The walk towards the lab area from their class, was long, even longer because they didn't exchange words on their way. A part of Kelvin feared Ashley. He wanted to say something about the purple petals that lined up behind the Junior class or comment on her thick black long hair, but each time he would swallow a lump when his eyes met her firm face. When they neared the lab block, she broke into humming a song he knew very well but he dared not speak.
"We'll use this computer, It's very close to the router. Please pass me my note," she said, crouching to fix in a detached cable when they finally reached the lab. A few others from different classes paired up to use the available computers. He hadn't moved when she asked him to and when she looked up, she saw him staring towards the old shelf half eaten by termites at the back. It leaned sideways like it would fall, but it never did. She stood up, holding the cable on one hand and only then did she see clearly. His eyes were fixated on the near distant image of Mary and Martins at the back with another classmate of theirs, using a computer.
He was infuriated, clenching his teeth so tightly to prevent the hurt that would blast out as mean words if he spoke. Ashley sighed and tapped his shoulder causing his full view to meet her eyes. Her vibrant oblong eyes.
"I wouldn't think too much about that if I were you. We have an assignment," she said.
"How do you do that?" He asked, busying himself with the thick note jotter Ashley owned, as his hands ran across the edges idly. He sat on a seat, dragging it slightly to near the one Ashley hovered over and intended sitting on.
"Do what?" She asked. Her eyes widened as her lips locked in, stretching into a thin line.
"Don't let what Martins does to you make you angry," he said.
"Oh I do get angry, I just know how to channel it right. Somehow, my pains develop into an engulfing hunger for reading. I read a lot when I broke up with him and every time he hurts me, I just read more. For all it's worth, they are just doing their assignment and so are we."
"OK I'll be lying if I said that isn't weird," he said and she laughed. Her eyes crinkled with excitement when she did as little as smiled. All her teeth would glare open and reveal their perfect symmetry. She never laughed loudly, she just allowed forced air escape through the spaces between her teeth as her shoulders shook lightly. It was unethical to laugh loudly, the school taught.
The sunset was beautiful- a tint shade of golden yellow enveloping the sky and the warm hue settling on the earth. The earth was splattered with blue and orange and if you looked closely, a thin line of silver. Ashley paused to stretch and her condensed skin relaxed its aching muscles, releasing a crack sound on her back. They had been browsing for hours and Kelvin felt numbness as he sank on the wooden chair, afraid his buttocks would hurt if he stood. He couldn't stop the enthusiasm she radiated whenever it came to academic affairs. She never stopped talking and he always seemed to agree with every point raised. The edge of one of his palms on his chin, and a racing hand on his note, scribbling helplessly. "What do you think is the major cause of conflict in the world?"
"Let's browse it," he said and immediately felt dumb for uttering those words.
"You can't browse something like that in this context, the internet would only provide a stereotypical answer. I think we'll leave the question for when we'll meet as a group. It's important we rub minds," she said. Her fingers working on the keyboard while her eyes darted the screen. "We must also add countries at war for references. It's very important," she added. She said 'very important' to every idea. They had used up ten pages already, filling up 'very important' notes.
Then it dawned on them that the lab had been void of students. Ashley hurried to the burglary that guarded the room and observed the entrance door was locked.
"Who would lock us in?" Kelvin said.
"The lab prefect." Ashley released a tiring sigh and allowed her white shirt slide on the cream coloured wall. "We'll have to wait till night prep before this door will be opened again."
She placed her jotter under her pleated skirt and rested on the hard back that elevated her few inches from the ground. Her moist palms attracted sand particles when she placed it on the floor and tried adjusting. "I'm so hungry," she quipped, rubbing her lower abdomen tenderly. Her guts rumbled, awaiting the next meal they would devour.
Kelvin had fallen into a stoop, wondering if he should sit on the dirt or keep standing. He scouted the lab until he found squeezed plain sheets which he straightened and sat on. He stretched his legs and relaxed his back on the wall. He felt the slight squeeze of a wrapped package inside one side of his pocket and he reached for it. It was the biscuit he knew Mary liked. He handed it over to Ashley whose eyes beamed with satisfaction as she tore it up hungrily, letting few broken crumbs fall off.
"Don't you remember the overly used familiar term 'sharing'?" He asked, air quoting the word sharing.
"Yeah right! I'm sorry," she said and bent the pack over so he could pick a cream filled waffle. They laughed, but then swung their gazes to the randomness of the computer lab. He wasn't sure what her preferences were and he didn't want to seem too forward. Luckily, she spoke first, "So why Mary?" She asked. "Why do you like her?"
"Well for one, she wouldn't have snatched the biscuit from me that way," he said.
"OK fair enough," she replied. Her front tooth bit off the edges of the biscuit. "I miss this biscuit, sometimes we take this at home."
"What about you? Why Martins?" He asked, hoping his question didn't seem too forward or direct or Ashley inappropriate as the case may be. He dreaded her furrowed brows which formed when she addressed the class or looked for her note.
"This biscuit is good," she commented in a false attempt to change the topic. Her munching slowed as she added, "I don't know honestly. I guess he's the longest person I've actually been with asides my parents. There is something about me and sticking closely to old friends."
"OK," he said. A short unexpected response.
"OK," she repeated, mimicking the tone he had said it with. They shared a short knowing stare between themselves before cracking into a laughter. "So you'll review your part for presenting and we'll meet with the rest for their input," she said. Her laugh had faded and in its stead, rested a straight expression. It was almost as though smiling too much or even laughing, made her seem weak.
*****
The Civic teacher walked in, her presence dispelling the smaller subgroups that formed gesticulating and demonstrating while spelling out their presentation points. She demanded total silence and immediately called out the first group to present. The black framed glasses that sat inside her glass case, was pulled out and fixed steadily on her nose bridge. Her fingers held tightly the score sheet, which she intended writing down each person's score into. There was a new wave of hush chills that settled as they walked up to the stage.
Ashley walked out, having the rest of other presenters leaping out instinctively. They squeezed themselves, one beside the other as a girl named Favour walked out from the fold to give the opening speech. She did well in introducing herself and the rest of the others and then she stepped back in, allowing Kelvin continue.
His evenly blended cream coloured skin spread uniformly all over the rest of his body. There were no patches of too light or too dark even on the knees and elbows were extra flexion were demanded. He spoke casually and calmly, like he was used to speaking in front of people. He took to pacing about the circumference of a particular spot in few steps, sliding his fingers into his pocket while gesticulating with the other free hand.
"-and so in conclusion, I'll leave you all with a paraphrased piece from Thomas Hobbes, who once penned that man naturally lacks the gift of peace and sees each other as a competition and as a threat. Conflicts are very much natural in this uncivilized state and with which little developments are recorded. Thank you," he concluded. Their hands slapped against the other as they applauded him while he took a step back to be clustered back into the fold.
Another person was supposed to march out and continue, but Martins raised his hands from the back seat, demanding attention.
"You can ask your questions after they have all presented," The Civic teacher said.
"Ma, it's regarding this last presentation. It's just one question ma!" Martins said and so she waved her hands, granting permission. He stood, his stoned belt was readjusted as he pushed in his white shirt to be properly tucked, his lips moving, "Let's say a country saw a gold and another country wanted that gold. The gold was found at the border of two countries and it doesn't exactly make it anyone's. Who should have it? How do you settle that case without a war ensuing?"
Kelvin stepped back out, unsure of what his next words were intended to be. "Uhmm... I think the answer is pretty obvious from the question, the first country who discovered the gold should have it."
"What if the first country doesn't actually like the gold?" Martins pressed.
"What is your guarantee that the second country actually likes the gold more? What if it was just for the country's selfish interest?" Kelvin fired back.
"Don't you think we should let the gold pick which country the gold wants to be in?" Martins asked again.
All through the while, the teacher had a red pen pressed to her lips as she seemed engrossed by their participation. The change of class bell startled her as she shook off the lost thoughts and proceeded to pulling off her weighty glasses.
"I-I love this class's participation. The other class, Ss2B, were just lackadaisical with their presentation. Almost as though there were no rehearsals whatsoever, but as you can see, my time is up. We'll continue in the next class OK?"
"Yes ma!" They echoed.
Dayo tapped Martins as the latter fell back into his wooden seat and whispered, "Dude, it's either I'm crazy or Mary is the gold you referred to."
*****
The weak sound of a hooting owl was heard at the far end of where the boys were squeezed to fit in. Beds were joined together to fit in five heavy, drowsy souls that snored in a deafening melancholy. Kelvin stayed awake, at the top bed at the end, by the wall, waiting for Dayo's weary soul to drift into a deep state of slumber.
He intentionally wore him out by deciding to read out a page from his Civic textbook, as he beguiled his intentions on the false pretence of helping him study. Dayo slept off within seconds, snoring like the rest of the others.
Darkness loomed about the dormitory hall and so Kelvin slowly saw himself to the base of the bed, using the wooden stairs fixed to the bunk. He waved his hands over Dayo's face and the excessive drooling over his bedsheets, further confirmed he was fully asleep. He lighted the dim light from his torchlight and searched frantically for the memory card he was sure was hidden somewhere in between notes and textbooks. He opened the box that rested idly on the top of a wooden cupboard and then opened the cupboard. It was nowhere to be found.
"What are you looking for?" A familiar voice behind him kept him frozen. He was sure his heart sank or did it fly up? He wasn't really sure. He turned, like one caught in a punishable act. He was partially blinded by the luminosity of the torchlight whoever behind flashed on him. "What are you looking for in my bag?"
Kelvin turned to the sturdy frame of Kelechi, another hostel mate, who laid in Dayo's stead and on his bed. The darkness created a false mirage by distorting the original image to that of someone else more obscure and he thought it unnecessary to flash his torchlight to his face lest he jerked or twitched back into reality. "Dayo?" He asked, facing his caller limply.
Author's note: 2163 words. I kept my promise 💕
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Today's chapter is dedicated to nanyapixie6 💕 have a lovely evening.