Grace! I heard Akosua yell my name. followed by a big hug. I hugged her back reluctantly considering the fact we were barely friends. She held me back at arms length, gave me a quick once over and said,
"wow you've lost so much weight." and pulled me in for another hug.
As she was pulling away she whispered something into my ear that sent a chill down my spine and made me very unaware of where I was at that moment. She stood back, smiled and offered to help me with my bag. I nicely declined still befuddled about what she'd said.
She started to walk away but then she turned around and waved, "I'll see you in the dining hall." She said, Then walked off. We've never met in the dining hall. Considering she's in a different house.
I made my way to my dormitory somehow and with shoes and all I lay on my bed lost in thoughts.
"Good afternoon to you too!"
I gasped loudly, tried to sit up and banged my head on the bed frame.
"Ajeii!! Nichole I thought I told you not to scare me half to death. Now look at what you've done" I sighed loudly to show my annoyance. "You weren't even here when I came in, how did you get up there without me hearing you?" I looked up at Nichole rubbing my forehead and expecting answers.
"I...I was....I was here when you came in. Youuu.....you probably didn't see me." She fumbled trying to answer the question.
I looked long and hard at her but she moved her head back to her bed and out of my sight. I shrugged and let it go.
"So didn't you miss me?" I asked expecting a bright answer from her.
"You and your konkonsa? no way." She said referring to when I asked Doris to find information on Akosua.
"It was one time I argued and it was crucial."
"Ok oh crucial konkonsa, I've heard you" she replied in an annoying tone.
I got of my bed and headed for my noisy locker.
"I thought you would be excited to see me but I guess not." I opened the locker and took out one juice box.
"And I thought you would offer me one Apple and Eve" she said jumping down from the top bunk. But I guess not. She looked up to see a shell shocked me ready to lecture.
"Nichole you'll hurt yourself!"I scolded,
"don't do that. You could break a leg or even worse your neck."
"Relax you're just being paranoid. I've really missed you Grace. Honestly. And TBH I've been a little lonely since you left."
"What's tbh?" I asked.
"Grace catch up. It means to be honest."
"Oh ok it makes ...it makes sense.....Wait you didn't go home?" I asked.
she shook her head in the negative.
"So you stayed here, in the school?"
"Maybe"she answered.
Why? All this while. I woke up to find you gone and thought you'd left. You couldn't even come and say good bye. I stayed here all alone till 7pm. All alone!
She stared at me for a while. Long and hard.
"There's no home to go to."She answered looking down. And I didn't want to explain myself.
"What do you mean by ther...."
"Are you giving me apple and eve or not." She asked changing the subject. I sensed immediately that she clearly didn't want to talk about it so I let it go and handed her a juice box.
Sean! I exclaimed and threw my arms around him. He hugged me back tight. Out of everyone, he knew about Jude. And he knew what I'd been through and he'd been really supportive. He even came by my house a few times when he found out.
His friends to whom he'd been chatting with gawked at us wondering what was going on. People knew Sean and I were close but no one expected it to be this close.
"How are you doing?" He asked after we pulled out of the hug.
"You seem more cheerful" he pointed out.
"It seems." I smiled and then it dwindled.
He must have noticed my cheerful expression drop because he looked at me with concern.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.
I nodded "not here though."
He seemed to understand and gave my arm a little squeeze. I said hi to Nana Kwesi since he was the only one I knew from Sean's friend group and walked away.
"Mmm rock hard kenkey with burnt fish and pepper water. Delicious!" Everyone laughed at Nancy's joke.
"It's not funny. I can choke to death on this thing" Nancy said in a serious tone this time. More laughter followed. She made a face, pulled her tongue out and made gestures as if she was really choking. This time the roar of laughter could be heard from across the dining hall.
"Mount!" Our table went quiet at the sound of the Dining hall prefect's voice.
"What is wrong with you people? You've been making noise since you got here. Mount the table!" He ordered. And in shame all eight of us mounted the table yet still giggling.
Silence in the hall. The dining hall prefect bellowed right after dining was over. Everyone remain in your seats the headmistress would like to speak with us all. There were murmurs everywhere.
Silence in the hall he repeated his initial order.
The headmistress assumed the podium and cleared her throat. "Good afternoon students."
A collective "good afternoon" greeted her.
"You're all welcome back to school. We're glad to have you back." She started. So not to waste your time, I'll go straight to the point. We apologize for the great inconvenience; The loss of a fellow student. It has put us all in a great shamble. And I believe we can pull through as a family. Fortunately and unfortunately the police declared it as suicide relieving our school from all the stress of having to close down. The school offers their deepest condolences. To take your mind off things we advise that you find yourselves a hobby. The tennis court and the swimming pool has been completed now and there are rules governing their use. Also for your protection no one is allowed to be out after 8:30. Preps would end at exactly 8:15...." She announced
A loud cheer came from the crowd. She waited perfectly for it to die down.
"....Because it will commence at exactly 6:15."
The murmurs of disappointment followed. Trust students to be disappointed about having to study. "The security has been doubled for your safety and you shouldn't walk alone. Move either in pairs or groups. The guidance and counseling office is always open. come to us with your problems. we can help you. do not go down the same road as Nina Okyere. A moment of silence for our dear one'
'The room went dead silent.'
'You have loved ones who wouldn't want to see your life cut so short. We are here for you. 'She said with enough pain, we heard her voice break.'
I will end here. You're welcome once again. Enjoy the rest of your day." And with that she left.
We said our ending grace and headed out. Sean and I stayed behind. I had a lot to tell him. I had given him information on everything I knew about the dead body that turned up. Everything Akosua had told me. I went ahead to tell him about my nightmares and what Joshua said to me before I left.
"Strange" he commented. "But I promise we'll figure out what's going on." He patted me my shoulders.
I stood to leave but then I remembered something.
I sat back down, "You know, earlier today when I dropped Akosua embraced me like we'd been friends for a long time."
"So...?" Sean asked.
"So we're not friends. Well not like that at least. And she told me something." Sean looked curious.
"What did she say?" He asked.
'Well when she hugged me she said...
"...act natural. The school, they're watching.
They might as well be involved in the murder of that girl."
Then she pulled back and complemented me on my weight loss. She pulled me in for another hug.'
"There are going to be more bodies, Grace....."
"...Dead."
I'm really sorry about the late update.
Writers block?😬
