The Activist - Season 1 - Episode 7

5 years ago

The Activist - Season 1 - Episode 7

☆☆☆

Tade returned to school the following Monday, packing enough goodies to feed the whole school for a month. His parents loaded his account with money in the usual nonchalant attitude he was used to. In all, he had an account balance reading 2 million(2M for short). For course he was not stupid to show the ‘abundance’ he had as he packed all the uncooked rice and beans, not to talk of the favorite student companion, garri.

He walked straight into ETF hall, Salisu following him with some of the baggage. He got to the porter’s lounge and quickly cleared himself, paying all the required dues. As soon as he was done, he headed for his room, Block 1 room 7.
On getting there, he looked around in disgust. The room was dusty and all stuffy, despite the fact that freshers had resumed a week before.
Seems like nobody has been allocated this room. He thought.

He signaled Salisu to drop his luggage and bring the rest, while he searched for a broom to use. He walked around the room, using his eyes to scan around. When he could not find what he needed, he started to shift the lockers, getting startled twice as rats ran past him.
“Mtscheww!” He hissed. The room was becoming more unsettling for him when he saw it.

The rat, as fat as a packet of Cheeseballs, was tearing a black nylon, obviously looking for food. It soon got its delight, as grains of rice fell from the nylon while the rat went about enjoying his feast. Its teeth went on working with glee, as its claws kept making noise.

“Jesus! What is this?” Tade said, speaking to no one in particular. The rat then stopped eating and started to stare at him. Tade stared back and made a feigning move to scare it. The rat did not respond. He continued looking at it as it replied his stare with its own, occasionally twitching its whiskers.

The rat suddenly made a move towards him. Tade was shocked, when did rats start having brains like this? He wondered. The rat moved a bit forward and stopped, like it was studying him.
Tade clapped his hands towards it. The rat refused to run, rather it adjusted its claws.
I don suffer. His mind spoke. Na rat dey do dis? His eyes suddenly fell on a used food flask.
With unspeakable rage at the defiance of the rat, he stoned the flask at it. The rat scampered away, scattering the rice.

“I have to find a broom!” He said to himself, just as Salisu called him.
“Oga, see broom here!” He quickly gave Tade the broom.

Tade seized the broom without hesitation and started sweeping the room with rhythmic madness. Quite soon, the room was cleaned and looking new, even as he started the fan in order to introduce fresh air into the room.
Salisu soon finished packing his load and after a little difficulty, they found his bunk and placed his luggage in there.
“Salisu, come and take me to the central market.”

They entered the car and drove off, only to come some minutes later with a long locker which wanted to rival the wardrobe already made in his room. With some difficulty Salisu and Tade carried the locker, Tade assisting so as not to be viewed as a ‘spoilt’ kid. They carried it to his room and after removing the locker present, placed it around his bunk. Tade was loading his foodstuffs when a young boy in glasses came in.
“Guy, submit your food.” Tade looked at the boy and went on with his work, ignoring the demand made.

“E be like say you wan stubborn small, Oya bring that food!” He walked straight to take a packet of indomie.

Before Tade could do anything, Salisu seized his hand with a vice-like grip, forcing the guy to drop the indomie with alacrity. Tade then turned and sized the young boy properly, realising that he will beat the bespectacled fellow easily.
“See, if you can’t ask for something decently, don’t ask at all, do you understand?” The young fellow nodded his head.
“Now get out!” The fellow scampered away as another boy came in, looking angrily at him.
“That guy has been trying to extort guys that comes into the room.” He said. “Good thing you chased him away. You are in this room?”
Tade nodded, as Salisu went back to the car. “Salisu, you can go now, don’t want Dad to get angry at you.” He faced the young boy. “Am a resident here.”
“Cool. I am also a resident here.” He pointed to his bunk at the other side of the room. “My name is Made.” He stretched his hand.
“Tade it is over here.” Tade shook his hand.
]”What department are you in?” Made asked
“Am in Law.”

“Ok, am in economics.” Made said. “One other student has arrived here, but he has not moved in. Anyway, enjoy yourself, tomorrow is another day.”

“Ok. Can you help me with my stuff and then we can go out together?”
“Sure.” Made moved to help him.
The two individuals worked faster than each initially thought and in no time they were done with the arrangement. Tade soon wore his sneakers and went out with Made.

The weather was calm and a bit cool as they left the hostel, creating a serene view with the bamboo trees across the road. The road was dusty, a common feature during Harmattan, which added to the atmosphere its kind of feel. Tade walked quickly, using his Walkman, while Made inhaled the scenario and relaxed a bit. They were contrasting in nature.
As they got to SUB( Student Union Building), they saw two people arguing, with people gathering round to watch.
Shouts of ‘Your Fada’, ‘Sho ya werey?'( Are you mad?) among other obscenities reigned the air, shocking many a fresh student. Made walked towards the scene confidently, asking questions with Tade following conservatively.

“They are fighting over babe.” He heard someone tell Made.

The two boys stood and watched as young guys who were at least three years older, went fighting for a girl that the crowd had not seen. When they were tired, the girl walked past them with no sense of remorse and entered a car waiting for her, driven by another guy. The reaction in the two men faces was enough to verify their feelings; they have just been emotionally duped. The ever interested crowd noticed the change and soon started clapping their hands in disgust, wondering why two men will disgrace themselves on top a lady that does not think about them.

The week went past as Tade was getting used to the school. Quadri, Malik and Andrew were other students that had landed. Quadri was a fresher like him and Made, whil Malik and Andrew were finalists.

Lectures had started too and much to his surprise, Tade had to attend a lot of courses not related to his faculty. To make it worse, they were core courses; meaning that they were compulsory courses to pass. He hoofed all around campus with other fresh students, struggling for spaces at lecture theatres. Soon enough, class representatives were to be selected and he was made assistant to a certain Ortega, who was two years older than him. Ortega, twenty years old was a typical Warri guy, thickly set with the local accent and way of maneuvering tight situations, keeping his class in peace.

Two weeks after he first entered the room, Tade had seen most of his roommates. In addition to those present, Shittu, a part two student of Computer Science and Ovie, a quiet lad in Biochemistry had joined. It was remaining one more person, and he wondered who he was and why he was absent.
On Friday he knew part of the answer he sought.