CH 07|| Alarm call

Early the next morning, one of the annoying things in my life woke me up. The noise wasn't always the problem in comparison with what its mission was. I hated it that when I was in the middle of the best dreams I've ever dreamt, a silly alarm would wake me up. I felt like giving it a smash as it vibrated all brain cells in my head but that would be my money going down the toilet.

Argh! I screamed, covering my head with my pillow but it didn't stop. I reached for the alarm on the low desk with my left hand, rummaging around till I got hold of it.

"Just give me some more minutes hmm?" I shut it off.

[forty minutes later]

"oh no! " I exclaimed after the bright light from my window squeezed shut my eyes.

I jumped out of the bed and went for a quick shower. I couldn't even touch breakfast, I just grabbed my things, leaving the house untidy.

School shuttles were full and I had no choice but to struggle my way in each time any empty one arrived. Time ticked away so I gave up trying to get into any school shuttle, instead I boarded a random bus though it cost me a bit.

The main reason every normal student takes school shuttle is because of its lower expenses contrary to normal PT.

I met some of my course mates in the same bus I was in and they pretty much looked relaxed unlike me that was counting her teeth. None of them saw me at first, giving me the opportunity of pretending I didn't see them either.

Thoughts of how I was going to manage my life came crawling its way into my mind. The wedding ring, I remembered, was left at home because I didn't want anyone at school to have an idea about my marriage. Not even a single information was disclosed to them. Love they say is the number one thing in a happy marriage but my case is different.

Normally, a bride would feel important and respected when her soon to be husband pays her bride price but as for me, though mine was paid, I didn't still feel right. At the thought of the debt my family owed, I felt like an exchange commodity.

I felt like something exchanged for money and this made my self-esteem in front of my parents-in-law and husband suck.

I didn't even know when the bus arrived at school not until I heard the assistant bus driver slam the body of the bus and shout in pidgin: "Anybody for T-junction? Abeg mae you people comot quick quick. " he slammed again.

I didn't alight yet until he reached our Faculty where I then got down from the vehicle.

Lectures had since begun that's why I didn't see any of us outside apart from the ones in the bus with me. The three of us ran, knowing fully well we were very late. Together we silently made our way into the lecture hall which was as quiet as it could be, only the sound of lecture was heard vibrating through the hall. Luckily for us, he didn't send us out for being late.

---

After the boring lecture, I packed my things to leave when a group of friends came to me.

"Hey babe, how far now, it's been long oh," my male friend Phil spoke to me in his pidgin accent.

"Fine, I guess?" I replied as we hugged, grinning as I did.

"Eddy, what happened now. How come for two weeks we didn't see you, couldn't contact you. You know you should be thanking us, it wasn't easy covering for you," my closest girlfriend - Jacklyn said, pulling on her lens.

"Sorry guys I was too busy throughout that time, I didn't get a chance to come to school." I pleaded with the front tip of my eyebrows shooting upwards.

"It's not about us, you missed lectures a lot, you were lucky we didn't have a test, if not, that would've been a sorry note." said my ever strict male friend, Mr. As – that's what we call him.

"C'mon guys, I'm being lucky here. Just give me your notes from the previous classes to photocopy, I'll pull through," I said, trying to chill them down because it seems like they were all mad at me.

"At least you have no problem teaching yourself, " Jacklyn said, folding her arms and pooping her hips to one side.

"Oh guys I missed you all so much " I hugged them all.

"Aww " said Grace, another close friend of mine.

"Your hug is so cuddly, so soft...*inhales* your scent.. " Phil hugged me without letting go.

".. Phil let go of me " I played, trying to push him away.

"Our miss Dentistry," said Jacklyn

" Who said so?! " protested Mr As

"Nooo, our Miss Dentistry is Grace, she talks too much and she is as skinny as a model whereas our Eddy is slim not skinny. I would rank her second," protested Phil too.

They playfully quarreled and at the end, we all dispersed to our various locations apart from I and my two closest friends - Grace and Jacklyn.

They saw my mood change all of a sudden to a gloomy and reserved look.

When they tried making me talk, the harder it became for me to say it.

On reaching home, I branched to a food store where I bought some food stuff so I could cook. I love cooking, but not as much as music although I was a terrible singer.

If I am at home, I hardly come out, maybe it's because I was not used to the surroundings yet.

I got home, went straight to the bathroom to wash off, the afternoon was too hot. The apartment I got was a quiet place, rare of much students living around. I was the only one living in that flat and it had a gate with a fence around it. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as our main house (I.e Chris and I's).

For me, I would have bought a house that is cheaper, maybe even a lodge but Chris bought it for me, at first without my knowledge. I rejected it when I found out, but accepted it after much pleading from him.

I immediately cleaned my apartment, after that went to prepare my food, I was darn hungry. I made a simple food of white rice with raw tomato sauce. I didn't rely on the menu, I hated the menu.

As I was eating, a call came in and I craned my neck to see the one calling since my phone was at a distance on the table. It was Chris.

"What does he want? " I murmured as I answered the call.

He told me that he was going back to Lagos for school. We didn't exchange anything serious and after that he hung up.

"So he is finally going back, thank God! " I said, a smirk forming on my lips.

"Now at last there will be no temptation for the meantime," I sighed heavily.

We both were in our second semester and very soon Chris would be graduating.

I had no serious worries about going for his convocation and coping with my college problems because our school was on a long strike before and after resumption after which was called off one month later. So because of that, our closing date and examination date was postponed two weeks and three days the normal date.

I found myself poking at my food due to the fact that I was lost in thought. I sighed at the heavy burden placed upon me.