MANAL

15. Manal

Comments as well as votes keep reducing. What's wrong? Have o offended someone? Is the book getting too boring for your liking? I need to know 😢

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Sleeping in an environment I had not gotten accustomed to, was more uncomfortable than I had initially thought. The whole night long, I kept on tossing and turning on the bed. I impatiently waited for the day to break, but for some reason, inexplicably, the night seemed longer than normal. I would close my eyes for ten minutes and when I reopened them to check the time, I was exasperated at the realization that only two minutes had passed. I then decided to make use of the opportunity and offer nafl prayers.

I did not realize I had fallen asleep on the prayer mat, until I heard my name being called from what seemed like a far distance. My brows twitched. My eyes instantly opened, but due to the brightest of the room, instinctively, they closed on their own accords.

"Wake up, Manal! Don't you have any morning lectures?" Ajoke asked in a not so friendly voice. I knew it had to be her, due to her accent.

Her words made my eyes flutter open in an instant. "What's the time, please?"

"It's almost seven." She responded.

"Thanks." I quickly walked to the bathroom to perform ablution and then pray fajr.

After I was done, I folded the mat and kept it on my box.

"Do you have morning class, Manal?" Hauwa inquired, as she emerged from the bathroom, after taking a shower.

"I guess so." I responded, bringing out some clothes from my box.

"Don't you have the timetable?"

"I do, but I can't find it right now. When I go to school today, I will make sure to copy and look for someone from the same department and level as me."

"You should do that. Hurry up and shower, before you get late."

I was about to go into the bathroom, but Ajoke beat me to it.

"I'm sorry, I really really need to use the toilet." She stated and banged the door at my face, before I had the chance to give her a response.

Pff!

"Don't mind her. You should do other things before she comes out."

I nodded and hummed in response.

Even after I had had a bowl of cornflakes, Ajoke still had not emerged from the bathroom. Intermittently, I glanced at the time on my phone and tapped my foot impatiently on the floor. "What's taking her this long?" I scoffed.

Just when I thought my patience was about to run out, she emerged, with a towel wrapped around her petite body. Apparently she had not only used the toilet like she claimed, but had taken a bath as well.

Why the lie though?

"Hey, Manal, I hope I didn't take too long."

I forced a smile. "No."

I was about to walk to the bathroom, when she spoke, making me stop right in front of her.

"Can I take just two sachets of cornflakes, please?" She asked, eyeing the carton I had pushed under my bed. "I haven't bought mine yet and I don't really want to turn on my gas cooker right now. Do you mind?"

"It's totally fine by me." I responded, sincerely. "You don't have to ask me. You can take some whenever you want."

"I don't really like cornflakes that much, but sha," she shrugged. "Fine, I will do just that."