Life On Campus

Episode 10

Edith gaped at her sobbing friend disbelievingly.
This
girl is wierd! She thought. “So you are now Jay-
Jay’s Enemy?” she asked, her
voice almost a whisper. “I don’t know…he said he
doesn’t wanna see me
again..” Betty whimpered. “se ori re buru? You
thought he was joking?” Edith
galred at her. “I don’t know if I’m mad too…
everything- everyone is
against me.” Betty wailed Edith felt sorry for her
friend.
What could she do to
help.
“everybody is not against you, atleast I’m not. I’m
still
here for you.” her lips quivered. “My mother wants
me to be a 5 pointer, she believes
my relationship with boys is my stumbling block..”
Betty lamented. “Life is wicked” she concluded
before lyimg down on bed. She hugged her teddy,
it
was a gift from Jay-Jay. She wished the teddy
would
turn into Jay-Jay. “Jay, I’m sorry..” she sobbed
into the teddy “stop crying, everything will be fine
huh?!” edith
assured her.

---

Things actually went on fine, Edith was right after
all.
Betty was in her final year, writting her final
exams,
she was now a sequential 5 pointer. Her name
was a
popular one in her department. She was sitting
beside the twin statue, she was
exhausted after writting two papers that morning.
She ran her hands on the statue and Emeka’s
face
flashed across her mind. This was their favourite
spot. They had their first kiss behind the statue.
She could
vividly remember how it felt, tasted and how her
lips
got swollen in the process. She smiled gently,
trying to wave his face off her
mind but it lingered, bringing sweet memories
back.
She could remember his seductive looks that
made
her felt special, how he complimented everything
she
did either good or bad. She sighed. She learnt
from Edith that he left for his
youth service last year. He must have moved on
with
another girl… She looked around her, wishing he’d
appear. She saw Tiger sauntering towards her,
perhaps he
was here to kill her. Her heart raced fastly.
She
quickly stood up, picked her bag, ready to go
when he
called out. “Sisi how far na” he got to where she
is. “Hy…” she sounded nervous. “how you dey?” he
was smiling. “Fine” “Person no come dey see you
again, na book cos am?”
he queried. She managed a smile. “hmn, ever
since Jay-Jay bin travel, you no fit come
greet person ba?” he continued. “He travelled?”
she couldn’t hide her suprise. “Ehn now! You
know say him graduate last year na, so
him papa say him no go do NYSC, now him be
medical
practitioner for UK.” Tiger explained. “Wow thats
nice!” was all she could say. “Anyway make I dey
go, If Jay-Jay call you, tell am say
I dey hail” he said before walking away.
Gosh! So Tiger never knew she and Jay-Jay aint
together anylonger? Wow! That means he kept it
a
secret. But wait! UK? Thats too far, she might
never
see him again. She thought as she walked slowly
towards the hostel.

---

Betty was sitting alone in the room, she’s done
with
her exams, she was just waiting for Edith to
conclude
her’s before she vacate school. There was a
knock on the door.
“Come in” a short fat girl peeped in.
“Is Betty Amah here?” she asked in a baritone
voice. Betty looked at her amused
“Yes, I’m Betty.” “somebody is looking for you, he
said you should
meet him at the biological science garden” her
baritone voice was deeper now. “what’s his
name?” Betty asked “me don’t know, go and see
for yourself” the girl
replied impatiently, before taking her leave.
Betty wondered who it was. Perhaps it was one
of
her numerous coursemates.
Or one of those JJC’s she gave tutorials.
She quickly adjusted her skirt, wore her shoes and
walked out.

---

She saw him pacing up and down the garden, the
cool
evening breeze blew his deodorant sharply into
her
nose. She stood still, deciding what to do. He
turned sharply, their gaze met. Those eyes! She
looked away. “Baby?” he too was undecided. As if
suddenly drawn by a cord, she ran into his
waiting arms. “I’m sorry” he whispered She
searched his eyes “Emeka, I’m sorry for…” He
placed a finger on her lips
“Shhh, we all make mistakes…” Emeka smiled.
“Thank you.” tears streaked down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry” he wiped her tears. “I came to take
you with me..” he took her hands. “me?” she
whispered. “uhm, so that we can spend our lives
together, I think
we should be one body” He explained searching
her
eyes. “Are you asking me to marry you?” she
sounded coy. “yea, please…” he brought out a
saphire ring. “will you marry me?” he knelt on a
knee. “Yes” she whispered tears streaming down
her face.
He started to insert the ring into her fingers..
Boom! came the sound of a gun shot. Betty
shivered.
Emeka held his stomach and sloped towards the
ground.
Only then did she realise he was shot. “Emeka”
she gasped She bent over him “Emeka?” she
whispered in fear.
But he was unconcious. “Emeka!” She shook him
vehemently.
“Please open your eyes” she whispered. “Emeka
don’t leave me here, please don’t leave me..”
she wailed throwing her self on his body.
She heard a siren blasting the air.
Next thing she heard was “You are under arrest.”
Her head was spinning, she didn’t stand up from
Emeka’s body, she kept begging him not to leave
her. A policeman dragged her up, handcuffed her
hands,
and led her towards a waiting van.
Tears blurred her vision. She kept screaming.
“Emeka please don’t leave me, don’t let them take
me
away… Emeka…biko nu oooo” “shut up” the police
office yelled at her. She made to jump out of the
van but a resounding
slap stopped her.
She staggered and fell, her head bashing a rim…
she
tried to open her eyes…everything became dark,
she
passed out. Betty stared blankly at the walls
surrounding her,
riots of thoughts were on in her mind. She heard
the
barred door open, she didn’t look around, she
knew it
was one of those policemen who normally came
to
beat her up. “Criminal.” the voice called. She
fastened her gaze to the wall. ” Some is here to
see you, so get up.” the voice
ordered. She stood up reluctantly and followed
him. She saw them, Edith and her mother.
They were both
weeping. She bit her dried lips. “Sorry..” Edith
hugged her weeping.
She hugged her mum, holding her gingerly, her
mum
wept on her shoulder. Betty didn’t cry, she only
swallowed and bit her lower lip. She would never
cry! She won’t let life mock her,
wicked life! “Sorry my dear…” Dr Amah wept.
“Enough, your five minutes are exhausted.” an
officer
said roughly, pulling Betty from her mother.
“please just some more time” Dr Amah wailed as
they
took Betty back to her cell.
Betty walked on, she didn’t look back.

---

“please eat” Edith told her gently Edith always
brought her food. “They’ve…is..Emeka buried?”
betty asked chewing
her food slowly. “no…The body is missing” edith
looked away. ” missing?” betty dropped the food,
spilling it. “did you say missing?” “yea, let’s not
talk about that now. Your mum will
bring you a lawyer tomorrow” Edith tried to
change
the topic.
Betty stood up, walked towards the wall and
spoke to
it “Did you hear that? His body is missing.” she
whispered.
“I’m doomed right? Life! Must I suffer all this?”
she
muttered. She turned to look at Edith.
“Thanks for coming, can you leave now.” “see…I…”
Edith looked confused.
Betty turned the wall, rested on it, she won’t talk
again. As Edith left the police station, she saw a
black Jeep.
Its occupant wore a black jacket, she looked at
the
car, trying to recall something familiar about it.
Its occupant spoke something into a reciever and
drove off.

---

Edith was putting her things and that of Betty in
a
cab, she was leaving the hostel, she was going
back
home. She saw the Black Jeep she saw at the
station
few days ago coming from a distance. It sped
towards
her and stopped beside the cab. Its occupant got
out, it was Tiger.
She gasped. “Hey, how’re you.” She didn’t reply.
“you’re vacating the hostel?” he asked again. She
never knew he could speak good english.
She kept mute “How’s Betty? I heard what
happened.” “You heard? How am I sure you aint
the killer?” she
dared him. “Killer?” he chuckled. “Jay-Jay would
be in town this night, when he comes
you can ask him that. Meanwhile don’t leave yet,
Jay-
Jay would come looking for you, we need you to
solve
some issues.” he sounded cool. “nothing is gonna
stop me from leaving.” she glared
at him. “I guess Jay-Jay can stop you. If you
really love your
friend as you claim, wait and hear what Jay-Jay
has
to say.” tiger told her, hopping into his jeep and
off
he went. Edith looked up, down, left, centre, she
was confused.
What if Jay-jay killed her? Well she would wait.