I was constantly plagued by the fact that Somto’s life was in serious danger because of me and that Chuks had been pushed into cultism which was definitely going to ruin his life and reputation. All these wouldn’t have happened if I simply told Somto that I had a boyfriend. My inability to get over the crush I had on him despite having a boyfriend has landed us all in a hot mess.
I tried to contact Chuks and possibly convince him to forget about everything and move on with his life but all my efforts to reach him failed. He completely blocked me out of his life. One evening, Lola ran up to me panting. “What’s happening?!” I asked gripping her, there was fear and horror in my voice.
She tried to speak but she needed to catch her breath “Somto…Somto….” she stammered. I tightened my grip on her arm “What happened to Somto?!” I yelled, bursting into tears.
“He…he…he got shot!”
To be continued.
