Life On Campus

Episode 9

Betty watched her mum wash the dishes for a
while. “Are you sure you don’t need help ma’am?”
Betty said
smiling “No, don’t worry.” came her mum’s sharp
reply.
She wondered why her mum had been acting
strangely ever since she came back. She sighed
and
walked into her room. The house was too boring.
Her
phone rang. “Hello?” “Hello, baby, wats up?”
Emeka asked “I’m just bored..” she wished a
million times she was
in school. “What do I do now to cheer you up?”
Emeka’s voice
was low Her mother walked into her room “I’l call
you back later” Betty ended the call, switching
it off just incase he called back. “Mum you need
something?” Dr Amah glared at her daughter who
seemed so
uneasy. “Who were you talking to on phone?” “A
friend- from school” Betty frowned. “A friend? A
friend that has no name or gender?” Dr
Amah’s voice was rising. Betty bit her lips, what
was she gonna say. “Firstly, it was you hugging a
boy in my presence,
now its you calling a guy.” She glared, her eyes
ogling Betty shivered, she was in trouble. “Betty
you changed faster than I thought, So you are
now an aristo girl ehn?” she shrilled Whatever
Aristo meant! “Mum…I..” Betty’s voice
trailed off. “You left my house, told me you were
going to school
huh? You left here two 18 months ago an
innocent
girl, but now your eyes are opened, oh yes! You
are
becoming fairer, your bossoms enlarging, your
hips
widening, you now roll your buttocks when
walking! I
thought I gave you a solid home training” Dr
Adams yelled.
Betty’s eyes popped out, her mum of all people
accusing her of sleeping around! “Now, let me
have that phone!” She gave it to her mum quitely,
watched her storm
out of the room, before slumping into bed;
sobbing
into her pillow.

---

Jay-Jay was sitting beside his father, they were
chatting away happily. He was telling him about
Betty, “Dad, if you see her, you’d think she truly is
my
sister.” Jay-Jay said smiling. “hmn” Robert
grunted disbelievingly.
“Truth! A friend once remarked we had the same
nose.” He added. “Jacob, same nose again?”
Robert was laughing. “Serious dad, I wish I had
her pictures here, I’d have
shown you, I left them in school” Jay-Jay
chuckled. “I’d love to meet her” Robert concluded.
“Really? Wow! Then I’l bring her here some day.”
He
sounded excited “Bia Jacob, is that girl an
ordinary friend to you?”
Robert smiled suspiciously, “Daddy!” Jay-jay
shrieked. This man is bad too.
“I told you she is like a sister” “Well, there are
different kinds of sisters, we have
the neutral,acidic,and basic” Robert teased him.
“our relationship is neutral o, normal brother and
sister.” Jay-Jay said amidst laughter. “I hope so..”
Robert eyed him. “Dad?” Jay-Jay frowned “Ogini? I
didn’t say anything now” Robert chuckled.
“Hmmm, better talk your mind o” Jay-Jay warned,
and
they all rolled with laughter. “Girlie, what
happened? I called you during the hollys
but your number won’t connect. Even if your
phone
had a problem, you should have atleast called me
through your mama’s phone now” Edith nagged
eyeing her friend, who just arrived campus- Betty
sighed, unpacking her bags. “Betty..”
Edith yelled. “Please, I’m not in the mood now, I
need to rest”
Betty replied sitting on the carpet. Edith sensed
trouble, “any problem?” she lowered her
voice. “Frienie, this holiday was hell for me,
momma siezed
my phone, I had endless sermons, I cried almost
everyday…she even called me an aristo…”
Betty
scratched her ears “and now she reduced my
provision by half, pocket
money too she reduced…Oh my!” she ran her
hands
over her face. “Serious? But why now?” Edith
looked worried. “What else? Cos she saw Jay-Jay,
cos Emeka called
and because I’m growing bigger and fairer” Betty
explained waving her hands. “unbelievable!” Edith
muttered. “Na you know that one!” Betty
murmured rubbing her
forehead.

---

“Baby what happened? I’ve been calling…” “I no
longer use a phone!” Betty cut Emeka short. She
wasn’t ready for any useless question. “But why?”
Emeka looked suprised. “a choice! I don’t need a
phone.”
she snapped “But..” he started “Emeka, we need
to talk” she cut him short again. “Yea?” He looked
kind of worried. “Can you just give me a break? I
mean..errm, if we can
part ways for now…I mean…” she became short of
words and fell silent. She wasn’t sure of her
actions, but she had to choose
between Emeka and her Education, her mum had
threatened to withraw her from school if she
don’t
stop making boyfriends. Emeka stared at her
blankly.
“Are you saying we should break up?” “Yea… No
hurt intended, just wanna be alone for
now” she felt her heart pounding “Did I do
something wrong to you?” Emeka asked
confused. Oh yes! You did, you made her sieze
my phone! You
made me loose her trust! She wanted to blurt
out. “No…just that, things aint okay..” she
explained
quitely avoiding his eyes. Emeka felt the sky
crushing him down, was it some
kinda bad dream.
“Baby I’m sorry if I wronged you, please” he made
to
hold her hands but she stepped away. “Please, let
it just end here, now…” she sniffed,
wiping a tear. Emeka too was teary.
“Baby,” he whispered.
“Don’t leave me, if you do, I might not survive it”
he
pleaded. “you would survive, you were living
before I came, my
absence won’t make much difference, just let me
go!”
she said amidst tears. ” Baby..” But she turned
and ran blindly towards the hostel.

---

“So what are you telling me?” Jay-jay asked her.
“I left Emeka…” came Betty’s timid reply
“hmn..because of what your mum did to you?” he
said
harshly “You are a disappointment!” He blurted
out. ” Oh yes
you are! That’s how you’re gonna pay that guy?
After
all the time wasted? After all he did for you? I
guess
one day, you’d ask me to leave you too” his eyes
turned red “No…”
Betty was crying profusely, she had ran to Jay-
Jay, to tell him her problems. And now, he was
mad at
her. “Anyway, that’s your headache not mine. I
was wrong
all along, I thought you were good..but…I won’t
wait
for you to ask me out of your life, atleast after
using
me to get rid of your enemies..”
He drew a sharp
breathe
“Leave my house! Don’t come looking for me
again! Never!” he barked out showing her the
door. “Jay? You’re asking me out of your house”
Betty’s face
was full of painful suprise. “and out of my life
too.” he added walking her
towards the exit.
He pushed her out roughly, sla.mming the door
shut.