Within The Campus

Chapter One

Kongo campus, one of the two campuses of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria that is constituted by two faculties, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Administration.

Having gotten admission to study Public Administration, i became so elated and i was consumed by the euphoria of finally starting my degree programme after years of waiting at home, a waiting that was characterized by series of disappointments...

Fully determined i made a promise saying to myself inwardly "No matter what, you shouldn't be distracted Ali... This is a four year course and these four years shall in a time to come be like four days"

As part of the plan, i designed a personal timetable after becoming acquainted with the courses i had to offer for the semester. Things were going as planned, i attended lectures with zeal, read in advance and form personal notes in the departmental library.

The semester went well and a success was recorded for me, having a very secured 2.1 for the start and as it is with every achievement, motivation accompanied it and i became firmly determined to strive harder to perform better because judging from that first semester result attaining first class degree was feasible but mystery of life has always been the fact that we don't really know what tomorrow holds...

A week after resumption from the first semester break, i decided to continue with the usual schedule and even make efforts for improvements, having the desire to do that i decided to change from studying in the departmental library to law library because of the fact that rumour was having it that it was more convenient to read.

It was 8:15AM and i happened to be the first student to set my feet into the library on that fateful day, being a stranger there i was oblivious of the best position to compose myself, not long ago after i sat down, a girl of medium height set forth towards my direction, dressing in her formal black and white attire that uniquely describes law students... Her eyes were fixed upon me as she approaches while i was dazzled by the beauty embedded in her, she was pulp and dark in complexion with her apple cheek. I stopped gazing at her and pretended as if my attention was utterly on my book meanwhile deep inside me i was beholding the greatness of God for creating the beauty in her. She came and stood directly facing me, noticing that, i lost my composure waiting for what next shall be her action. "Good Morning! May you please let me have this seat, i am use to studying on it and it has become like a habit for me, my course mates attribute it to me as my permanent seat" she said.

I wanted to let her have the seat because her approach was polite and her sweet voice added to her influence on me but a voice from my head echoed "this girl is well aware of the fact that she is beautiful and she wants to use the effects of her beauty on you" i reluctantly said no! Just use a seat elsewhere because i find it more conducive here. I was expecting something harsh from her but to my chagrin she unreservedly moved to the sit opposite mine, relaxed herself there and said thank you! Being ashamed of myself i couldn't utter a word, i was just eyes fixed on my book and reading nothing but thinking of what made me rejected an Angel like her even though she was polite in her manners.

As i was deeply engrossed in the thought of what transpired between me and her, her melodious voice jerked me back to consciousness, "you must be new here, for you to use that seat plus you are not in black and white which simply means you are not a law students" she said.

I am a public administration student, and i just decided to use this library because rumour is having it that it's more conducive to read.
She said "Ok yayi kyau" i was surprised and shocked because she pronounced the phrase correctly even though she dressed completely not like a Hausa girl and she doesn't look like one. I wanted to ask her but i kept quiet for the fact that i was still feeling guilty of my attitudes towards her.

I had to summon the courage to compose myself to be able to read what my personal timetable requires and i read for two hours because normally i hardly exceed two hours when studying. After which i left her there for the day and still thinking of her gentle and polite attitudes...

Through out the day, the thought of her clouded my mind, "she was beautiful and polite" my mind kept telling me this. I had to warn myself of the impending danger that accompanies getting intimate with girls, especially beautiful girls even though i was able to avoid letting myself be amenable to the effects of beautiful girls whenever i come across them but the effects of the beauty of that stranger, that stranger that i only know by face is really hard and seemingly becoming irresistible. At that very moment, i decided never to visit Law Library again lest i may be subjected to a more stronger influence from that sweet and influential stranger but the fact that Kongo Campus is more like a family setting where members of that setting are likely to be meeting on a frequent basis thwarted my efforts and rendered it ineffective....