CAGED ✔

《 Chapter 40 》

My eyes were trained on the white ceiling as I admired the beautiful chandelier that lit up Peter's room. The television was placed on mute and silence pervaded the room as all that filed my ears were the ticking of the second hand of the clock and Peter's furious typing on the keyboard. 

I glanced at him when I felt him move a bit on the bed. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he studied something on his laptop which was sitting comfortably on his laps. 

I stretched my entire length next to him, yawning loudly as I hoped to get his attention.  He had been stuck up with that laptop since I came and I was already getting tired of him looking at it critically. I wanted him to look at me instead.

I knew I should be grateful he had taken it upon himself to browse out the date for my post utme examination since my lazy ass had refused to do, but why was it taking so long? Did it take so much time to browse a date out? It had been thirty minutes since I came!

I propped my palm under my chin as I watched his eyes narrow on something he had just seen and I shuffled closer to him, aching to hold him in my arms. I had been feeling this way and more ever since he revealed his father's plan to send him out of the country for college.

That was a piece of good news and probably the dream of every person our age, but I couldn't stop the load of sadness that clouded my existence the moment he told me. Peter had looked sad too, venting out his frustration as he told me about his father's refusal to let him school in the country.

Well, I couldn't say I was glad his father had refused but it was all good, wasn't it?  Peter deserved the best and I wanted him to have the best: this was best for him.

But why then did it hurt so much?  It had felt like my breath had been knocked off me as I found it very hard to concentrate ever since then: I just zoned out on conversation at home; wishing for nothing but Peter's presence.  I wanted to maximize my limited time with him just as he had told me to.

He had said not to think about it and to just flow with the tide till it was time to go. That way, it would hurt less but what was I to do when his leaving was what filled my mind every blessed day? It was painful.  Nothing would be the same without him. Was this how my mum had felt when my dad was about leaving?

It was for this reason I had been very nonchalant about making my research on the university my mother chose for me. I had lost all enthusiasm. How on earth was I to cope without Peter by my side? I had gotten so used to his presence that not seeing him a day gave me heartache. How then was I to survive without seeing him for months?

A lump filled my throat as I stared at him. His brows were arched in concentration so I doubted he knew I was staring at him.

Though Peter had promised to call me every day — which I knew was impossible — it still wouldn't be the same with him being there with me. Selfish much? I couldn't help it. I was in love with Peter and I craved him like a young plant craved water.

"So, I just found out your post utme form is out and the examination is this September. You could have missed this important information.  Why didn't you check?" Peter's chide snapped me out of my thought and I leaned in to read the guidelines on how to fill the post utme form, ignoring his hawk-like stare.

My mother had chosen the University of Lagos — the university of first choice as she had praised — and I couldn't care less. It was not like I had a university in mind. I had only wanted to study where Peter was and unfortunately, I couldn't.

"I don't understand why the school doesn't want its students to do the same subject they did in jamb." Peter pronounced and I looked up at him.  We were sitting quite close to each other and I could feel the warmth emitting from his arm as it grazed mine.