She gazed at the ground and refused to sit on the chair in front of the large office desk of the lecturer. After all, the lady just said to her to be comfortable and not to sit down.
She was tensed that her hands were sweating as she gazed at nothing in particular on the glittering flow.
She remembered her father who always taught her manners, 'Don't sit when you aren't told to' She could hear Mr Richard's voice which she missed a lot.
Even though she talked to them on phone, she still missed them in person.
'Have a seat, don't be scared because as far as I remember, I haven't bitten anyone' The lady lecturer said with a smile that reached her eyes.
That statement, made Blessing to held the seat that was in front of her and retrieved it back so that she could sit on it comfortably.
Madam Riadh put the pen that she was holding at the desk and closed her laptop then looked at the girl who was already shivering with her eyes which were directed at her.
'What is your name?' The lady asked still smiling making Blessing wonder if she was always like that, but in the class, she rarely smiled, why now? She asked herself feeling somehow strange.
She could remember vividly all of that.
'I am Blessing Richard Balowe, prof' Blessing answered with a slight bow even though she was sitting making the lady opposite her laugh until her molars could be seen.
'Okay, don't fear me. So do you know why I called you?' The lady or professor Riadh asked while looking at the girl leisurely.
'I don't know prof, my apologies' Blessing answered with all the manners she could come up with at that time.
'Hahaha! Stop being funny. Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything' The woman giggled making Blessing fake a smile too but internally she was dying with nervousness. So they also showed their other side? She thought inwardly while feeling a bit comfortable but the fear was still there.
'Sorry prof' Blessing chimed in still bowing.
'I can see you have a high level of humour! Anyway, since I started teaching you guys, I have noticed that you are a very active student in the class and that is why I took a liking to you but since last week, your concentration has been going down. What might be the problem with you?'
She paused and then continued, 'I have realized that you don't participate anymore nor do you listen to like the past days. I have also noticed that you are always in your world. Blessing, you know your course needs a lot of attention and concentration and I can see in that large beautiful brown eyes that you can be a great doctor if you want only if, you leave that attitude that you have just started asking soon as possible before it grows. And you know very well that if one is used to a certain behaviour, it is hard to retract back' The lady stated seriously but all that while Blessing was blushing and her face was burning hot because of how the lecturer described her eyes like.
She could remember Alex saying the same thing and shook her head immediately so that she could suppress the thought. She had no time to think about him or else she would not be able to do what the lady had called her for.
'I am a sorry prof. I will sure return my mind in class and change my ways' Blessing brought her hands together like she wanted to clap her them but it was only to show appreciation and to apologize because she could see the lady cared about her that was why she summoned her to make her change her behaviour for the better.
'Okay. Anyway, I am also a psychologist maybe you can tell me what is bothering you because I can see in your eyes there is something heavy in your heart that you are trying to suppress but it is very hard for you. Feel free to tell me maybe I can help, you never know. I don't want a nice and clever girl like yourself who I have observed so far to be drowned in your problems which may lead to you not performing well in your studies' Blessings sighed heavily and tried as much as possible not to think about her troubles right now.
But no matter how much she tried, her eyes and her face showed how much she was overwhelmed with sad emotions.
The lecturer could see that too but she tried as much as possible not to pressure her. But she wanted to know what was bothering such a young soul. She was curious but she couldn't force her to talk no matter what.
Blessing snapped her head and gazed at the lady who had long pitched hair and a pale face with a nose ring and sighed.
Who could have thought that this lady who she feared a lot because of her status could be this kind and nice to her? Since the time this lady summoned her to her office, she had thought that maybe she was calling her to discipline her or something of the sought but now, she could feel that the lady only wanted the best for her.
Blessing was overwhelmed with emotions that she couldn't say anything.
She gazed at her and then blinked several times as the tears that were making her eyes heavy were threatening to cascade from her beautiful large brown eyes.
But what would she tell this Arabian woman in front of her now? She didn't think that telling her about her being heartbroken by the man she had come to love completely would be the best decision. She was sure that if she told her, the woman would end up advicing her that it was not wise for her to date right now and judging her ways and Blessing was not ready for that. After all the lady wouldn't understand and know how she found Alex and also how she loved that young man.
These people thought about education and they would never believe in true love before marriage so it was a waste of time telling her.
After all, since that night, Blessing had been blaming herself for everything that happened that led Alex to break up with her. She was sure if it was a set up then even though it was her herself, she wouldn't forgive a person who had been filmed in a bed with a man while naked.
Thinking of it, who would be laid down by a man and then allowed it to be filmed if not a prostitute? Blessing couldn't suppress the tears that threatened to come out instead, she let them out in front of lady Riadh in frustration and a feeling of rejection.
'What is it, child? Talk to me. I am like your mother despite me being your lecturer' The lady tried to plead and convinced her so that she could open up. But of course, Blessing wouldn't tell the professor anything, 'I am sorry prof but I think I will come another day when I will be ready' Blessing suggested as a matter of fact while gazing at the ground and the tears were already coming out like a river.
The professor looked at the girl for some time then sighed, 'Do you have a friend maybe?' She asked after some calculation in her smart brain.
'Yes!' Blessing lied because so far, she didn't have friends after Nea. She wanted the professor to let her go because she wouldn't tell her anything and if the woman continue to sympathise with her then she would cry even more which she didn't want with the overwhelming emotions that she was going through right now.
'Okay, you can go and talk to her. Please don't be alone. Try to interact and do the activity that makes you happy, okay?' The professor suggested making Blessing nod her head.
'T-thank you so much, prof. I will put all that we have discussed in my mind. Thank you again. May I take my leave now?' Blessing tried to sound as lovely as possible because she didn't want to worry the professor while wiping the tears that came out without her permission with her elbow.
'Okay. I would like to talk to you next week then, okay?' The professor said with a smile making Blessing get up and bow with a nod then got out of the office in a hurry like she was being chased.
'This child has a problem but she is not ready to share. I wonder what it is. But it's okay maybe she will be able to share it one day...sigh,' The professor thought with a shook of her head then continued with her work.
Blessing still remembered after meeting the professor, she wasn't able to take it anymore instead she ran to her apartment which was not very far from the school.
Alex was good at anything and sure he did want the best for her considering everything that the man did for her.
She ran and opened her house in a third and collapsed on the floor and cried her heart out while still remembering Alex.
She lay on the floor and cried heavily when suddenly she heard a person's hand on her back and she ended up looking at who it was because she was used to being alone.
Since that day that her neighbour took her to the hospital, the lady had not returned.
'It's okay, come with me' She still heard the voice of the young lady, around twenty-eight years of age.
All the emotions and regret and pain came out and she cried even more as the lady helped her up and took her out of the house while holding her waist and she closed the house behind her.
The lady could sense that the girl was also sad because of the loneliness which made her think about her pains even more.
Blessing was not in her clear mind but she could guess that her neighbour was taking her to her house which was situated just after her apartment the next one was for her neighbour.
When reaching the lady's house which she hadn't entered till now, the lady helped her sit on the couch which she didn't have time to even check what colour it was.
After all, the houses were from the same estate and it was attached to her house so she could only guess that the size and the shape of the place were exactly like hers.
The lady also sat beside her and let her cry as much as she could while comforting her and giving her a shoulder to lean on.
There was a long moment of silence at the place as the only noise was Blessing's sobs and sighing each time.
Gone were the days when she had no one to lean on those days when she was escaping from Mr Samir's mansion only to meet the demoness, Madam Beatrice.
But at least now, although the pain was much that it was squeezing her chest, at least her neighbour was giving her a shoulder to lean on like her sister back home would do.
"Why are you weak?" The lady exclaimed suddenly.