CHAPTER EIGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM
My journey back to Nigeria was long and stressful, my phone was faulty, it turned out the battery was a fake one. So i could only use it when charging. To make matters worse i discovered from my sister that we had located to another place. Which means my coming back, i had to locate our new apartment. The stressful was that there was no phone to communicate with my family, tho i knew the new location but i have never been to that particular street. But i was confident i could locate it as long as i get there on time.
I finally got to my city warri city around after eight in the nite. Getting to the new location, there was no bike to take me there which ment i had to treak down, there was no stores available for me to actually ask directions. I made up my mind that in the end if am not able to locate the place, i would just go and sleep in my church compound till the next day, which was really close to our new location. Besides we had service the next day being friday, so i was quit sure that my family would be in Church the next day.
Getting to the last street in the area, the gate was locked, the security man asked my name, which i gave him and he said okay they where expecting me that my mom told them i would be coming late, if not he would not have let me pass. I asked for directions and he gave me. Lol i almost got lost but here, this was my city i could surely find my way easily. I started looking for the compound, until i saw the very last one with my mom's car, i entered and knocked on the first apartment. My mom opened the door with exictment, it has been almost a year we last saw each other. She hugged me asked about my journey and commented on how thin i became lol. I met my sister we talked till around twelve midnight. I finally went too bed well fed and under a good soft bed.
The first few days was about me getting used to the new environment and other changes i really dont want to write about right now. I decided to fix my phone but the price was too high so i got another instead, not new but strong enough to last me, at first i hated it, it was small and all that but that was what my money could afford me. But later on i actually fell in love with the phone.
As time went by, i became more worried about what the future holds for me. Emmanuel assured me he would surely come back but the last time i heard from her, she was no longer sure about her return. I didnt tell my mom what was going on in other not to make her worry. But i was very worried, since the University would be going back to their old location, it means i had to find a new hostel. Mom gave me money to rent apartment, but i was actually scared of two things. One the fact i dont know what the future holds for me when i go back and two which is the most important is i dont want to experience starvation again. Hahaha trust me food is life.
This time i tried to prepare myself, or so i thought. I took extra food stuff with what i already had. The plan was that i would meet up with my sister in Porto novo then from there we would look for a house close to the school. I made my journey back to Benin Republic, i found out my sister was actually staying with the agent who took me to Benin Republic the first time. Like i said earlier Benin Republic had two major cities Which are Cotonou and Porto Novo. It was my first time visiting Porto Novo, the place was abit local,their houses had wonder designs that i had never seen before. I got to their apartment, it was really big, since he was kind of a family friend he promised he would help us look for an apartment close to the school during the weekend which means my stay would be just for one week.
I tried contacting Emmanuel to let him know about my movements and find out when he would be coming, he promised he would come within the month, meanwhile Comfort had finally decided that she would not return. It turns out her parents had made arrangements to start again in another school in Nigeria. Its better to start Fresh than putting hope on what seems like a loss cause.
One week turned to two weeks, the agent kept on promising and failing, until the third week. During these weeks there where so many activities but one that really put fear in me was when the agent had some misunderstanding with his brother who recently left the army, it was intense almost like they where going to kill themselves. Our neighbors had to come assist us in breaking them apart. But this event attracted the attention of a native group called zambetor. legends had it that they usally move at midnight on specific days to protect the neighbourhood, they where belived to be more than humans with supernatural powers. No one was allowed to walk the streets when ever they are around. It is said that no one is allowed to even spy on them at nite, they would kill such persons. Luckly for us the elders had to beg them if not they where ready to fine us for disturbing the peace. Finally we left for Cotonou we spent alot of money just on transportation. From porto Novo to Cotonou should be around 1500cfa. Finally we got an apartment just opposite the school.
all these while i had heard notting from the school, they promised to bring in more foreign students, which obviously they lied about that. Emmanuel was still no where to be found. Day after day i went too school with no lecturer at sight, there where some days we would see one or too, but we could feel it, the University was falling. Our Dean was no where to be found, most of the lecturers stopped coming to classes and even school in general, I guess Comfort made the right choice and Emmanuel? He said there was no money to come over for now, but i never knew he was looking for a way to transfer to another university in Benin Republic.
My new apartment was a very small one that was actually ment for one person, it was just a small room with bathroom and a small space set aside for the kitchen right inside the room, me and my sister had to manage it. Tho she was preparing to travel back to Nigeria to do some practical works for some months as an intern in an hospital as a nursing student. Things so far where abit okay, there was no cooking materials yet, so we had to rely on buying already cooked food or snacks most of the time. There was not enough money for us to purchase gas, pots and other things. The university became worse, students began to reduce, in most cases there where little or no body in the foreign department and the worse part we have paid school fees. I had to tell my mom about it, and she was angry i didnt tell her on time, so she said we would walk towards me transfering to another school but that can only be done the next section. And my math results was already out, so i had all my document complete.
My sister finally left for her internship, things started going from bad to worse, what i feared most had finally come with full force.... Starvation!!!!
To Be Continued...