Fiction Stories: Dairy of a campus episode 20

EPISODE 20

I still didn’t believe he was not in the room, so

I began to search odd places for him. I opened

my locked wardrobe, I checked under the bed, I

peep inside the flask. I kept searching for him

as if he was an object.

“You are wasting our time o.” Mr Okanlawon

yelled.

“Am coming sir.” I replied, frightened.

I quickly dialed his mobile number but it

wasn’t reachable, I guess he must have

switched it off. Where could Bayo be? I asked

myself and thought for some seconds. While I

was still busy thinking, Mr Okanlawo entered

my room, I swiftly pretended to be on call. Mr

Okanlawon watched me move around the room

yelling at the anonymous receiver. Banji, this

is how madness starts, I almost said. I was

busy lying to myself, acting one-man drama

and using the opportunity to think of where

Bayo could be. I turned and looked at Mr

Okanlawon whose face was already squeezed

in anger. I paused the drama by ending the

fake call.

“Do you know you are wasting our time?” Mr

Okanlawon angrily said.

“Am sorry Sir.” I apologized. “I was talking

with that my friend.”

“Ehn Ehn, what’s my business?” He replied,

still with an angry face.

“He said he’s in class at the moment.” I lied.

“Oya let’s go to your class.”

That was the only place I think Bayo could be

for several reasons. Bayo doesn’t miss

classes, that made him one of the geniuses in

our class. The other reason being that there’s

a lecture going on presently at the

department. I suppose to be in class, yet am

parading around the school with two old men,

I almost said.

I entered the security van off to my

department. I couldn’t help but pray I see

Bayo. How I wish I could turn the hands of

time backwards, I thought again.

“My spirit dey tell me sey na you kill that

student.” Mr Okanlawon blindly accused.

I kept mute and just concentrated on my silent

prayer. The car parked and we all alighted. I

couldn’t perceive any of my course mate

around, so I hastened my steps to the lecture

room. The two security men maintained a

close gap, thinking I would flee. The lecture

room was unusually quiet, so I peeped through

the window to get wind of what’s happening. I

saw every Tom, D##k, and Harry writing. It

wasn’t yet clear to me until I looked at the

white board. Test! Test was written boldly on

the board. I missed another test again. I felt

my life has completely ended. I wished I could

exchange myself for Emeka. I wanted to died. I

couldn’t go in to take the test because of the

Goliaths behind me.

“You no see am?” Mr Okanlawon asked. “I

know sey you no go see am. Liar!”

“Abeg make we dey go.” The other security

personnel added.

They ushered me into the van again and

zoomed off to their office. I wished I could take

my life at that time. My life was already in a

mess. Bayo was no where to be found, I

missed another crucial test and I haven’t

tasted any meal or drink since morning. Who

have I wronged? I have known no peace for

two days now, I ruminated. The van finally

parked. We alighted and I was taken to the

CSO. We entered his office to meet him eating.

We were about excusing him when he asked us

to stay back. He abandoned his meal, drank

water to signal he was ready. I steadily gazed

at the bottle of fanta on his table. That was

meant for me, I almost said. He cleared his

throat to get all our attention.

“Okanlawon, what happened?” The CSO asked.

“Where is the other boy?”

“Oga Sir, We no see the boy for him room.” Mr

Okanlawon replied.

Furiously the CSO yelled, “Are you joking?”

“No Sir. We even go him department, we no

see still am.” Mr Okanlawon said. “Oga Sir,

this boy sabi lie. He tell us sey the boy dey

class. We reach, we no see am.”

The CSO gazed at me cruelly and said, “Banji,

what have you to say?”

With a pitying look I replied, “Sir, can I talk to

you in private?”

Mr Okanlawon and his fellow were asked to

wait outside. I never thought I would go

through all these trouble.

“Am listening. Go on.” The CSO urged.

With tears dribbling from my cheeks, I said,

“Sir, I swear with my life that I didn’t harbor

Bayo in my room. Bayo is a cult member Sir.

He and his gang kidnapped me so I won’t

reveal their secrets. These all happened

yesterday night Sir.”

“So how do you manage to escape from

them?” He asked, not believing me still.

“Sir, I struggled my way out Sir.”

“And you want me to believe that?”

“Sir, Please Sir. That’s the truth Sir.” I said

crying bitterly.

I’m yet to figure out what ministered to the

CSO when he said, “Wipe your tears Banji.”

That sentence fueled the engine that produces

tears in me. I cried more and more aloud. I

never stopped until he angrily commanded me

to. I wiped my face vigorously without an

evidence that I cried.

“Sit down.” He said.

I sat and replied, “Thank you Sir.”

He pushed his leftover meal to me and pointed

at the bottle of fanta and said, “That’s yours.”

At first I felt shy, I was romancing the food

with the spoon but immediately the CSO got

engrossed on his laptop, I gobbled all the

food within seconds. The noise that came from

scratching the plate with the spoon for the

last grains of rice got the attention of the

CSO.

“Are you through?” He asked surprised.

“Yes Sir.” I replied, licking my soiled lips, the

food was very delicious.

“So fast?”

I smiled and replied, “Yes Sir.”

I immediately gulped the fanta, I finished it in

a jiffy. I almost vomited all that I have

ingested when the CSO called Mr Okanlawon

to go detain me in the guardroom. I wanted to

cry but I was too chock-full to weep. Mr

Okanlawon ushered me to a dark room and

closed the door. I rested my head on the door

to pacify when I heard a rumbled voice

welcomed me. I was agitated. I turned around

and was shocked with whom I saw.

TO BE CONTINUED.