CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I read a few more Nigerian books before I left the library with Leah. She was an avid reader who was obsessed with learning more about psychology, politics, the society especially in relation to Africa.

Leah's face was lit up like a Christmas tree as she gushed about how the pre-colonial Africa was the helm of civilisation. She sounded so smart and looked animated unlike her usual reserved demeanour.

It was surprising. Who could have thought that the supposed phlegmatic Leah was a hidden island of knowledge. I then wondered why she was here, what drove her here?

I smiled, “ What are you doing in the TPO then? Why train so hard to be a model or enter beauty contests when you could just work on a degree in psychology or sociology?”

She sighed, “ I need the money. The fame is a plus too. My mother is in need of chemotherapy. I need all the resources I can get, just to make sure she lives healthily. This competition is a chance for me to achieve that. Who knows what I could gain from all these? Besides, I get to meet many people and observe them. It is a win situation.”

I nodded and we walked in silence to our room. Bianca was watching some pottery videos while Anya was treating and combing her beautiful 4B curls.

I sat by her, “ How did you grow your hair this long especially with its delicate texture?”

Anya smiled, “ Patience, honey. I had to learn patience. Keeping and taking care of my hair taught me that. It also taught me kindness. We, Africans, have so much untapped potential in our hair. Not everyone has the patience and commitment to unlock it.”

I watched, fascinated, as she combed and threaded her hair. She asked if I wanted to treat mine. I nodded in affirmative. I sat on the floor in front of her. She sprayed my hair with water and applied some shea butter to it. She massaged my hair from the tip to the root and gave my scalp equal attention, dividing my hair into sections for effectiveness.

She threaded my hair in eight sections. My hair had grown to my collar bone. We both wore our bonnets and walked to the garden nearest our dormitory, watching the stars as she told me some interesting folk tales.

My alarm singed the next morning, waking us. We performed our morning routine and went to the field for our exercise.

Coach Harper gave us no break and barked at us to get our asses to the gym. We performed an excruciating routine. She was especially stern with Bianca, who had relaxed when she was not supposed to.

Like coordinated robots, Mindy and Trixie were working out without losing a single breath.

To be honest, I admired their drive. If they weren't bullies, we might have been good friends.

Today was dedicated to exercise and all other physical activity. We were to take an hour break to bathe, rest and prepare for the day.

I took a shower, ate some jollof rice and moi moi (bean pudding) courtesy of Kaffy and took a nap. Kaffy had sent a dispatch rider to deliver the home made delicacy.

Thanks to kaffy’s intelligence, she had sent extra for my roommates so that I could eat mine without any disturbance.

I woke up fifteen minutes to the dodge ball competition - the first physical activity we’d engage in.

We were sixty in number so we were divided into four groups, fifteen in each. Trixie and Mindy were in the same group, A and I was in another group B with Leah. Anya was in group C and Bianca in group D.

As usual, we were told to pick folded pieces of clothes from the box. Whatever was written inside determined our group.

Then, we were asked to pick a captain in each group. The captains would then pick another set of folded cloths to determine who played against who. The TPO was organised and determined to leave everything up to fate.

Team A was to compete with Team D and Team B with Team C. The winner of each set would compete for the first place while the other teams would compete for the third place.

The first place would win 20 points, the second place, 10 points and the third place, 5 points.

Trixie was the captain of the first team. I was made the captain of the second team. Lola, an hispanic girl was the captain of the third team and Bianca, the captain of the fourth team.

Trixie’s team and Bianca's were the first set to play. It was bloody figuratively as there seemed to be some sort of animosity between Trixie and Bianca.

There also seemed to be some sort of tension between Trixie and Mindy and as they say, a divided team fails.

It was brutal as people fell from being hit by balls. Teammates betrayed each other by using the other as a shield. Members of a team gang up against a particular member of the opponent team. It was some twisted day to vent all form of personal vendetta.

Mindy's competitive side got the best of her and she sabotaged Trixie who gave her the stink eye after hit by a ball. It was down to Mindy, Bianca and two other girls.

Mindy was the last woman on her team against three opponents. She seemed to realize her self sabotage at the last moment. However, being who she was, she braced up and dodged the balls thrown at her. She hit two of her opponents, leaving Bianca as her only obstacle to winning.