Chapter Seven

I awoke the following morning feeling stiff as a piece of lumber, my roommate had already taken off by that time evident by the vacancy on his bed. He had a way of disappearing for long hours to study and I had gotten used to his absence. We were not much of friends rather just acquaintances even though we had been roommates for a whole semester.

I sat there with my head in the clouds but couldn't get my body to shift out of the bed, after lazily scanning for my phone I located it resting at the left corner of my bed.

I looked to check the time and it just so happened to be exactly 07:32am, the sun even glared on my window as a testament of the fact. I pushed myself out of bed realizing that I only had a few minutes before eight o'clock to get breakfast from the cafeteria.

I had a friendly relationship with the chefs at the cafeteria just like I was close to Mr. Bamusi and to say the least I was not entirely worried about my tardiness this time around. I walked cautiously on my way to the Cafeteria holding my flask in hand and my phone in the other.

One of the main reasons i went there in most mornings was catch an ear to the morning bulleting and on my way over catch the morning view on the western horizon. On this particular day I found my pace to be more than ever unphased relative to the time. I found myself reminiscing about the events of the previous night with Anna as I let in the morning air.

I eventually made it to the Cafeteria and by that time, only a handful of students remained in the dining hall. Everyone sat in their self designated groups having there breakfast, tea with bread and eggs on the side was on the menu that morning.

" Arriving late as always!" Mr Nthuzi, one the chefs announced as i approached the attending area.

"At least I have managed to arrive with minutes to spare, I know you are just trying to mess with my morning? " i snorted at his initial proclamation.

"The usual?" the other chef asked as i handed him my flask.

"and can I get some of those eggs please"

"Coming right up Bigman" he replied as he went back to serve up my food.

"Bigman, can you turn the radio up please ?" I requested.

I had never been great at remembering names so to make my life easy i just called him "Bigman" and he instinctively returned the courtesy.

I went over to join my friends as I waited for my serve. They were, as usual sitting at our favorite table. The second from the last table at the far left wall of the dining hall was were we always sat together. Over time it became our designated group table with individual initials scribed on.

I was met by the usual pleasantly as I made my way to the table and just so happened find Beauty in the middle of unraveling the latest campus scandal as I took my sit. Apparently one of the lecturers had just been caught coming out of a nearby Motel with a first year student.

"She is packing her stuff to go back home as am speaking right now"

The story about her sexual implication had already spread like wild fire on campus.

As I listened to Bee the news came on.

…and in our top stories this morning, six people have died and.... the reporter came alive through the miniature speakers mounted in the four corners of the dining hall.

I quickly switched my attention to the news as I pulled out my phone to check my messages and the news feed online. In my spare time i tried to keep up with the current affairs; politics, business, weather in fact, whatever was relevant and trending at the time. Given the life of a college student you never knew when such information could come in handy.

"Hey Tee you went MIA last night, what gives ?" Borne suddenly enquired drawing all the group's attention to me. Three pairs of eyes were now prying on my soul.

"i..." and before i could begin my story Bee interjected.

"He was answering a booty call!"

"Oow!" They all erupted.

All of a sudden, the whole table was in a frenzy, everyone jumping around and banging the table. The few people who were still in the hall paused for a moment to check on what all the fracas was about. Upon noticing that it was our group, each one of them quickly went back to their business.

"I did no such thing Bee, screw you!" i eventually tried to protest but all my attempts to make a solid case for myself were rendered futile.

It was pointless to try and explain anything when they were all on all worked up about it. Not that there was much of a case to prove, because what Bee was telling was the truth. The fact remained that I really was in the company of Anna the previous evening and as far as I remember we both had a pleasant evening together.

"Let my home boy go you guys" Lily jumped in to my defence as the commotion died down.

"It is very noble of you to volunteer yourself as Anna's spare wheel" that just seemed to further fuel the smouldering fire as they once more erupted.

I was saved by my flask which was then ready at the kitchen counter.

As coincidence would have it, I bumped into Anna at the counter. She was present in all her morning glory waiting for her food.

"Hie" i whispered.

I then realized the effect that my sudden presence had made on her.

"Hey, you startled me" she said.

"Sorry i did not mean for that"

"It's okay"

"Slept well I hope?" I enquired.

"Yes, slept like a baby. Thanks to you for a wonderful evening"

"Well... You are welcome"

Conveniently, her food was then ready as she reached over to collect her mug and container.

"Got to run, so I will see you later, yeah?" she bid me farewell and in a flash she was out the door.

I got back to my flock upon collecting my breakfast, in the few seconds that I had been conversing with Anna, i had totally shut out the reality of my surrounding and company. Such had always been the extent of the mesmerising effect that she had on my senses.

"Yeah!" I am welcomed back to the table with dramatic cheers from my band of delinquents. They had been watching me and Anna the whole time. I tried to tune then out by getting back to my news and everyone went back to finishing their breakfast.

I wasn't at all surprised noticing that the two love birds at the table Lily and Borne as usual, could not keep their hands off of each other. Adam and Beauty were then debating on something but my interests were not vested in any of it.

I had a lot on my mind and as usual Anna was at the top of that list. Something was rather different that particular day. I lacked my usual disappointed feeling with my arrangement with Anna i felt a gentle breeze of hope and comfort sweep over me.

What was this new strange feeling? where was all this newfound comfort coming from

These questions somewhere deep in my mind taunted my inner peace.

Thinking about Anna had never made me feel like that way before atleast not to such an elevated extent and then I recalled my then almost faded dream, something about mystery girl's smile that just forced a smile on my face too. The whole mystery behind it brought about so many prospects in my mind, that's why I could not help but smile at some of the teenage fantasies going through my mind.

"What now lover boy? Already planning tonight's date with Anna?" teased Adam as he noticed my unsanctioned smile.

I quickly recovered from my thoughts and immediately directed my attention to the time.

"I have to go and get ready for my 10am" i indicated.

"Yeah me too" in unison Bee and Adam added.

We left the hall but not before i said my goodbyes to the chefs at work in the kitchen.