IN THE DEN

 EPISODE 7

(FACTION, ALL CHARACTERS ARE FICTION)

Preparation for matriculation was already by the corner. I was obviously broke, everything I had had finished. And, I was also sick. I visited a roadside drug dealer and bought some malaria medicine. I was having running stomach. I just explained everything to the woman, telling her to make sure she gave me drugs for the amount I had. She did and I began to take the prescription. Initially i got better but as the day progressed, the worst happened. I stopped defecating. I didn’t know why.

For two days I was not able to defecate at all and my stomach was protruding and as well smelling whenever I belch. Three days after would be my matriculation. I didn’t even inform my mother, I didn’t tell anyone. The reason why I didn’t inform my mother was because I was sure she would try to come over and celebrate the day with me as much as she could. However, around that time, I had no food and I knew she had little. So I didn’t want her to waste the money on celebrating me just for a day. 

A day before my matriculation I was already depressed. I was hungry but was afraid to eat. The ones had eaten was in my stomach. As the day grew older, the pain increased. When the night approached, I forced myself to vomit and guess what? I vomited shits. That was when I knew that the handshake that exceeded the elbow was another thing. I slept peacefully that night; it felt like I had released myself of the entire burden after the vomit. 

Very early in the morning I visited a nearby pharmacist with the drugs I got from the drug dealer. After explaining to the pharmacist and showing her the drugs I was taking, she shouted and told me that I was prescribed an overdose medication for runny stomach and that it had blocked my anus. She gave me another prescription especially the one that would make me to defecate. After that, I left for my matriculation ceremony, depressed and horrible.

After the morning program, it was time to celebrate and snap pictures. Since I did not invite any one, I felt like an orphan in the midst of my course mates. A course mate turned friend of mine noticed my weary mood and came to drag me out. She insisted that I must take some pictures of which I, after declining, succumbed to her pressure. Another of my friend whose family came to celebrate with invited me to his stand and insisted I ate food. I could not find myself explaining my situation to him. I managed to take some spoons of the rice he served me, thanked him and rushed home; if I and stayed around more would come.  I was afraid of adding to my already protruded belly. 

Anonymous night came a month after our resumption and few days after the matriculation. It was a period whereby one anonymously sends message to the class. I was really enthusiastic about the night mainly because I had long awaited a period when people would have the opportunity to say what was on their mind without being afraid of anything. I wanted to review my life as well.

It was on Friday. M.s Helen held me in school late as usual so I left school to where I stayed around 8pm and got home 30 minutes later. I was stressed out too. I just soaked garri with sugar because I didn’t have the strength to cook. I switched on my internet data around 8:40 and messages began to pop in. As I scrolled through my inbox messages, I opened first the chat I had pinned which was my class info group; Mark had sent a message.

‘Good evening dearest Jacksonites. Please the time for our anonymous night has been shifted to 9pm. I am still on my way back from school, one of our lecturers held me in school.’ People were reacting with different emojis. Somewhere showing their dissatisfaction with the shifting while others where showing concern. I didn’t even bother myself checking our main group but when I opened the chat, the last message was from @vawulence master.

‘Get your guard jigi. Get your mind gidi. It’s about to go down. Say it, spill it. Vomit that vawulence, there is no room for peace. From yours vawulencely, ‘

Just as I was smiling to myself, Mark sent the anonymous link to our info group and the anticipation began.

Two minutes later, mark began to type a message. Within seconds he had sent three pictures in our general group.

‘I am just passing oo’

‘Guys who has noticed the latest couples in town? DaniMark 2023’

‘Nothing una go tell me, Osita is a gay’

Though I was interested in the second message; I didn’t really waste time in it. Actually Daniela was my assistant class rep. she is an epitome of beauty I will say but that is not the catchy point. Mark my class rep and she had been behaving like couple. Actually unless you are very close to them (which I was) you won’t easily believe that they aren’t dating. However, as their name came out in the anonymous message, it wasn’t that a surprise just that I had more pressing messages there to attend to which troubled my mind. I was called a gay. The first thing that came into my mind when the message popped on my screen was how? I laughed it out and waited for more messages.

As I made to sit well on the plastic chair in my room, another message popped up. Mark had sent another anonymous message. 

‘Osita, body spray isn’t costly oo, you stink. 

Osita do you even baff at all?

Just asking for a friend.

Osita you are too bossy, I hate you.

Who even gave that guy called Osita a course rep, that guy is harsh as a fuck, he lacks home training, ilwwn.’

And the message kept popping even more and more. It was more of Osita. I jolted, sat back on my bed and began to think over all that they were saying. I knew I was harsh on them, especially on those who refused to follow instruction. I felt emotionally unsecured due to many things, finance, especially.  I ticked that behavior and looked to work on it. The rest kept me wondering. I didn’t know what to do as I knew that I wasn’t a gay. But, was I actually smelling or was it because I was not using body spray? Many things ran through my mind but I finally settled on one, I would buy a body spray and start using it but from where would I get the money?