TÓDÙN

7

                      ~TODUN~

I got down at the bus stop I was instructed to stay and awaited the arrival of Dayo who was my high school senior. The hustle and bustle of my present location and that of Lagos that I came from were also the same thing.

The orange light of the evening sun that settled on the stuffs sold at the market beside the bus stop gave them more radiance and the roasted corn seller held her hand around the fan as she frantically blew more than enough air to the fire and called passers-by to buy from her.

The speakers boomed in their highest volumes making the place very noisy while the beggers in their multiples  were also there, begging both sellers and buyers to spare them some change. While others answered, some others ignored and carried on with their businesses.

After studying the whole situation for about thirty minutes, Dayo finally surfaced from a corner and I walked up to her. She was dressed in a simple skit and blouse and used a head tie to cover her head. As I greeted her, I felt the usual religious aura that she had since we were in school. She smiled as she answered the series of questions I asked her when we were inside the taxi that took us to her hostel.

We got down at the front of a flat which already had its paint falling off. The entrance was littered with several slippers both male and female. She exchanged pleasantries with few people who called her sister Dayo as we walked towards a back room which I later discovered to be hers.

Her roommate had a smile plastered all over her face when we walked in and Dayo introduced me to her. She was tall and light in complexion she also had the same dressing style as Dayo. Looking very religious but also beautiful.

I was giving a dinner of rice and beans with stew. I couldn't do anything admission that day because it was late and I was already tired from the several hours journey that made me sit between two gossiping friends who seemed to think I was interested in all the nonsense that they were uttering.

Feeling very tired and sleepy after my meal, I quickly called my Mum to inform her of my arrival at my destination and then I drifted off to sleep with the thought of waking up early the next morning to start my registration and go in search of my own accommodation.

***

I was woken up the following morning by the alarm from my phone, I quickly went into the bathroom and took a cold bath. I wore the cloth I wore the previous day and combed my already retouched hair to the back. I took the small cross bag I had tucked into my bigger school bag and carried my  file jacket while I waited for Dayo and her roommate who were still taking their bath.

Making sure I took breakfast, I,Dayo and her roommate took a cab to school.

***

I stepped out of the taxi and stared at the school gate that had OASIS FEDERAL UNIVERSITY boldly written on it. I pulled my bag over my shoulder and held it tightly as I followed Dayo and her roommate who led the road.

Walking from the gate to wherever the two girls were leading me to, I saw parents in their various flashy cars who brought their children to school, not so many of them though but it made me miss my mother. I had left home with my vision clouded with tears as my Mum waved to me. It was the very first time that I would embark on such a long journey without her. I had to come to my school to make arrangements for my final stay as a student so I smiled at the hope of going back home very soon.

As we walked along the road, Dayo's roommate whose name didn't seem to stick to my memory saw a classmate of hers and she walked off. A few minutes later, Dayo also saw someone she knew and she described where I was going to find the school clinic to me. They must really be in a hurry, I muttered as they both walked away hurriedly living me to feel uneasy with the new environment.