My coursemate

My Coursemate

Episode Three

A day after I took Azizat to the restaurant, she came to our hostel to look for me.

“What happened to your phone? I have been trying to reach you and your line has been switched off since yesterday.” Azizat said. She sounded very angry and upset. Her driver had managed to drive into the narrow compound and parked the Lexus jeep close to our door. 

Our hostel had no gate. It was a kind of face me I face you. I did not know how she managed to find the place. I never wanted her to visit me since I was squatting with my friend, Eke and the room was very tiny. But she is here now and there is no hiding place.

“My phone is at the restaurant. I plugged it there so that it will charge.” I said. It was a lie. I did not want her to know that the phone was seized from me at the school canteen because I could not finish paying for what we ate the other day. 

“Ah ah! My love, why would you plug your phone over night? Don’t you know that I will be missing you?” Azizat asked as she entered our room. She asked her driver to leave and only come back to pick her up by 9pm. 

The man quietly drove away. Sometimes, I think that the driver has a very difficult job. He was a man in her 40s being ordered around by a teenager. Money good o!

My friend Eke was in the room reading and preparing for a test when Azizat came visiting. Eke is studying medicine and he is always reading one big book or the other.

“This is my friend Eke. Eke, meet my girlfriend Azizat.” I said. The introduction was very brief. Both of them shook hands warmly. 

I was still contemplating what to do when Eke stood up from his reading table, wore his clothes and left the room for me and Azizat.

“I was already on my way out before you entered. I’m going to watch match.” Eke said as he left the room. But it was all a lie. He was not on his way out because he just returned from lectures and was preparing for a test. He left only so as to create space for me and Azizat. It was that moment when everyone knows what is going on but no one ventures to say it.

“Welcome to our humble abode. This place does not belong to me. My friend Eke owns the room and he is only helping to accommodate me. It’s a huge favour.” I told Azizat.

She went straight to the bed and took over the place. We only had a very small mattress in the room. It was so flat that it was beginning to look like a piece of old rubber slippers. But amazingly, Azizat liked it and this made me very happy.

“I like this compound. It’s very quiet and cool. And this mattress is soft too. Come and meet me.” Azizat said. 

“Are you mocking us or what? How can you say this place is good?” I asked. I moved to join her in bed. 

“Go and close the door first.” Azizat said. Her voice sounded like an order and I found myself obeying her. 

It was 7pm in the evening. When I went to close the door, I peeped outside and looked around the compound to be sure no one was watching. It is usually suspicious when a girl visits you in the hostel and you are seen closing the door. Fellow students start to imagine things and when you and the girl come out, guys may start to hail you as if you have won a rare trophy. University campus is a crazy place.

“Do you know that I love you so much?” Azizat asked. She was already removing her dress. I was only wearing my undies.

“Yes I know. I love you too.” I responded. 

Our lovemaking was so passionate and it felt as if we have been dating for long. 

Immediately we finished, Eke knocked at the door. The young man almost caught us in the act but luckily, Azizat had finished wearing her clothes when he knocked.

Just then, Azizat’s driver arrived to pick her up. We all came out as if nothing had happened.

“Why not enter the car so that I can drop you off to pick your phone at the school canteen?” Azizat asked.

“No. I want the phone to charge very well. I will take it tomorrow when I go for lectures.” I said. That was a lie. The truth is that I desperately did not want Azizat to find out that the phone was seized.

“I only have one problem right now.” I said to Azizat. I wanted to see if I can get some money from her so that I can pay Eke the N5000 I borrowed from him and used to take her out the other day. Eke was already on my neck and I had no way of paying the young man back.

“What is it? Mention any problem. I will solve it.” Azizat said. I was stunned by her response.

“I need a little cash to buy food. We don’t have food.” I was shy to ask but I could not help it. Even before I could finish talking, Azizat called her driver who brought her handbag from the car.

“Take. This is N50,000.” She said. In her hand, I saw newly minted Naira notes. I was shocked. Here is a woman offering me an amount more than my school fees. I first behaved as if I did not want to take it, but was only forming, trying hard to protect my dignity. 

“The money is too much. I only need like N1k.” I said. I was only pretending.

“Please take and stop forming.” Azizat said. I quickly took the money because she was trying to change it for me.

“How can I thank you? I don’t know how to thank you. My God will bless you Azizat.” I said. I was genuinely touched by her openheartedness and generosity.

That night, I gave Eke his N5k and the next day, I walked into the school canteen like a soldier and collected my phone after paying the outstanding bill of N1200.

Three weeks later, Azizat missed her period. 

“I’m finished.” I said to myself when she broke the news to me on phone. She said her father who is the vice chancellor of the school is aware of the pregnancy that there is fire on the mountain.

Watch out for episode 4.