Elena walks behind the two without their notice, but Wilson who was a very smart guy felt the presence of someone behind. Elena too was smart and so she ensured that she wasn't caught.
she got what she wanted and then she left with a broken heart. But not undermining what she has just seen, she decided to move on with her life. When she got home, she met her father seated in the sitting room waiting for her, probably waiting for her arrival.
where have you been since the dawn of the day? he asked her.
I went for a stroll. she replied.
A stroll? didn't you know that you have to help your mother at the shop? Or do you want to give an excuse today again?
Elena kept mute, facing down with her hands that were folded at her back.
"you will be going to the university, I hope this is not what you will go and do when you get there, you have to be very careful, I don't think you need friends, just go there for what you're going there for and come back home.
It seems you used my phone number to register for an examination, I received a message which states that you are to come for an exam at the university in two weeks. As it turns out the exams, will be coming up in the next couple of weeks you have to start preparing for them. is that clear?
yes sir, Elena, replied her father.
She walked into her room with a smile on her face " I'll be leaving this house sooner than I thought she said to herself.
And that also means that I will have better preparation so that I will not miss out this time around.
The preparation started with enthusiasm for the next two weeks. Two weeks is just fourteen days and before she could realize it, she was already in the examination hall doing her best and answering the questions as they emerged.
The environment was so new to her but the "campus" looked like another world. The place was so big that she had missed her way to the main gate. After several attempts at finding her way back to the gate, she had to put a call across the lady she had lived outside the campus.
But unfortunately for her, the lady didn't take her to call on time, Elena tried more than ten times but there was no response from her, and this made her scared because everyone was deserting the campus in groups of two and three.
Toward evening, Jane; the lady who lived with returned her call and after a detailed description she found her way home.
Elena, I can't believe that you missed your way. Jane had asked her.
My dear, I didn't even believe that I will miss my way. My smart enough syndrome didn't work for me this time around,
At the mention of " smart enough syndrome". can't burst into an uncontrollable giggle.
Is that funny? Elena asked with a smile on her face.
yeah, it was indeed.
I will tell you about the campus, my first time here, and what I have observed so far about this campus, just go and freshen up.
Have you seen a situation where someone came in through the main gate and went to pass through another route to go out?
Elena nodded in disagreement.
that's what happened to me, I missed my way severally before I was able to know the way home.
how has campus life been? she asked again.
I could tell that when you came into the campus you noticed that everyone was heading in several directions. Right?
yes, everyone was too busy to say " hello".
that's how campus life is, everyone is always busy doing one thing or the other, and you could barely see people in groups having any discussion. Although, they discuss that usually happens in the afternoon after Lectures, and secondly, the campus is " another world".
It's another world because you have the power to do what pleases you at your will without any disturbance or interruption from anyone. Those who are not disciplined are not difficult to identify when they are on campus, those who are disciplined and know what they are here for are easily identified too.
my advice is that, when you resume, you should be very careful when you're here. you have to watch everyone around you before you choose the people you want to make friends with and mind you when you do that, there are a lot of pretenders too.
they will pretend to be good whereas they are the " goats in sheep's clothing".
I won't have friends either because I don't want trouble. Elena cut in.
Elena, I want to make something clear to you.
what's that.? she asked almost immediately.
you cannot hide from people, you cannot decide to stay away from people because you must meet them at the shop, market, on the street, in class, and in different places. you are a social being my dear, all I want from you is to be extra careful.
Elena nodded in agreement.
The girls had a little discussion and then they slept off. Elena couldn't sleep well that night. it is in her nature not to sleep on the first two days in a new environment. she had tried severally to stop it but it had seen impossible. Now, while she is supposed to sleep, she is watching every part of the room.
it was almost hours, and the coldness of the room during the early hours has made her fall asleep. She had planned to return home the following morning According to the instructions she was given by her parents, most especially by her Dad. even when she slept so late, she woke up first. She took her bath and waited for the morning to be brighter the way it is before she will embark on her journey.
Jane was surprised when she saw the way she was. she sat up and decided to question her.
.Are you going anywhere? she asked Elena.
yeah, Jane. I will be returning home today.
why? so quick?. she asked her.
it's my parent's instruction. Elena answered back.
Are your parents scared that you will get lost? Or are they the security concious type? She asked her again.
Elena looked at her and smiled and then she told.her that they are the security concious type.
Does that mean that they will come with you to campus?
Who knows? She asked sarcastically and this made the two girls to burst into laughter. Don't worry Jane, very soon when the results are out, I will leave them for good. My parents are a thorn in my flesh, most especially my Dad. By the time I am coming here to live a free life, I will see if they will follow me here. Elena3 said again.
I don't really like the way security concious parents behave. Jane said as she rose up to zip Elena's gown. Most of the parents that act like that raise the most miserable children I have ever seen.
Who says so? And how did you know? Elena quickly asked.
I see what is going on in my environment and I have experienced it too. Before I got admission into the university, I lived with her and her family. My aunt and her husband were just too uncomfortable.
It wasn't with me, I mean their kids, my aunt want to monitor all her children does, what they do in their rooms, the kind of conversation they engage in, what they do with their phones and I knew that if she had the opportunity of looking at their panties, she would have also checked it.
You don't mean it. Elena exclaimed as she turned to look at Jane with her hands on her waist.
Do I sound like I'm joking? Jane asked her.
It's so shocking, how can she be like that? Elena asked. Does she do that to you too?
No, she doesn't. She knows who she does that to. Do i look like one of her kids, even if she is the sister to my Dad, that does not make her to do that. She never did that to me any day. Jane told her.
My parents are strict, but they are not as conscious as your Aunt. Everyone has their own perspective of things. It might be that she is trying to know something or i don't even know what to say. Her reasons are best known to her. Elena told Justin as she bent to pick her bag. Jane hugged her before she saw her off. Immediately she saw her off, she turned to return home. Elena on the other hand was not happy that she was going home. " i'm going home again to meet my talkative parents, one minute, one trouble" she muttered to herself as she brought out her earphone to listen to music. After four hours of travelling on the road, she arrived in the town, as she alighted from the bus, she moved straight to the seat meant for passengers. After relaxing for ten minutes, she decided to put off her phone because she doesn't want her parents to call her and ask her where she was, before she arrived the town, they have called her up to five times. It was so embarrassing.
She pulled her bag to her back again and decided to visit Wilson. When she arrived at his place, he was about to leave, but because she has just arrived from a long distance, he decided to suspend his movement. Wilson tried to hug her but Elena was smart enough to push him away immediately. " what's the meaning of that? Elena asked him
"it's nothing dear, i just wanted to welcome you. He replied
Then you would have said it not act it. Elena replied as she pushed her way through into the house. Immediately she sat down, she heard the sound of her stomach rumbling. She hasn't eaten well since she embarked on the journey. Wilson was the welcoming type, so she wasn't bothered, he has gone to buy her soft drink and snacks. When he returned, he dropped them on the table so that we would bring a plate for the snacks and a glass cup for the soft drink he has just brought in. He came into the sitting room to meet Elena already devouring what he bought.
why didn't you wait for what i went to get for you? he asked her.
Did i ask you to get anything for me? Elena asked in response.
Besides who told you that, what i bought was for you? Wilson asked her again.
I don't understand? if you didn't buy them for me, then who did you buy them for? When i arrived, you were about to leave. You decided to suspend your outing so that you could welcome me, was that what you did? she asked him as she took a sip from her drink'
yes? Justin said
Besides who told you that, what i bought was for you? Wilson asked her again.
Elena smiled and looked at him, took a sip again and asked him: didn't you hear what i said just now?
I heard my dear, i just wanted to pull your legs. Wilson replied as he sat down. How was the journey and how was the exam you went for?
Everything was fine, the exam were easy for me. The questions were not as difficult as i expected them to be. My father has always threatened me that the exams were difficult and i have to study for an extra time. He went ahead to get me past questions, i was able to answer the questions but he wasn't still satisfied yet. Elena said.
That's by the side now, you have already written the exam and we are hopeful that your results should be among the best.
yes, i am seriously hoping for that. Elena answered back. Will you still go out again? she asked him
i am supposed to be somewhere by now, but because you came, i have decided to attend to you before i leave.
Is the place the place you are supposed to go to important to you? she asked him.
yes it is, i know you will not spend much time here, that's why i decided to welcome you first before i will leave. As he said this, he noticed that the countenance on her face changed. He decided to ask her what the problem was.
" the problem is not a big one, she replied.
even if it is not a big one, can't you tell me about it? Wilson asked her.
Yes, it's just that i don't want to go home yet. She replied.
Is it because of your parents? he asked.
yes, i don't want to be welcomed with a lot of questions, that's why i am here, i have planned to stay here till evening, so that by the time i get home, i will only take my bath, eat and go to bed. If at all i will asked any question by my parents, then it would be at dawn. But it's okay. i will leave to the house, even if i decide to stay here till evening, i will still return to the house. Elena said as she stood up.
Wilson looked at his wrist watch and then he looked at Elena who was already walking towards the door and then he thought of asking her a question. Elena please wait. " can you stay here while i go for the meeting? He asked her.
No Wilson. She replied. It's okay, i will go home, then you can go for your meeting, there's nothing to feel guilty about. I will see you later, she told him and started moving to her house. Although the distance from Wilson's place was much, she decided to walk down, so that it would be a bit dark before she will get home. Upon all she did to get home late, she arrived at her house by 4 : 30pm. When she got to the gate, it was locked, she tapped on it twice but no one responded. This was to show that no one was at home, she quietly and happily moved to the spot where the key is usually kept so that she could enter into the house and do all she wanted to do before they would return.
She picked up the key and went back to the gate to open it, she opened it and then she went inside to open the door. As she tried to open the door, she heard the voices of people, she hit the door to distract them and the next thing she heard was " who is there?"