Another semester had begun, and Uchechi was feeling ecstatic and overjoyed that her life was now taking a positive turn, and she had two more years to go to live her dreams to the fullest. This thought alone kept her on her toes, reading day and night just to ensure she maintained a good grade all through school.
She became more determined and never failed to burn the midnight oil. Most times, she skipped her meals in order to finish studying and this resulted to her having ulcer. At some point, her night reading became an issue because she deprived herself of sleep and this affected her activeness during the day, coupled with the squabble she constantly had with her roommates. One night, while Uche was reading, Ada; her roommate; who was struggling to sleep; rudely confronted her.
"Oh! What is your problem sef? Na by force to read? Ha".
"It is true sef. Don't you know you are disturbing our beauty sleep? See better go and turn off that light before I slap you from here" Stella added while concentrating on her phone.
"Ha, please don't make me laugh, are you beautiful that you need beauty sleep. Although, she does have a point, the light isn't just disturbing us, but you are putting yourself at a disadvantage. You need to sleep. Please" Bukola interrupted.
"If she wants to read till, she drops dead, how does that concern you, is it your life or body? See my own is I don't want that light on at night. If you want to read, go outside." Ada shouted.
"Oh. I'm sorry for disturbing, I'll put it off now" Uche said remorsefully while arranging her books.
"Why you are saying sorry is what is confusing me" Bukola said to Uche while she gave a faint smile.
The next morning, while they all got ready to go for their morning lectures, Ada decided to choose violence as she randomly threw a perfume bottle on Uche's leg. "Ah ahn Why did you just throw your bottle at my leg? What did I do to you?" Uche said angrily
"What do you mean? Better drop that innocent act and give me back my earring you stole before I disgrace you" Ada added. "Me? Steal? I would never; I have no business with your earring. Leave me alone before I'm late." Uche replied. "Of course you had a reason; I know you are poor; you probably wanted to sell it. See; better give me back my earring before it is too late". "Wow it is the fact you think those your cheap things could fetch any money. Another way, Uche would never steal anything even if her life depended on it, so leave her alone because we are running late. Mtchew" Bukola interrupted and dragged Uche out the room as they were already running late for their lecture.
While in class Uche couldn't concentrate because she kept thinking about the reason behind Ada's accusation. "Madam Uche please come back. Thank you. Answer the question or are you waiting for an invitation" the lecturer asked, instantly pulling her back into reality. "I'm sorry sir, I was lost in thought." Uche's mind kept wondering off, she was so lost that she nearly fell into a gutter, but thankfully she was saved by a passer-by.
Ada's hatred for Uche lingered on with so much jealousy; after all, Uche was the most brilliant girl and this brilliancy attracted all the guys, making Ada's hatred and jealousy grow every passing day. As exams drew near, everyone was up and running, trying to make sure no stone was left unturned. Uche focused squarely on her preparations for the upcoming tests and exams, trying her very best to avoid crossing paths with Ada and getting on her nerves knowing full well that it wouldn't end well.
One hot afternoon, Uche sat on the bench reading; finding pleasure in the silence that very much welcomed her, allowing her to concentrate and be one with her thoughts. This serenity went on for hours until shattered by the presence of an uninvited guest. "Hi. Sorry to disturb you, I need your help with something" the guest said. "I'm sorry, do I know you? How may I help you?" Uche questioned. "Oh! My name is Matthew Uzo. We are course mates" he replied. "Nice to meet you, Matthew. What is it you said you wanted?" Uche probed. "Well, there was a topic our lecturer taught us, but I didn't quite understand it and his further explanations confused me the more, so I opted to ask for your guidance". "That's okay, I'll help you. Would you like me to explain it now or later?" she asked, and he responded, "well I saw you reading before I interrupted you and I'm sure you would like to continue so how does 3'o clock later today sound". "Sure. That okay" Uche returned.
Unknown to the both of them, Ada, who was lurking in the corner, happened to see them talking and immediately burned with anger. She had developed a crush on Matthew from the first day she laid eyes on him and since then, she couldn't keep her distance. She had tried making her presence known to him, but he did not take notice of her. She even attempted to talk to him but to no avail. Seeing him with Uche made her boil and she was going to something about it. But what?
