The Day Before The Exam

As I slowly open my eyes, a slight headache greets me, and I'm met with the sight of the ceiling staring back. I glance around, taking in my mom beside me, engrossed in her phone, and the absence of my sisters.

"Oh, you're up," she says, noticing my gaze.

"Yeah, what time is it?" I ask, rubbing my temples to ease the throbbing.

"It's 3:45," she replies, not looking up from her screen.

"Wow, Chika and Nicole haven't returned yet?" I say, sitting up slowly, careful not to knock over my phone.

"I think they're still in class," she responds, her eyes fixed on her phone.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed, feeling a bit disoriented. "I need to use the restroom."

"Go ahead, dear," she says, gesturing to the door.

I get up, walk to the nearby door, and push it open, revealing a sparkling clean toilet. Everything looks freshly washed, and the white tiles gleam.

I enter, closing the door behind me, and slowly pull off my pants, letting out a sigh of relief.

As I rinse off, I think about how stressful university life seems, with no time for oneself. I flush, pull up my jeans, and wash my hands. Finding a tissue paper on the water closet, I dry my hands and step out. There was a trash bag at the center of both doors, so I dump the used tissue paper there.

As I approach the bed, I hear a knock at the door.

"Knock, knock, knock!" It's not my sisters, they would have called out to us.

"I'll get it," I tell my mom, standing up to open the door.

Upon reaching the door, I realize it's bolted, so I unbolt it and slowly open it.

A girl with a sleeveless green top and a wrapper tied around her chest stands before me. Her light skin tone and all black hair catch my attention.

"Good afternoon," I greet her.

"Good afternoon," she responds. "Do you have egg?"

I'm taken aback by her question. "Egg?" I repeat, confused.

My mom looks up from her phone, curious. "Maybe you should come back later, they're not in right now," she suggests to the girl.

The girl nods and walks away. I close the door, bolt it, and return to the bed. "What did she mean by 'egg'?" I ask my mom, still puzzled.

She shrugs, returning to her phone. "I have no idea."

I gather my scattered books from the floor and arrange them on the table. The laptop catches my eye, and I switch it on, waiting for it to boot up.

However, it prompts me for a password, and I'm stumped. I try guessing with various birth years, mine, my mom's, my dad's, and even my relatives', but none of them work.

I decide to leave it alone, fearing I might lock it permanently.

I return to the bed, feeling a bit bored and restless. I can't venture out, but I can at least explore the room further.

I stand up, taking in the room's pleasant atmosphere. I wonder what the hostels and lodges are like in IMSU. I hope they're as impressive as FUTO.

As I sit back down, my headache intensifies. "Mom, do you happen to have a pain reliever?" I ask, turning to her.

She looks up from her screen, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"My head hurts."

She searches her bag, which is next to the bed, and pulls out a pack of paracetamol.

"Here, take two tablets. Also, check if there's any leftover food in the pot. If there is, eat a little and then take the medicine."

"Okay," I say, collecting the medicine and heading to the kitchen.

On the counter, I find a pot of leftover spaghetti with three eggs still intact. The food is still slightly warm, so I don't need to reheat it.

I dish out a small portion, close the pot, and head back to the bedroom.

As I sit down at the table, I shift the laptop and books aside and begin eating. The spaghetti still tastes great, even at room temperature.

After finishing, I take the paracetamol and turn to face my mom. "Where can I get some water?" I ask.

"Isn't there water in the kitchen?" she replies.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I should just drink from the tap."

"Yeah, go ahead," she advises.

I get up and head back to the kitchen, where I find plastic cups in a bowl on the counter. I fill one with water from the tap, which flows slowly, as if it's about to run out.

But I used it in the toilet earlier, and it didn't seem low then.

I fill the cup and turn off the tap, then head back to the table. I take the medicine and gulp down the water, every last drop.

"Ahh, bitter!" I exclaim, returning the cup and plates to the kitchen. I wash them and come back to sit at the table.

Just then, I hear someone trying to open the door, repeatedly jiggling the handle.

"Gbam gbam gbam!" They knock.

"Open up, it's me, Nicole!" My heart leaps with joy as I quickly get up and unbolt the door.

"What took you so long?" I ask, excited.

Nicole is wearing a black top and loose pants that fall below her knees, her braids packed behind her, and a bag slung across her chest.

"It wasn't easy," she replies, pulling off her sandals before stepping inside. I step aside to let her in, and she bolts the door behind her.

I sit back down, facing her as she moves. "Good evening, Mom," she greets.

"Good evening, dear. What about Chika?" my mom responds, sitting up on the bed with her legs crossed.

"I called her, and she said she's still busy," she replies, throwing herself onto the bed with a sigh.

She stretches out her arms, one of them resting on Mom's lap, and gazes up at the ceiling. She looks exhausted.

"Why is she taking so long?" Mom asks, concern etched on her face.

"I don't know."

Just then, I remember something. "By the way, a girl came looking for you earlier," I inform Nicole.

She sits up quickly, her eyes wide with interest. "Who was she?"

I try to recall the details. "She was medium height, light brown, and had her hair loosed and packed away. She was wearing a bag too." I didn't take much notice of her, but those features stuck in my mind.

Nicole's expression turns thoughtful. "Wait, wait... I think I know who that might be. Oh, it's Muna, my course mate, Munachi!" She lies back down, sounding disappointed.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"She lives really far from here, and I told her to come over."

"Ah, I didn't know that. Chai, so sad. But she should have at least said something, na?"

"I'll call her later," she says, sounding resigned.

I remember another question I had. "Also, there was a girl who wanted to buy eggs. Which eggs was she referring to?"

Nicole laughs. "I sell eggs, and she wanted to make a purchase."

"Oh," I say, understanding.

Nicole lets out a deep sigh. "University is stress! I'm so tired!" she exclaims, her voice filled with frustration.

"Quit, you can come back home, nobody's stopping you," I say with a chuckle.

"As in, I want to come back."

"Better stay, weren't you the one who wanted to go to school in the first place?" I tease her.

She sighs, "I know, but I'm tired."

"By the way, what's Chika's laptop password?"

"It's 2004 spelled backwards."

I turn back to the laptop, input the password, and the home screen appears.

The wallpaper is a beautiful picture of a mountain with rivers and a blue sky. I notice the icons are mostly anime, which I love, but these seem more cartoonish.

My favorite animes are kinds like Naruto, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man... I'm not a fan of Dragon Ball Super, though it's somewhat interesting.

Anyway, I decide to paint. I start with a circle, add a square underneath, and combine shapes to create a beautiful girl.

I spend some time drawing and typing before taking a break. The laptop now has 87% battery life, down from 99%.

I stand up, walk over to the bed, and throw myself down beside Nicole, who's on her phone, same as mom too.

I try to peek at Nicole's screen, but she's chatting in a group, and I don't want to invade their privacy. Instead, I ask, "So, Nicole, how's life been in school so far?"

She drops her phone on the bed and replies, "Good and stressful too. University isn't easy at all."

"Chai, I don't like stress. I hope it won't be like that for me."

Nicole chuckles, "Hmph, I hope so too."

We spend the evening laughing, sharing stories, and discussing music and celebrities until my mom expresses her concern,

"Is Chika not coming home? It's already six, and she's not back yet."

"She'll come, don't worry, that's how she usually is." Nicole reassures her.

"Is kidnapping a thing around here? She's taking really long." I ask.

Nicole responds with a chuckle, "Yes, na."

I laugh, "Really?"

"Let her come home first, no need to worry about kidnapping." Mom intervenes.

"Your school campus is huge Nicole, wasn't what I expected. I even saw a river!" I exclaim.

She chuckles "That's where students go to commit suicide."

We all laugh, and I respond, "That's not true!"

"So, how was your trip yesterday?"

"It was fine."

"You guys really tried, oh, that type of traveling isn't nice."

I nod in agreement.

Just then, my mom brings up a sensitive topic, "Amanda, why were you acting strangely this morning?"

I feel my eyes widening, wondering why she's bringing this up now.

"What happened?" Nicole asks.

"There was a boy on the bus who said he was also going to Orlu, so we spent a night in the same hotel building. But the next day, Amanda started avoiding him for some reason." Mom explains.

I feel my face flushing and quickly look down, wishing mom hadn't brought it up.

"Amanda, what happened?" Nicole asked, curiosity in her voice.

"And he was a very fine boy, very fine. He's an American citizen, you know." Mom chims in.

Nicole responds with a surprised "Eeehen?"

"If you see this boy, oh my goodness, he's so charming! He's a total sweetheart." Mom continues.

"Wow!" Nicole exclaims.

I feel Nicole's hands on my back, shaking me gently.

"Ammy, is that true?" she asked.

I heard my mom laughing and saying, "He's a very fine boy, very handsome."

"He said if he did anything to upset you, he apologizes and didn't mean it."

I raised my head, feeling a bit silly, "Oh." I forced a smile.

"Well, that's in the past now." I say.

Just then, we hear a knock at the door.

"Gbam gbam gbam! Open o, it's me, Chika!"

Nicole slowly got up and unbolted the door. "Is there food?" I hear chika ask.

"That's all you care about, right?" Nicole teases.

"Answer me na."

Chika finally steps in, and my eyes widen in surprise. It had been a year since we last saw her, and she has developed beautiful body curves.

"Eh? Mommy?" she sounded surprised, dropping her bag on the table.

"Ah ha, you guys came," she says, smiling.

"Where were you all this time?" I ask.

"Amanda, you've grown!" She exclaims, climbing onto the bed.

"When did you guys arrive?" she asks, settling in.

"I thought you knew we were already here," I reply.

"Nicole just told me you were coming, but I didn't know you'd arrived."

"You've grown, ah ha!" she says, turning to my mom. "Ah, Mommy, good evening!"

"Why did you come back so late?" Mom asks.

"Lesson ended a long time ago, I was working on my assignment in the hostel with the Wi-Fi."

"The lecturer gave us an extension until tomorrow to submit it."

"Are you done now?" Mom asks

"Almost. It was getting late, so I decided to come home."

"Mommy, you look fine, ah ha!"

"Did you buy anything for me?" She asks.

"Which you?" Nicole shouts from the kitchen, "The chips and everything in that bag are for me!"

"Eh?, Mommy you bought chips?" Chika asks, sounding suprised.

"Yes, I bought chips."

"Where are they?"

"I don't know, Nicole kept them all."

"Nicole, bring those things!" Chika shouts and heads into the kitchen.

"Go out!" Nicole yells

"Where are they?" Chika retorts.

My mom and I laughs at the exchange. These girls and their food fights are always entertaining!

Chika emerges from the kitchen, carrying a steaming plate of spaghetti and egg.

"Go and bring them out!" she shouts, returning to the bed with her food.

"Leave me!" Nicole responds, and comes out with two plates of spaghetti and eggs.

She hands one to my mom and the other to me, complete with two forks, indicating we'll be sharing. She sits beside me and begins eating.

"Mommy, you better tell Nicole to bring out those snacks, they're for both of us."

"Which both of us? Remember when you devoured a whole box of cabin biscuits without sharing with me?"

"That was then, this is now. Let the past stay in the past."

"Those snacks are mine. The food stuffs are for both of us, but those snacks hmph, don't even think about it."

"Mummy, see oh!"

Mom just laughs, and I join in, savoring the delicious spaghetti.

"I bought soft drinks for both of you." Mom announces.

Chika instantly stands up, "Where? Where is it?" and begins searching around.

Nicole quickly gets up, runs to the floor, and picks up the pack where Mom had placed it.

"Ah, Nicole!" Chika exclaims.

Nicole chuckles and returns to the bed with the drinks,"Mommy, thanks," she says then resumes eating.

"That's for both of us, like it or not." Chika sits back down.

"I know, but let me just hold it." Nicole laughs and continues eating.

As the room grows dark, they switch on their rechargeable light, illuminating the room.

After finishing our meal, Chika clears the plates while we remain on the bed.

Suddenly, a knock at the door breaks the silence.

"Gbam gbam gbam! Chika, Nicole, fuel money!" a male voice calls out.

Nicole gets up from the bed and heads to the table. "Coming!" she responds.

Mom looks surprised. "Fuel money?" she asks.

"Yeah, we usually contribute money to buy fuel to pump water," Nicole explains.

"How much?" Mom asks.

"200 naira," Nicole replies, walking towards the door. She opens it and hands the money to me.

"Better," the male voice says.

"Sha no spend am (don't spend it)" Nicole retorts.

"I won't spend it. You're a businesswoman, you can even afford the fuel personally."

"Commot jor (get out)" Nicole tells him, and closes the door.

She returns to the bed and sits down.

Chika soon steps out, walks to the table, and pulls out some books from her bag.

"Mandy, do you have data right now?" she asks me.

"Yeah, why?"

"Borrow me your phone, I need it for my assignment," she requests, sitting on the floor with her phone and books.

"My battery is at 67, will you charge it for me?"

"They'll turn on the generator, and if not, I'll use our power bank."

I input my pin and hand her my phone, then lie back on the bed, bending my legs to avoid hitting Nicole.

"You said you'd give me a drink when they come back, let's drink now." I remind my mom.

"Which drink?" Nicole and Chika ask in unison,

I chuckle, "The drink Nicole is carrying."

Nicole laughs, "Not this one."

"Better drink water." Chika suggests.

I look at my mom, who's smiling. "Let's just take two from it," she tells them.

"Because mom says so," Nicole says with a smile, pulling out two drinks, a Coca Cola and a Fanta.

"Good," I say, collecting the Fanta. "I'll share with Mom, and you'll share with Nicole," I suggest.

They agree, and we all begin drinking. Mom takes her share and hands me the bottle, and I finish the remaining Fanta, tossing the empty bottle aside.

"Well done o," Nicole says, and I chuckle, feeling my eyelids growing heavier.

As I drift off to sleep, I hear the distant sound of music coming from outside, "Diamond Heart" by Alan Walker featuring Sophia Somajo. The melody is soothing, and I finally surrender to sleep, with the voices of Nicole and Mom muffled in my head.

Tommorow is the day of my exam, and I'm hoping the questions are easy for me to answer.

As I succumb to slumber, I feel the exhaustion of the day melting away, and I let the sleep envelop me, carrying me off to a peaceful dreamscape.