Chapter 2 Bangkok Lodge

Danielle and Gabrielle took all the things they used for the matriculation to her sister's car. Danielle accompanied her sister to her lodge. They took the narrow rough path that led to Bangkok lodge. The road was really bad, and Danielle was quite unhappy that her sister had to go through that rough path every day. 

Danielle halted when they got to the gate of the lodge. She spent four years in the university,  but she had not stepped foot in the lodge. She frowned as she kept looking around. Gabrielle urged her to come with her. She walked slowly behind her. 

They walked into the entrance that connected all the rooms in the Bangkok lodge. Gabrielle lived in room five. While she was looking into her handbag in search of her bunch of keys, Danielle seized the opportunity to tour around the lodge. She was not satisfied with what she saw. 

Bangkok lodge was a totally amoral lodge. Students often said that the occupants of the lodge liked to 'bang' and 'kok'. They believed the name of the lodge influenced the lives of the people. Only those who were not properly informed found themselves in the lodge. 

"I can't believe the agent found this God-forsaken place for you. Gabby, you are too young to live in Bangkok lodge, I have said this countless times!" 

"I spent four years in this University but today is my first time entering this Gomorrah called Bangkok," Danielle continued shouting at her sister. 

"Dani nothing is happening here, I have been here for some days now, the boys and girls live lives that are not encouraging but I do not associate with anyone, so I'm safe," Gabrielle said as she inserted her key into a lock and turned it.

A young girl walked up to them and greeted them. She lived in room four with her twin sister. She wore only a G-string and a bra. She had different colors of belly beads around her waist. Danielle gave her a long stare as she bent to take the pot of food she had on a gas stove that was in front of her room. 

"Is she your neighbor?" Danielle asked when they had entered Gabrielle's room.

"Yes, she and her twin sister live here," Gabrielle said pointing at a connecting door that was covered with a curtain. 

"Why is she wearing only G-strings for God's sake? I saw children in the compound and indecent dressing makes children uncomfortable," Danielle said sadly. 

"Her sister Uka walks around the lodge naked,  I mean stark naked with Indian hemp on her lips. Wait, she will be here soon," Gabrielle added.  

Danielle stood up immediately and walked towards the door of her sister's room. 

"Dani, where are you going?" Gabrielle asked. 

"To the caretaker, I need a refund, you are leaving this Gomorrah now!" Danielle shouted." Come and show me his room."

"He doesn't live here," Gabrielle lied. 

"Where does he live?" 

"I heard he lives in Queenstown." 

"Does he have a phone number?" Danielle asked. 

"He doesn't have one," Gabrielle said. 

"Oh my God! Gabby, I'm coming here tomorrow to take you to another lodge, forget about the money, I'm ready to forfeit it. This Lodge is too dangerous for you. I don't like Bangkok lodge at all," Danielle said looking through the window. 

"Dani please the lodge is not what people think it is. I have been here for some days and I have never had any issue with anyone. As for their dirty lifestyles, I promise you it won't influence mine, " Gabrielle assured.

Danielle brought out money from her handbag, she handed it over to her sister before leaving the lodge. Gabrielle led her to the place where she parked her car and bade her farewell. She turned and took the rough narrow path that led to Bangkok lodge, the notorious lodge in the University. 

Bangkok lodge was made up of thirty rooms. The last room was occupied by the caretaker, his wife, and seven children. Other rooms were occupied by students and non-students. 

The caretaker had no say in whatever the occupants of the lodge were doing. He had the lodge's rules and regulations clearly written in front of the gate as the owner of the lodge instructed, but it was as if it was written in an unknown language. No one had ever stopped to look at the rules. People from other lodges wondered why the caretaker never attempted to enforce the rules on the people, but none of them knew why. 

Some of the occupants of the Bangkok lodge were ghost occupants. The owner of the lodge never knew about their existence. The caretaker used their house rents to take care of his seven children and in return, he allowed them to behave as they liked to avoid blowing the whistle. 

The men walked into any female room they wanted to sleep with without fear. The female occupants were used to the practice, they never resisted nor tried to report them to relevant authorities. 

All the occupants of Bangkok lodge were smokers and drunkards. They smoked weeds like it was nothing. Some of them had lived there for more than ten years. Some had been expelled from school but continued to live there. 

The girls divided themselves into four groups. Group A, B, C, and  D. Group A traveled to Johannesburg every February for prostitution, while other occupants who were students took care of their quizzes and assignments. 

Group B traveled every May for the same purpose, while the students helped them with their academic activities. Group C and D traveled every August and November respectively for the same purpose. 

Fighting over a man was the most common thing in Bangkok lodge as the boys slept with whoever they felt like sleeping with. Some of the girls received more than two male visitors every night. To the girls, it was a normal life. 

This was the lodge Gabrielle found herself in. No one told her about the lodge and she knew nothing. When the agent told her that he had found a room for her, Gabrielle was in a haste to catch a bus that was going to Queenstown. 

She gave the agent the house rent and promised to meet him in his office the next day. The next day, he took Gabrielle to the lodge. The room was quite big and Gabrielle liked it. No one told her anything about the lodge and she did not ask questions.

Danielle was happy the day her sister told her about her new room. However, she became sad when Gabrielle told her the name of the lodge. 

Since she moved into the lodge, she had not encountered any problem. The men had not said anything to her. This made her believe the lodge was not what people think after all. 

Her best friend, Agatha told her all the things she heard about the lodge, since Gabrielle had seen none of it, she debunked the rumor and called it mere gossip from lazy people.