Icelamb

Chapter 9

"Wow, your highness, I forgot that even when the bell rings, I shouldn't disturb your beauty rest. Get up!" Mobo barks.

"If you are not down in 10 minutes, you will get punished and trust me, I will be very, very glad to punish you," he says, clearly annoyed. He, however, directs his anger at him and doesn't look at Naade. Naade has an 'I dare you to say anything look on his face.

We must not have heard the bell go off. He leaves the room.

"You take a shower first," Naade offers.

"Thank you," I say.

I get up quickly and breeze into the bathroom. I grab a towel from the rack. I brush my teeth hurriedly with toothpaste.

I rinse off and head to the shower. I hurriedly take a cold shower. The water drizzles down my skin. I only use a block of bar soap. I don't have time to use a body wash. I grab a bottle of body oil, pour a few drops on my palms, and rub them in my skin.

I pick my jumpsuit outfit and wear it. I leave the bathroom and decide to wait for Naade. I hear the splash of water. I decide to pray. Soon, Naade finishes. He comes out with his outfit and holds a towel in his hand, constantly drying his head with it. He doesn't act like someone on a time limit.

"Why are you still here?" Naade asks with a slight frown on his face.

"Just decided to wait for you, that's all," I answer.

He drops the towel in a laundry basket in the room. He walks to his closet, brings out his cologne and sprays it on his body.

I move closer to inhale the scent. He smelled slightly sweet, minty and fresh. His choice of cologne complements the Nigerian weather; hot.

He doesn't say anything, but he moves alongside me, and when we get out and move to the arena, he walks away from me and retreats to a lonely area. I want to go with him, though I don't know or trust him. It still feels good to have someone to talk to.

Everyone is already assembled. I see Naade with a group. I join the group.

There are 3 girls and 5 boys in the group, with Naade included. I see others forming a circle, and we imitate them. From my observation, we were probably the same age.

"I'm Tayo. These people are brutal o. I wish I was still in my grandmother's place eating Eba and Ila. " the boy to my left laments in whispers.

His thick Ibadan accent resounds in my ears as he speaks.

He is short, dark, and has a vertical tribal mark on each side of his face. I am taller than him. He is bald, and his head seems to shine like 'Amala', scooped with drops of groundnut oil on the traditional wooden scoop.

"I'm Kunle," another boy speaks. He was beside Tayo. He is handsome and has a dimple on his left cheek.

I watch the dimple appear and disappear on his left cheek as he speaks. He is tall and light in complexion. His skin looks pale, probably due to the pain inflicted on us.

"My name is Dayo," the boy facing me says. He is a timid boy who looks like he could drop any minute. The boy beside Naade doesn't speak. He, however nods his head. He converses silently with Naade. They know each other.

"Follow me," A guard assigned to our unit says. We all follow him. We enter a classroom or what seems to be a classroom.

The 'classroom' is not your typical classroom. The walls have a scenic view of trees, flowers, and gardens.

I brush my hands against the 'painting,' but my hands feel flowers, the faint sweet smell of whatever flower It may be sailing through the air. Wow, taking classes in nature, how catchy. Was this supposed to help us forget? The view is relaxing.

There are metal chairs and a table joined together. I sit beside a girl I haven't noticed though I recognise her as one of the girls assigned to my unit.

Our teacher walks in. She has a sleek, coiffed up hairdo. She wears an intercom on her right ear. She looks like 'money .'She starts her lesson.

She wears a blouse and a penciled skirt. Her blouse is tucked in. She looks too 'uptight' for a teacher. Just my opinion though.

"Good morning! We can help ourselves here; you just follow the rules. I teach; you listen. You ask questions. If you answer incorrectly, I have full authority to do with you as I please. So our first topic is 'safety rules.

You know, in any place you are in, you should always obey the safety rules. So you are in 'Aye'; therefore let me introduce you to the rules" she says, her voice soothing me despite her words' harshness.

It sounds velvety soft, like a pillow I could snuggle. I shake my head; she is one of the 'enemies' here.

She is about to speak when the intercom buzzes. She converses for a long time. I rub my hands together to calm my nerves.

" oh! we can't go over the safety rules today. Go back to your rooms." The teacher dismissed us.

"Something came up," she says with a clipped tone, leaving the 'classroom' with no explanation.

I realize I have to pee. I leave the classroom without speaking to anyone. I hurriedly walk to my room and open the door.

I see a figure lying on the floor. She faced the wall. I am alarmed, but curiosity gets the better of me. I advance forward toward the figure.

The figure looks stiff. I move closer and discover that she is probably female due to her long, curly hair. I see a gaunt face with a swollen eye, the precious eyes which loved to annoy me; Titi's eyes.

Her veins are visible.

"Titi!" I call. She looks at me and wants to speak when the door opens.