NEVER LET THE HAIR DOWN 🌸🌸🌸 Chapter Nine

 

Inspired by a lovely girl named Holy.

"I hate anonymous nights," I muttered under my breath as I watched the K-girls gossip and giggle at the messages that came in. We were in Kamsi's apartment for a slumber party. Kosi was sleeping in the bedroom. The girls were all huddled up on a rug in their pyjamas and I was on a couch at the side watching them.

"Ooh. This one says, "Who else noticed fake life in our class?" Why does it feel like we're being badmouthed?" Katherine asked and Kamsi yelled insults at the messenger. Kelly simply hissed and kept watching videos on Instagram.

"Another one!" Katherine declared excitedly.

"That Wordsmith Chris is damn fine. I wanna feel the rhythm of his lines on me," I read. I felt my cheeks burn with anger and disgust. How could someone be so foul minded?

"Awwwn! Someone's crushing on our Boo bear," Katherine said and laughed. More like cackled.

"She had better not if she wants to live," Kamsi growled and I coughed. I quickly cleared the tinge of jealousy that was trying to envelope me and concentrated on the tons of replies my classmates sent to each anonymous screenshot. Katherine tagged Chris and laughed. Kamsi made a mocking remark and some jealous guys teased. I didn't see Chris reply to any of these though.

"Another one for the K-girls," Katherine replied as the WhatsApp message tone rang in Kamsi, Katherine and my phone.

I read, "K-girls. More like kwashiorkor girls. Who do they think they are? Lagos sh't."

I shuddered. The aversion of the message was quite discomforting. The girls only laughed and replied the screenshot as rudely and unconcerned as possible. Kamsi asked the person to, "Quit being a coward and tell it to our faces." Katherine backed her up with, "Tell 'em, Kammy," while I desperately prayed that I was not among the K-girls being slighted.

"Ooh. Marahadum, this one's for you."

My heart was already panicking before Katherine had said that. I had glanced at the message and seen my name!

"What?" Kamsi exclaimed after mumbling the message.

"What does it say?" Kelly asked with interest.

I finally mustered courage to read the message when Katherine began to read it out, "I noticed that the foreign girl in our class joined the K-girls. Marahadum, I don't want to drag you. I just want to advice you to stay away from those girls. They're not a good influence on you and I know you're a sweet person. Don't be deceived. Their flashy lifestyles can't hide the skeletons in their dressing rooms. There are better friends than them in our class."

Kamsi and Katherine laughed. I sighed sadly. I had entered an anonymous. Nothing was worse than entering an anonymous. Everyone was probably reading that message and feeling sorry for me or insulting me. The kind tone in the message even made me feel worse.

I didn't care about the messages Kamsi and Katherine sent in my defense. For me, if it wasn't for them, I would have kept a low profile.

I growled and felt my cheeks fill with blood. When I looked up, I saw Kelly was gazing at me. I averted her eyes immediately. When I looked again, she was still looking at me. I coloured up.

"Ka-ni," I bit my lip when I heard that name, "who do you think sent that message?"

I looked at the three of them as they eyes me. "I don't know," I said crossly and turned my red face away.

"I'm sure it's that brown girl with the nice body and big eyes," Kelly said in a low voice.

I startled. Fumnanya?

"Mm. Could be. She must be sad that she can't follow Ka-ni about anymore," Katherine said and pursed her lips childishly before laughing sardonically.

"Poor Ka-ni. Don't worry. We'll avenge you. That clumsy talkative will learn her place," Kamsi said looking at my red face.

I wanted to tell them that they weren't sure it was her but Kelly said, "That dirty lowlife b'tch. Do you know I caught her pick a handkerchief from a gutter and put it in her pocket? Disgusting!"

"Awwn. Too poor to buy another one. And now, too stupid to understand that Ka-ni is way above her level," Kamsi mocked.

"She's not stupid. She's actually very nice to me." These words stayed stuck in my throat. I was still struggling to say them when Kelly threatened, "I'll teach her a lesson." I didn't understand until my phone beeped and another anonymous came in. A glance at the message told me that it was Kelly.

"Good one, Kelly!" Omoor, you bad!" Kamsi and Katherine cheered Kelly who said mean things about Fumnanya. "Who does she think she is? Bottom feeder like her! Trench kid!"

I stood up and left the room. I guiltily tried to erase Kelly's message from my brain. Guilt overwhelmed me. Why hadn't I stopped her? Why hadn't I said anything?

I felt worse the next day at school when I saw Fumnanya sitting alone at the quadrangle looking pale and broken. She looked up and caught my eye before I could shield my face with my hoodie.

"Awwn. Look at poor little lowlife," Kamsi said and they laughed loudly.

"Aish," I cursed under my breath and pulled myself from their circle.

"Ka-ni, where are you going?" Kelly asked.

"You guys go on without me. I forgot something," I lied and went back to the quadrangle. I wasn't going to talk to Fumnanya. Yes, I admit I felt guilty for keeping silent but it wasn't my fault Kelly had thought she was the writer of the message. Then again, what if she was? Who else would care if I hung around with the K-girls or not? As for Kelly's message, she was just trying to defend me, like how Kamsi had defended Kosi. I had wanted such treatment, hadn't I?

"Fumnanya, if only you hadn't..." I stopped. I was blaming Fumnanya for my problems. Was that the right thing to do?

"She's not here," I whispered in relief and sat at my favourite spot in the quadrangle. I brought out my phone and tried to distract myself from the thoughts swirling within me but even a video of my mum at work in Thailand made me guilty.

"But the K-girls aren't that bad. They're just looking out for me. I guess." I felt it then; the fear that they could say mean things about me if I wasn't a part of their circle.

"Look on the bright side. You actually belong. You're not alone. And then, there's Chris..."

There's Chris, I thought and felt better. I smiled as I remembered our recent conversation.

"Is your real name Wordsmith?"

He had laughed and replied, "No. Is your real name Ka-ni?"

"Not at all."

"Then what is your name?"

"University," I had replied expecting him to laugh.

"I mean your Thai name. Do you care to share it with me?"

I pondered before I replied, "Hataichanok."

"Hataichanok. That's beautiful."

I sighed and slapped my forehead. I had actually been nibbling at my nails. Thinking of Chris was a no-no.

"I know. I'll make another video for Wanida. It's been a while since I did," I whispered to myself and opened my camera app.

"Okay, Wanida. Today, I'll show you how far I have to walk to get back to my hostel. I have to pass GS building. Bye, Wanida, Hataikan and Arthit!" I waved at the lion sculptures before laughing.

I filmed the FOSSSA hall and Old Theatre building before crossing the road and taking the road beside Mary Slessor hall.

"That's Mary Slessor hostel. It's supposed to be the best girls' hostel inhabited by queens but I heard it's just overhyped. And there's..."

The sound of laughter interrupted me. Beside me were two guys talking and pointing at me. I stopped the video and quickened my pace.

"Hey there, sweetheart."

I looked and saw that the second guy had taken my side. I was surrounded.

"Bro, she won't hear that," the one at my right said. Then he looked into my face and said with a bow, "Chanchan chin chu."

They laughed and I didn't know whether to tell them off, continue ignoring them or break into a run. God help me, I prayed desperately. I was so scared.

"Hey, wait a little, Bo-yeonh. We just wanna talk," the one at my left said and laid a firm hand on my shoulder. I contorted my face and prepared my lungs to scream when a voice called my name.

"Marahadum!"

I stared gratefully at Chris. He looked questioningly at the two rascals and saw the fear in my eyes.

"Leave her alone," he commanded.

"Find your own Chinese," the one at my left said and shoved Chris.

I screamed and shielded my face as I heard sounds of struggling. Almost immediately, a hand touched my shoulder. I jumped an d yelled in resistance.

"Marahadum. Marahadum! Calm down. It's me," Chris said calmly. I looked to my left and then my right.

"Those chicken-livered buffoons? They're gone," he said.

Behind me, I saw them scurrying off. One was holding his chin and looking back at us intermittently. I looked at Chris and a feeling of relief swept over me. "Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome."

"Um, do you mind escorting me?" I asked shakily.

"I'd love to," he said and walked beside me. "Hey, don't be scared," he said when he caught me looking back. The smile that followed made me feel better. I smiled back. Suddenly, I remembered the K-girls and Fumnanya and how everything was so frustrating.

Chris read my mind. He said, "Don't let the anonymous message get to you if it isn't true."

I thought briefly and replied, "You're friends with them, aren't you?"

"I'd say it's the other way. They're friends with me."

"But you kissed her hand!" I almost blurted. I settled for, "What do you think of them?"

Chris shrugged, "They're jovial, carefree and flashy like most rich Lagos girls. They're not all good but they're not all bad either. I grew up around people like them so I understand their tendencies. I know when to go with the flow and when to say no."

Poetic, I thought. I didn't say anything because I was pondering on his words. He interrupted my musing when he began to mutter a poem.

"Is it something you're working on?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"Can I hear it?"

He looked at the sky and began with the air of Shakespeare himself, "What better way to spend a day than gaze into your eyes! What better moment to write this sonnet wherein my heart lies!"

"Beautiful," I said.

"Thank you." I felt his eyes rest on me before he asked, "Do you write?"

"Besides school notes, no," I said with a chuckle that made him chuckle.

"What do you have a flair for them?"

I thought of an answer to give him. "Photography," I said with a shrug.

"Really?" He sounded excited.

"Yeah." I added for the warm look in his eyes goaded me on, "When I was little, my mother would take me to the mountains by the seaside. We'd pass the time together staring at the beauty around us. Then we'd take pictures together." I stopped surprised at how much I had told him already.

"Why did you stop taking pictures?"

"Ever since my mum left for Thailand, I haven't found a reason to. I still take pictures once or twice but not as often as before."

Wait. How did he know that I had stopped?

"Can I see?"

I handed him my phone and watched as he swiped at the images. His expression was one of pure admiration. I felt my cheeks warm up.

"This is beautiful," he said and showed me the picture of the tree with purple flowers near the library. I had captured it dotting the black road with its flowers for Wanida. "How did you do it?" he asked amazed.

"Well... Sunlight and the right angles. I don't know. I just wanted to take a picture for my sister," I answered meekly.

"It's beautiful. Have you ever tried entering the Captures of Beauty contest?" He continued when I gave him a puzzled look, "It's by a former student in the department of fine arts. UNNTV posted it. I'll find it and send it to you. You should really apply. These pictures are beautiful. You really have a gift," he said and gave me back my phone.

"Thank you," I said bashfully. I knew my cheeks were pink as peaches.

Here already, I thought with an inward groan when we reached the doors of my hostel. "Thank you so much, Chris. God bless you immensely. I truly appreciate," I said sounding as grateful as I could.

Chris replied by putting his right palm against his left fist and giving me a bow. "Oh! You don't do that in Thailand," he said apologetically.

I laughed and said, "It's cool. We do the wai too..."

"I see it's called the wai."

"Yes, but you put your palms together like you're praying. Then you bow slightly or low depending on the status of the person you're greeting," I said.

"Oh." Then he put his hands together and nodded his head at me.

"What was that?" I laughed holding my mouth gently.

"You said status. You and I are equal so I guess I only have to nod," he said with a grin.

"You're terrible," I laughed and he laughed too.

"Bye, Chris," I said.

"Bye..." He stopped abruptly and stepped close to me. I froze as his hand went to the back of my head. With a gentle tug, he pulled my hoodie off and the black headgear with pink stones was the only thing on my hair. He smiled down at me and added, "Hataichanok."

I smiled. I liked it better than the thought of him kissing my hand. I watched him leave. Then my heart began a return trip from Cloud 9.

To be continued 🧣