PART 2 [LESSON FOR A BAD ROOM MATE] Chiamaka climbs down from her bed. She needs to see her course Rep and pleads that Nkem accompanies her; a request Nkem gladly accepts. Chiamaka: How come we are always keeping quiet whenever Chinasa and Sandra are calling the rest of us thieves? Nkem: That is their business. I have said it; whenever I have the opportunity of taking her things, I will. Chiamaka: But Nkem, I have told you to desist from taking her stuff. Nkem: I don’t touch her stuff. I take what I feel like taking Chiamaka: Just be careful, I have told you o. Nkem: I have heard Chinasa and Sandra meet Ebuka who is already having a nice time. Ebuka: Nne, kedu? Chinasa: I have asked you to stop speaking Igbo to me. Sandra: Ebuka, Nwanne m! Ebuka: How are you girls? Ebuka stands and embraces the girls. Ebuka: What did you say is happening in your hostel? Sandra: They have been tempering with her stuff Ebuka: Who’s been doing that? Chinasa: I can’t really say Sandra: But we have suspects Ebuka: Who do you suspect? Sandra cuts in again, interrupting Chinasa in the process. Sandra: I strongly suspect Nkem and Chiamaka Ebuka: It’s a small thing. We can find out. How? The two ladies chorused! Speaking in a low voice, Ebuka whispers few words to the ladies. Ebuka: Calm down ladies. We will set them up. We will buy some tin of beverages and we will mix them with some purging agents. Whoever takes it will stool heavily. The girls looked at Ebuka in disbelief. “Why would he suggest such a thing?” Sandra: Biko, I don’t want anybody to die o Chinasa: Hmm… Ebuka, I hope you are not planning to put us in trouble o? Ebuka assures the girls that the plan would work. The girls and Ebuka chat all day. Chinasa couldn’t wait to disgrace whoever was stealing from her. She buys some tins of beverages as suggested by Ebuka. She reduces the quantity of the beverage just to encourage the would- be thief. Sandra helps her in mixing the substance to the beverages. The following morning Chinasa pretends she is in a hurry, leaves her cupboard open and dashes out of the room. Sandra leaves the room few minutes later. Peace, Chika and Derby have exams; they hardly come back to the room except to shower and have a change of clothing. The room is just the way Nkem likes it; the way she can operate without hindrance. She has her mind made on wrecking more havoc on Chinasa. Nkem started stealing from Chinasa after she begged Chinasa to lend her a bar of soap. Her last bar of soap fell into a pool of water in the bathroom. She needed soap just for that night. Chinasa refused to lend her, claiming she didn’t have. The following morning, Nkem saw Chinasa opening a roll of soaps to her chagrin. After that experience, Nkem vowed to pay Chinasa back in her own way. Nkem walks over to Chinasa’s locker with her bowl in hand. She opens the locker and laughs as she helps herself with the beverages Chinasa had added the substance to. She has already soaked the garri with cold water and needed some beverages to make the experience a rich one. Nkem dips her spoon into the tin and scoops 1,2,3,4 spoons of milk. She opens the milo tin and scoops 3 spoons. Nkem neatly closes the tins and the locker, leaving no traces of her action behind. She crosses over to her corner to enjoy her loot. Nkem: God bless whoever discovered garri. What a wonderful experience. “But Nkem it is too early in the day to drink. Well, I have drank it already; the stomach cannot report what it ate to anybody” she told herself. Nkem sleeps off some minutes after she finished drinking the garri. Two days later, Nkem is still hospitalized at the school’s clinic. Doctors are planning to send her to a big hospital in town. Chinasa did not know how to react to the incident. She was happy that she has at least indentified the real thief in their room; however, the illness has lasted longer than she anticipated. Chinasa: Sandra what do I do now? Sandra: Nothing. Or what is your minding telling you. Chinasa: I want to go to the hospital to tell the doctors exactly what happened Sandra: What!! are you out of your mind? Chinasa: What should I do? Sandra: Nothing. Do nothing. You have been complaining that people are stealing from you. We have not only caught the thief but we have put the thief at the right place. Chinasa: What if she dies? Sandra: Don’t worry, she won’t die. She will only learn to stop stealing from people. Chinasa: Are you sure? Sandra: Come, let’s take a walk. Nkem was discharged after spending eight days in the hospital. The doctor informed her she had suffered food poisoning. She was told she was lucky to still be alive. She had suffered acute stomach ache, stooling and vomiting. She knew the only thing she ate before she ended up in the hospital was a bowl of garri and beverages she got from Chinasa’s locker. After she was discharged from the hospital, Nkem left for home according to doctor’s advice. . TO BE CONTINUE....
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 15:47:33 +0000
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