In The Pool Of Her Own Blood

Lanre puts her hand on her hair raking it with her slender finger. “Okechukwu, what will it cost me to go into politics?” Lanre asked Okechukwu. This got the young man confused. He had no clue what Lanre was aiming at. And he never expected Lanre to ask him such a question at that moment.

“Lanre do you want to go into politics? Abi you de joke?” Okechukwu asked her to know if she meant what she said or it was a way for her to change the object of discussion even before it started.

“Okechukwu, I hate pity! If you are calling me to act like a cool guy and show me you pity me, I will not accept that. So then, good night!” Lanre said hanging up on Okechukwu leaving him in shock.

Okechukwu felt bad. He had not called her to show he pitied her even though he did Pity her. He just wanted to know if she was okay. He sighed heavily as he thought he could never really get through to her. On that note, he decided to pray with the hopes that when they go for youth service, he and Lanre will end up in the same area. It was because of this he would make sure he puts only the places Lanre would go to. He wanted to have her for himself. He was hopeful even though Lanre has once told him off.

Meanwhile Lanre laid on her bed. She had her phone in her hand. It was ringing but she wouldn’t pick. She kept looking at it. One would think she enjoyed the music and has refused to answer her call for that reason. But to Lanre the sound of her ringing tone was Ify’s frustration playing out. Ify had send her a message on WhatsApp but she has decided not to reply. Not that she has turned off her mobile data, but she just would not want to answer Ify.

“Lanre, why did you leave the group? Is it because of what they said? I will ask Class rep to add you back. You can’t just isolate yourself because of what people say Lanre”. This was Ify’s message to Lanre. And Lanre did not want to answer Ify nor reply her message because she knew she would say something that Ify would hate her for.

A message from Ify popped in on Lanre’s phone again. She was asking Lanre why she was not answering her phone. And Lanre yet again ignored this message. After a while Lanre decided to switch off her phone. She dropped it on her bed as though it was her companion.

That night she had a dream. One wherein she had a ruthless fight with Ify over a pair of shoe. And one of them ended up on the floor in the pool of her own blood. It was Lanre. And it was as though she came out if herself to watch her dying self. Lanre dreaded that dream. And she told herself if anything like that was to happen, then it won’t be her lying in the pool of her own blood. Besides, she was not ready to fight over a man even though the things that had happened the previous night has pushed her too much towards the edge.