CHAPTER TWO
CAROLINE
My phone rang, and I picked it up, checking the caller ID, I saw Lovett,
Lovett was the only friend who had stayed with me after Daniel ruined me.
I still can't believe he broke up with me over the phone and left the country the next day.
I wished I never met Safarat. She introduced me to the Quenlet, who forced Daniel on me.
Our first meeting is still fresh in my memory.
Past
I looked down at my left hand, which now seemed darker than the right one.
I have used my left hand to block the scorching sun from beating hard on my face.
I do not want sunburn on my face.
We have been standing roasting in the blazing sun for a while now. If you asked why this punishment? The answer will be that my terrible offence is needing a hostel room.
Now, let me make myself clear. I just got admitted into one of the most prestigious universities in my country.
I cannot quantify the joy I feel when I look at the list of admitted students and see my name as the fourth name on the merit list.
I am still clothing myself in the euphoria of that moment.
I am happy that I am qualified to read banking and finance, which is one course I have always wanted to read.
As a child, I knew I had a thing for counting numbers, the ability to see odd numbers and arrange them, and also providing literary solutions to families' and friends' financial problems.
Back here on this queue, so here we are in the sun, our sole aim is to get a room to live in, in school.
We all know that this will make learning in this part of the world endurable.
As new students, we have rights to accommodation in the school hostel, which is a bed space, and if I am lucky, I will get a Waldrop space to myself.
The first four students who get allocated to the room get the four Waldrop and can pick where they like as their corner,
They are known to dominate the room. To get a chance at these, you have to go through a process, which is what I am doing right now.
I felt a strong push to my back and an uncontrollable wave to the front, landing my chest on someone's back.
At this junction, there is almost no space between me and the person in front or behind me.
We rock together like an uncontrollable sea.
Whosoever controls this land body wave must be a sadist because this boat swings at a time no one expects. If you are not strong enough on your foot, you will be out of this boat in no time.
Someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned back to see a mouth-dropping beauty goddess.
She is a little younger than me. She has this look of being so delicate.
She is beautiful. Her skin is flawless and spotless. She is fair and a bit taller than me. I felt jealous of her immediately.
Why can't I just look this beautiful? She looks so delicate. Those types of girls, you know, will break if you shake too much.
"Please, can I stay in front of you," She asked. I wanted to say yes, but my heart rebelled against it. She must get her way a lot, so I said no.
What she did next surprised me. She walked closer, stepping into my personal space.
Her sweet perfume hit me like a pleasant blow. I almost wanted to drag her into my arms but stopped myself in time, in case I forgot I do not do girls.
She snaked her hands around my neck and whispered in my ears,
"Please, I need your help. I am not feeling too fine."
Just as it started, it ended with her moving back, leaving my personal space, but her saint does linger.
I couldn't process more of what she said because I found myself nodding yes.
She stood by my side. When the body wave picked up again, I pushed back with more strength to make space for one more person.
She stepped in front of me, joining the queue. As expected, that generated a lot of disapproval from the people on the line.
I found myself lying, "We came together,"
I said to the students behind me. Some had already left their space in the queue and had come to fight her off.
I had to ward them off with my hand and back, repeating. "We came here together" like a rhyme.
Finally, they all went back to the space on the line.
She turned her body slightly to look at me and whisper her thank you, and I nodded.
I do not know why, but just as it started, the line became less tight, and it was like lots of students left, but when I looked back, I saw that the line looked longer.
Students must be tired of pushing each other around and spaced out as people should.
She turned around fully after some minutes and placed her hands on my shoulders. She looked tired, hardly able to stand.
She looked as if she was going to faint on me. After a while, I had to hold her upright.
I looked around for a place she could rest, as the queue was not moving.
I want no one fainting on me,
When will the officers begin the allocation of rooms to students? It's unfair to keep us all out in the sun.
This stress is enough to run one system down.
I noticed a big tree not far from where we were. A few students were nesting there.
"Please, what is your name?" I asked her
"Safarat" She answered
"Yours?" she asked, looking straight into my eyes with her sleepy ones.
"Caroline," I replied, "Safarat, right?" I questioned, and she replied with a nod
"Can I take you to that tree over there to rest?" She was about to shake her head when I quickly added,
"I promise to call the instance these lines begin to move."
She nodded in surrender and asked, "How will you call me when you do not have my number?"
I smiled. "I made plans to come to get you, but a phone call will be better so no one takes our space."
I gave her my phone, and she input her number.
I noticed her hands shook slightly but didn't comment. It must be the stress.
She dials her number on my phone after saving her phone number on my phone and then saving mine on hers.
She slowly walked to the tree and sat down, my eyes following every one of her movements.
"What is wrong with your friend?" a girl standing behind me asked, cutting my viewing short. I turned to look at her.
She is way shorter than me, very dark and has a very rough face. Pimples had made their home on her face.
Usually, I do not instantly notice these flaws in people. Safarat had made me insecure.
I quickly bring myself to smile and explain.
"She is not feeling too well." She returned my smile, understanding lighting up her face.
A message tone on my phone brought my attention to my phone.
I scrolled through the messages and viewed the message that dropped.
It was my Mum's. She wanted to know when I would be home, but I do not have any answers yet as I have not even seen the porters nor gotten a room yet.
There is no hope they will start allocating any time soon.
Ignoring the message, I opened my WhatsApp app and updated my friends at home on what I was facing at school.
Moments later, I felt someone tap my shoulder. Looking up, the girl in front of me pointed towards the tree.
I looked and saw Safarat waving me over to her. She made signs saying I should come quickly.
I left the line and walked over as quickly as I could.
I saw she was standing with a man, standing that's not correct.
She was practically on the lecturer, and he supported her with his arm, which he snaked around her waist.
As I got to her, she introduced the man to me as one of the lecturers in the school.
"Luke, meet Caroline, my friend," The man stretched his hands, and I took it.
"Caroline, meet Luke, one of the lecturers in the Theatre Arts department."
"Luke?" I questioned her with my eyes, and she laughed. Luke said,
"I prefer she calls me Luke." He said confidently. "You can call me Luke too.
Professor Luke makes me feel too old."
"But that is what you are," I thought.
Did I? Hope, I mentioned that this man looks like he is in his late forties or fifties.
He looks too big and rough. He could take four men down at once.
"Luke promised to get us accommodation now," Safarat said, cutting into my thoughts.
"No, I promise to get you a bed space because you are not feeling too good, but since you said you are not leaving without your friend, I guess I have to get for both of you." He said, his eyes not leaving Safarat
"If you ladies will follow me, please. We can get this done as quickly." he moved forward with her, and I fell into step behind them.
I can support her, I said after some steps, and he released her.
I dragged Safarat to me, hugging her and quickly releasing her when she mourned in pain. "You did that for me? I am grateful.
"You fought for me," she said simply.
My phone rang again, bringing me back to the present. I quickly picked it up this time.
"Hello babe, what's up Lovett?" I asked,
"Fine babe, you dey house, wan come to see you," Lovett replied,
"I dey girl, I dey expect you". I answered and dropped the call.
I moved quickly to finish tidying up the room. I swept the floor in a hurry, and there was a knock at the door.
I walked to the door, opened and let Lovett in.
"Hi babe, what's up?" Lovett asked
"I dey," how about you?
"Doing good, but babe, you need to leave this dump o, and you need to sue that stupid Daniel and get your money back."
She said, sitting on the floor as there was no chair. I rolled my eyes.
"How can I sue the bastard? I have no money, remember. The bank took their job back. I work only to eat nothing more.
I can hardly pay the rent of this hellhole, let alone get a better one," I replied with a heavy sigh.
"I hope you know he is back in the country and has moved off to another woman. I heard she is richer than you?" Lovett said quietly
"Really!" I screamed
"That bastard, I wish I could just kill him, but he is so unreachable, his bodyguards won't allow anyone near him." I walked to my bed and sank in
"That's why he gets away with all that. You believe he is so rich your little money meant nothing to him, but in the real sense, he came for your little money." She shook her head in disbelief.
She laid her back down on the bed with me next to me.
I felt her hands touch my hair, and she massaged gently.
"Can't the law catch up with this guy already? Did you inform the police? I remembered you did?" she said, her hands raking through my hair slowly, and I nodded. '
"I can't believe the police tag you with slandering," Lovett concluded and sat up. I guessed her caressing time was over.
I looked away as the pain stabbed through my chest. She noticed I was in pain and quickly said
" Let's stop talking about what we can't do anything about," She said, changing the subject of discussion.
"I just met this guy, and he had this single super-rich friend." She laid back again close to me, and her hands resumed their former job, caressing my hair.
"Then, I thought, why not invite my friend on while he invites his friend too and then we go on a double date? Don't tell me no as always," She concluded. She turned to face me while still playing with my hair.
Although the touch gave me suiting feelings, my face shifted in disagreement, and she quickly added.
"Daniel has been gone for like one year and some months now. You are single and need to mingle," she said, her expression very profound.
"Ok, when is this date?" I asked.
"Is this Saturday OK?" she replied with a question
"Splendid, but mind you, I have nothing new or good to wear for a first date," I said, feeling so shy all of a sudden, and Lovett rolled her eyes.
"I will see about that." She removed her hand from my hair and lifted herself, standing up.
"You just amazed me," she said offhandedly.
"The instant we graduated from school, you started working. You refused to date all the rich men we pushed your way. Suddenly, you ended up with that joke of a man who dumped you."
"Wrong," I quickly opposed, getting up from the bed.
"Not until Queen practically forced Daniel on me, you mean to say," I said, then added angrily.
Then, she practically disappeared the instant he did ruin me, taking all the other so-called friends with her except you."
In a tone I could hardly recognise as mine, I added.
"I guessed it's because she knows I can't get back on my feet in a long time."
"That's not true. You will be back on your feet soon.
We will get you a well-paying job and hope a super-rich guy may step in and help." She empathised with me.
"When do I become a charity case?" she pulsed in shock for some seconds, then pivoted to look at me questionly.
I raised both hands quickly in surrender, quickly I said. "Please don't answer that," with a forced smile.
She returned my smile, and her shoulders relaxed a bit more.
She moved to where I arranged my cups in a tray on the floor and picked up two.
Lovett walked over to her bag and brought out a bottle of one of the finest alcoholic wines in the country. She picked up two wine glasses from my poorly displayed collection of drinking glasses and pore drinks for both of us.
"Take dear"
What's the occasion? I asked, watching her every move.
"To a new beginning for me and you." She gave me the cup, and we tossed to a new beginning.
We emptied our glass and refilled it again until the bottle was empty.
"Caroline, let's go grab some food somewhere. Are you not hungry?" she asked.
"I was about to cook?" I replied
"Come, let's eat out, and please get dressed, or do you want to go out in this old-fashioned underwear?" She laughed at me.
"Na you know o, I will quickly change. Turn around." I said, teasing her
"Why, the last time I checked, I was a girl. Oh, I get it. You do not want me to see your torn pants." She laughed
"You are mad," I said, laughing and throwing my pillow at her. I dressed quickly, and we both walked out while I locked the door after us.