Life Of Jiji

All Rights Reserved

2020 ©Tena Ifiemi

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ТHΛТ ЛłGHТ ÐUЯłЛG PЯΞP, I took my seat next to Mitchell as usual. We had gotten close over the weeks, even though he still gives me his frustratingly long notes to write for him sometimes.

"Hello dear sister."

I raised a brow. This wasn't entirely unusual, no. Mitchell usually greeted me this way: 'Hello dear Ejiro', 'Hello dear friend', 'Hello dear rabbit' but dear sister? Maybe I'm over thinking it.

"Hello dear annoying one." I greeted back.

"How contrasting."

I peeked at the notebook in front of him, where he had been writing since I came in but he quickly closed it before I had a chance to see what it was.

"Mitchell!" I grinned teasingly. "What's that?"

"Not your business." He said bringing out his maths book from his bag.

"Ouch." I said pulling a very intense 'hurt look'. "Seriously?! You're not even going to look at me?" I asked when he didn't so much as glance my way. "What was it? A love letter?"

Mitchell blushed. "Yes. Don't widen your eyes so much, they might pop out." He still didn't look at me. Staring at his table like he drew the girl on it.

"Who's the girl?" I asked trying and failing to wink.

He finally turned, "You don't know?" Now it was his turn to make his eyes pop out.

"I'm supposed to?"

"No, never mind."

"That's not fair! You sounded like it was something I was supposed to know!" I whined pulling his arm.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Chisom watching us and I could tell that Mitchell did too because he narrowed his eyes at her till she averted her gaze. Weird.

Mitchell turned back to me, "Do you know that your set girls don't like me?" He asked stirring away from the topic and although I wanted to know about Mitchell's mysterious love interest, this was twice as intriguing.

"That's insane. Why would they not like you?" I asked tilting my head to the side.

"Don't they give you hell because we're friends?" He asked ignoring my question.

"You're not even making sense." I tell him glancing at Chisom whose back was now turned to us.

We didn't talk much after that. Previously, I wanted Mitchell to help me with my math homework since I'm so bad at math and he's like, super smart but he seemed not to be in a good mood and I didn't know how to ask him what was wrong.

After prep, he slung his bag over his shoulder and left before anyone else leaving me wondering when he even packed his books back into his bag. Richard walked me out. As we proceeded to the hostels, I noticed Chisom and Dami walking together in front of me and I could swear I heard Chisom whisper my name just before Dami looked back at me. No sooner than she had looked Chisom slapped her shoulder and gave her a stern look as if to say : why did you look back? Now she would know we were talking about her!
What's that all about?

I said bye to Richard when we got to the senior girls' hostel before he proceeded to his. The girls' hostels come before the boys'. After the normal night devotion, I went along with the other girls to the table were Miss Ronke, one of the hostel staff gave us our night cap before retreating to our rooms.

When it was my turn to take the meat pie and caprisonne they were handing out this evening, Miss Ronke told me to wait and that Ms. Angela had told her to give something to me. I had to wait for all the girls to get their night cap (which is quite a long while to tell a girl like me to wait for) which was frustrating but I managed to be patient since it was from Ms. Angela and anything from Ms. Angela came from mom.

Finally the wait was over and Miss Ronke, after darting her eyes all around the common room probably checking if Mrs. Ayoola was anywhere close told me give her my bag. When I did, she practically ran towards the 'lost but found' room and i couldn't help laughing when she came back to me and threw me the bag looking like a criminal about to be caught. She gave me a stern look and the laughter died in my throat. Thanking her, I hurried off to my room without a second glance back.

On my way to room 18, I could hear the laughter exploding from the door before I even got to go it. About to open the door, my hand froze on the handle as Chisom spoke from the other side.

"That Ejiro girl na ashawo! Who does she think she is? Yes we know she's pretty but I'm obviously finer. If she thinks she can use that her flat chest to seduce all the boys in this school, she should better think again. Look at how she's all over Mitchell. It was probably her and that her nonsense sister that planned that whole outing. He's probably doing them both. Dami watch out oh! This girl was your enemy before she even came to this school."

Weakness flooded my whole body and I thought I would collapse when someone took my arm. I turned to see Kadijah looking back at me, remorse clouding her features. She took me to her room and I don't know how long I spent crying into her pillow before I heard Reya's voice at the door.

"Where is she?"

"She's on my bed." I heard Kadi say. Did she go to Reya? I hope not, I don't want this escalating into anything. I plan to go back into that room all smiley like I never heard anything...after I cried it all out.

Seconds after Kadi spoke, I felt the side of the bed dip to accommodate Reya's weight. I didn't look up and after a few seconds she started talking.

"When I take you to my room, look at the faces of those girls there. They are not your friends. Are you hearing me? All of them, stupid excuses for living things. When I finish dealing with them especially that good for nothing Chisom, they will never try that nonsense they just did."

I was confused at first but I soon realized what she was talking about; she had punished them. Oh God No!

"Oya stop crying." She said "Stand let's go." Sniffing I got up from the bed and she stood as well, catching me by surprise when she hugged me. "Jiji, don't mind them. Chisom is literally the biggest ashawo I know. Funny that she's calling names."

I glanced at Kadi and she shrugged. The girl told her literally everything!

"Reya please, don't do anything to them. Please. I really don't mind what they said."

"Then why are you crying?" She asked, tilting her head to look at me. When I didn't say anything, she gave me a tight lipped smile that said: 'You see what I'm saying? So you better shut up and let me handle this'.

As I left the room with Reya, Kadi leaned into me and whispered into my ear, "Don't worry, your sister is the best torturer there is in this school."

As if that was supposed to make me feel any better.

When we got to the room, Reya took my hand and threw open the door. I was very aware of my hand in hers, more than I was supposed to. All this physical contact was so unfamiliar for me. Looking up for the first time I caught sight of Reya's room, nothing different from mine or a the other rooms in the hostel but it was my first time in the room so I felt obligated to look around.

When that was done, I hesitantly lowered my gaze to the girls doing stationery squats on the floor. I honestly thought it would only be the three of my roommates and Damilola so I was surprised when I saw Nengi, Amarachi, Katherine and Zainab. Zainab? How could she even be there? It was her presence that shocked me the most. Not only because she was in Year 10, but because I could never imagine the cute, innocent girl being part of a discussion like that. A discussion about me. I told Zainab everything about me-well not everything, just the things I could tell anybody, but still!

Beside me Reya spoke, "I hope you have taken note of all their faces. Like I said, these people are not your friends."

I noticed Ayo shed a tear at her words and Zainab buried her head even deeper into her chest. I didn't want to look at the others. At their faces which might tell me that they really didn't care.

"This punishment is starting to bore me." Reya said as she directed me to her bed and we both sat down. "All of you, stand." She commanded. "Raise one leg up, yes, good. Now stretch out your arms. No, not that way. That way, yes."

I watched in horror as she punished them. Zainab looked like her legs were about to give way under her and the rest of them as well; their legs were vibrating uncontrollably. I wanted to beg Reya to release them but the stern look on her face made me reconsider.

"Are you guys crying?" I heard one of Reya's classmates ask the girls. "You better stop it now, its irritating me."

Instinctively, even if I knew she wasn't talking to me, I reached up and made sure my tears had completely dried.

Chidera stood up from where she had been sitting silent the entire time and stood in front of her sister.

"I cannot believe you Amarachi! Ejiro is your newest classmate, is this how you guys make her feel welcome?"

"Chidera, I swear, I did not-" Amarachi started to say but Chidera cut her off almost immediately.

"Shut up! I'm talking to you, so you should listen to me. I'm really disappointed that you were in that room. Whether you said anything or not, the fact remains that you sat there and listened as that useless rat Chisom uttered those useless things."

At this, Amarachi turned to me her eyes filled with the guilt in her heart. I forgive them all, I really do. Reya should just release all of them let everyone go to bed. I turned to Reya and I saw that she was already looking at me.

"I know what you want to say." She said. "The answer is no."

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I updated! Finally!

I hope I didn't take too long. How is everyone? Hope you're washing your hands and staying at home!🧐

When next do you want me to update? Don't say today or tomorrow😂

Looking forward to seeing your votes in this chapter and the next chapter too. See you!

love, T