All the heavens lent their voice for one cause that afternoon for it was raining cats and dogs. While the spreading palms were for decoration and ornamental purposes, their leaves fought vigorously with the fierce wind and greatly reduced the strength of the rain filtering it to nothing more than occasional raindrops on the walkway they covered. This was the reason why Eniola and Abigail could comfortably use their umbrellas under the heavy rain.
Yet all the beautiful palms couldn't stop the water that flooded the path.
Abigail hissed. "This water is so cold. Thank God sha that I brought my slippers. How did you even know it was going to rain?" Abigail asked Eniola.
Eniola grinned. "I could smell it in the air."
"Seriously, you could? Wow" she turned to look at Eniola and saw the grin. "You are playing with me right?"
"Is that not the nonsense, you and Olanna read in those your novels" Eniola shook her head. "I don't know how you people read those things."
Abigail shrugged and smiled.
"Speaking of Olanna, why did she not bring her Umbrella?"
"You know how she loves to follow Helen. Helen said it wasn't going to rain and she believed her. I am just grateful I didn't follow them. I would have been stuck in the chapel with them "
Eniola laughed.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I just remembered what I saw in the Chapel"
"What did you see?"
" Jeez, don't tell me you didn't see it too" realization dawned on her and she said. "Oh, you were seating in the choir stand."
"So, what happened?
"Helen was sleeping…"
"Oh my gosh, no she didn't. Helen sleeps like a zombie and ever since Jss1 when she fell asleep during night prep and everyone laughed at her, she hasn't slept in public since then"
"Trust me she did and she sleeps worse than a zombie. Spit dripping from her mouth. And the snoring? God help us, they were horrible. I was surprised Pastor Eneche didn't catch her with how loud she was snoring."
She raised her eyes and laughed. "I am remembering how she slept in Jss1 and I am just seeing her sleep like that again. Did she scratch her body?"
"Yes, her armpit especially. She will scratch her armpit, then scratch her nose" she grimaced. "that girl is disgusting." I wish I sneaked my phone to the chapel. I could have done a little video of her."
They reached the hostel gate. Eniola pushed the gate in and they went in.
"If you have done a video, she would have asked her father to get you to delete in and you would have been suspended."
Eniola laughed." You are joking right?"
"No, I am not. In Ss1, there was a boy called Obinna, you don't know him, he isn't in our school again because he was expelled. So Obinna had a picture of Helen. I don't know what the picture was about but I know she was begging him to delete it. He refused, he even threatened to share it with people. The next thing we knew, the principal seized his phone, before anybody could say anything he was expelled. Then, Helen's father was just a commissioner. Now, that he is a Governor. What do you think will happen?"
"Her father is just a Governor." Eniola smiled. "Have you ever heard of Oladimeji Adesanya?"
Abigail was confused. "Is it the one that made them impeach that Yoruba governor?
Eniola rolled her eye. "Do you know any other Oladimeji Adesanya?
She shook her head.
"Well, he is my father."
"Wait" she stopped before Eniola could open the door to her room. "Does that mean your mother is a senator because I know his wife is in the senate"
"Eniola opened the door. "Yes my mother is a senator."
She came out of the way to let Abigail come in and closed the door after she did.
"Wow…What is this, Eniola"
Eniola turned to see Abigail reaching out to collect a white paper from her bed. Eniola rushed to her side but she was too late. The paper was already in her friend's hands.
She dragged the paper from Abigail's hand. Abigail didn't put up a fight, just let her have the paper.
Abigail stood beside her friends bed just staring at her. She didn't know what to make of Eniola's action.
"it is nothing" Eniola took the paper and tore it. She threw the pieces into the trashcan by the door.
"That's not nothing. Eniola. Someone is threatening you."
Eniola sat on her bed helplessly. "I don't know"
Abigail sat with her. "Well, I do. Someone is threatening you. Do you know who?"
"If I did, would the person still be threatening me?"
"You shouldn't have torn the paper. We could have used it to see if we could find the person through their handwriting."
"Don't you think, I've tried to do that myself."
She might be dull but she wasn't daft.
"I have been in this school since Jss1 and I know more people's hand writing than you."
That was true.
"but now you have torn the paper. How would…"
"I have others."
"What do you mean by you have others?"
"That was not the first one. The person has sent a lot. At first I tore them but I started keeping them.
"Let me see the ones you kept."
Eniola stood up and went to her cupboard. She used her key to open the padlock of her cupboard, removed about four papers and gave them to Abigail. Abigail looked at them and gasped.
She didn't need to look at them to know. She already had the repeatedly horrible image ingrained into her memory. It was a drawing of something that looked like a witch that was beheaded. The person wrote this is what happens to lying witches. All the papers had the same drawing and writing. With some extra information of course. Some had petty thief, broke ass bitc…
Abigail interrupted. "what does the person mean by baby killer?"
That was what Eniola didn't understand. How did the person know? Only four people knew about her abortion, Mama, the family doctor, Papa and herself and she had not told anyone else, mama had made sure no one else knew about it. Not even Simi, her elder sister.
"I don't know what the person is talking about" she shrugged.
"I have not seen this handwriting before. Do you at least suspect anyone?"
"Helen" it sounded more like a question than a statement. She wasn't sure it was her.
"Nah, I don't think Helen can do this. I know she is mean but Helen is more confrontational. She isn't going to hide. Not like this. Besides this isn't her handwriting."
"Can't she change her handwriting?"
"Well, she caaan" she dragged her last words. "But, what about your roommates?"
"I asked all of them to bring their notes and it is not the same handwriting. Besides, I found some of the notes in my locker in the class. It has to be our classmate."