Bedlam
A scream pierced through the room and echoed throughout the dormitory, running footsteps could be heard through the corridors and a state of bedlam dominated the dormitory section. Screams of 'snake! snake!' rang through as some students ran into and outside the hall. Khalayi walked through the confusion smiling and confident, her stature undermining the equally domineering confusion. Every person on her path subconsciously let her pass. She stood by the door and picked up a snake that had landed on the floor. 'It is just rubber, harmless rubber, shows over, stop the screaming please and go to sleep', her voice rang through with each sentence breaking emphatically and monotonous. Nasike looked at Khalayi who had locked up the rubber snake in her side of the wardrobe and changed into her pajamas disbelievingly.
'Bite me', Khalayi winked at her, got into her bed and covered herself, sleeping peacefully as if nothing had happened.
Cynthia who had come in as a result of the commotion sympathized with Nasike and tried to calm her down. Although a strong person, Nasike feared reptiles and anything that can crawl. Snakes, lizards, and caterpillars topped the list. It took a lot of cajoling and consolation before she fell asleep. On the other hand, Cynthia headed to her room without confronting Khalayi. The name really did not reflect the persona, Cynthia sighed. Nasike's nights were not peaceful since then. Her phobia led her to inspect her bed every night for anything unseemly. However, every time she was about to settle down and get over her trauma, a lizard or huge hairy caterpillar could pop up on her bed. Her roommate's reaction made the situation worse.
'You could never be too careful, huh', Khalayi would smirk and wink.
This kind of attitude irked her to the bones. However, she dismissed them as childish pranks later after getting used to the routine. Mid-semester, she got used to picking up both real and fake lizards, dead caterpillars and dead snakes from her bed. Observing this, Khalayi congratulated herself for curing her phobia. Nasike held down her temper after the insensitive comment. It could be because she had decided to be the bigger person or maybe, she felt it wasn't worth spurring with Khalayi. In any case, nobody ever won against her and only ended up being antagonized. Khalayi grew impatient since the response she wanted was not forth-coming.
'My skills must have taken a nose-dive. Must be the do-gooder nature that I lived with for most of my alternate life', she mused. The pranks died down as they prepared for the mid-term exams. Although her grades were admirable, Khalayi began consulting Nasike about aspects of her studies that she could not understand. It could be kindness or forgetfulness, however, the young lady answered Khalayi each and every question she asked. Of course, she was suspicious about her motive since she was not the only top student and was not as good as Khalayi.
'After the mid-terms, what will you be doing during the short break', Khalayi asked her.
'Nothing much, I will just be home with my parents, helping out and looking out for my brother' Nasike answered cautiously.
'I wish I had a brother. Lucky lady. How old is he? He must be quite good looking, like you. Where does he study?' Khalayi fired a torrent of questions ceaselessly.
Laughing lightly, Nasike explained details about her family excitedly as Khalayi listened attentively the custom glint passing through her eyes unnoticed. Her lips curled up in a friendly manner hiding her plans. Nasike's brother was just slightly older than her by 2 years and was currently in University taking up Computer Science and short courses on business and finance. The description was that of a nerd without a life except for his studies and sister. Like sister, only that he is male and more of a genius, Khalayi silently analyzed. The sibling relationship was perfectly enviable and while Nasike stated that she would be looking after him, she clarified that they looked out for each other.
'Can I come spent the mid-term holidays with you? I have no peers that I can spend it with and we can keep revising for the end-term and university entrance exams', she asked pleadingly making it difficult for Nasike to decline. Sympathetic to the fact that she could be lonely. Nasike thought that she understood her more but was wrong. This sadist turned her one-week holiday upside down. It was as if she carried around a suitcase labeled chaos from which she could open and thoughtless unleash whatever wickedness she had in mind.
Khalayi arrived at the Ngome villas (Nasike's home) on the second day of the mid-term holidays. She was cordial and well-behaved, causing Nasike to relax and her parents and sibling to be more accepting even fond of her. However, the 5th day was chaos with Mr. Ngome opening up a briefcase full of Yaoi Manga and Mrs. Ngome opening a video of suggestive sex noises that erupted through the office earning her both questioning and contemptuous looks. Keith, Nasike's brother had found a myriad of messages from pawnbrokers. All these actions pointed to Nasike who was clueless about any of the accusations. She tried to explain to them that she was ignorant of all the misdeeds but no one listened. The trust she had so far built within her family crumpled as Khalayi the most glaring suspect watched in contempt.
'Quite the family huh. Can't even trust the daughter they raised for 17 years', she cited while chewing and blowing out a piece of bubble gum.
'Want some?' she took a piece of bubble gum and held it out casually to Nasike.
Nasike had had enough. Snakes may shade their skin but would never change who they are. Khalayi watched her teary eyes being covered by rage and something that bordered to hatred.
'Come on little girl, break down. Crumple and come after me, forget my identity and come at me. Lose that cool, calm and collected façade, come at me' she silently beckoned, watching the passive lady transforming to the monster she wanted. Nasike's tipping point was her family and she had almost broken it, broken their peace. For what? Her mother, a guru in the ICT sector, the epitome of women empowerment risked being disparaged by not just the industry but the people that looked up to her. Her father was about to face a demotion while her brother had to fork out a good sum of money from his allowance to pay a non-existent loan. All of them had been too angry and busy solving their issues to talk to her after the confrontation.
Her head reeled endlessly and as she looked at the scornful 'friend' before her, she let out a low dangerous mirthless laugh. She stood up, headed to the bedroom door locked it and picked up a whip she had bought out of whim. She never thought that she would ever use it at all. Least of all on someone she had only been friends with for less than a month. Khalayi watched her unperturbed and as the whip lashed towards her, she caught it and pushed Nasike down to the floor before releasing it. Irked, Nasike stood up and fiercely moved the lashing the whip through the air and directed it to her again. This time, disregarding the marks made by the previous lash, she caught it again and pulled it from Nasike's grips. Screaming blindly, bloody murder, Nasike lunged at her but she was restrained and brought to her knees.
Khalayi unsympathetically looked down at her. A sense of helplessness washed down over Nasike and she could only whip painfully and bitterly. Her knees buckled and she sank on the floor casting a sorry state. She did not understand this, this monster. The least she could do was to let her even slap her for her grievances, let her pour her anger out on her. She was her victim, why can't she allow her some kind of reprieve?
The cries seemed to irritate Khalayi. 'Ah, it is no longer fun. Grow stronger then come at me. Or maybe I will make the first move once you are strong, you know, play a little bit more. You are no use to me when you are weak. It is your choice to make', she smirked. Leaving a note on the Ngome's table and dragging her suitcase out of the regal gates into the waiting SUV.
'Hello, Uncle Vinnie, did you miss me?' a young girl gave an innocent smile as she settled in a vehicle that drove away from the crime scene as she chatted up Uncle Vinnie and laughed at his jokes.