202

  The Eastern morning sun shone with grace as it rose to it's full glory. It's shadow cast on a troop of tall brown buildings. There were colossal of blocks behind a tiny bungalow font. Series upon series of rooms decorated the building. The smallish looking building in front of the bigger buildings had a small board hung on it. It's words were in bright green color and the board on which it was written was white in color. The block green letters read 'Aminu Kano'. A group of boys sauntered out of the building laughing enthusiastically and patting each other in the back a little violently. But it didn't seem to hurt them as whatever they were talking about seemed to take away the pain they must have felt from the hit. My eyes were set firm on the building in front of me. A bit of trepidation running down my spine. Would I like it here? I asked again. The same question that has been running through my mind since I got on the 6:00am bus this morning. I had been standing here for the past 30 minutes. My sister had gone to get some paperwork finalized so that we could settle in our temporary accommodation for the session. I was a bit grateful for the delay. I didn't want to see what awaited me behind that small building. I also wasn't ready to face a group of strangers I would be spending the next four months with. Would they be rude? Crazy? Unbearable? Only time would tell. 

Two hours later and I am dragging a big suitcase up a set of brick stairs. The bag was a bit bigger than I and it fell a good couple of times before I finally made it to my room. I took out my card that had been given to me at the Porter's office. The room was at the right wing of the first set of buildings and it overlooked the open space outside the fairly old hostel. My eyes gently trailed the door, trying to get acquainted with the fact that I had to make this place somewhere close to home if I was to survive here. An heavy sigh involuntarily left my lips as I finally gained the courage to push open the door and step into the room. My new home. Room 202.

My first night was a disaster. Unlike what I expected, I had no roommate. I was all alone in the darkness of an unfamiliar room. The environment was silent. Too silent. I could practically hear the sound of feets moving and my own heart threatening to fall out of my chest. The sound of bunk scrapping against tiled floor pricked my ears. I felt like crying. It only reminded me in anger what I had been through earlier in the day. About six hours ago after I had found my room, I realized it was empty. An empty space with two medium sized wardrobes and devoid of any sleeping bunk. It took hours to drag a bunk up the stairs and get it into the room. And by then my hands were already starting to bleed out. I actually met a potential roommate of mine, didn't get her name but she assisted me along with my sister, Emilia in getting my bunk to the room before hurrying off with a promise to be back the next day. Unable to continue the night in the room, I decided to spend the night with my sister in her room. The next day I left for my faculty which was quite uneventful. It was the same mundane activities of the black and white army marching about the huge building. The professionalism of the law faculty was choking yet envy worthy at the same time.

On getting back to my yet unfamiliarised hostel, I was greeted with a plethora of girls. Obviously my new roommates. We exchanged greetings and names. It continued like this for quite some time. New girls came into the room. The first was Della, the girl I had seen on my first day, she is a bubbly sort. A bit hyper but in the right amount. Then I got to know Onyinye, she initially had a bit of a mood swing, a bit ignorant of territory but a very pretty girl. Then there is the sisters, Ehi, an epitome of black beauty. I honestly was a bit sceptical of her, couldn't quite read her character from her appearance. But that was probably because I am a bit obsessed with wanting to read people's minds and feelings from their face. But one thing is certain, she is dramatic.Her sister, Oses is also very pretty. I got to know later that we both share some things in common. She would seem unapproachable from first impression but she is a sweetheart. There is Winifred, my bunk mate or BUNKIE as we like to call each other. It took a while to get close to her because of her commanding nature. Annabel came a bit later and she is quite a character. At first appearance, she seemed to be of a higher social class but soon we got to find out that it was all 'packaging', although she knows how to hold her end socially. The last to come into the room was Mercy, she is generously blessed in the backside. This makes me laugh all the time. She is like the motherly figure in the room, always handy with advice. And a bit obsessed with getting me to eat properly. I am a bit underweight. I just get lazy to actually prepare something so I settle for junks. In all, we were eight girls in the room. It was a bit of a struggle at first. 

I was still in doubt of my mindset towards these set of girls I share a room with. I would often remain quiet at my little corner and watch as they went about their activities. I was observing. Observing who they are and in a way trying to see them slip up from their nice character, even if a little. I am not anti social, just that I don't trust people on first instance rather I observe till am ready to truly get close to them. 

A few weeks after living together, we finally have become like a true family. They had made it their personal mission to get me to loosen up. I had a habit of dressing out of sight and it irked them as we were all familiar enough to dress up in the presence of each other. I remember on one occasion when Ehi had dragged my towel off my back and I had quickly wrapped it around myself and rushed out laughing at their failed attempt. It was kind of a circuitous game that I intend to not lose. Although Our little bubble of friendship was not without trouble. Before the end of the first semester, Onyinye and Mercy had gotten into a bit of an altercation. It was an argument that led to insult being thrown at each other. The rest of the semester was tense before we left for a mid session break. Although when we got back, we became as tight as gloves once more. 

The session was coming to an end and we would soon have to part ways. I am currently writing from my little corner in the room, steadily observing everyone as they go about their activities. Soon we would no longer be together. We would have to prepare to meet and live with new set of strangers. I still remember the little 'room week' we organized in celebration of our time together. That was about a week ago. It began with a talent night, then there was the game night, full of charades and truth or dare games and the likes. After that, we had an exhilarating movie night, set up props in our room and cuddles close to each other with various snacks spread around us. It came to an end with the cooking night, food food food. It was amazing. Soon we say goodbye, soon we leave our make shift home, soon we get to meet new people that we would call roommate. But our yesterday would always remain with us and our today, we will spend as what we have come to know each other as. A family. The family of room 202.