I saw the veranda lights flash on suddenly, after rolling back and forth continuously for most of the night.
Before I could think of what it meant, the scramblings began. People were springing off their beds like they had never been asleep. The room light came on almost immediately. I grudgingly rolled off my bed and stood in with the others gathered in the middle of the room.
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Odedeji hurriedly began what was obviously the morning prayers.
"Amen." They all vigorously responded as though they hadn't just got out of bed. It was shocking to me because speaking right after waking up was a no no for me.
I responded to the rest of the prayers in my head. I couldn't do more than that.
The helter skelter movements began immediately after the semi rushed prayers. I stood by my bedside for a minute, just looking at everyone moving and rushing everywhere, I needed a brain. It was okay if they choose to be robots, but I needed to boot my brain.
I walked over to my locker by the corner of the room after a moment. My brain was yet to boot fully, but the speed at which everyone was going with their activities was alarming. I cautiously took off my night wear, ensuring no sensitive part of my body was left exposed.
The way the others pulled off their clothes exposing their sensitive parts with such reckless abandon made me plead the mercy of God upon them all. I didn't believe or have the mentality of What you have is what I have or there's nothing to hide. Same sex or not!
"What is this one doing?" I heard someone chuckle. I swiftly turned, still hiding myself.
"No one has time to be looking at you mumu. You don't have anything sef." She laughed mockingly, walking into she the bathroom.
"Shege. Idiot!" I called after her, wrapping my towel around my body. I grabbed my toothpaste and brush and then headed into the bathroom.
"I'm after you, I'm after you, I'm after you." Voices coming from all angles of the bathroom hit me hard as I stepped in.
God abeg.
How will I bath today?" I chuckled in spite of myself. It was a pain filled chuckle. I had only been very lucky the day before. Someone was after everyone and everyone after someone. I stood still for a minute. The classroom discussion of the previous day flashed through my mind. I couldn't imagine myself bathing outside the cubicles where any and everyone could see.
I hastily walked over to the wash basins, lined by the wall. A crowd hovered over and all around it, not even a free space. In each sink there was a minimum of three persons.
God abeg. Wetin be this one? I questioned mentally, barely managing to squeeze myself in the midst of the crowd. I took the lid off my paste quickly and spread some of it across my brush.
"Omo. God abeg." The girl next to me remarked in a muffled voice. We were brushing, four persons to one sink and taking turns to release into the wash basin.
"This is seriouser than I thought." I sighed to myself as I stepped into the room to drop off my tooth brush and tooth paste after the whole thing.
"Jesus! You guys, Ms has already said to your portions." Someone stepping into the room from the veranda announced alarmingly.
I didn't know what that meant, but the gasps and exclamations coming from the others told me instantly that it wasn't a good thing. I grabbed my toiletries and rushed into the bathroom again.
"I'm after you, I'm after you, I'm after you!" I went knocking on the door of each bathroom.
"Is this one mad nii?" One inhabitant questioned in a saucy tone.
