~TODUN~
I sat on the bed and folded my cloths neatly into my box, the ones my Mum bought for me four days ago. My mum came into the room with a nylon bag which she placed beside me and then left to the living room. She hadn't been talking for the past few days, her eyes held emotions that dictated that she must have been crying.
I peeped into the nylon bag and saw two new sandals that were in it. I took them out and wore them on my feet one after the other. Feeling very excited with them I wrapped them back into the nylon and tucked it into my box. I took my files and placed it on the whole lot ,there after I zipped up the bag.
I am really going to miss this place, I muttered as I looked round the room and at the bed with it's tattered clothes. I walked into the living room met my Mum who was dabbing her face with her wrapper. I walked to her and placed my hand on her back.
"Maami(my mother), are you crying?" I asked her while she tried turning her face but burst into tears.
"Morountodun, I can't imagine life without you for months." She sobbed.
"I will always come back to check on you. We will always have holidays and apart from that, four years will soon be over." I tried pacifying her while hot tears streamed down my face. She engulfed me in a warm hug and cried the more.
"Promise me you will try your best to be the best, don't...." She cleared her throat.
" ...that you won't forget the child of whom you are."
"I promise Mum." I replied in a croaky voice.
"And don't be intimidated by anyone, sho ti gbo? (Are you listening)"
"Motigbo ma (I have heard you ma)." I replied while she released the hug. She held my hands and looked me over.
"When did I give birth to you that you have grown to this level." She smiled and touched my cheek while I giggled.
"You have never disappointed me and I am sure you aren't going to do that this time. I will call you time to time. Call me in the morning before you go for your lectures. Don't forget God as well. He will always be with you." She said and pulled me into another warm embrace.
"I will miss you a great deal." She added
"I will too Mum." I tightened the hug.
"Make sure you cook with the stove now, we have graduated from wood, be careful when you go to the market and don't hesitate to call me when there is anything." I said as we walked back to the room.
"Look at this girl giving instructions as if she is talking to her child. Young lady you must have forgotten that I got to this world before you." She said playfully, while I laughed at how she demonstrated it.
I would really miss her even though I am acting as if I am not to. I knew I was going to miss sleeping beside her,I was going to miss everything she does for me.
I stared at her and smiled as she opened my box and looked through it.
***
Getting a bus at the motor- park was not as easy as I thought since I had luggages to carry. They included my box, my mattress and another bag that contained my food stuffs and other things that couldn't fit into the box. I also had my school bag strapped to my back.
I poked my head out of the window and listened to my Mum dishing out instructions as the driver ignited the bus and we drove off. I waved to her till I lost sight of her. I withdrew my head into the bus and wiped my eyes that was clouded with tears. I sniffed at intervals as I felt the urge to burst into tears.
The journey from Lagos to school wasn't as easy as it was the first time. Apart from the fact that the passengers were hostile, the bus developed several faults that made us pull up on the road for repairs and also resulted in a long journey than it was supposed to be.
On getting to my destination, I got down from the bus at around five o'clock, I stretched myself and watched the driver bring down luggages from his boot. I quickly gathered my things and called Remilekun.
I had since sent her the remaining half of the money while we were at home, even though she complained about the late payment. After about thirty minutes since I called her, she arrived with her car which was driven by the chauffeur.
In conjunction with the chauffeur, I was able to lift my things into the car and we drove off to the hostel with I and Remilekun seated at the back.
"Are you going to have him with you throughout the semester?" I pointed to the driver and asked her after we have exchanged pleasantries.
"No, he will go back today. I just wanted him to help you with your things before he leaves.
"Okay." I nodded my head and stayed out of the window.
"My friends have arrived. Nifesimi and Tamilore." She said and tapped me, since my attention was already diverted.
"Oh okay. I guess they are our room mates, right?"
"Yes they are." She answered me and picked her ringing phone.
No one spoke throughout the journey, the one thing that broke the silence was the sound her phone made whenever it rang or tapped. I brightened up as the car approached the hostel that had Queens Villa written on it. The wall was painted wine colour and it looked shining than it was when we checked it during the registration.
"I requested for a repaint." Remilekun said pointing to the fence and at the same time answering my unasked question.
"They can't have me paying that amount of money when what they have got is a fence with pilling paint." She added, while I sighed in reply. If you ask me, I see no need for the place to be painted again but what can a poor civilian like myself do. With the interaction I have had with her, her Mum is single and a very popular politician. To cap it up she is the only daughter. So I know she had everything she wanted at the tip of her fingers.
I alighted from the car lazyly and watched as people peeped from their windows trying to see who drove in. I and the chauffeur brought out my things while Remilekun walked into another room different from the one we checked before.
I watched helplessly as she closed the door behind her. Feeling confused, I stood at the spot and tried to figure out what was going on. With a wave of the hand, the driver bid me goodbye and drove out of the compound.
"Come inside." Remilekun opened the door and signalled to me to come in. I carried my mattress and walked towards her.
"Is this our room?" I asked for clarification.
"Sure, I had to change into this after the day we came." She answered me with no further explanations.
"Okay." I answered wondering why she changed the room and followed her inside to meet two ladies on the bed with their full attention on the film they were watching on the laptop. I placed my bed on the floor and went back outside for the other things.
I laid my bed on the empty bunk space and removed my clothes then changed into new one. Feeling better but guilty about not greeting my new roommates, I moved closer to them and tapped them.
"Hi, evening." I tapped the girl who had a tank top and bum short on.
"Hii." She looked at me in awe and flew off the bed.
"Who are you?" The other one who was light in complexion asked and stood up.
"She is Todun, our roommate." Remilekun answered as she wiped water off her body. She just came out of the bathroom, she had complained about the warm weather earlier.
"Ohh, I am Nifesimi but you can call me Nife." The one who I had tapped and had a tank top and bum short on stretched her hands to me for a shake. She was dark in complexion and a little bit taller than I am. She had a cute dimple dug into her cheeks as she gave cute smile. I shook her and smiled in reply, feeling no need for a further introduction with the one already done by Remilekun.
"I am Oluwatamilore but Tamilore for short." The short and fair in complexion girl introduced herself. Her thick lashes looked funny when she blinked her eyes. She didn't bother to shake me as she walked to the bunk where I placed my bed and climbed on the top bunk.
"Nice to meet you." I turned towards her and walked back to my bunk as well.
"Thank God you know I sleep on top while you stay down there." She said as I sat on my bed and placed my bag on my laps. Isn't it so obvious, I muttered as I unzipped my bag.
"Did you say something." She asked me and got down from the bed.
"Just let her be Tamilore, you shouldn't start a fight on the first day. I thought you dropped that at home." Nife half screamed.
"Sure, I did." She replied and sat beside me. Not minding her presence, I pulled out my pregnant phone from the bag and dialled my Mum's number which she picked up and I informed her about my safe arrival. As I talked on phone the gestures of Tamilore didn't go unnoticed as she turned to Nife and Remilekun. She must be talking about my phone, I thought as I ended the call.
"Don't tell me you are the owner of that?" She asked me and pointed to my phone. Isn't it obvious, I wanted to scream but kept quiet feeling no urge to fight with someone we just met.
"It's mine." I answered her calmly while she burst into another round of laughter.
"Remmy... If she is going to remain with us... That damn thing will have to go... Like how the hell do you want me to wake up to this in the hands of my roommate and bunkmate." She said in-between laughter. We all stared at her as she continued laughing. I sighed at the thought of what exactly was so funny about the phone that made her laugh.
"Tammy, you have got to deal with it ni o." Remilekun replied her and left to the kitchen.
As I sat down and looked at Tamilore, I knew we were going to have problems.
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