Sacred Oaths

EPISODE 1: I MISSED A HEARTBEAT.

#SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 1: I MISSED A HEARTBEAT.

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In less than a month, four premature deaths had been confirmed in campus, and more were to come. Unilorin—one of the most prestigious and recognized schools in Nigeria—wasn't safe for anyone anymore, including the lecturers themselves.

The rivalry between nearby street gangs and various cults in campus placed so many people in the path of danger. People no longer felt safe during daytime, much less at night. Most people even boycotted classes so often, just to be safe.

However, so far so good, none of the dangers and chaos of the school had affected me in my safe abode. I stayed alone in my small apartment which was off campus, until Miracle, my best friend and course mate, decided to join me temporarily. She was undoubtedly more terrified about the whole chaos than I was, but she hardly showed it like me and some other students did. I admired her confidence.

Nevertheless, inasmuch as I fancied Miracle's company with me, I hated the fact that it brought so much disturbance and pressure from some of her friends who were aware of her temporary stay with me. They always persuaded me to accommodate them too, but I always refused, despite their numerous juicy offers, because my room was quite small and already crumpled up. Taking more people in would mean forfeiting my own privacy and convenience to satisfy others, and I wasn't willing to do that. At least, not yet.

Also, judging by the quiet lifestyle I've lived so far, most people resented me, probably because I didn't keep much friends or because I wasn't social like my peers. Some considered it pride; some termed it low self-esteem; while others, on the other hand, simply said it was probably religion taking its toll on me, just for being a dedicated, peaceful introvert on my lane. That's to show you how funny people's assumptions could actually be at times.

However, be it as it may, I especially enjoyed the criticisms and the scepticisms they made about me. It made me feel special in a kind of way. After all, I was in my mid-twenties, old enough to make decisions on my own. I rarely used make-up. I avoided dressing extravagantly. I also avoided being slutty like most girls in school, yet people still talked smack about me.

I wasn't holy or pure of heart or anything, but I liked being decent in my own way.

Anyway, I almost took after my father's height. I'm 5'6 feet tall, while he's a solid 5'8. I also stole my late mother's chocolate complexion. I'm a complete replica of her in many ways. One could unknowingly take us as twin sisters on a normal day if proper care wasn't taken. She looked so young and vibrant and was very healthy that, in fact, I never predicted her dying any time soon. It just happened swiftly! She slept and didn't wake up again, just like that!

Since then, I ceased faith in God. He never existed to me anymore.

That was several years ago, though.

Very soon, our second semester examinations for our third year would begin. I had been preparing with Mimi by having study sessions when she wasn't occupied. Or most times, I just spent a great deal of time in the library on my own.

We used to have regular group study sessions in class with other students—mostly at nights—but everything changed since the ongoing slaughter began in school. Nobody had the guts to show up again.

On this particular day, however, almost at midnight to be specific, I returned home from the library with some potato chips and noodles which I had gotten on my way from one of the many campus outlets. I was VERY famished and tired. I met Mimi sprawled up on the bed with her notebooks scattered all over the floor. She didn't even seem to notice my presence ever since I entered, because she was engrossed in a phone call with some dude. I just shrugged it off and made my way into the bathroom for a warm bath.

After that, I changed into bum-shorts and a casual T-shirt and then proceeded to the kitchen to cook. Well, it isn't what any sane person would actually call a proper kitchen though, but it served us quite good. It was somewhat convenient for us.

So I placed a pot of water on fire and checked the basin that usually contained food items for onions, but there wasn't any left inside of it. It was empty.

Confused, I checked the cupboard too but I still didn't find anything at all.

"Did you use all the onions here?" I asked with a high-pitched voice, referring to Miracle, but she didn't respond.

Impatiently, I repeated louder, "Mimi, did you use all the onions here?"

"What?" She answered eventually.

"I said, did you devour all the onions here?"

"I can't hear you! Speak louder!"

At this point, I didn't respond again. Instead, I just grabbed my purse and took the back door to the passageway which led me to the pitch black street.

Despite the darkness, I knew the exact place to get onions at this hour. I had barely even walked up to a kilometer when three very bright flashlights suddenly beamed upon me from different angles.

I could've sworn my heart skipped three solid beats at that very instant!