THE PEARL OF THE EYES - BY OLANIYI ABDULWAHEED

I did not like reading in the school library, unlike my friend who had turned the reference section of Oluwasanmi library to his room. He hardly came to the hostel to cook or engage in interdisciplinary argument which, often time, soaked the room in the tantrum of gratuitous anger.

My bunkmate, Uzor, had warned me several times that I should stop arguing in the room, arguing that the purpose of being in school was to study not argue. As a new student on campus, he took me as his brother, counselled me every moment. He had told me to grasp the nettle.

‘Ade, there is limited time, choice on this campus. Make hale while the sun shine,’ he said.

All he told me while in hundred level fell on my deaf ears, until I realised my fate when my results were not smiling as I expected. Because I believed in him as my senior, I went to him and unveiled my predicament.

He took me firmly by his side, under a tree at the car park in front of our hostel. Like before, he wet my heart with words of encouragement and I turned a new leaf.

The following day, we went to the university library together. Although we did not sit beside each other, we were at the reference section. Uzor buried himself in a corner beside a shelf, to avoid distraction. But I sat conspicuously at the heart of the reference chamber of the library.

I got tired after an hour but he was so engrossed in the reading that he hardly knew what passed by his side. He was preparing for the test scheduled to hold on Monday and he had a day left.

I reclined on the chair and enjoyed the relish of beautiful faces coming in. My heart beckoned to every lady who entered. Some of them did not come to the reference section, perhaps they did not want their friends to know their whereabouts. Upstairs they went. When I realised that they were not coming to my area, I felt sad. But my mind later told me that I should wink at any one of them who looked at my side.

So I winked at her immediately as she entered the library. She was about to climb the stair case before our eyes contacted each other. She turned back. She walked towards my direction. Her body language revealed to me that she had got my message. So, I sat properly and pretended to be serious with what I was reading. Luckily, she sat on the chair beside me. Then, happiness stirred in my heart.

She was very pretty. In fact, it seemed her cheeks was the palace of the god of beauty. Her forehead was charming. Her beauty had arrested my mind. I could not read again. Then I cleared my throat.

‘Hello, sister?’

‘Hi…’

‘You’re on this campus?’

‘Of course…’

‘Please, what department?’

‘Dentistry.’

She spoke impeccable English and her voice was sonorous. This prompted me to interrogate her further to enjoy the melody of her vocal cord. I told her my name and asked for hers, but she did not answer me. Rather, she packed her books and left. I stopped reading, packed my books too and followed her.

She walked in shambling figures and I followed suit. I aimed at emulating her walking style in order to win her heart. I kept a short distance with her so that she would not notice me. She headed towards the hall of residence.

Before reaching the female hostel, she turned left, going into the university clinic. She entered a department which I did not remember to read inscription placed before its main entrance. There, she sat at the reception. But before I entered, I pretended to be a patient, held my Identity Card with my fingers and I walked in shamble figures which was worse than hers.

When she saw me, she came hurriedly to rescue me. She took me in the middle of my body and I leaned on her. She asked me to sit on the chair and held me gently until I sat down.

I enjoyed her caring.

Not long later, the doctor who was a young lady, came out.  She beckoned to her and she answered. The nurse gave her some drugs. At this moment, she did not look at me while conversing with the nurse but the nurse was looking at me through the edge of her left eye. Having attended to her, she came back to where I was sitting, standing against the wall.

Her solitude was not strange to me because I had known university girls for pride especially when a man moved closer to them. So I hated her guts and I was trying to heal my so called ailment.

Then the nurse came to us, asking me questions because she thought that I was her fiancé.

‘Gentleman, when did you get infected?’ She asked.

I did not answer her. Then she looked at her.

‘But I have told you that you should not have any relationship so that innocent ones will not be infected.’

She did not answer her too and I was baffled by the nurse’s statement.

‘What did you mean, nurse?’ I asked.

‘My friend, tell me the time you make love with her so the we know that extent in which the HIV virus has damaged your hormone system!’ she shouted.

‘You mean, she is HIV positive?’ I asked.

‘Of course,’ she replied.

When I heard this, I fainted immediately, but before the nurse finished talking, she walked out of the hospital.

I thanked God that I was rescued. That day, I vowed that I would not sniff any fruit I intended not to eat again.

© ABDULWAHEED OLANIYI