The sharp cry shook the
entire lodge, frightening me tremendously.
My heart furiously pounded. The day of
reckoning finally has arrived. I waited for few minutes in my room as I tried so hard to compose myself. Just like other students, I had to check out the cause of the cry and noise coming from downstairs. I wished I had travelled, but truly it was very bright of me to stay put in the lodge instead of travelling, because I had to be around in order to follow events and plan ahead. Moreover the hostel was a large one but it never stopped students who lived in it from knowing each other’s habit and as I hardly travelled. Who knows I could be suspected. Yes I was so scared that I felt every step I took could lead anyone to suspect me even though I was far from being one of the neither hostel terrors nor cultists who could easily be suspected as the hand behind such a deadly act. I
drank a glass of water before
heading out of my room. I slowly headed downstairs, towards where I dumped Nmeka’s body days ago. You can’t imagine how nervous and scared I was as, I slowly made my way to that place.
heading out of my room. I slowly headed downstairs, towards where I dumped Nmeka’s body days ago. You can’t imagine how nervous and scared I was as, I slowly made my way to that place.
Hundreds
of students were already at the staircase when I got there, students
from neighbouring hostels alike. I
greeted some of my neighbours who told me of the terrific discovery. I pretended to be shocked and forced my way to the front of the crowd. After a little struggle, I succeeded in getting close to Nmeka’s body which was already pulled out from the staircase.
The poor girl was now lying just some
steps away from where she was originally
dumped, looking pale as ever. I drew a bit close as if I was very concerned.
“Do you know her?” a girl quickly asked me. I turned to see almost everyone staring curiously at me. I swallowed hard with tension. My guilty conscience shook me like an earthquake.
“What?” I stammered. “Do you know her?” the Hostel President asked, before the girl
could repeat her question. “Hell no’’ That’s exactly what I came to check” I managed to
reply, dashing all their hopes. “Nobody knows her. She has no I.D or anything” the girl who
asked the first question explained, while I shrugged, saying nothing.
The relief I felt as I heard the girl’s explanation was quite enormous. I really had feared
the question was asked with suspicion.
“Do you know her?” a girl quickly asked me. I turned to see almost everyone staring curiously at me. I swallowed hard with tension. My guilty conscience shook me like an earthquake.
“What?” I stammered. “Do you know her?” the Hostel President asked, before the girl
could repeat her question. “Hell no’’ That’s exactly what I came to check” I managed to
reply, dashing all their hopes. “Nobody knows her. She has no I.D or anything” the girl who
asked the first question explained, while I shrugged, saying nothing.
The relief I felt as I heard the girl’s explanation was quite enormous. I really had feared
the question was asked with suspicion.
However I still feared the worst is yet to come. I knew there must surely be a scapegoat.
A sacrificial
lamb who will be blamed for such a
horrible crime...
- By Prince Adeyinka Adeogun
