Somebody Else (Christian Romance)

FIFTEEN

In Stephanie's opinion, having to seat on one of the steps on her hostel's staircase was the worst punishment ever. She shouldn't be here. She had a comfortable chair and a comfortable bed in her room, but thanks to Teni and Magdalene, she couldn't sit there and purchase her new bleaching cream without them voicing out their disapproval. If only they minded their business, Stephanie wouldn't be here now. Seeking privacy, Stephanie had come to the stairs at the side of the hostel, the same place Vanessa prayed every morning. This place was peaceful and quiet. The view was splendid. From the third floor, Stephanie reveled in the expanse of the blue skies. The only thing she hated about this place was the discomfort she felt after having to sit on the hard stairs for a long time.

She had been browsing through photos of the best bleaching creams. She wouldn't buy the same one she bought the last time. Since she had a lot of money, she'd buy a better one. One that worked faster and was more efficient. Most of the creams she found were from foreign shops. She didn't want to purchase it from a foreign shop, she wasn't patient enough to wait through the long period of shipping and delivery. If she purchased it from a Nigerian store, she could get it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. But the Nigerian stores with quality bleaching creams were rare. She recognized the store she had purchased the previous bleaching cream from. The cream was still in stock, but its price had risen by five thousand naira. It was the most expensive one they had. When she'd purchased it the last time, the seller had told her it was the best they had. Maybe it really was. She'd just buy it. She'll try it for a week, if she didn't see results after a week, she'll purchase the foreign ones.

Stephanie click on purchase and her screen displayed the billing information. She carefully filled out the relevant fields. When she got to the field for her card number, she rummaged through her purse for her ATM card, all she felt were her biros and tissue, but no card. Stephanie placed her phone on her laps and looked into the purse as she searched the three pockets. No card. Her heart began to race as she emptied the contents of the purse and did a more thorough search. No card. Where was her ATM card? Stephanie packed back her things inti her purse and hurried down the stairs. She was half-running to her room.

When was the last time she used it? She'd used it the morning after her father sent her the money. That was two days ago, the same day she'd gone to Chinasa's room. Heavens. How could she have forgotten she'd put in the pocket of her jean skirt? It must be safe in there. She sighed in relief as she opened her room's door. Vanessa was reading, as usual. Teni and Magdalene were watching a movie on Magdalene's bed. Stephanie didn't say a word to them, all she could think of was her blue jean skirt. She unlocked her wardrobe and found the skirt. She placed her hand in the front pockets, but the card wasn't in either. Heart racing, she placed her hands in the two back pockets. No card.

"No," She shook her head. Where was her card? She hurried to her table and searched her backpack. She searched every pocket, but the card wasn't there. It couldn't be there. She was very sure she'd put it in the pocket of the jean skirt she wore to Chinasa's room. hurrying back to her wardrobe, she checked the jean skirt again, flapping it just in case the card was stuck somewhere.

"What are you looking for?" Teni said.

"My card." Stephanie's voice was shaky. "I can't find my atm card." Stephanie massaged her temples.

"Oh, my God." Magdalene said.

"Where did you keep it." Teni stood and walked to her.

"My... My pocket she pointed to the jean skirt she'd dumped on the floor." She efforts to fight the tears weren't effective.

Teni picked up the skirt and searched the pockets. "The pockets are so shallow." She frowned. "Why did you keep it in this kind of pocket?"

"I didn't want to hold a purse. I wasn't going far." Stephanie couldn't hold the tears any longer.

"Calm down, Stephanie." Vanessa patted the back of her shoulder. Vanessa and Magdalene had stood up. They looked genuinely concerned.

"Have you checked your bags? Your purse?"

"It's not there." Stephanie shook her head. "I'm very sure I kept it in this skirt." She closed her eyes as she tried to remember the events of that day. When she came back, she hung the skirt in her wardrobe. She didn't remember removing the card from its pockets. Her wardrobe was always locked, she was sure none of her roommates had gone there. So, what happened.

Teni, Magdalene and Vanessa were checking the pockets of her many other clothes, but Stephanie know they wouldn't find it. She was sure of where she'd kept it. She massaged her temples as she sat. Could it have fallen? The skirt's pockets were shallow. What if. What if when she was running from Chinasa's room.

"No!" Stephanie's heart skipped a beat. "Who knows how to block an atm card?" She asked her roommates.

"What bank?" Magdalene asked.

"GT Bank."

"That's my bank. I can do it." Magdalene said. "Let me have your phone."

Stephanie quickly unlocked her phone and gave her. Why hadn't she noticed this earlier? She'd had enough cash in hand, she'd forgot about her atm card. She hoped... God, please no.

"One minute please. Let me check my account balance." She collected her phone from Magdalene and checked her balance. Her hands were shaky ad the USSD code ran. Her heart was racing. God please. Just then, her account balance was displayed on the screen. Her eyes widened when she read. She read it again to be sure she wasn't dreaming. One hundred and seventy-two naira?

"No!" She screamed and flung her phone as far as she could. "No." She sat on the floor and wailed.

"Calm down." Teni sat on the floor beside her. "Just calm down, you'll get through this."

"All the money is gone." Stephanie cried. "God knows how I suffered to get that money. Now it's gone." She was crying so hard she found it hard to breathe.

"How much was the money?" Vanessa rubbed her back as she sat beside her.

"Two. Two hundred thousand."

"Two hundred what?" Magdalene screamed.

"My God," Vanessa looked ready to cry.

"This is not good at all." Teni said. "May God severely punish whoever took your card and did this. May he live to regret it."

"Calm down, Teni," Vanessa said.

"I should calm down?" Teni looked surprised. "They just stole her two hundred thousand and you're telling me to calm down?"

"I wonder," Magdalene said. "Vanessa, this is not a small issue."

Vanessa didn't reply either of them, she just kept rubbing Stephanie's back.

How could people be so heartless? Why would someone be so wicked? She would have seen the debit alerts had she read her emails, but she never read them. Could anything be done. She could go to the bank and complain, but would it be of any use. These people had used her atm card, was there any hope of them being traced?

"How is she going to read in her current state of mind?" Teni said. "You guys are writing your first C.A tests next week, right?" She asked Vanessa.

"Yes." Vanessa looked sad as she nodded.

"Wait, we're writing our mid semester exams next week?" Stephanie looked from Vanessa to Teni and back to Vanessa.

"You didn't know?" Vanessa looked surprised. "The news has been circulating for some time now."

Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut. C.A tests accounted for twenty percent of their total assessment. She wasn't ready. She had attended lectures only three times since resumption. She hadn't been reading. How was she supposed to read half semester's work in just a week? Stephanie felt tears roll down her cheeks. Now all her doubts were cleared. It was confirmed that she was cursed. God was against her. The universe fought against her. What had she done to deserve all these? She covered her face and wept.