Chapter Thirty-Two

The road was clear, no sign of gridlock on the way. The driver sped smoothly and freely along the clear express way. The road safety officers saluted them, as they went past them. Bianca was awake watching every scene on the way, despite the fact that no one talked to her. She smiled and felt happy with the eye-catching glimpse of what she saw on the road.

Finally, the military vehicle reached the school gate. The gateman quickly opened the gate with no sign of delay as they saluted the soldier that showed their faces up. They took Bianca straight to the vice chancellor's office and one of the army escorted her down to the door of the vice chancellor. The vice chancellor opened the door and sighted Bianca. He warmly embraced her, then released himself and stared at Bianca's face before saying a word to her.

"You look bright," he observed, admiring her face.

"Thank you, sir," she responded.

"How was the burial? Hope it all went well?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, nice to see you at school again."

"I appreciate all your efforts, sir."

"No problem, why am I here, if not to protect all of you?"

"Sir, I really appreciate it."

"It's alright, the police officer that brought you during the resumption of the semester called to ask of you."

"Oh,"

"Yeah, I told them the reason why you went back home."

"I know they were hurt by the statement, right?"

"Indeed, seriously hurt. They wanted to pay a visit to you, but I told them you might not want any condolence visitation."

"My Dad never wanted anyone to know. So, I appreciate your statement, sir"

"Alright, I don't want to delay you any longer. You can go to the hostel, take a rest and tomorrow you might begin a lecture."

"Thank you, sir," she said enigmatically.

"I would have told the military personnel to take you down to the hostel but I don't want any of them to know."

She giggled, going out of the Vice chancellor's office.

When she got to the hostel, a fellow campus student gazed at her dumbly and watched her walk her way through to her room. She knocked on the door gently, waiting for someone to open it since it was locked.

"Come over to the window," a voice popped out.

Bianca obeyed and went to the window. She sighted Stacy. Stacy screamed her name, and she closed the curtain fast. Then the sound of unlocking the door was heard. Stacy opened the door immediately and allowed Bianca to walk in. Stacy bolted the door back. All her roommate screamed and rushed to her, leaving the meal they were eating together.

"We've been looking for you for a long time," said Ruth, staring at Bianca's face.

Bianca smiled, with no word of response.

"You can't even greet us," echoed Stacy.

"Oh, I am sorry. Good day everyone," Bianca greeted them, eventually finding her tongue.

"Really nice," echoed Stacy, happily.

"Where did you go?"

"I went back home."

"Oh, I thought you had committed suicide, because I heard someone weeping the night before you left. I ignored it, thinking it was from my dream, then when I woke up I heard the splash of water, but I didn't bother because of the heavy sleep in my eyes."

Bianca smiled.

"Welcome back to school, would you join us eating the cornflakes and crispy biscuit?" Ruth beckoned, while Stacy sat down near the cornflakes holding her spoon.

"I'm satisfied," Bianca said.

"Why did you go back home?" asked Stacy.

"I needed to attend a family meeting where my presence was highly needed."

"Wow, hope it all ended well."

A nod from Bianca was the response.

The next day, the weather was cold and the atmosphere was covered with smog, which made it almost impossible to see an object standing far away from you. Bianca dressed up, took her note, and walked out of the room to commence her lecture. The school exam was around the corner. Bianca planned that after each lecture, she would either stay back in the lecture hall to read or go to the library to read before the next lecture commenced.

She sang along the road, ecstatic to be in school, and in spite of all the odds against her, she overcame them all. She marched to the lecture hall, surprised to see that it was already jam-packed. She walked through and stood up, only to see the lecturer and hear her voice. The way the lecturer taught gladdened Bianca's heart. The lecturer broke all her statements down into simple terms for everyone to understand. When the lecturer observed that her teaching was somehow getting boring. She diverted into story-telling jokes to make her class lively. Once her goal was accomplished, she switched back to the topic she had for that day. The lecture came to an end. In fact, nobody wished for the lecture to end, but it had to come to an end. Everybody clapped for her as she walked out of the hall; some rushed to her in order to assist her in carrying her bag to her office. While the rest struck up a conversation with one another. Their conversation, which had been centred on the teaching, then diverted to the jokes, which the lecturer cracked; everybody was glad.

Besides, Bianca stayed to herself, lonely but happy and cheerful, smiling at no one in particular. She turned her face to the left and was shocked to see James Brin approaching. He was dressed in a blue shirt and colourful striped pants. Her face tensed up again, surprised to see him for the very first time after the incident. He was lively and on his way. Bianca wanted to stand up from there and walk out as quickly as she could to avoid him not recognising her. Bianca assumed in her mind that he had just come to the lecture hall to see someone.

"Bianca," James called out, "please wait."

Bianca stopped. James approached her, held her hands, and quietly stared at her face. Bianca looked at him at intervals and then gazed at the floor.

"I have really missed you," James started in quite an enigmatic way.

Bianca didn't say a word back to James.

"I came here last week," he continued, "I didn't see you; I wasn't myself throughout that time. When I could no longer bear it anymore, I asked your roommates about you, but they said they were also looking for you. I almost committed suicide on hearing it..."

Bianca still kept her voice muted.

"Where did you go, my dear?" questioned James.

She was dumb.

"I know you are scared of me, maybe because of what I did to you previously. Please forgive me," he pleaded, going on his knees almost immediately.

Bianca was still hardened and just watched him take all the actions he felt like doing.

"Please forgive me," he pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes.

She kept on watching him with no sign of remorse or sympathy.

"I wouldn't stand up until you said a word to me," he said, still holding both her hands.

Tears dripped out of his eyes and rolled down to his ruddy cheeks. Bianca's hardened heart began melting.

"Okay," she responded.

He looked at her face after her response. "Please forgive me," he pleaded once more.

Bianca looked at him with a glowering face for a minute.

"Stand up; I have forgiven you."

He thanked her sincerely and stood up gradually, cleaning his tears with his handkerchief.

"How did you know that I was around?" asked Bianca grimly.

"It is now a normal routine to check if you are in the classroom."

"Why do you love lying? Your spies didn't tell you anything, right?"

"They never."

"Oh, you had spies all around."

"Yes, to be sincere. I want to start telling you the main truth from now on."

"Nice of you."

"Where did you go?"

"Do you want to say you never had an idea of where I went?" she said angrily.

"I'm for real; I don't know anything."

"You promised to tell the truth, and yet you are still lying to me."

"I am saying nothing but the truth."

"Alright, why are you eager to know?"

"Because your absence disturbed me very well."

"I am back; you have seen me. Forget about the rest."

"Please, let's forgive each other. I know that what I did is unforgivable, but I promise that I will never do that again."

"I am not going to tell you anything; just let me be. Unless I would report you."

He looked up to the sky and said, "God, I am making my restitution, but yet she doesn't want to hear it."

Bianca was perturbed by what he said.

"Bianca, please forgive and forget; I taught you to be holier than I."

"I have forgiven you; please let me be," she said carelessly, almost leaving.

"If you don't forgive me, I would walk straight up to an unknown place and commit suicide."

Bianca fell for it. She turned back and looked at him. "What is the problem? I said I was not going to tell you anything, but I have forgiven you."

"If you truly forgive me, tell me where you went."

"Okay, if that is what you are waiting for, I went back home for an important family meeting."

"Finally, I now know you have forgiven me. Thank you," he echoed, smiling.

"Alright. Bye."

He wished her goodbye and left the lecture hall. Bianca was fixated on the point and wondered what James' mission was. What was his mission? Did he not have any idea of the tragic event? Wasn't it he and his gang that executed her? Bianca thought to herself.

One surprising thing happened: another lecturer entered the room. Bianca was surprised; her plan to read at each break interval looked almost futile. She sat down on the seat and waited for the lecture to commence. This time, it was a man; his facial features suggested he was well over forty-five years old, possibly sixty to sixty-five. His face wasn't calm at all, and Bianca knew all these lecturers could be the ones sent from the devil to try mankind. He doesn't care if you stay in the school for twenty years or so; if you ever fall into his trap and your matriculation number is given to him, expect to get married and have children in the school. A no-nonsense man, but his Achilles' heel were the campus girls. His news was widely known among all the students learning at the university. Once he entered the class, he stared at his wrist watch, muttering words that looked unfathomable to decipher. When the clocks struck a second after his lecture time, he ordered the doors to be locked and then began his lecture. No amount of pleading would allow anyone to enter. A time-freaked person.

He would welcome everybody who made it with a croaky voice and then begin lecturing. His lecturing was always slow—one word at a time—until he finished his lecture.

*********************

At 7 p.m., Bianca was already in the library; this was the first time she would be entering the library again for over a month now. She went to the front to read her books and then imagined a student like James walking the hell out of his legs to get to her. That was the main reason she stayed there. She began reading until the next morning. When she was sure it was already 4 a.m. on the dot, she got up from her seat and was about to leave when she noticed James Brin reading in the library. She was stunned but pretended not to be amazed.

James Brin called her. Bianca responded. He beckoned for her to sit beside him, which she did.

"Bianca, please, I want us to be friends; we are now counting days before we graduate from here. I want us to be very close friends. And I would also love to become a close friend with a studious person like you. I am regretting all my actions in the past because it is somehow showing in my academics. Please, I really need your guidance."

"With the psychological trauma, you've made me pass through. James Brin."

Tears flowed from his eyes. "I am really sorry."

"You realised on time, but I am sorry to say it is over between the two of us."

"Oh, God," he echoed.

"Please, I want to go to my room. Allow me two or three hours of sleep before the lecture."

"You are free," he said, "but please think about it. I am a changed person."

"Congratulations," she said, standing to her feet, and walking out of his presence.