WHITE!!!!!;The color of your heart???????????
(A wall flower’s guide to finding God)
Chapter 15
(My Princess in shining armor)
Sean trudged casually on the sidewalk. The break was almost over now, and soon the school would be once again filled with people.
He sighed.
He had enjoyed the peace and quiet that the near empty campus had provided, and he had successfully done a lot of preparation for the new semester as well.
He shrugged. Well there was nothing he could do to stop people from coming to school. He was also sure that this was probably going to be their last break anyway, so people were not wrong for wanting to enjoy it.
He had seen Ileri around over the course of the break, and had guessed that she was avoiding home as well.
What most people don’t tell you is that when students don’t go home for breaks, at least one third of them do it because they have problems at home.
But the campus wasn’t completely empty though, it only felt that way because they weren’t near the teaching hospital. If you took a Keke in that direction you would find it undoubtedly bustling with life.
He checked his phone. He still had some time to kill before it got dark and he would absolutely have to head back to his empty and lonely apartment.
He scrolled through his phone until he got to Ileri’s number.
Should he call her?
Well, if he felt like talking to her he should.
He laughed to himself, amused at how he asked the question and answered it.
He dialled her number.
She sounded off on the phone, her voice was hoarse and irritated, and she hung up on him when he was only asking about her. He tried to call her again but her phone was switched off.
He wanted to get angry with her, but a nagging feeling in his gut told him that there was more to the matter than what was on the surface. But he really couldn’t do anything to help her for now if that was the case, so he put it out of his mind, and went ahead to have lunch.
A few hours later, she called him back. Her voice still sounded hoarse, and he was now officially worried. Had her sister shown up again?
He decided to get her out of her hostel so he could at least see her face. Not that he was sure she would answer him though, but it was worth a shot.
“I’m at the doughnut place near the physics lab. Meet me there.” He said to her, walking to the side of the road.
She began to protest as expected, but her words were interrupted by a loud screeching that caused him to stop just before he stepped onto the road.
The screeching was quickly followed by a large CRASH!!!!
Sean looked up at the scene before him, and his eyes widened. Sweat beads built up on his skin as he felt his blood begin to flow backwards.
An accident had just occurred, and a girl crossing the road had been bit by a small truck.
Sean could hear sounds of screaming and chaos all around him, but all those people’s voices sounded so far away.
He felt someone brush against him, but the movement wasn’t enough to jerk him out of the hole in his mind that he was currently sinking into.
All he could do was stare at the bloody girl lying lifeless in the middle of the road.
His head pounded, and his already distorted vision began to get blurry.
There was so much blood.
So much.
He grabbed at his throat, realizing that no matter how much air he took in, he still couldn’t breathe. His feet were rooted to the ground, eyes transfixed on the girl a few meters away from him, whom people were now surrounding, screaming and shouting in a frantic effort to call an ambulance.
He couldn’t move.
He couldn’t speak.
All the memories rushed into his mind like wayer through a broken dam.
It was too much, and it forced tears down his eyes as he stood there, shaking uncontrollably.
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I ran out of my hostel, thankfully remembering to at least grab some change that I would use to take a Keke down to the physics lab.
My mind raced.
What I had heard on the phone had definitely sounded like an accident.
God!!
I felt so helpess, and that feeling is not a good one at all.
I moved my mouth along with my legs, praying fervently that God should keep Sean alive for me.
I begged God that even though I didn’t usually pray to Him like Feyikemi did, He should please answer my prayer just this once.
“God, please, I’m begging you. Let Sean be okay. Please God!” I muttered to myself as I stood, impatiently waiting for a Keke.
But none came.
I shook frantically, then began to run, even though I knew that it would take me a longer time to reach the physics lab on foot.
But I couldn’t just stand around and do nothing! I had to move my body in someway, so that I wouldn’t lose my mind with worry, so that I would stop feeling this terrible feeling of helplessness.
I had run some distance when a Keke zoomed past me, and the scream that left my mouth surprised me.
“Keke!!!!! Keke!!!!!” I yelled as the man reversed to my side. He seemed a little taken aback by my haggard appearance and the fact that I had worn two different pairs of slippers, but for the first time in my life, I really didn’t care.
“Physics lab!” I said again, not pausing to catch my breath.
“Ah, aunty. Accident don happen for that side oh. Nobody dey go there for now. They just notify all of us for Whatsapp now now.”
Blood of Jesus!!!
I knew it!!!
I felt my words dying in my throat as fear of the unimaginable enveloped me, but I forced my words out.
Now was not the time to be scared.
“No no please oga! You have to take me there! Please my friend is there!”
“Se you no hear word Ni? I say nobody dey go that road! Forget am!”
“Oga, wait, okay please just drop me at the teacher’s building near there. You don’t have to reach the lab. Please, I will give you hundred naira extra!” I said in desperation, even though I knew I didn’t have up to hundred naira on me.
“See madam, this one no be money matter oh. But I go carry you to teacher’s building, free of charge, because e be like say something dey really do you.”
“Th-thank you sir!!!” I said, as I jumped in, shaking my legs anxiously.
We finally got there, and as expected, there was a large crowd a few meters ahead of us, on the road in front of the building that housed the physics lab.
People were talking excitedly, and some even had their phones out, recording and taking pictures of the scene.
I ran out of the Keke, and anxiously scanned the faces of the people for Sean, my heart sinking further and further down when I couldn’t find him.
There were too many people around for me to push my way to see the accident directly, but I hoped in God’s name that Sean wasn’t one of the victims.
I paused at the sidewalk to catch my breath, when I finally saw him, standing at the side of the road.
It felt as if a huge weight was lifted off my heart, as it began to rise back to where it was supposed to be.
I ran over to his side, grabbing his arm.
“Sean! Jesus Christ! Do you…..do you have any idea how much you scared me?!” I said, resting my forehead on his arm, but he didn’t answer me. That was when I noticed that his hands were unnaturally cold.
“S-Sean? Come on, let’s go. We have to leave this place.” I said again, tugging at his arm, but he still didn’t reply, neither did he look at me, he just kept his eyes transfixed on the road.
I looked around frantically.
What was I going to do?
Something was wrong.
He didn’t look like he was injured, but the look on his face……it felt as if he was no longer here with me.
His face was stained with tears.
I had never seen him that way, and the feeling of helplessness returned.
What was I going to do?!!
“Sean, please. Please. Please let’s go. Please.” I begged, feeling my eyes stinging from the fact that I wanted to cry but no tears were coming.
He still didn’t reply, just stared forward, his mouth slightly open.
I sniffed, then slid my hand into his, squeezing it tight.
His hands were so cold.
“S-Sean, I….I don’t know where you are right now, or what might have you frozen like this, but please…. please come back to me…. please don’t leave me alone….I’ve come to rely on you more than I expected….at least let me repay you for being there for me when I needed you.” I said, resting my head on his arms again, my eyes shut tightly.
I felt him flinch ever so slightly, and I looked up immediately.
He was staring down at me, his face looking worn out, and his eyes glazed over, filled with tears and a pain that hurt me as well.
“I-ileri?” He said, his voice coming out in a whisper.
“Yes. Yes it’s me. I’m here. Let’s go. Let’s go. Keep your eyes on me. Don’t look anywhere else.”
“But I won’t….see where I’m going.”
I bit my lip, and took a deep breath.
“I’m holding you aren’t I? I won’t let you stumble. So just….look at only me.”
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