Lotanna

Episode 2

“Babe please I’ve already stained my bed, I’m going to bath. I will tell you everything when I get back”. I was already half way out of the corridor heading for the bathroom wing of the bungalow when I heard senior Frances calling me.
“What did Mr. John tell you Lotanna?” she said. I just kept walking like I did not hear a thing. “Lotanna Chibuike I am TALKING to you” of course her talking had heavy stress laid on it but I didn’t even care.
“He didn’t tell me anything”. I replied her still walking.
“Wait o, so he called you to share jokes abi? Thief like you! Mtchewwwwww”
At that moment, I was very ready to rip jaws apart. But knowing that I had never slapped a mosquito before successfully, I resolved to make my points clear in shouting. With sudden courage, I turned around, dropped my bucket, tied my towel to my dress and ran fast to tap her on her back.
“Let me tell you something!” I said in a roaring voice with all my energy fully charged. “I am NOT a thief. I was helping Mary burgle her locker because she said she couldn’t find the key. I cannot understand how people get framed for doing good, but don’t you ever blab such rubbish to me agai…” the again had not even fully dropped when my cheeks received two hot slaps left and right.
“Do I look like your mate?! When did this one start now” senior Frances shouted. “Ss3 girls make una help me see o! Lotanna new student wey never finish one session for FCK dey form levels reach my side”.
I was really wondering where the Ss3 girls she was calling were because no one had shown up and obviously, we could be heard from their dorm because our voices were raised. I turned around to leave like the good girl I am. But believe me, sometimes you have to sacrifice everything; even if it means your towel.
  In less than a minute, I turned around and went after senior Frances. Just as she was about to enter her dorm, I untied my towel even before reaching her, and started strangling her from behind.
“We must die today “I shouted!
In fact we die here! I continued as I tightened my grip on the towel.
I want to believe that senior Frances probably took Kong-Fu of Taekwondo classes because her turn around was epic. I saw myself fly up in the air while receiving two heavy kicks on my thighs.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” the cheers were getting louder from both her mates, and other curious hostel members.
“This girl is mad o; imagine her trying to kill Frances. She has met her match today”. I recognized senior Pamela’s voice but this was not the time because the aim here was ‘not to get beaten’
   I lay there receiving blows fresh out of senior Frances rock hard hands. All of a sudden, I remembered that if I did not win this fight, it would be all over for me in this school and probably in life. With the little strength I had, I put my thumb straight into her eyes and she was of course thrown of balance. Seeing that she had lost balance, I got up to give her a fair share of the blows.
To be honest, this is my second fight in life. The first was my legendary primary school fight with my crush Collins. I still wonder till today who borrowed my senses and left me bare to be foolish enough to slap a boy like Collins. Well, we fought, and he hated me till we graduated. But I comforted myself with the fact that he was super cute and tall, and in my mind I felt our children would be lucky in the near future; the world they say is a small place so I believed that time would bring Collins back.  Oh the dreams! Because time only put me fist to fist with senior Frances.
   Senior Frances however, was nothing near my crush. She was just an ugly girl with lean hips and a gravel face trying to make my life miserable so she deserved every bit of what was happening.
“Lota stop! Matron is coming”. I heard Cheta shout in the midst of those entertained by our fight. It hit me because I was already in a lot of trouble and I was not prepared to face two panels in one day. Remembering quickly that mama matron only listens to who reports first, I ran off quickly despite the tight grip senior Frances had on my leg, to go and report myself to matron. Thank God the fight wasn’t up to five minutes so it was early to lay complaint.
    I was defeated in the fight sadly, but the fight was not over yet; till I said so.