"Hi," I said nervously, waving to the four girls in the room whose heads simultaneously swiveled to stare intently at me.
One of them, a tall, thick, fair girl, finally cracked a smile.
"Hi, I'm Mirabel. You must be our new roommate. Over here is Vivian, Genevieve, and Adaeze," She said, pointing to the three other girls in the room.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"I'm Chisom. It's nice to meet you all," I replied and fortunately, all of them smiled at me and began telling me more about themselves.
"It seems you're my bunkmate. I'll be on the lower bed because I'm in my second year," The fair, skinny girl Mirabel introduced as Adaeze, said.
"You're in your first year right?" I nodded in affirmation.
I gazed in wonder at her full head of hair.
I had never seen so much hair on a full-blooded Nigerian before.
"Sorry, I'm sure you must get this question a lot but is your hair relaxed or virgin? It's so beautiful and full." I asked, resisting the urge to reach out and feel the texture for myself.
She laughed, "Yes, I do get this a lot but it's fine. My hair is virgin. Thanks for the compliment."
Vivian and Genevieve were also second-year students who paired with each other on the lower bed of the bunk opposite mine while Mirabel who was in her first year just like I was, stayed on the top.
I quickly noticed how stunning they all were.
I had never seen so much beauty in one place except in the movies I watched.
They all took turns helping me unpack and settle in.
I was informed of the need to buy jerrycans to store water, a stove, and a cupboard to store my food ingredients because the ones in the room were not big enough to house everything I would need.
Of all the rules in the hostel, the most important one was no cooking in the hostel rooms.
Even though some people disobeyed, they did it at specific times like at midnight or when the porters weren't around to avoid suspicions and possible removal from the hostel on being caught in the act.
I quickly committed everything to memory and not long after, I was properly settled in and discussing with my roommates.
Although the room and the beds were quite small, it felt cozy. It seemed like home.
Later in the evening, Tobi video called me and I excitedly picked up.
I switched to the rear camera and began showing him around my hostel and room.
"Your room is small o! All these public universities, they can never build conducive enough hostels for students to live in," He noted.
I chuckled, "It really is small but I don't know if it's the company of my new roommates or something else, but I feel at home here. I feel welcomed. I was so scared that I would have terrible people as roommates but they seem so friendly and nice. At least, that's the first impression I have of them."
"Well, I'm happy you're happy. I just always want to see you smiling like this. I love the crinkle of your eyes when you smile or laugh."
I blushed furiously and twirled my hair shyly as I settled comfortably into my bed.
I never knew what to say when he said things like that. But it always made my heart swell with pride, self-appreciation, and adoration.
He laughed at my shy unresponsiveness and continued, "I'm truly hoping that these Abia boys won't snatch you away from me o. I don't trust Igbo men at all." He quipped, struggling to hold in his laughter.
"Of course not. I'm for you alone. Don't worry." I replied with all the sincerity I could muster.
I had no plans of getting swayed by anyone in this school while I still had him in my life. All I wanted was him and only him.
"Let it be as you have said, baby girl."
He began to tell me about his day, his plans for the week, and the chores his mother had been piling on him.
I listened closely, sometimes not even comprehending the words he was saying, but just drowning in the sound of his voice.
I didn't want to call it to love but I knew I felt something very close to that for this boy.
We talked into the dead of the night and only the warning of a low battery prompted me to end the call.
.
.
Lectures began the week after I moved into my hostel. I saw so many unfamiliar faces in the huge lecture hall weirdly named "Examination Hall" even though it was not used for exams.
I wandered around the hall looking for free space on the bench but most of the students had saved spaces for their friends who were yet to arrive and I decided not to argue with anyone about it.
Luckily for me, a dark-complexioned girl with loosely plaited twists beckoned to me from a bench in the middle row.
I walked over, "There's a free space here, you can sit if you want," She offered. I thanked her and made my way to the reserved space.
I brought out my phone, notebook, and pens from my bag and set them out on the table.
I looked around awkwardly and finally breathed a sigh of relief when she struck up a conversation.
"Wait, you're using the Tecno Camon 12pro too? That's the same phone I'm using too. Looks like we're twins!" Her excitement was quite contagious and I joined in her enthusiasm even though I thought that using the same brand of the phone didn't make us twins in any way.
After the day's lecture, she introduced herself as Ugochi and I let her know my name as well. She was also a student of medicine and surgery.
She stayed in Hostel G, one of the emergency hostels and since it was on the same path as my hostel, we began walking together.
We took a bunch of pictures on our way and exchanged numbers.
And that was how I made my first friend in school.
I narrated my week-long experience in the university to my parents via a group voice call on WhatsApp.
They asked a bunch of questions, wanting to know if I was comfortable enough and whether I needed more money.
I soothed all their doubts and worries and decided to ask how things were at home.
I didn't fail to notice how they evaded my questions but I decided not to push it.
I wasn't ready to submerge myself in family drama when I had just begun a new phase of my life.