AREA '61 (3)

 Episode 3

"Don't just pass through the school... Let the school pass through you."

Nonye was writing again. This time, she was seated at the VC's quadrangle. It was one of her favourite spots. The environment was serene and the wifi was free. She wasn't the only wifi tapper. There were a couple other students seated on the grass and round the fountain. Nonye looked up at a few students in nursing uniform as they talked in hushed notes and walked down the aisle leading to Eyoita. Then she returned to her fortress of thoughts.

Nonye ✍️

"Let the school pass through you..." Nonye repeated her favourite quote. It was the title of her favourite speech at her freshers' orientation two sessions ago. The lecturer, a tall cream complexioned man, had sprinkled gold dust on her memory of that day with his power packed motivational speech on the essence of leaving a legacy. Nonye's lips puckered to a smile as she remembered the dopamine feeling his words had released in her. Then she looked down at her screen and read what she had written in a small voice, "It's another session in the den. As always, the school is flooded with freshers. I pass like a hundred each day.

"How do I know a fresher from a returning student? It's easy. There's always this light in their eyes. It's bright with the hopes and expectations of adventure. It's dull too, with the disappointments UNN just can't help but offer. It flickers with uncertainty and grows dim with naivety. It beams too, with confidence. It beeps with the mixed feelings of meeting new people. It changes colour with the stress of having to adapt to new systems of life. It's different for every fresher and at times, the same.

"There's one more thing. I always feel this sudden tinge of jealousy whenever I see a fresher. Why? If you're a fresher, you're most likely new and inexperienced. You're a clean slate. While some hate that, I think it's a beautiful opportunity, a fresh page to write a story, a new beginning. It gets even better when you realize a university is more than a place of learning. It's a place of self discovery. It's your first step towards independence and your first chance of taking your life in your own hands! It's the start of your legacy..."

"Ahem!"

Nonye stopped reading and stared perplexed at the candy stick coloured sneakers in front of her. She slowly looked up to face the owner. Her mind wondered wildly; a classmate, a roommate, someone she was owing?

"Oh," Nonye let out reflexively as she scanned the angry face of the penguin fresher. Looking at her, she suddenly looked very much like the penguin in that clip. Her pretty pink mouth was squeezed together like a beak.

"You!" the little thing (Nonye kept thinking of her as that) squeaked. Nonye looked over her shoulder and dramatically pointed at herself.

"Duh! There's no one else," the thing gesticulated and touched her forehead as if surprised at Nonye's stupidity. Okay, Nonye thought, not only was she a mummy's brat, she was also a brainwashed cartoon freak. She even talked like one.

"Sorry." Nonye said immediately. She had wanted to play along a little longer but she also wanted to return to her writing.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. You have to make it up to me," the fresher said and folded her hands resolutely.

"What do you want? Sweets?" Nonye asked with sarcasm.

"No," the fresher dragged and sat beside Nonye. Then she smiled. Nonye grimaced suspiciously and shifted away from her.

"I want you to take me on a tour round UNN," she announced, drawing UNN excitedly.

"Let me guess. She still thinks this school is out to restore her dignity. Tough," Nonye thought and locked eyes with the fresher who was trying to browbeat her. She was as menacing as a cute doll. Nonye didn't flinch so the girl changed tactics. She wrapped her arms round Nonye's hand and nestled her pretty head on Nonye's shoulder.

"Uh! Will you leave me alone after that?" Nonye tapped out vexedly.

"Yay! Let's go!" The fresher jumped to her feet.

"Wait." Nonye's voice made her freeze. Nonye drolly walked to the fountain and pointed at it, "This is our first stop on our tour. That building is VC's office or if you prefer, his White House. This is VC's quadrangle and..." Nonye stopped, licked the wall of her cheek and smiled mischievously. She continued, "There's a legend that if you throw a stone with your initials into the lion's fountain, it will give you good luck on your stay in UNN."

"Ooh. I want luck," the fresher chirped and scrambled for a stone. She mumbled as she wrote with a Tippex from her purse. Nonye backed away as the girl tossed the flat little stone into the fountain. She heard a tiny splash, then a victorious cheer of luck, but no angry security officer. "Where's that man when you need him?" Nonye muttered as she recalled the day he had chased her for taking a picture of herself standing on the fountain.

"That was fun! I'm Cathy, by the way. You are?"

"Don't care. Keep up," Nonye snapped and scooted towards Pharmacy Building. She stopped on the pavement where they had met and looked at Cathy who skipped happily, "That," she pointed at Pharmacy Building, "is the faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences. It's written on the billboard. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it's GS building."

"Like you?" Cathy retorted.

"I was... Experimenting. Also, be careful not to stumble on this pavement. If you do, legend has it that you'll fall sick." Nonye walked on towards the junction leading to Chitis.

"Is that even true?" Cathy queried but still followed walking cautiously.

"A cute naive penguin," Nonye whispered.

"Are we going to Chitis? I already know the joint," Cathy explained.

"Sure you do. I bet you've crashed all the eating joints in this school," Nonye said sourly.

"And outside too. Padelia hotel is a nice place," Cathy replied sweetly and Nonye confirmed her prediction of Cathy's status. Only rich kids called Padelia nice when girls like her called Glorious restaurant awesome.

"Where are we going?" Cathy asked as Nonye slowed her pace beside the iron nets that fenced the road from a green thicket.

"Did you know UNN had a zoo? These fences used to keep back variety of zoo creatures. We had a lion too," Nonye revealed with a glint of happiness.

"Cool! What happened though? This place is a mess," Cathy asked.

"An indigene's chicken was fed to the lion. The place was cursed and the zoo collapsed. Only a sacrifice can appease the displeased indigene. Till then, this will never be a zoo again," Nonye said in a foreboding voice. Cathy looked at Nonye with concern. Madness, she thought, but Nonye was so convincing she felt mad not to believe it.

"Next stop on our tour is the magnificent Abuja building. This is one of the ancestral buildings in the den. It's a testament of architectural mastery. The best part?"

"What?" Cathy asked sharing Nonye's excitement.

"It's haunted by the ghost of Marilyn Onyeka every May 32nd."

Nonye's excitement dropped to disappointment. She sighed and asked with feigned interest, "Who's Marilyn?"

"A vet student who committed suicide. She jumped from the top floor when her female lecturer stole her boyfriend."

"Look. I don't think that's true. Also, there is no May 32nd on the calendar," Cathy said.

"Legend never lies. Marilyn has been heard screaming and crashing to the ground every midnight of May 32nd. That's what makes this place a cool spot to take pictures!" Nonye bubbled with excitement. Cathy sighed, spun on her heels and trudged off. Nonye followed her.

"You know Stadium? It also used to be haunted by the chelekwu woman. She always preyed on students who plucked her fruits. Then there's the stone on the way to Fidelity bank which used to be worshiped as a god years ago. If you look at that stone each midnight, you'll see..."

"Stop. I asked for a tour, not a plot for a horror movie. You aren't sorry for tricking me, are you?" Cathy's lashes glared to Nonye's surprise. She had a subtle urge to not leave a bad second impression. Her eyes roamed from Cathy's face to the iron cage fence. They were back at the old zoo, and they had company.

"There's one more thing," Nonye said gently, "Of all the creatures of UNN zoo, only a tortoise survived. Her name's Leona. Only one of 200 students ever get to see the 200 year old mascot of UNN."

"That's another made-up..." Cathy gasped and gazed when Nonye turned her and pointed towards the cage. Nonye smiled at the wrinkled tortoise shell and the ancient reptile's head as it chewed leaves off a low branch.

"Oh, my God! It's a tortoise! It's a real tortoise!" Cathy squealed and bounced about excitedly. Nonye cringed and dodged the amused gazes of the students who passed by. She didn't call Cathy a penguin though. The first day she had passed the zoo, she had only seen the shell but had been just as excited. Unlike Cathy,she had contained her excitement. Achievement, Nonye thought and waited for Cathy's dozen selfies and videos to end.

"Hey. Thanks for the tour," Cathy finally said as they left for Marlima and walked towards Okpara.

"Sure."

"You don't want to go back to VC's quadrangle?" came an uncertain question.

"It's already late," Nonye said without sounding annoyed.

"Oh. Sorry if I disturbed," Cathy apologized meekly. Nonye looked at her and felt that her one hour was anything but wasted.

"I'm Nonye," she broke the silence and managed to stretch her lips to a smile.

"Pretty name, Nonye!" Cathy squeaked and grabbed Nonye's hand unexpectedly. Then she shook it so vigorously Nonye pulled it away. Still, Cathy's smile stayed plastered.

"What department?" Nonye asked trying to forget the awkwardness of the handshake.

"English and Literary Studies."

"You're in ELS? Tough," Nonye said stifling a laugh.

"Don't tell me about how impossible it is to make an A. I've heard that a lot and I'm good with a B. What about you? Science or art?"

A fresher's question, Nonye thought. "Mass communication," she replied, "and don't worry about the A. You'll mostly likely see D or E." Nonye shrugged.

"Phew. Better than an F."

Nonye grew puzzled at this response. She smiled it off and saw Cathy surviving in the department. The rule was always to expect the worst. That way, you could never get surprised.

"Well, so long." Nonye turned to her hostel door.

"Wait!" Cathy fumbled her purse. Then she brought out her phone. It's pouch was a pretty pink teddy. As expected.

"Give me your number."

Nonye frowned throughout the transaction. Sociability wasn't her strong spot one bit. She loved her seclusion so much she imagined blocking Cathy if the calls or texts or chats became vexatious.

"Remember we've only toured half of UNN. To be continued. Bye!" Cathy said and smiled so brightly Nonye could almost see glitter floating round Cathy's face. She smiled back briefly and turned away. Then she rushed to her room and buried her head in her bedsheets. After a moment and lots of stares from Chisom, she pulled out her phone and stared at her first new contact in so long. She had saved it as, "Penguin."

Cathy 💛💛💛

To be continued.

Well, Cathy sure is a happy feet of surprises. What did you think of the legends though? UNN students, are they true?

Tell in the comments!