Making new friends

The hostel was more than Amara had expected. It was nothing like her high school dormitory—this was on an entirely different level.

"Indeed, this is a university hostel. It looks magnificent," she murmured to herself as she walked away from the hostel matron's office, clutching her new room key.

"You love what you see?"

A voice barely above a whisper startled her out of her thoughts. She turned sharply toward the sound.

"Yes, it's beautiful," she responded firmly before meeting the gaze of the young man before her. He was handsome, with an unreadable expression.

"I'm Aiden, welcome to JEDS hostel, feel at home." he introduced himself, extending a hand.

Amara, momentarily lost in thought again, blinked before shaking his hand. "Amaranda, but you can call me Amara. It's so nice to meet you at this incredible campus." She practically squealed with delight, then smirked knowingly. "I take it you're a senior here?"

Aiden tilted his head slightly, amused by her keen observation. "You're quite right. I'm in my third year—mechanical engineering. But more importantly, I serve on the JEDS housing committee."

"That's wonderful! That means I won't have to suffer if anything goes wrong," she said excitedly.

Aiden chuckled, then held out his phone. "Here, put in your number."

Amara hesitated, narrowing her eyes as she studied him. Noticing her reluctance, he urged, "Take it, I mean no harm."

She eventually complied, and once he retrieved his phone, he smirked. "I'll give you a call. Perhaps our paths will cross again." With that, he turned and walked away.

Amara watched his retreating figure for a moment before continuing to her room. She noticed the door was ajar and knocked lightly.

"Give me a moment," came a voice from inside. Then, suddenly, the door swung open.

"Oh! Roomie, it's you. I've been waiting for you!" Andre exclaimed, pulling Amara into a warm embrace.

Amara was taken aback but soon relaxed. She had met her roommate during registration, but Andre had been quiet then. This enthusiasm was unexpected.

Before Amara could fully process what was happening, Andre pulled back and beamed. "Come inside!" she said, her voice bubbling with excitement.

The two quickly hit it off, exchanging stories and laughing over shared experiences. As their conversation carried on, Andre eventually informed Amara that she would be returning home and would only be back for orientation in three days. The news left Amara with an unexpected sense of loneliness.

As she prepared to step out for some fresh air, the opposite door swung open. A teenage girl emerged, her light skin and striking features suggesting she wasn't from around.

"Hi, I'm Amara," she greeted with a polite smile.

"I'm good, how about you, Amara? I'm Tafadzwa, but you can call me Tafa," the girl replied casually.

"Nice to meet you, Tafa! You don't seem like you're from around here."

"That's correct. I'm from Zimbabwe—I came to Namibia for my studies," Tafa answered proudly.

"I see. That's interesting. Welcome to Namibia, the land of the brave. You may not have noticed its beauty yet, but you will eventually," Amara said warmly as she stepped into Tafa's room, making it clear she wasn't leaving anytime soon. Tafa smiled and shut the door behind her.

"So, Tafa, what do you think of the campus? Especially the hostel? It's my first time here too, but my expectations were pretty high," Amara remarked.

"The campus is impressive—it really embodies the essence of engineering. The hostel is decent compared to my high school dorm. But the downside? We have to cook for ourselves. I can't believe that after exhausting lectures, we still have to go through all that," Tafa said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I get that. But on the bright side, at least we won't have to deal with complaints about the food being too bland, sweet, or salty," Amara joked.

Tafa chuckled, and Amara noticed how her face lit up. "You have a lovely smile—you should show it off more often."

"Thank you, Ama," Tafa responded, blushing.

Their conversation drifted into topics of culture, traditions, and adventures from their respective countries. They laughed so much that they lost track of time until darkness settled outside.

"I think we've talked enough for now—it's getting late. Thank you for the lovely conversation, Tafa. Can we be friends?" Amara asked, extending her hand.

"Absolutely! I think we'll be great friends. I don't know many people here, so having you around will be really nice," Tafa said, shaking her hand.

"Alright then, have a good night's sleep, dear Tafa."

As Amara returned to her room, she suddenly realized she hadn't checked her phone since arriving on campus. Digging through her handbag, she pulled it out and bit her lip at the sight of multiple missed calls from her sister, Given, and her mother, Nancy.

She quickly called her mother first. "Mom, I'm fine—I got caught up unpacking and meeting new people. I should have checked my phone earlier."

Nancy sighed in relief. "I was worried, my child. Just make sure to update me next time."

After reassuring her, Amara returned Given's call.

"Worried about me already? I'm a varsity student now, for crying out loud," she teased as soon as Given picked up.

"You had us so worried! Where were you?" Given asked, ignoring the joke but sounding relieved.

Amara let out a small giggle, smiling. "You never cease to amaze me, sis. I'm totally fine—you're just worrying for nothing." Her expression then turned serious as she lowered her voice. "But it's my fault. I got carried away meeting new friends and lost track of time. I should have called."

"It's alright. Now that I've heard from you, I'm at peace. Just don't let this happen again. I just got back from work, so I'm heading to bed. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight, Given."

As the call ended, Amara sighed, placing her phone aside. Her first day at university had already been eventful, and something told her this was just the beginning of an unforgettable journey.