Mara's Classics

  Epilogue  "Every den has its shadows. When the sun shines and the lamppostss blink to life at night, you can't see it. But if you look close enough, you catch a glimpse of it flitting from corner to edge. "UNN has a cult, or so I thought. I set out to unravel this mystery but I was really just seeking an adventure different from my everyday life. I was chasing a legacy that would hide me from the fears that haunt me daily. Fears of being alone, not wanted and silly. Are '61 was the red tag on my map. It made me shudder just to think of all the scandals I could unearth or forge. I set out to find what wasn't looking for me. Did I find it? No, but I found something better. I found that the world is not as dark and dreary as I thought. I found that people can be trusted. I found that the world is so full of different personalities and to survive in it, we must be tolerant. I found that sometimes, the answer to our questions are the questions themselves. I found tha...

Episode 9 "I got the chance to do something other than wet my pillow on a matric day. I got to have the matric of my dreams in my third year. All thanks to a little thing named Cathy." "Laaa!" Cathy sang an opera in the showers. Nonye shook her head and continued typing, "I also went hiking, picnicking and jogging at stadium. It's funny how I've never done these things during my three years here. The craziest was the birthday bash we went for. I won't tell Cathy it was the first night party I have ever been to." Nonye laughed as she recalled how she and Cathy had run to Balewa right before 10 pm because Cathy was scared of the "ghosts of hilltop." Cathy had made up that legend herself and it never ceased to amuse Nonye the way she had fled from her own made up ghosts. "Tonight, we're going for a stage play in the New Arts Theatre. My first ever! I can't wait," Nonye hugged Cathy's giant teddy. She quickly let go ...

Episode 8 "Last week, there was a rumour of the death of another fresher. She had been crushed by a speeding vehicle along the road leading to Hilltop. It was later confirmed to be a misinformation, or an attempt at social media fame by some ambitious news outlet. The varsity sighed, but not for long. That same day, at the other side of the den, the shadows cleared before Eni-Njoku hostel and revealed the hidden corpse of another victim. Only yesterday, she was confirmed to be a student of Med lab, a fresher... The authorities are mad. The SUG is circulating a press release. Death and rumours of death seem to plague us. The air is tense with suspense as the varsity ponders who the next victim is..." Nonye's hands floated over her keyboard as her flow dried up. She sighed and curled on her bed as she recalled how she had lost her cool over Cathy last week. She recalled her running, her knocking and her deep relief at seeing Cathy. She regretted the hug because for the past...

 Episode 7 "Bello hall it is," Nonye whispered and stared at the scape of grass and solar lamps in front of Balewa hostel. She was seated on the B sculpted from concrete. She leaned her head back a little and it touched the stem of a tall pawpaw tree. She smiled as her eyes pinpointed the stars above. "You're not giving up, are you?" Nonye looked to her left and was almost surprised at the sight of Cathy. "So you can be quiet for that long," she said under her breath and looked away. Cathy grunted with irritation and sat right beside Nonye. She poked her head with her finger and giggled when Nonye shot her a glare. "What are you doing here again?" "I'm trying to convince you against your crazy Holmes mission. Even if there is a secret cult group, do you think they'd like someone sniffing them out?" Cathy said. "Can your friend be done fixing her nails already? You have somewhere else to be," Nonye replied nonchalan...

  Episode 6 "Silly." That was one word Nonye had learned early in life. It was her mother's favourite insult. She had gotten it a lot, so her little mind had been forced to interpret it. At 3, it had meant naughty girl. At 11, it meant useless child. These days, it was an euphemism for unwanted. "Hm. Silly," Nonye whispered and chuckled painfully. A dull throb inside her made her scratch her chest. The thick cotton of her sweater got in the way so she slipped her hand under her shirt and thumped at the spot. Each hit spread a ripple of emotions that tickled Nonye's nostrils and dampened her lashes. "It'll pass," Nonye whispered and recoursed to the only antidote. Her writing always made her feel better, less choked. She fingered her screen and thought of what to write. Nothing came but this, "Silly, that's what mummy called her when she called last. Silly, mummy said when she came back to Abia for her first Christmas holiday as a unive...

  Episode 5 "Alright, students. We've come to the end of the class..." "Ahhh!" Mr Nwachukwu ignored the interruption and left the tiny classroom. "3, 2, 1..." Nonye counted and watched a tall chocolate skinned young man walk to where the lecturer had stood. He cleared his throat and beamed at the multitude of students. "Good afternoon, everyone! With much order and decorum, let's proceed the submission of our MAC 331 assignment," he said and a tumult arose. "Everyday," Nonye hissed and waited for the first wave of the crowd to finish their struggle of submission. She watched them with careful attention on the tall young man as he took his seat at the front desk and performed his duty of collecting stapled sheets of paper. There were many cries of "Hi, Jordan!" and "Class rep," during the process. Nonye rolled her eyes and wondered if it would be the same if Jordan wasn't a class rep, hadn't merited an...

Episode 4 "She was the strangest girl. She got fooled once by me but didn't mind trusting me again. I'm sure we've never met before but she shook my hand as if we've always known each other. She also smiled a lot. Her smile is like a child's; it sends ripples to one's face and makes one's lips twitch to a smile too. She was too good to be true, or too good to be in the den." Nonye rubbed her nose bridge and chided herself for thinking of Cathy. True it had been the oddest experience for Nonye - making a new friend - but she had bigger things to think about. She was nursing an idea on how to execute her mission. She had already set a deadline for herself for the Area '61 article. She couldn't lose focus now. Nonye texted another message to herself, "The other day, while I was touring a penguin round the den and keeping the legends alive, I came across a student in white and ash. She wasn't a Pharmacist though; she was complaining to...