Blurred Vision

Senior School

School began in a rush, all students both old and new settled in. We had moved to a new apartment and the apartment head remained Kosi, I was bunking Asah this time around and Deze was with Kosi. Somehow, Flourish and Tochi became friends and they were bunking each other.

Asah shook me. "Ryl, get up, we have to fetch water before those annoying seniors get too much"
I turned and grumbled. "Ooohm, can't we fetch it later".
"You are no longer a junior student, SS3 girls would not spare you o" she tapped me again sharply.
"Asah leave me!" I shouted pushing her hand. She did not disturb me further and when I finally woke up, I saw my bucket filled with water, she was trying her towel ready to bathe.
"Asah I'm sorry"
She hissed and shook her head. "Sleeping muranya, next time, it would be your turn to fetch water"
"No problem" I promised as I got down and changed into my towel too before following her to the bathroom.

***
I entered my class and sat in my desk. Here in SS1 B, there were no friends, all classmates and all arts students, I settled down to a round of lessons before break and when it was time for break, I went to meet Anderson, he hadn't spoken to me since the proposal and for a while, he was just cold towards me.
"Hi!" I said to him as I sat in the empty seat beside him. He never came to visit me since we resumed last week and I was putting all effort to make sure that I did not lose my close friend.
"Hi" he murmured when he saw who it was.
"You don't look happy, what's the problem?" I asked him.
"Nothing" he shook his head and kept his eyes down.
"Are you still angry with me?" I asked him.
He was silent.
I adjusted on the seat. "You are my closest friend, you and Asah and I like you but it's too early to start getting too close, it's even awkward...."
"Ryl, it's okay" he interrupted.
"So you will just keep being angry" I was angry as I said this.
"I'm not angry".
"I'm not a child... I'm not your baby sister, we are friends and if you learn to treat me like one, that would be better"
"So if I date another girl, it won't bother you?" He stared at me.
I folded my arms. "Must you date someone? When did this thing start entering your head?"
"Ryla, my mother and my father quarrel this way because they didn't know each other for long, they married without being friends first of all...."
"Anderson, did a knot get loose in your head?" I laughed. "You are talking about marriage when you are just in SS1, how old are you sef? Fifteen?"
His eyes flashed with anger.
"Listen, I understand that you are upset about your parents but come to think of it, aren't we friends and if I love you, at the right time, you will be my boyfriend and then my fiancé and then my husband, that's how things are done... According to time" I told him with a smile.
Anderson shook his head, his anger fading away then he laughed. "Ryl, you are impossible"
"Am I forgiven?"
He didn't answer, instead, he brought out a pack of doughnuts. "That's for you"
"Seriously? I thought you were mad at me"
He shook his head. "It's complicated"
"Lovebirds!" Asah slammed the desk.
"Oh God, Asah, what's wrong with you?" Anderson complained with a smile.
"Oh my! Is this pack of doughnuts for only you, Ryl?" She asked me excitedly.
"Did Anderson mention your name when be was giving it to me?"
"That's your own wahala, my own is that I am eating from that pack"
The bell for end of recess rang.
"Nna eh, I'm missing you guys, I don't like this class separation at all" Asah whined. She was in SS1 E while Anderson was in SS1 D.
"Me too" I concurred. Anderson was silent staring at us, obviously thinking about something.

***
I saw a paper on my bed that afternoon when I entered the dormitory. I took it and opened it, the handwriting was unfamiliar, dirty and scattered and it read:  ' How does art class  feel? You shouldn't have chosen arts because when all is done, you won't have a job'
I swallowed hard and painfully too, sweat broke out of my forehead. I folded the paper and tucked it in my bedsheet willing myself not to cry. Of a truth, I wasn't finding arts so simple, but it wasn't so hard either, the reminder that I might be making a mistake nudged me. For one thing, all the teachers were shocked that I chose arts, they kept asking me if I was sure and it made me feel as if I wasn't on the right track. I removed my clothes and put them in my bucket for washing.
"Why are you crying?"
I turned to see Deze, I hadn't realized that tears had streamed down my cheeks.
"Nothing" I replied cleaning my eyes. "I remembered a bad dream, nothing much"
"Somebody wrote the dream in the paper abi?"
Oh God, this girl should leave me alone.
"No, I'm serious, it's nothing"
"If it's Kosi, you are a weakling to be crying because of her"
I bit my lip to hold back the insult that nearly escaped my lips. Of course, it was Kosi, no matter how she changed the handwriting, the words, the subject was all pointing at her and Deze knew, Deze was an accomplice no matter how she tried to twist things up so that people wouldn't know but I know that Deze is still Kosi's disciple.

***
The geography teacher just left and the senior prefect entered the class. "Lessons have finished for today, pack your bags and go back to the dormitory and daystudents, wait behind, you would be addressed"
The boys groaned loudly slumping on their seats, I packed my bag carefully and left the class. "Ryl!" A voice called.
I turned around to see Nora, I haven't seen her since resumption so I was shocked. She ran towards me and engulfed me in a hug.
"I'm in your class, I came back today"
"Wow" was all I could say.
"I'm finally out of JSS3!" She said excitedly. She looked young and less frightening when she was happy.
"Thank God" I replied her.
"Yes, but thank you also, I was copying your behaviour"
"Awwwn, that's so sweet" I smiled.
"No, I'm serious" she continued.
"So am I" I laughed.
"Thank God Kosi is no longer in our class"
'Somehow I wish she was'
But I nodded in response.