The Only Name in Her Mind

Gloria!" That was the only name in her head! Her dark face was imprinted in her mind. She would be their very first target. She had her eyes fixed on her, monitoring her every move and waiting for the perfect time to strike. Naomi could still vividly remember Anna's story and Gloria's role in the ugly incident that happened to her brother. She scowled, fantasizing the moment Gloria and the others would finally be defeated.

Though she had the perfect revenge all planned out in her head, she knew she had to be cautious in executing it. If any of the villains got a wind of what they were up to, everything will be ruined. She reminded herself.

Gloria's bed was three bunks away from hers and from the top of her bed; Naomi could clearly see every little thing she did. 

Inconspicuously, she watched her in such a way no one would know that she was. Gloria's lips moved as she mumbled words from a devotional book, a solemn look on her face, and Naomi couldn't help but sigh at her hypocrisy. She was such a two-faced, immoral person, just like her mum. "How were they both able to fool each other and others, too? Hypocrites!" Naomi hissed angrily.

She was still lost in her duty of keeping an eye on Gloria when the evening sun suddenly sank, darkness spreading all over the dorm room. She checked the wall clock seated on the hostel wall and it was already past 8. The jingling sound of the school bell filled the noisy dorm room, prompting swinging legs on dorm beds to start moving hastily to get dressed before time ran out. While others hastened to get dressed, Naomi slowly rose from her bed, taking her time to slip into her outdoor hostel wear just to keep watch on Gloria. Gloria was too engrossed in checking herself out, she didn't even notice someone was secretly watching her.

While other girls dashed towards the door headed to the General hall, Edith snuck off to the T-end with a small bag. Naomi saw her and knew she was about to go on another of her runs again. Naomi's attention was suddenly shifted towards her, her feet willing her to move towards the T-end to find out what Edith was up to. Slowly she followed Edith,but before she could get to the T-end, Edith was already walking back to the room. Stunned by the sudden reappearance of Edith in the passageway, Naomi had no choice but to fake disinterest in Edith's suspicious movement.

"Edith, are you not coming for the social night?" Naomi said in a cheerful tone, pretending like she wasn't just spying on Edith.

"Emm,…" Edith muttered as she tried desperately to hide her teary eyes from Naomi, her new friend.

"Are you okay? Edith" Naomi asked in a genuinely concerned tone when she noticed Edith's pale face, which she was trying so hard to hide from her.

Edith's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. "How was she to explain what she was facing and how helpless she felt?" She wasn't okay… she was fed up with being a student at Bishop Evangelical College… she was tired of being used and abused by Mr. Godwin and other men. Her lips trembled as she thought about telling Naomi what she was suffering. But just then, out of nowhere, Goodness emerged and dragged her off to a corner like a mother would do to a naughty child, leaving Naomi staring confusedly at them.

"Edith, what are you doing? I just hope you are not talking to that new student about things that should be kept secret." Goodness scolded Edith, feeling no pity for her, though she could clearly see the poor girl was sad.

"I can't keep doing this… I don't want to go back there anymore!" Edith broke down.

"You better pull yourself together and put on a smile for your visit to Mr.Godwin's house. Stop acting like it's your first time, girl. Your incessant crying is beginning to piss me off." Goodness snapped at a weeping Edith.

 " Well, I don't have much to say to you. I just wanted to let you know that making friends with that new girl will be the end of you. Stay far away from her for your own good." Goodness warned.

"What do you mean by that? Am I not allowed to make friends with whoever I want in this school? Don't even let me lose my temper on you." Edith's suppressed anger surfaced. She wiped her face as she stared challengingly at Goodness.

"Edith, let's not quarrel about this. I am just saying you have to mind what you say to her. You don't want her finding out about our secret business with the Deaconess. You will only get yourself in trouble. Remember, we are all in this together." Goodness stated in a softer tone when she noticed Edith's eyes widening in anger.

"We are not in this together! Leave me alone!" Edith snapped before walking out on Goodness.

Naomi had watched the two friends discussing silently, even though she couldn't hear a word they were saying. In her quest to find out what Edith was up to, she had missed Gloria. So, she hid in the quiet hostel corridor, waiting to see how everything would play out between the friends. From her hiding position, she watched as Goodness walked off angrily while Edith walked back to the hostel to open the door with a key Naomi had no idea where she got it from. In a space of five minutes, she was out of the hostel and headed towards the entrance between the hostel and the Matron's office.

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Edith detested having to go back to Mr. Godwin's house, but she had no choice. Even as her heart pounded at the thought of enduring his tortures again, she still willed her legs to tiptoe out of the hostel. She was almost out of the hostel when someone's bark startled her.

"Hey you! What are you still doing in the hostel? Did I not just send everyone out of the hostel?

Edith turned around to see the Matron dressed in her usual funny, shabby long skirt and big polo. Her hawk-like face glaring at her, the dark night making her appear scarier than usual. But Edith wasn't a bit shaken by her stern look or loud yells. She had the backing of the Deaconess and could not possibly be afraid of Mrs. Gracious, her subordinate.

"Didn't I just ask you what you are still doing here? Once you girls get into senior class, you suddenly grow wings. Would stupidly answer my question! Wait… what's that bag you are carrying?" Mrs. Gracious bellowed.

There's a pause as both teacher and student glare at each other. Unable to endure the matron's piercing look and Edith tears her gaze away first, silently praying that the matron won't search her bags to find the disturbing and immoral stuff in it.

"Bring that bag here. Let me see it!" Mrs. Gracious commanded. And Edith clutched the little bag closer to her, indirectly saying she wouldn't obey Mrs. Gracious.

"Are you deaf? Give me the bag right now!"

"I can't, ma… it's for the Deaconess. You can call her and ask her. I can't show you the content of the bag." Edith shook her head in defiance.

"What? The Deaconess?…And where are you even going with so much makeup on her face?" Mrs. Gracious continued questioning the insolent student.

"Ma, I can't stand here answering your questions. The Deaconess wants to see me urgently." Edith said impatiently. And the matron felt that insult like a huge slap on her face, and she flared up.

"At this hour of the night? Why, if I may ask. Fine, let me call her. And just pray to your God that you are not lying with her name. If you are, I will deal with you personally." Mrs. Gracious threatened.

Disgruntled, Edith stood there waiting as Mrs. Gracious dialed the Deaconess's number. After dialing her number twice, the Deaconess finally picked and answered in a disgruntled tone.

"What is it? Mrs. Gracious. Can't you handle the students without me there?"

"Madam Deaconess… I, well, this is important. A student is lying with your name and I need to confirm if she's right or not." Mrs. Gracious replied nervously.

"Which student?"

"I think her name is Edith Okafor. I have no idea why she's hiding around the hostel lying…" Mrs. Gracious said, raising her voice only for the Deaconess to cut her short.

"Mrs. Gracious, listen to whatever she's telling. Yes, I asked her to see me and I don't need your permission to do so. Now, let her go and don't ever call my line this late at night," The Deaconess said dismissively before hanging the call.

Mrs. Gracious stood there dazed by the Deaconess' undeserving insults, and she wanted badly to go against her just this once. She stared furiously at the silly student in front of her, feeling the extreme desire to pour out her anger on her. But at the end of it all, her reasonable, calm side won the battle and she let the girl go. But she was suddenly curious to know what kind of secret business the Deaconess had with these seniors. She had a feeling something fishy was going on. She sighed as she walked back to her room, promising herself to be more watchful of the girls.

Naomi had watched everything play out, and as soon as Mrs. Gracious had walked back to her room, she ran through the entrance to see where Edith was headed. When she got to the school compound, she watched as Edith reluctantly got into a car before it drove off. The disappearance of the car jolted her to her senses, and she suddenly remembered she was supposed to be watching Gloria and not Edith. But she was still right on track. Edith was an essential tool in making her plan work, and she knew just how to use her effectively.

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That night, as Naomi slept in her bed, she had the worst nightmare ever. Someone was being beaten helplessly. He was crying and pleading for help, but the enormous figures beating him didn't stop. They continued hitting him violently till there was blood all over the tiles, and there in a corner stood Gloria, smiling as the poor boy cried helplessly. Naomi saw herself in the dream struggling to help the boy, but someone or something was holding her back. Her tears flowed uncontrollably as she saw her little brother's face lying lifeless on the floor of the hostel.

She woke up then with a start, sweating profusely and shaking uncontrollably. It was already morning. Frantically, she looked around only to find Gloria sitting on her bed and staring at her, an evil stare boldly written on her face. Her face contorted into that of her mum, and Naomi was suddenly afraid. She wiped her eyes to come fully awake, only to see Gloria walking to the bathroom to get ready for church. Fury suddenly burned through her every pore as she watched Gloria walk off majestically. "Hypocrites! Liars! Evil souls!" She screamed in her head.

Looking around the room, she saw Edith's tired figure crouched on her bed and she knew it was high time she started using her for her revenge plan.