It was quiet. Unusually quiet. Too quiet for my liking. It was a
Friday evening and while I was busy being thankful it was Friday, that nagging
feeling of residual quiet nagged at me continuously. Then I decided to
check out our neighbors and chill with them and probably collect some films or
stuff to watch. I Went to Fatboy’s room. Locked. Mindy’s room. Locked.
And I got subsequent results as I checked the remaining rooms. Then reality
dawned on me, We ( I and Aso ) were alone in the whole hostel. Alone!
I decided to inform Aso so that we’ll lock up and retire for the
night as we had already had dinner. He in all his wisdom agreed and locks the
door. Trying to alleviate boredom we talked about what happened in school that
day and the conversation unerringly landed on a subject Aso had been trying to
steer away from (verbal wrestling tinzz). The Identity of His new
“acquaintance” whom no one but Prodigy had seen and was also not willing to
share. I begged Aso to tell me but as he was in a good mood he dropped some
hints and changed the conversation (Typical Aso).
I could hear the rains starting, they had been threatening since
afternoon and I knew they had to come sooner or later. They just helped to dull
my mood and sleep was also nowhere in sight so I accepted my vigil and took out
my system and started tweeting. After about 15 minutes I closed the laptop and
lay on my bed and brought out my phone and continued tweeting (as per big boy).
That was when I heard it….
It sounded like an animal scratching and it distinctively brought
to mind one Nigerian movie I watched where a woman with Red toothpaste as
make-up and long nails was haunting a family. It also reminded me of metal
scratching metal and the effect that had was to send a chill down my spine and
sprout goose bumps on my skin ( I still don’t know what causes them).
Fear initially crept into us as we listened and I as the most courageous piped
up with as much courage as i could muster.
“WHOSE THERE?” I asked. That must have seemed to spur him on as he
started shaking the door trying desperately to open the door. An anger grew in
me and I started shouting “Hey whose there joor?”
The Ironical thing about situations like this is that they tend to
bring out parts of us we never knew existed. This was the case as Aso and I
were turned to Impromptu Detectives.
Aso: I heard the footsteps na, Eze dint u hear them
I: I did, but I thought it was Mr Ade, but the person dint pass
across the window na
Aso: Who do you think it is?
I: Wo I don’t know joor, it might be thieves
Aso: Let’s just remain silent; hopefully they’ll go away,
I: They can’t be bad guys na, Lets still check.
Aso: What are you doing? Let’s just hide and stay here
I: chill lemme check it out
Aso: Eze don’t go out oo…do u know what is there?, if u go out
THEY can come in
Then the sound ended and we heard nothing for a time, after
sometime and I had started to relax, I noticed I was holding both my breath and
my piss. I let out one but had to hold the other and as I was going to relieve
myself, a knock came on the door which made me forget my mission instantly. I
rushed to the door hoping just to end this once and for all. And the smug face
I saw smiling made my heart climb down from my throat and almost made me piss
myself. It was Prodigy……….
