The morning eventually broke with the sweet melodies of chirping birds; their angelic songs sweeping through the cold air that was left behind by the heavy rain that had hit the town heavily overnight.
The rain had knocked down a power pole near the hotel, thus plunging the entire building of the hotel into total darkness. The cold weather on the other hand hinted at a fresh start for the day, but time was not on the side of both Shannon and Martin's.
Martin stirred awake, stretching after a long, restful sleep. He lazily, quickly glanced at Shannon, who was still curled up under the heavy sheets, seriously reluctant to part ways with the warmth of the bed. Martin walked over and gave her a very sweet, and gentle shake in a bid to wake her up.
"Wake up, Shannon," he said. "We need to get going. Today's the day we register for school. We can't afford to be late."
Without waiting for a reply from Shannon, Martin headed to the bathroom to freshen up as quickly as possible.
Shannon groaned, her voice muffled by the fluffy pillow she placed over head. "What's the time? Is it nine yet?"
From the bathroom, Martin's voice boomed. "It's already ten, Shannon! If we don't hurry, the registration process will delay us until evening, and that's the last thing we need."
Shannon groaned heavily again, feeling the urgency behind his words that made his statement to be heavy. She grabbed her mobile phone, intending to check the time, but instead got distracted by messages flooding her WhatsApp. Her close friends were asking why she hadn't arrived at the registration venue. Feeling mildly guilty but still unmotivated, Shannon minimized her WhatsApp and began scrolling through Instagram, losing herself in the funny reels that bombarded her newsfeed
Ten minutes later, she glanced up at the clock, realizing how much time had passed in her unrewarding activities. "Are you still in the shower, Martin? What's taking you so long? My friends are already asking where I am!"
Martin chuckled from behind the bathroom door. "Relax, Shannon. I'm done!" Moments later, he emerged, towel wrapped around his waist, his flip-flops clapping against the tiled floor of their hotel room.
Shannon's gaze, gleecefully and involuntarily lingered on his toned physique. His abs, sculpted and well defined, looked like they belonged on a Greek statue, perhaps that of even Heracles, the Greek god of strength.
"You've got an impressive set of abs," Shannon said, walking over and gently tapping his stomach playfully. "Do you do work outs in a gym back in Onitsha, or is there some secret food you are eating that gave you this kind of body?"
Martin grinned, clearly pleased by her admiration and "coded compliments".
"No gym, no special diet. Just genetics, baby girl. Mama blessed me with these." He said, then gently grabbing her by the arm, he steered her toward the bathroom. "Now, go take your bath. I will wait for you downstairs in the reception hall."
Shannon rolled her eyes at Martin, sighed but complied. She grabbed her towel, locked the bathroom door behind her, and began her morning routine.
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Martin, dressed decently in a crisp white shirt, black trousers and polished black shoes, combed his hair to perfection and headed downstairs with his bag pack slung over his shoulder.
At the reception desk, he greeted the receptionist with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Miss Uche. I hope you had a good night's rest."
The receptionist, Uche returned his smile. "Good morning, sir. Yes, I did! The weather was extremely perfect sir; I slept like a newborn baby."
"That's good to hear," Martin said, pulling out his phone. He tried calling his sister, but her number didn't go through. Disappointed, he sent a text to his family, assuring them he had arrived safely in the ancient town of Nsukka.
Minutes later, Shannon descended the stairs, her luggage trailing noisily behind her. Her makeup was flawless, her confidence radiant. She placed her bags near Martin's luggages and turned to Uche.
"Miss Uche, could you call a cab for us? We need to get to the university."
Uche nodded and reached for the telephone on her desk. "There's a cab driver we frequently use for our guests. I'll see if he's available to take you."
A few moments later, Uche hung up the phone. "The cab driver is on his way and should be here shortly."
Shannon,feeling grateful, reached into her purse and pulled out a bundle of 5,000 Naira notes. "Thank you for your help, Miss Uche. Please take this as a token of my appreciation. Buy yourself something nice."
Uche smiled but shook her head. "I'm sorry, madam, but I can't accept this."
Shannon frowned. "Why not? Are you afraid you'll lose your job?"
Uche leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. "Yes, ma'am. The CCTV cameras here record everything. The last receptionist lost her job for accepting a tip from a guest. I don't want to risk it."
Just then, the phone rang again. Uche picked it up, exchanged a few words with the caller, and hung up. She turned to Martin and Shannon.
"The cab is here. The driver is waiting outside."
Uche walked over to their bags and helped carry them to the waiting car. The cab driver, an elderly man with a thick mustache that gave him the air of an old European missionary, stepped out to greet them.
"Good morning," he said warmly, grabbing their luggage and placing it in the trunk of his aging Toyota Corolla. "You must be the new lion and lioness."
Martin and Shannon chuckled at the university's nickname for its students. "Yes, we are," they said in unison.
Shannon approached the driver. "How much will the trip to the school cost, Sir?"
The old man scratched his head. "For freshers like you, 2,000 Naira will do. Is that okay?"
Shannon nodded. "That's fine. I'll pay." She turned to Martin. "Let's go. We're already running late."
Martin climbed into the car, and soon they were on their way to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
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As the cab rolled into the university grounds, Martin's heart swelled with a mix of excitement and serenity. The campus was breathtaking.
The Trees lined the roads perfectly, their leaves glistening from the morning dew.
Faculty quarters stood proud, painted in vibrant hues. Birds of various colors soared through the air, filling the atmosphere with their cheerful songs.
"This is heaven," Martin thought. "I'm going to make the most of my memorable years here."
The cab arrived at the registration venue. Martin and Shannon quickly completed their clearance processes, but their interaction grew colder as the day went on.
By the time they parted ways, neither said goodbye. Both felt a pang of hurt but chose to suppress it.
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Martin found his way to his assigned student lodge, paid the necessary fees, and moved in. The room was small but adequate. A self con. After unpacking, he called his parents and sister, letting them know he was settled.
Exhausted, he moved to the window to close it. The gusts of wind had brought in a thin layer of dust, but as he glanced outside, something caught his attention—a sight so unexpected it sent a chill down his spine and made him to open his mouth wide.