Episode 6
-Lanre Olagbaju
I could not get that statement off my mind…somehow I had an idea of what it meant or at least what it implied but was going to let sleeping dogs lie. I had been in the University long enough to know stuff…I could be innocent but was no longer naïve. I had lived with Deola for a while to know what she was into. I was in my 2nd year and she in her 3rd. And although I had never seen her do anything; I had eavesdropped, a couple of times, when she was on the phone and nothing else could account for the kind of expensive life she was living.
Did it ever cross my mind to leave and move back to the hostel? Yes, but I just couldn’t…because I was a beneficiary of the largesse.Even my folks at home benefited from it, because I hardly asked them for anything…there was even a time I sent some money to my mum through my sister and it was Deola that gave me the money.
During our second semester break, I knew what Deola gave me when it was time to return home. Clothes, shoes, even things for my folks…it was as if I returned from a journey abroad.
Another thing that I couldn’t ignore was the fact that she was the only true friend I ever had. I didn’t even deserve to be her friend when she reached out to me. I decided to keep it on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” arrangement.
One thing I did to repay her and also as a good friend, was made sure she studied when it was time for tests and exams; and she really appreciated that. I would insist there was no traveling that weekend and we would stay indoors and study together. She once made a joke over the phone that she could not travel because her “guardian” had placed a ban on it and she had to comply.
When our first semester results were released, I noticed that I had scored 39% in one of my courses. That was preposterous because I was the first to submit my answer sheet when we took the exam. I knew the course, I understood the concepts, I even taught Deola who had failed it when she was in 200 level and she passed it this time.
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