My Ever Dearest Alma Mater
Girl, what’s up? Why are you acting all teary by this time of the day? Mildred, you won’t understand; when you think you have everything under control, one of these stupid idiots will just come and ruin your evening. Can you imagine that Paul, because he don dey wear long sleeve join chinos trouser he get mind dey come toast me!!
Mildred couldn’t believe her ears again. “Chioma, I thought you were over this Paul guy”. You have complained and lamented too much about him. “Did he toast you again this evening?” Chioma cowered her head gently and feigned, cleaning a tear from her eyes, then threw a queer smile to the wall. “Not really, just that the way he looked at me when I passed him in class during prep today was draconian, I could see the hatred in his eyes.”
“Girl, forget that thing, na rice we dey eat for Dining hall this evening, let’s get ready on time before they ring the bell, bad as e bad if we no carry first our plates will be in good position before those guys go serve the food eighty-five to fifteen.”
At that point, it struck Chioma again, a part of her wanted to burst out in tears, but she had to hold herself. Who could she explain this to? Paul, the same guy who humiliated her at the Dining Hall throughout their Junior days, is back to being her tablemate, and not just that, he has joined the toasters’ list; the devil is a liar!
It was raining gently that Friday night almost four years ago now, and Paul could clearly remember it like it was yesterday because most boys kept reliving the story over and over again over the years, and it has turned into a legend, but tonight he must recount it like a man. No more jeers and frenzy as it had always been; there is so much at stake.
Chioma had always looked gentle, but it amazes the rest of the guys how she normally comes first to the dining hall, especially at Dinner. Some guys had attributed it to the closeness of the girls’ hostel to the Dining hall but being a sharp bad guy Paul had always hung around the dining hall just before the bell was rung, somehow he shares the first position alternatively with Chioma who somehow gets to the hall before most girls, the wonderment has come in batches.
How does she do it? It’s not like she is hungry; her parents live in town, and they visit or send provisions every other week, but it seems she prefers the putrid dining hall food. Well, we kept taking turns at being first and the attendant privileges that come with it until that day when she crossed the line.
The football match between B and D boys had ended in our favour, and I headed straight to the hostel, had my bath and fell asleep; by the time I heard the Dinner bell ring, I knew I had no chance of heading the table, but every dog has its day.
On getting to the hall, I was number 14 on a table of 18, as two people did not come for food that evening. Those who say a hungry man is an angry man were almost lying, I was hungry, angry and longing all at once. I wished more people were absent from our table that day, but as God would have it, the table next to ours had about eight people, and some of us were asked to join them.
I should have just gone there, but my pride of “our table” wouldn’t let me. In a few seconds, before I could clear my head to decide on what to do, five people had moved to the other table, and it was just five of us guys and eight girls left on our table. I wasn’t perturbed. I had moved up in the ranking, and I was now number thirteen with a smoking pot of Rice in front of me, twelve people shining their eyes for diced fish with Chioma serving.
God knows my heart was clean initially, as they finished saying the Grace and the service of the food started. All the girls at the table seemed to have had an understanding of the moment because the grins on their faces had a telltale look about it, but I didn’t bother.
As service progressed, so did my awareness; I have never seen this level of lopsidedness in dining service since I started this school almost two years ago. What in the world could this be? Chioma served decent portions of rice for herself and her friends, and served us guys plenty rice like we just came from prison and needed help. Well, that’s not bad, I thought, but as she started with the fish, I understood the dynamics of the earlier facial looks.
She served full fish for her friends and gave the guys either fish head or half-diced fish, and while they had two pieces each, the guys had either two halves or one half and the half of another half. This was an open declaration of war, but we were in the dining hall; courtesy demanded that I behave before I fell into the hands of these prefects who were always looking for who to beat.
When I saw the disparity in the food service, I initially refused to eat. I sat silently with many thoughts going through my mind. I didn’t even have money to buy bread and moimoi to alleviate the hunger if I form and not eat. For the first time in a long time, I ate my food like an abandoned child by the roadside, but I know that Olodumare is a merciful God, but I can’t vouch for the other gods, so vengeance will be mine someday.
I promised myself to come first to the table for the next one month and I did. Every time I held the spoon to dish the food for my tablemates, I watched the demeanour in the eyes of the girls. They were all scared it would be payback time, but I graciously served everyone fairly and then deliberately under-served myself. I continued like that for a while, and everyone got relaxed, and even Chioma stopped hurrying to come first to the table.
Then, on the penultimate Saturday before the end of term, it was the rare occasion of Jollof rice and assorted meat; only those who have lived long experience this Jollof in school. Old students had come to celebrate one anniversary, and for once, the food was upgraded as I had expected six weeks prior to the time.
I got to the table as usual before anyone else and kept the second space for Chioma. When the boys came in, I pleaded with them to grant me the privilege of the space, and when Chioma finally arrived, she placed her plate in the position where it ought to be, but Chike picked it up and placed it in the second spot. She was surprised and felt honoured at the same time; her beauty and grace had given her honour amongst men, but in truth, a Daniella had come to judgment.
I had never felt more privileged serving my peers food in my whole life. As the first round of scooping went round, Chioma’s plate was half the portion of everyone else on the table. Oh, I almost forgot, the aroma from that Jollof rice stayed in that dining hall for four days; so you can imagine the bliss it gave to our nostrils at the moment as it moved from plate to plate.
In the second scoop, I began serving the rice from behind, and as it got to the plate before Chioma, the pot was empty. I sneaked a look into her corner and I could see the shock in her eyes, but I was just starting. The meat and fish were about 20+ pieces minus the crumbs that came with it.
The atmosphere in the dining hall was pure festivity, students were smiling from ear to ear as the Jollof rice made moods lighter. Then I started serving the meat. I gave my humble self a small piece as a servant leader and shared bigger pieces to my guys. I gave the rest girls a fair deal, and as it got to Chioma, I gathered the crumbs that were basically onions and flour, heaped it and placed it upon her rice. All the boys on the table giggled hysterically, but the girls were not in solidarity with us or their comrade; they ate away their food as Chioma’s eyes welled up in tears.
I kept my ears to the ground and got the news later that night that gave my naughty heart a sound sleep, I heard she cried profusely as she got to her room. We were even.
No, we were not even, here I am not knowing how to make it up to her. Nosa, Chuks, Onyeka and Frank now have some girls hanging out with them after classes, and all the boys seem to like Chioma above any other girl in school, and she was unencumbered.
I had approached her for a tete-a-tete, but the resentment in her voice was so strong that you can virtually wrap it and put it in a bag, but I persisted and before I could say Jack, she hissed and walked out on me in front of everyone. I wish I could just vanish into thin air, but I stayed rooted there for some seconds that seemed like decades.
Damn! I could see in her eyes that she likes me, but how do I convince her that yesterday was bygone and although I have not repented, I could treat her like a lady. All the R n B I had listened to and the poem I paid Nuhu to write for me must not be in vain. Tonight in class, I will go for one more embarrassment until she smiles.
Chioma, let’s go to class. Continuous Assessment test is fast approaching.
“I am not going anywhere, that idiot will not even let me read if I come, he will bring that his long neck and cheap perfume to my nose.”
Okay, we are gone, Mildred said wryly and walked away, saying as her voice faded with the distance, “If you don’t mind, you can still join us.”
As Mildred and the other girls left the room for class, Chioma jumped onto her bed, slippers on feet; “Paul, if only you knew how much I would like to love you and hang out with you, but you chose Jollof instead”
Obehi Abibu
