Chapter 11

The next day, Rebecca woke up around 5 am like she usually does. She stretched her arm to turn off the alarm of her phone that was ringing aloud. She proceeded to her bathroom that was attached to her room and brushed her teeth. After she was done, she walked out and went to the backyard to get her uniforms that she washed the previous night.

The uniforms were hung on a rope made for spreading of washed clothes. 

She took them and walked back to her room with them. She opened her drawer and took out an iron and had her uniforms ironed on a table she kept in her room for ironing her clothes. After she was done ironing, she walked to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. 

The kitchen was of medium size with a very bright florescence light shining above it. It's entire wall was covered with smooth tiles, while the floor was covered with rough ones. She walked to the storage room and took some potatoes in a basket. She then walked to the cutlery section in the kitchen and got her favourite knife that she uses for peeling yams and potatoes.

She sat down on a small chair and started peeling the potatoes. About 20 minutes later, she was done peeling the potatoes. 

She sliced them into smaller pieces and then went to the fridge in the dining room and took some eggs. Went back to the kitchen and started frying the potatoes with the eggs on a gas cooker. At about 6: 30 am, she had finished frying everything.

She walked to the room of her little brother Emmanuel and woke him up. "Hurry up and take a bath before mum Wakes up," Janet said to him. He stood up with his eyes half closed and walked into their mother's bathroom.

While he was taking his bath, Rebecca opened his wardrobe and took his uniforms which she ironed the previous night and kept them on his bed. She then proceeded to her bathroom and started taking her bath. After she was done bathing, she went to her room and did all sorts of makeup before putting on her uniform. At about 7 am, she walked into the dining room and found Emmanuel waiting for her. 

She served him his breakfast and soon, he started eating it. When he was about to finish, their mother walked out of her room.

"Good morning mum," they both greeted her. "Good morning how are you doing?" Prof. Grace asked. 

"We are fine mum," they both responded.

"Are you taking the taxi or you will wait for me?" Prof. Grace asked Rebecca. 

"I will be going with Amira," Rebecca replied referring to their neighbour. 

"Alright then, I will see you after school," Prof. Grace said as she walked back to the room to get ready. 

Rebecca ate her breakfast and took her school bag and left the house. She went to their neighbour's house and called her friend's name.

"Give me a minute, I will be out soon," Amira replied.

About five minutes later, Amira walked out of the house. 

"I thought you said I should give you a minute," Rebecca smiled. 

"Do you want me to go school with an empty stomach?" Amira asked. 

"Not really, so how are you?" Rebecca asked and they started walked to school. 

"I am okay, how about you?" Amira questioned.

"I am okay too," Rebecca replied. 

"Where is Emmanuel? I heard he is attending a new school now," Amira stated.

"Yes, he is attending St. John primary school. And my mum is taking him there," Rebecca explained.

"That's great. So how is your Mathematics tutor?" Amira smiled.

"I don't know, he didn't come yesterday," Rebecca replied.

"I bet you don't hate him anymore, right?" Amira asked.

"Maybe," Rebecca replied.

"What do you mean by maybe? You know he created the best scene in school ever yesterday to save. What can possibly be wrong with him?" Amira asked. 

"Have you forgotten that my mum slapped me because of him?" Rebecca recalled.

"Come you can't possibly hate him forever because of that. You don't how he impressed everyone at school yesterday to saved you," Amira revealed.

"Really?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes of course, everyone in class kept talking about him after you were gone," Amira revealed.

"They asked me if I knew who he was and I told that he is and I told them that he is the best student in this university," Amira told. 

"Who told that you that?" Rebecca asked looking shocked. 

"You did of course. You said it was the very reason your mother hired him to teach you," Amira said. 

"I never said he is the best student in this university," Rebecca replied. 

They got the main road where they boarded a taxi to school.

***

Around 10 am, Richard walked into a lecture theatre where they were supposed to have a lecture by 11 o'clock. He sat on one of the front sits and brought out his books and started going through them. He was alone in the lecture theatre, so the lecture theatre was extremely quiet. About 30 minutes later, students started arriving into the lecture hall. Students usually come early into the lecture hall so that they could sit in the front. About fifteen minutes later, quarter of the theatre was filled with students. 

"Excuse Me, you are sitting on my seat," came a voice. 

When Richard looked up, it was Janet talking to the person sitting next to him.

"And how is this supposed to be your seat?" The man sitting next Richard asked. 

At this point, all the attention in the hall was on them.

"Well, I was here earlier, I just went out to get something," Janet replied. 

"That's untrue, I was the second person to come to this place after Richard," the man replied. 

"Well, you should ask Richard yourself. We have been sitting here together, I only went out get something and it took me so long," Janet answered. 

"Is that right Richard?" The man asked as he turned to Richard.

Before Richard could say a word, Janet winked at him. 

"Yes, she was here with me," Richard replied. 

"Why didn't you tell me then?" The man asked angrily. 

"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind," Richard apologized.

The man angrily stood up and left the seat while Janet sat there confidently.

Richard was totally amazed at the she spoke to the man with confidence even pretending to angry as if she was right.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Janet asked when she noticed how Richard was staring at her. 

"Nothing," Richard smiled and looked away.

"If you have something in your mind that you want to say, say it," Janet said giving Richard some kind of dirty look.

"I just pity that man," Richard replied.

"So you don't pity me?" Janet asked pretending to be angry. 

"As a matter of fact, yes, why should I pity you?" Richard asked.

"If that's the case, then I have to find another sit," she said as she tried to stand up. 

"The man is still over there watching us angrily. If you don't want to get both of in a very big trouble, then you should get seated," Richard said. 

When she looked in the direction Richard was looking, indeed the man was glaring at them angrily. Janet quietly sat back without saying a word. 

"Are scared of him?" she asked.

"Of course I am, just look at his size, he can eat both of us alive," Richard replied. Suddenly Janet started laughing out loud that people close to them to looked at them. They were all surprised seeing Janet talking to Richard like that.

About 10 minutes later, the lecturer came in and the hall went silent. He started his lecture and lectured for about two hours. After he declared that the lecture was over, all the students started leaving but Richard remained sited. 

"Hey, aren't you leaving?" Janet asked. "Actually not, I still have some places I have to cover,"Richard revealed.

"Come on, today is a free day for us, you need to relax and enjoy yourself," Janet suggested.

"Have you forgotten that we have an assignment to do?" Richard asked. 

"We've got plenty of time before the date line of the submission, do you mean you want to do it now?" Janet asked.

"Yes of course, I won't have a calm mind if I don't do it now," Richard replied. 

"Thank God you are my friend, and I will use our friendship to my advantage," Janet announced. 

"Really?" Richard asked. 

"Yes, there are things I don't really understand. I would like you to teach me," Janet said. 

"Janet , we are going," said a voice. When Richard and Janet turned, they noticed that it was Janet 's friends try to leave the lecture theatre. 

"You guys should go ahead, Richard is going to teach me something," Janet revealed. 

"Okay, you know where to find us if you are done," one of her friends replied and they turned and left. 

Richard brought out one of his books from his bag and started teaching Janet with it.

He taught her for about an hour until she disclosed that she was tired. 

"Come on, we just started," Richard teased. 

"Started? Have you forgotten that we had a two hour lecture?" Janet reminded.

"No I haven't," Richard laughed. 

"You see, even a machine needs a rest, so do I," Janet said. 

"Alright then," Richard responded. 

"Tell me more about you Richard," Janet uttered as she laid her head on the desk of her seat.

"My life is boring, there is nothing much to say," Richard replied. 

"That's untrue. You are one of the most amazing people I've ever met, I only realised that after I have come to know you," Janet revealed. 

"Really?" Richard asked surprisingly. 

"Yes of course, so tell me about your family," Janet requested.

"Well, we are three in my family. My elder sister, younger sister and I. Our parents died 10 years ago in a car accident," Richard revealed.

"Oh I'm so sorry to hear about your lost," Janet said as she lifted her head off the desk.

"No problem, my elder sister had gotten married 5 years ago, so she gave up everything to see that I study, that why I give it all my best," Richard revealed. 

"She must be the bravest woman of the century," Janet complimented.

"I think she is," Richard smiled.

"What about your younger sister? How old is she?" Janet asked.

"She is 15 years old, currently in SS1," Richard explained.

"That's wonderful, I wish I could meet her in person," Janet said.

"Don't worry, I do have a picture of her in my phone," Richard revealed.

"Can take a look?" She requested.

"Yes of course," Richard said, and he took out his phone and showed Janet the picture. 

"You guys look pretty much alike, what her name?" Janet asked. 

"Her name is Susan, but we call her with Mimi," Richard answered.

"So Mimi is her nickname," Janet replied. 

"Yes it is," Richard responded. 

"What about you? What's your nickname?" Janet asked. 

"Is so embarrassing, I can't tell you," Richard replied. 

"Is that so?" Janet laughed.

"Yes of course, it was given to me my grandmother when I was a kid," Richard revealed. 

"What about your younger sister, who gave her the nickname she has?" Janet asked. 

"When she was very little, it was something she likes saying when she is hungry. That's why my family named her with it," Richard explained.

"That's so funny," Janet laughed.

Before they knew it, the whole became silent because it was Friday. All the male Muslim students had gotten to school central mosque to pray, while most of the girls had gone back to their dormitories. They stood up and walked out of the hall and noticed that the whole faculty was quiet with only few students around.

"Looks like everyone has gone," Janet said as they headed out of the faculty. 

"Yes, I'm surprised that the time has moved very fast like that," Richard replied.

"When you are having a good time, you won't notice it when time is moving really fast," Janet responded. 

"Do you mean you had a good time with me?" Richard asked. 

"I will be a lair if I say I didn't," Janet replied with a smiled on her face. 

Richard smiled back and could not say anything.

"Tell me about your girlfriend," Janet asked. 

"Actually I don't have a girlfriend," Richard replied.

"Wow! You must be kidding, right?" Janet asked pretending to be surprised. 

"I'm really serious Janet , I think I have told you that the other day," Richard replied.

"I can't recall you telling me that," Janet responded. 

"Well now you do," Richard answered.

"But why don't you have a girlfriend?" She asked.

"I don't know, maybe I am not handsome," Richard replied and Janet laughed. 

"Of course you are. You are indeed very handsome," Janet said with a smiled.

"And you are indeed very beautiful," Richard said after he had stopped with all seriousness in his eyes. "Really?" Janet asked as she stopped walking too, and the smile on her face faded.

At that moment, Richard's heart beat like it never had. It was the bravest thing he ever said to a girl in person. At that moment, it was like his desire for her has increased a million times. He couldn't believe he had actually said those words to her.

"In fact, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Richard continued. 

"This is the lie that every boy tells a girl," Janet replied. 

"Believed me, this is the first I am saying words like this to a girl," Richard replied.

"Really?" Janet asked.

"Yes Janet , I really mean it," Richard continued. 

"Okay, thanks the compliment," she said and continued walking.

"I am going to be late, my friends are waiting for me," she said she looked back with a smile on her face. Richard walked to her and they continued walking together.

"How old are you?" She asked him. 

"I'm 18 years old," Richard replied.

"Wow! Are you serious?" Janet asked astoundingly.

"Yes of course. Why do you look surprised?" Richard asked. 

"Well, that's because I'm very much older than you," Janet replied. "How old are you?" Richard asked. 

"I'm 22 years old," Janet revealed. Richard started laughing instantly.

"Do you think I'm a kid to believe that?" Richard asked. 

"Yes of course, let me show you something," Janet said as she took out her phone from her purse. She showed him a scanned picture of her birth certificate, and Richard could not believe it.

"So I have been hanging out with a granny all along, I have no clue," Richard teased. 

"Who are you calling granny?" Janet asked pretending to be angry.

"You of course, it never came to me that you will be older than me," Richard revealed.

"No wonder you do act childish sometimes," Janet smiled. 

"When did I ever act childish?" Richard asked. 

"Well, you were even scared to say I'm that beautiful, isn't that childish enough?" Janet smiled. 

"How did you know?" Richard asked confusingly. 

"Well, is because I'm older that you," Janet laughed. They got the road that will lead to the dormitory, and Richard boarded a taxi.