Udinyinwe malaise.......Episode Two.

The sun was scorching as hard as it could that afternoon, it was having relentless fun irking everybody, from the cobbler who was constantly twitching under a poorly built kiosk which was obviously letting in more sunlight than normal to the seemingly distraught student, pacing near the departmental car park.

 she was obviously waiting for someone or was she ?

who really knew ?

it was common practice for some girls in this school to feign waiting for ‘’someone’’ as a guise for surveying and luring a ‘’concerned ‘’ individual, most likely a rich stud in a nice ride to intervene in the seemingly  ‘’unpleasant’’ situation which she found herself, nonetheless, the sun was making sure her situation wasn’t pleasant at all. It was a very hot afternoon.

Udinyinwe looked away from them, and was now mildly concerned about Kevwe’s stunt in the morning; it had left him absolutely livid. He was filled with unsurprising rage; Omasan would never have behaved like this. He missed his old roommate, but he subtly blamed him for all this. Omasan had assured him of his babe’s younger brother’s attitude. Heck, he had reassured him!

After Omasan graduated, he seriously contemplated living alone, surely it was going to sting his lean pocket financially but he was willing to bend. He didn’t like to share. He loved solitude. Omasan had been neat and disciplined. Ok, he initially detested the sheer quantity of pornographic videos on Omasan's PC, but hey! no-one was squeaky clean, nobody was perfect, that much he concluded.

Omasan had been a good “cousin” too. It was easier to call him that, than his grandad’s maternal cousin’s in-law. ‘’Cousin’’ covered all that, all these included, had never really been pacified. He wanted to live alone. People had always called him ‘’selfish’’,’’ A loner’’. Bother him, this did not!

He saw himself as somebody that was very much comfortable in his own skin, someone that didn’t need assurances from the seemingly insecure students. He didn’t need people to like him, he thought.

Kevwe had worn his shirt to class before he woke up. Sure! he had about six more neatly ironed shirts that hung from the open drawer to choose from, but he wanted to wear that one or did he?

 He detested Kevwe’s attitude, he had made peace with that undeniable fact. Truth was, he was already dressed up to go when he causally checked for his blue handkerchief which he had left in the breast pocket of that shirt, that was when he noticed the shirt wasn’t there, he had seen it there yesterday afternoon. It was Kevwe, he was instantly furious. He tried reaching Kevwe’s cell, but there was no need, his own cell phone was dead.

The story about that being the shirt he wanted to wear seemed the only natural thing that could justify the rage of incense that was consuming him. This was just the third month of them being roommates, roomies, and he was already donning his shirt?

 What would he want to share next?

Maybe his boxers!

Maybe his expensive moccasin!

Maybe Stella-Maris too!

Yes, he hadn’t liked the way he and her were all chatty and laughing when she visited him the other day. Kevwe had told Ronke that he was being too possessive of Stella-Maris, that it was a sign of insecurity on his part towards her, wrong move! Ronke told him everything, she always did.

 His eyes had burned but she had pleaded anonymity for Kevwe, he had only told her in good faith, as she was seemingly the only person Udinyinwe would listen to. Now he had a chance to tell him his mind, it would be eyeball to eyeball, face to face, reclusive as he was, sometimes that "Demon" in him activated, the "demon of confrontations" as Ronke had put it. Nonetheless he was determined to give Kevwe a piece of his mind on who was insecure, on who acted puerile, on who was always bothered about how perfectly lined his hair was, on who was constantly living on peoples opinion, checking for who and who had liked his picture posts on instagram. The piece of his mind was turning to a big plot of his mind.

The whole confrontation plan had fell through now. It had to. He couldn’t find Kevwe in his class and it was when he frantically searched for his roommate that he heard that sound from within; abandoning the search was the only option. Udinyinwe walked as briskly as he could on the pavement leading to the bus park. He cursed under his breath. His steps increased and reduced intermittently. He needed absolute concentration now, he thought.

He board a bus headed for the school gate. It was lecture hours; the buses naturally didn’t fill up quickly at this time of the day. All he had to do was concentrate; this was the only source of transportation close by. There was of course Annex building, where the buses would fill up faster, but he couldn’t walk that distance now, he just couldn’t.

‘’Udinyinwe Animashaun” “Udin Amin’’ Julian hailed, tapping him from behind, obviously making a mundane attempt at mimicking Prof. Obiajulu , who teased his shortened name for sounding like, Idin-Amin, the erstwhile Ugandan dictator. Julian’s little tap had sent shivers down his body.

 ‘’how far my guy’’ he amped his concentration, replying faintly.

Julian was patronising him again, he had been at it since last week. He had already told him he won’t blab about what he saw to Ronke. Truth was he had told him that to get him off his back, he was still deciding how he would break it to Ronke that her boyfriend was sleeping with Ese, that same Ese.

 ‘’Ese is the Lex Luthor to your superman" he had teased her before, before, when it was just the departmental vice president and deputy course rep positions they battled over. Before that particular night.
He had battled extremely hard with this situation as best as he could, he was at Boyo junction now, he was halfway to Eldorado! But now he needed a new tactic, he needed distractions now. Every step seemed heavier, he cursed under his breath.

why had he eaten late at night?

He would have followed his instinct and ignored that ignoble call, how the consequence of that action was inundating him now. He didn’t learn, this wasn’t the first time it was happening, again he made the pledge as he walked. The same vow he had made before.No more eating of beans after 7pm, no more. He couldn’t wait to relieve himself.

He heaved a beleaguered sign of relief as he got to his hostel gate. He paused for a moment. He was struggling to move, he cursed again. There was no way he was using that departmental toilet, he didn’t even want to think about that place! He cleaned his sweaty face, he was determined. Climbing the stairs that led to his room on the 2nd floor, he was already taking off his clothes in characteristic fashion and in uncharacteristic rhythm.

He was already at the door reaching for his key when it dawned on him. His seeming plight had made him oblivious of the faint sounds coming out of his room, his senses were primed fully at that moment, he heard the sounds and he recognised what they were. Primal sounds.

 His eyes wandered to the female sandal that was close to Kevwe’s shoe. Fuck!. He wanted to scream, wanted to kill Kevwe, but there was no time for that now, he made a quick diversion to Chikwe’s room upstairs, he absolutely needed to use the toilet………..