Donovan(Ongoing)

19

The following morning, Boma stayed seated on her bed. She was ready for class but could not find the courage to leave.

Hilda was already gone to class because their timetables were different based on the different degrees they were studying for.

Memories of the threats and bullying she received at the bush path caused her heartbeat to pummel against her chest. Whenever it occurred, she would lose the courage to move forward beginning with baby steps such as leaving the hostel.

Deciding to skip class, she settled back on her bunk bed, folded her arms, and stared at the ceiling, wishing she was somewhere else instead. She wished she could afford to leave the campus but there she was, stuck because it was a financially impossible feat for her.

Boma's heavy thoughts came to an end at the abrupt ringing of her phone. She took the call, seeing that it was her Fidelis, her reading pal. She had not seen him for a while because he had been down with malaria and had to go home.

"Hi, Fidelis." She greeted.

"I don't see you in class, new friend."

"Gosh, are you back?"

"Yesterday. What's happening? Hope you're okay?"

"I'm fine. How are you now?"

"As good as new."

"Thank God.".

"Where are you?"

"Hostel."

"You're not coming? Class is about to start."

"I will let this one go. I'm tired."

"Boma, I'm hearing whispers about a test. You don't want to mess with your continuous assessment."

Boma found herself leaving the bed, the fear of being bullied, gone for the moment. Fidelis was right.

"I will be right there."

"Good. Hurry."

Boma grabbed her bag and hurried out of the hostel. She passed by the boys' hostel on her way, ignoring some catcalls coming from their rooms. It was normal on campus. The guys didn't mean any harm. She knew they were just being guys.

She got to class and saw that the test had already started, with the lecturer dominating the lecture podium.

As she hurried inside, he checked his watch.

"Good morning Sir." She greeted.

"Out of my class," he ordered. She heard giggles and among the person's giggling, the three girls who were her enemies giggled the loudest.

"Please Sir, I did not mean to come late." Boma implored.

"No. You meant to. Some of you students think you're bigger than your lecturer. You come to class whenever it suits you. I won't tolerate it."

"I'm sorry Sir. Please let me take the test."

"I said, get out of my class."

Boma scanned the class and got a view of the girls making faces at her. Her heart ached and the ache was lowered by Fidelis's look of sympathy.

"Sir, please reconsider." She pleaded.

"This will be as a warning to others. Leave my class. Now."

She backed away, seeing that he was serious.

This meant she had lost her CA for the course. It meant she would have to struggle to pass the exam. The thought was saddening.

She left the class and hung around outside deciding to busy herself staring at the students going their way. She wanted to wait for Fidelis. The lecturer didn't call her back inside. She took a seat outside when her legs began to weaken after about ten minutes.

twenty minutes went by and, one by one, students began to leave the class after submitting their work.

The third person to leave was Fidelis who joined her outside and sympathized with her. Then he decided to buy her lunch and as they strolled along the campus walkway, her heart began to pummel as she recognized a familiar imposing figure leaning against a car parked by the curb, operating the phone in his hand. She also recognized a couple of guys seated on the hood of the car.

It was Donovan and his boys. She could feel her heart start to tremble at the sight of him. She held onto Fidelis' hand and kept her eyes forward, avoiding him.

She was glad that Donovan hadn't seen her and they didn't have to make eye contact.

"Boma, are you okay?" Fidelis asked gently. "You're practically squeezing my hand all of a sudden."

Boma's pace increased.

"And you're dragging me along." He added as he matched her pace to balance their movement.

"I'm fine. Please walk faster." Boma urged him.

"Fine. I'm already doing that."

"Hey." A familiar voice that Boma could recognize called out in their direction.

It was Donovan's intimidating cultured voice that shouldn't belong to a bad boy like him. It should belong to a decent and gentle guy, not someone like Donovan.

"Please, keep walking." She quietly urged Fidelis.

"Okay," Fidelis replied.

"Fidelis," Donovan called out. "It's you that I'm talking to."

Fidelis paused, having heard his name which caused Boma to pause too as she wondered how Donovan could know him.

When they both turned to look at Donovan, he ignored Boma and beckoned Fidelis forward, his boys eyeing them from their position on the hood of the car.

"Yes," Fidelis responded reluctantly. "What do you want?"

"Just to have a little chat, cousin," Donovan answered, a small smile splayed across his lips, his green eyes, narrowed a bit as they left Fidelis's eyes and fell on Boma's.

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her throat go dry with fear as her hand pressed tightly on Fidelis's.

She was confounded by the realization that both guys were family. She could also sense that they had a rift. And she could also tell that Fidelis also feared him, judging, by the way, Donovan beckoned him over with one ringed forefinger and how Fidelis sighed with drooped shoulders before turning to her.

"Please don't wait for me."

"I hope you're telling her to go," Donovan told him. "Because I will be taking quite some of your time."

Fidelis's eyes fell on hers. She could see the anxiety in them.

"Will you be alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, I will call you. My cousin is...let me just say bad and we are not the best of friends but I will be fine. Let's see later, okay? I will call you."

"Okay," Boma answered.

Her eyes somehow were drawn to Donovan's. The fear of him shook her heart. The smirk on his lips was gone and he just stared at her, his expression, unreadable. For a fleeting moment, she caught anger in his eyes.

"What are you staring at?" He asked coldly.

Shaken, she turned away from Fidelis and walked away without looking back. Her destination was the safety of her hostel bed. She kept wondering what it was that Donovan wanted to talk to Fidelis about and if Fidelis was safe or if the talk would somehow have anything to do with her and if it did, what that would mean for her.