'Good afternoon Ma'am.' he said politely.
'Good Afternoon sir,what can i do for you' Janet asked.
'Excuse me please,are you Miss Jane' the man asked putting a smile on his face.He looked better,he was a middle aged man.
'Yes,anything the matter'
'Sorry to disturb you,i have some delivery for you' he walked outside the gate.
Janet wondered,what the man wanted to delivery,she hadn't made any purchases to be delivered at her doorstep.
The man soon returned with a big object wrapped nicely,'This is for you ma,you're to sign here' he brought out a book and a pen and she appended her signature.
'Thanks' the man turned to leave.
Janet also mumbled her own 'thank you'.
She allowed the man to drive away before carrying the wrapped whatever into her room.she was about opening it,when she heard someone entering the sitting room.
'Oh my God' she said to herself,she met her mother about coming to her room.
'Janet,you're up' Biola said leading her to the sitting room,it was more of a statement than a question.
'Yes Mum,welcome,how was service today' she asked without interest.
'It was great,God be praised.' she continued 'What happened to you last night,you missed one of your favorite meal,and you woke up late today' Biola asked concerned.
'Nothing! Just tired,thats all', she didn't want to go into any story telling.
'Are you sure about that', Biola asked again.
'Yes mum,am sure' she said giving her mother a quick smile so as to reassure her.
'Thats my daughter,don't hesitate to talk to me,if you need anything,okay.' she hugged her
'Let me change my clothes,i want to eat.' she carried her purse and her bible and left for her room.
Janet went to the kitchen,Rose was not there,she would probably be in her room.she knocked before going in.
'Rose,are you there' she called.
'Yes Aunty,am here'.
'Please set the table,Mummy is back'.
She quickly returned to her room to check 'her delivery', she laughed in her mind.she entered her room,the wrapped item was still there,where she placed it.
She sat down by her dressing table,and started unwrapping it.
Brrrrrrr...brrrrrrrr,her phone!,who is calling again,ah!
North Lecture hall,with a 500capacity,was full to the brim,the students were shouting ,some were talking loud,others arguing,they were waiting for their lecturer to come in.The heat was so unbearable,most people were sweating.
'Up Nepa' someone shouted from the back,everybody looked up,alas,it was a false cry,shouts of abuse rented the air.Two minutes later,the fan started rolling,everybody shouted again.
'Una be mad men o' another voice shouted,there was an uproar from the students.
A stout young man of about 22 years stood in the front of the hall,trying to get everybody's attention,he put the mega phone to his mouth and spoke at the top of his voice.
'Hello everybody,Mr Adeleye is busy at the moment,so he would not be coming' another uproar rented the air. 'But....' everyone kept quiet again 'Prof. Dehinde is coming in 5minutes time',he walked away to his seat.
Hannah who was sitting with her friends,Bukola and Molade, quickly adjusted her seat,putting her note pad on her desk.Prof. Dehincome as he was fondly called among students,was a disciplinarian in all ramifications.
'Tahrr! Bukola sit well,Dehincome will soon be here o' Hannah wispered.
'I can't kill my self jare,what is it self ah' Bukola retorted eyeing her.
'I hope this your foolish mouth will not put you in trouble sha' Hannah,eyed her too.
'Look who is coming?' Molade pinched Hannah.
'Who is it jare' Hannah turned towards Molz
'Its Akinlolu,your upcoming borfriend' Molz said laughing.
'You'ld better stop that,i don't like it' her brow furrowed in anger.
'Chill abeg,he's coming to our table' Bukola said.
Akin walked to their table,he looked cool in his well ironed shirt tuck in a black trouser,he banged on their table,they all turned towards him feigning ignorance of his prescence.
'Hello Ladies' he smiled.
'Hi Akin' they sang in a chorus.
'Hi Hanny,you look good' he smiled at her.
'Thanks' Hannah replied looking away.
He soon walked away from their table, 'This guys has guts! Awwwh' Hannah spat.
'Wetin now,se na crime to admire you,the guy fine today o,the guy likes you like ...Kilode and you are forming stubborn girl' Molz said.
'Molz,no worry,i can order for transfer of admiration o' Hannah replied.The three of them burst into laughter.
Just then prof. Dehinde came in,carrying a notepad and walking like a cow,he wobbled to the front of the class,by now everyone was quiet.He dropped his note pad and adjusted his old glasses,pushing it up his nose.
'Good day class' he said,everybody shouted. 'We can't hear you sir'
'Rep?' he called. The stout man scurried to the front again.
'Get me the Megaphone' the class rep. returned in a jiffy,handing him the phone,he hurried back to his seat.
'Good day class' he repeated.
'I will not spend more than thirty minutes here,today,we're treating Nigerian Government and Politics,under it......You,You,stand up.he pointed his hand towards a lady.
'Me?' Hannah said looking back.
'Yes,Yes,the one looking back' he said.
'Sir? Me?'
'The one wearing that pink bra' the class burst into laughter,'Sorry class,the one in the pink blouse'
that was Hannah.
Hannah stood as if she had just wet the bed,
'Yes you,pls come forward'
Hannah walked to the front,she stood beside him like one who had just been convicted of murder.
'Can you tell the class,what you were thinking about,you look lost' he handed her the Mega phone.
'Sir,i was thinking about Rotimi Williams' she answered,everybody shouted.
'Is that not the social director of this dept!'
'Yes,he is,he asked me out five weeks ago,and we have a date today by 5pm at NEoN park' the class shouted again.
'A date? is that why you were lost in thought?'
Hannah was about answering him again,when she heard some people murmuring around her,she listened,those murmuring had started laughing,she looked around but found no one,something closed her eyes and everywhere was dark,she tried to open her eyes again,this time it opened,she looked around her,she was in her room in the hostel.....she saw her friends talking to each other,she had been dreaming all day.
Whoever said washing was fun? She turned to look at the pile of clothes by her side,she still had a long way to go,she had been washing all day,eating was a luxury she couldn't afford,when she still had so much washing to do.there were about 4 buckets and two washing basin in front of her,she sat on a small stool bending down to wash,if the clothes she was washing was hers,it would have been better,they belonged to her siblings,who were old enough to sit and wash by themselves.
It was Saturday and everyone had gone out save her,she had been up since dawn,doing one house chore or the other.She had been washing for two hours and still counting,she stood up for a split seconds to scratch her back on the wall,knowing that trouble loomed for her should she not be through by the stipulated time.She rinsed the ones she had washed,taking a seconds she look at her hands,they looked old and rough just at twenty two.
She hurried up with the spreading of the ones she just rinsed.she still had the dirty stack of plates to wash,she hadn't prepared Lunch and a mud splattered car to wash in the garage,the more she thought about her predicament,the more tired she grew.Even slaves were treated better than she was in her own fathers house.
Such was life for Adetoun Adepoju Omolewa,the first daughter of the Adepojus.She was still basking in the sorrow of her life when she heard her name.
'Toun Toun Touuuuuuun' a strong female voice shouted from somewhere inside the house.
Yekpa,wahala de o,Adetoun thought, 'Ma,am coming' she answered,shouting at the top of her voice.
The caller who seemed to be impatient shouted again.
'Toun buruku yen da.' the voice drew nearer to her.
Adetoun quickly left the bathroom,where she was washing,she scurried to the sitting room,practically running,her heart was beating loud and hard.she stood before her caller.
'Toun,on ka mi lohun ni,ah ah,you were counting my voice abi!' she walked closer to Toun,who was standing at a distance.
'Rara ma,i wasn't........' she could not finish that statement,she felt something hard land across her face,kpaaaaa....,it was a hot slap.
Before she could register that in her head,two sharp slaps landed on her right cheek again,her vision blurred,her head vibrated,and she slumped to the ground.
To be continued tomorrow at 11am.
