Dilemma

We just tryna have good timeeeee!!! Paula jolted awake to SDC's new jam that keeps making waves on mainstream media. Her flatmate James, has this weird habit of leaving his sound system on at ungodly hours. Paula's waking thoughts were filled with dread, SDC kept blaring on and kept cutting into her train of thought. She couldn't help but muse at the irony of her present situation.

It has been a week since Nife last called her, they were both having a good time. He gradually became distant since he met this new chic called Jola. She would have raised concerns about how his relationship with Jola made her feel insecure but, she didn't want Nife to think that she is immature.

Mr Alao asked for a sit-down with her yesterday. She would be retaking LIT402 for lack of proper attendance. The big dilemma is how to explain to her parents that she wouldn't be graduating with honours. All because of this devilishly handsome boy called Nife.

Her period seems to be running late again or so she thought. Dr. Akanji had already advised against another abortion. Nothing would stop her from losing her womb if she attempted another one. She has had 16 procedures in the last 3 years.

When Paula finally found the courage to get up from her mattress, it was already past 6am. She made a mental reminder to get a pregnancy testing kit from Mr Emeka's Pharmacy on her way to class. She said a quick sinner's prayer with the hope that she hasn't concieved for Nife again, he never listens to her pleas for contraceptives. In his own barbaric views, he saw it as an impediment to pleasure.

It was a bright Tuesday morning, the sun shined in all of it's nakedness. The norm in Ile-Ife would have been a low-key hustle and bustle of market women and corporate workers, little children in their bright school uniforms running around, school bells jingling away and signalling the start of an assembly. On this Tuesday morning though, It wasn't so. The city of Ile-Ife played host to one of the biggest Universities in the country. The Obafemi Awolowo University popularly known as OAU. This prestigious school housed about 40,000 students, staff not included and whenever the University was in session, the whole city of Ile-Ife knew it.

Paula stayed off-campus, off-k as they liked to call it. By the time she was ready for her first class of the day, she was running late. There would be a mad early morning rush at the school gates and in town, almost everyone had early morning classes on Mondays and Tuesdays. At this rate she would get kicked of out Mr Akinola's ECN 202 class for being late, she had failed the class twice already. The Lecturer in-charge already made passes at her and offered her an easy way out. Left to her she really need to pass so she would have taken the offer but Nife wouldn't hear it. Nife wouldn't listen to anything that literally doesn't suit him. But she loves him, and they say love conquers all right. In her frantic rush to make it to class on time, she totally forgot about the test kit and pushed all her troubles aside. Getting into school early on a Tuesday or Monday morning was like fighting a skirmish in world war 2.

There is a popular saying that goes this way "Early to bed, Early to wake". This doesn't seem to be the case for Adekola Oluwanifemi Abraham. He never wakes until the early morning sun had turned scorching hot. Nife, as he was popularly known by all and sundry was a classic Yoruba boy. Born into a Christian family, went to one the elite private and secondary schools in Lagos. He wasn't born into wealth, but his parents never stood for less and always wanted the best for their only child and son. It was roughly 11am when Nife roused from sleep. The night before was hazy, he was over at squad member's house where the norm was to roll up a joint and smoke till your eyes roll back in your head. He wished he had asked what brand of marijuana it was though. But from his guesses and the whole parade Nonso did last night it was probably "The Most High" it was codenamed "Pastor Adeboye" in the streets. He cursed silently as he tried getting up from his bed. He was still pretty baked, they don't call it the most high for nothing he mused. As he groped for his smart phone his thoughts fleetingly went to Jola. This new chic he met about a week ago, from his chats with her she seemed freaky as hell and he couldn't wait to get down with her. The smirk was wiped off his face when he thought of Paula though, all she does is whine and nag. Nife this and Nife that. He was so sick and tired of her already but, he couldn't let go because she was easy on the eyes and well, they were having a good time. He shook his head at all the times they have had to go to Dr. Akanji's and as he remembered his last words to them he silently prayed that Paula wasn't pregnant again.

Before he could get halfway through his muttered prayer, his phone pinged like crazy. He checked and saw that it was Kola his coursemate asking where he was, he had just missed Dr. Opawole's test. He cursed and wondered why whenever he was absent from class, they just had to write one test or the other. He wasn't going to fail. His squad got it covered. He took his mind off class for the whole day, schedule cleared. School was scam anyways.

Nife finally got off his bed, took a shower, locked up and decided to go out to meet his Geng.