Shalom

Chapter Seventeen

Shalom lay on her mattress reminiscing on what the past few weeks had been. It had been dangerously stressful. She had no idea of it. The lecturers were choking the students with tons of lectures, tests, and assignments. She had promised God that she was going to do well in her respective courses' tests, but right now, she didn't have an idea of how choking they were; she was beginning to have doubts if she was still capable of fulfilling the promise.

Shalom shut her eyes in frustration and exhaustion. That particular day had been deadly stressful. She hadn't even taken anything since morning, only for the snack she did while they were on a compulsory break at school. Much to her disappointment, it wasn't satisfactory. Her stomach rumbled in hot hunger before the end of the third lecture.

Her stomach again gave another funny sigh of hunger. She flew her eyes open on hearing her abdominal region sing. She dragged herself from bed and strode to the kitchenette that was just in the corner of the room to catch a bite.

On opening up a middle-sized pot that was meant to be a pot of rice according to her, her face was reddened with anger and disappointment. In annoyance, she dropped the pot on the gas cylinder and walked back to her mattress in quick strides.

Praise had done it again. She wondered aloud, her face still contorted with anger as she lay her back on her bed. She was fond of eating her food without her consent. The first time she tried it, Shalom was unhappy about it when she eventually found it but she concealed her sadness with a smile. However, Praise had mistaken Shalom's demeanor for something else - maybe an agreeable one.

Praise, therefore, tried it a few more times, and it wasn't getting funny anymore.

Still thinking of how she was going to lash Praise with words, she suddenly remembered that she wasn't yet back from school. As soon as the class they had for the day ended, Shalom walked up to Praise and informed her that they needed to be on their way home. But Praise shook her head in refusal. She told Shalom that she would meet her in the hostel, she wanted to do something with a friend.

Shalom had given her a quizzical look, but Praise remained unperturbed. Shrugging her shoulders, she left Praise in class and went home - alone. Initially, that wasn't her plan, but somehow she found it enjoyable to walk home alone with her earbuds plugged into her ears and bobbing her head to Gospel music that seemed heavenly and breathtaking to her.

"Hello, who is in?" Praise announced in a sing-song; the door pushed open as she and her friend filed in.

Shalom raised her head from her phone, she was about to give her roommate a call. She cast a stern stare on Praise who was grinning from ear to ear. She was unusually excited today. What could have been the cause?

Praise gazed at her. "Ahah! What's with that look now?" She asked Shalom. "You can have your seat," she said to the lady who entered the room with her, nudging her head towards the empty Shalom's plastic chair.

She obeyed.

Praise had not settled down when Shalom began to vomit the fury she had stomached.

"I know you are hungry," she said in remorse and looked at Shalom for a moment.

"You know?" Shalom's brow creased in a frown.

"Yes. And that was why I bought this for you." She brought out a package that was wrapped with nylon from her bag and placed it in front of Shalom on her bed.

Shalom eyed her suspiciously. "What's this?" She asked not taking her eyes from Praise.

"You can save me that question by checking what's inside yourself," Praise retorted with a playful hiss.

"Wow! Nice one! Clap for yourself! On top of my food?" Shalom unwrapped the package and what she saw made her blink at first and soon shrieked with excitement.

"What?" She screamed with delight while she stared down at the takeaway containing jollof and fried rice in two sections garnished with plenty of dodo pieces and a fried chicken lap to cap it up.

"Is anything the matter?" Praise asked pretending as though she didn't know the cause of Shalom's sudden excitement.

"Oh my God! You bought this for me?" Shalom asked in disbelief, her gaze on Praise now.

"Yes. Or don't you want it?"

"Of course, I do. Thank you so much," Shalom appreciated her deeply.

"You're welcome. And I'm sorry for eating your meal without your consent. It has become a bad habit that I need to break," Praise said in self-pity.

"Of course," Shalom nodded. She was wolfing the meal down. She knew her rumbling stomach would be grateful for the meal it was accommodating for once outside her parents' house.

"Thank you so much, Praise, for this meal," she thanked her again and gulped down a cup of water but Praise was no longer in view.

Shalom turned her head in Praise's strange friend's direction. She was plugged while her head bent over her phone. Whatever Shalom wanted to say to her was no longer at that moment, seeing that she might be a distraction for her, and besides, she was eating. People don't talk while they eat, right?

She turned her face back to her meal and continued eating.

Just then, Praise appeared in the room with a towel strapped to her water-dripping pale body.

Shalom saw her and said nothing.

A few minutes later, Praise was clad in a blouse and tight-fitted jean trousers. She wore a pair of black sandals. Her face wasn't made up. Just the application of a brown powder and lip gloss.

"Are you going out?" Shalom asked, apparently surprised at her roommate's appearance. The full plate that was before her had become empty.

"Yes. A party!" She giggled and reached for her small handbag.

Shalom coughed. "A party?" She blinked in disbelief.

"Yes," Praise maintained. "Is anything wrong with that?" She asked whipping her head to her.

Shalom's mouth opened to say something but she quickly shut it.

"Nothing," she said trying to conceal her annoyance with a smile.

"And if I may ask, what kind of party is it, and when will you be back?" She was hoping to hear Praise say later in the night but her hope was dashed more to her irritation.

"Tomorrow morning," she said and made for the door while her bag hung on her shoulder. "Trust me, the party is going to be lit. If you are willing to be there, you can come with us. We will wait for you till you're done dressing," she winked.

"Wow!" Shalom gaped. She must have turned white at this point.

Ignoring Shalom's expression, she summoned her friend's attention with her voice loud enough to call her from the world of music or whatever she had traveled to.

"Faith! I'm done! Let's get going!" Her voice was almost like a scream. And just like what she had predicted, Faith raised her head from her phone and gazed at Praise who was already dressed. She stood from the plastic chair she was seated on and went over to where her friend was standing.

This time, Shalom took a proper look at Faith. She was a tall and slender lady and almost the same-ly dressed in Praise's attire. She had a beautiful round face and huge eyeballs. Her short, pointed nose settled perfectly between her eyes and her fine mouth. Her lips were dark but perfectly. Her not-too-much-revealed skin, according to Shalom, was chocolate in color. She was just perfect for a woman and pretty.

"Goodbye, Shalom. We are running late already," Praise said to her awestruck roommate.

"Bye, Shalom," it was Faith's turn to bid her goodbye, and off they went. The door was slammed behind them, leaving Shalom alone by herself.

To be continued.