Just do it √

Nine

     

   Mom and I became strangers to each other. I left my room only to get food when the constriction in my stomach became unbearable. She rarely left her room too, not even to work.

Those two days after the Eric incident were the most silent ones in my life.

Abike had suggested her mom counsel me but I told her I was fine, it's not like I had watched someone being butchered. I made her promise not to tell anyone about it, not even Henrietta. I didn't have to though, I knew she wouldn't tell.

       As I sat in the backseat of Mrs Dapo's car I wondered what my mom would do about Eric. Abike had been right about him, he was a yahoo boy, a scammer. His family resided at their hometown, Nnewi. He knew no one in town aside his colleagues who wouldn't come to bail him to avoid getting into trouble themselves so he was stuck in prison for now.

I wished my mom would let him go so he could be out of our lives for good. Why was she still keeping him there when it was obvious she didn't want him to be there? She had been trying to justify his actions after all.

I wouldn't be surprised if I got back from school and found him walking around the house in his boxers and megawatt smile, a smile I couldn't get out of my head.

'I called your principal. She agreed to let you girls have your old room for this new class too but you are going to have to deal with a new roommate. Not to worry, she promised to make it someone that will stay out of your business'. Mrs Dapo said as she rounded a corner.

Abike turned to smile at me and I returned the favor.
'Abike, use your seatbelt'. Mrs Dapo commanded. Abike groaned
'Why can't I sit at the back with Amanda? She looks lonely'. She whined.

'Then I'd look like a taxi driver. Strap on the belt o jare before we get to a checkpoint. I don't want police, SARS, road safety, VIO or whoever it is that stands on the road these days, I don't want their wahala'.

Abike and her mom kept bickering till we got to school. Henrietta was there already, she was in her day wear which meant she had been there long enough to settle down. She ran to us at the administrative block looking excited.

'Hey babies! Guess who our new roomie is'. We both gave her blank looks.
'Ta-da!' She screamed and stepped aside to reveal Vivian who was already in the process of rolling her eyes. I smiled.
'I thought you didn't like her that much'. I said

'No. I said I love her just as much as I hate her'.
'Hate is a strong word Hen, you shouldn't be throwing it around like that'. Abike queried.
'But I garnished it with love'. Hen said with a grin. 'I've missed you teddy, you too barbie'.
'I missed you and I'm sure Mandy did too. Let's go to the room first'. Hen walked ahead with Abike.

'Tell me, how do you survive with a roommate like that? She talks so much, just an hour with her and I feel like my ears are going to explode'. Vivian asked and I laughed.
'You get used to it'.

         I couldn't have been happier about Vivian being our new roomie, I didn't have to go through the process of getting to know and becoming comfortable around another person.

She was chill and quiet but spat out venom from her mouth whenever she opened it. We were lucky to have our old room but unfortunately didn't get our old sitting arrangements in class.

Our new class teacher thought it was wise to place a boy and a girl in one seat. Vivian got paired with the class clown, Tolu, one of the few people who wasn't scared of her and managed to make her raise her voice.

Henrietta got paired with Chris which only meant a while lot of drama and nuisance back in the room. Abike got paired with a guy I could have sworn I had never seen before but she said he had been in the school since Jss1. I got paired with a really tall and slightly nerdy guy, I couldn't remember his name, I wasn't even sure if I knew it because almost everyone called him 'rat shit'.