Chapter 010 I Spy

Song Recommendation: Why by NF

Annotations

"Benji, buy this food make person chop ! I'm hungry!" One of the boys said, poking Benjamin's arm.

Benjamin laughed, "Sure, pick what you want".

Delia chuckled, her fingers clutching tightly unto the bottle in her hand.

"Del, calm down", Yusuf, who was closest to her, placed his hand on her arm. She immediately loosened her face, turning back to her friends.

"I'm alright", she smiled.

"Tell that to the bottle", Eboh pointed at the plastic bottle in Delia's hand that was squeezed into two halves.

Delia lazily tossed the bottle to the floor. "Are you done eating? I'm full", she sounded stoic.

Her friends glanced at their empty plates and back, giving her a nod. Delia stood up. Putting on her shades to hide her big eyes, she straightened her shirt, throwing on her bag.

They walked towards the exit.

Benjamin sat quietly at the table whilst tapping on his phone, as the others made their orders. He looked at the door through the corner of his eyes. His lips lifted into a grin.

He had spotted Delia the moment they passed by the building, which was the reason why he insisted they eat there.

He wanted to observe something. He wanted to see it for himself whether he was right or not.

A glint of pride grew in his heart. His lips twitched deviously, knowing his presence still affected her.

• • •

"Wallahi (I swear)! I'll slap that boy! Like is he mad!", Beatrice's blood boiled with anger, as they walked down the campus street.

"Asin! (For real!) I just felt like I should have slapped the back of his head!", Eboh hissed.

Yusuf shook his head, "Why are you guys angry? He didn't even talk to Del".

"But it's still annoying! I can bet you he saw Del, he was just full with his dirty broke pride to greet her!", Beatrice hissed.

Delia who was at the side closest to the road remained quiet and composed as they walked. Benjamin was the last thing she'd ever want to talk about, besides she didn't care that much; she had already faced the shittest shades of him.

They continued to walk down, as Beatrice and Eboh continued to lay curses and swears on Benjamin. Delia's attention wasn't at all in their discussion.

"Del, this one that you're not talking about, are you okay? Is he still bothering you like that?" Yusuf asked.

With her lips pressed in a thin line and her shades reflecting her front, she responded without turning.

"We're being followed".

"Followed? How? Where? By who?" Eboh tilted her head.

"Behind us".

Yusuf immediately snapped his head back, "Don't look!" Delia ordered. He faced his front.

"Del, are you sure?" Beatrice asked, becoming wary. Delia didn't change her demeanor or expression as she answered, "Stay calm and just keep walking till we reach Love-Garden".

They nodded, walking faster.

Reaching the soiled ground, sheltered by leafy huge trees, decorated with concrete benches and green bushes.

Delia motioned them to a bench, letting their backs face the direction they just came from. They sat down, with the Eboh and Beatrice shaking.

"Eboh gives me your phone", Delia sat at an end. Eboh handed her the phone, trying not to shiver too much.

"What do you want to do with it?" Beatrice asked, confused.

"Take a selfie", she grinned. Without warning, Delia pulled up the phone in front of them; slightly above their heads, and took an unprepared shot.

"Really!? Just like that?" Yusuf gave her a confused look.

"Here, look", Delia turned the screen to them. She zoomed in, tapping at the edge of the picture.

They narrowed their eyes at it. There was a blurred image of someone dressed in black from head to top, moving to hide behind a tree. Their hearts skipped a beat.

"Someone is following us...", Eboh's voice trembled. Delia returned the phone, "Not us, me".

"Huh?"

"He's been following me since yesterday morning", Delia pulled out her wallet, looking through it for a few naira notes, seeming very unbothered about her plight.

"Are you serious!!?" Eboh's eyes widened.

"And you haven't done anything!?", Beatrice asked.

"What am I supposed to do?" Del looked down at her watch and up into a distance.

"Report this of course! Are you normal!" Yusuf almost yelled.

Delia rose her brow to him, "Report to who? A.B.U. security? Police? In this country?" She chuckled, shaking her head.

"Okay, I see your point. But still! This thing is serious, you need to honestly tell someone!"

"Yes babe", Eboh backed up. "You may be in danger".

"Serious one fah!" They all stared at her in worry.

Delia smiled, turning to their faces, "Awww, my babies care about me", she said in a humorous voice.

"Babes, we're serious here!" Beatrice argued.

"Am I not?" Del smiled. They hissed, slapping their heads.

"Delia please just listen to us", Yusuf tried to coax.

"I'm listening na? Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Kidnap? Rape? Murder? Torture?"... 'Tell me something I haven't felt before', she internally rolled her eyes, remembering all her nightmares that felt very real.

"Delia, please. This situation is serious!", Eboh held her shoulder.

Delia glanced at her watch and got up, dusting invisible dust from her thighs, "Okay! Well then, put me in prayers". She pulled out her phone.

"See you guys tomorrow, I have to go and read sef", she turned, stepping away from them. "Del! Del!", Eboh tried calling her out.

"I love you too!", She rose a peace sign, walking forward into a crowd. Her friends sighed, looking at their friend walk away.

"Do you think she'll listen to us?", Beatrice asked.

"Del has sense! She loves herself too much to be careless about something this serious. She's just pulling our legs", Yusuf responded.

"Guys", Eboh called out, "Is it just I or I'm afraid to go to the hostel alone?"

"I swear ya not alone!", Yusuf gulped.

Delia walked through the main campus gate, heading to the bus stop with her headphones, blocking all noises.

She felt wary and uneasy knowing she was being watched, but she had a thick wall. A wall that made it easy for her to hide her emotions, including fear.

She felt it was weak to show fear out to others.

She had started to sense the stalker's presence around her even before spotting him with her eyes. With the uneasiness in her heart and a hunch at the back of her mind, she knew someone had been watching her.

She just didn't know who it was... But even though it was something to be worried about, she knew that nothing was going to physically hurt her, if not, she would have seen it in her dreams by now.

• • •

Robert knocked gingerly on the door.

"Come in".

He pushed the door, walking in with a trolley, "Your dinner master", Robert bowed. Dilen stood on the balcony, staring up at the sky, exhaling the smoke from his cigarette.

His hair was disheveled and wet as if he had just stepped out of the shower. He was dressed in a robe without his glasses on.

He brought the cigarette close to his lips, "I'm not hungry".

"Okay master", Robert turned back to the door.

"Roberts".

"Yes Master?" He halted.

"Get me a new pair of glasses".

"Yes, master". Robert wondered why his master needed new glasses.

'How did the old ones break?', he wondered. His master wasn't a careless person to have accidentally break his belongings... Unless he was doing something slightly— violent.

Robert turned back to the door, about to touch the knob.

"Robert, there're a few clothes I need you to burn for me. In the bathroom".

'Burn?', Robert quirked his brows before responding, "Yes master". He made his way to the bathroom.

Walking into the sliver-tiled and poshly facilitate bathroom, Robert spotted a small pile of unfamiliar items of clothing on the floor. Picking it up, he scanned them with his eyes.

"These aren't master's clothes", he cocked his brows at the strange clothes. They were Hausa attire; which his master has never owned, not even once.

"Whose clothes are these?"