Hello! if you've checked my profile then you'll know I've been trying to write a story for a while now. I experimented with a few sites but they weren't entirely successful so I'll be posting it here.

I hope that you, my naiaraland fam will follow me on this writing journey. I'll especially appreciate your comments. Constructive criticism and commendations are welcome, anything else will be deleted.

Thank you!

I'll be writing a genre that I'll like to call Nigerian fanfiction...

Chapter One

Phoebe looks up from her seat in time to hear the lecturer say, "your assignment is on page 241 of your textbook. If you like, don't do it, I'll calculate it as part of your scores"

She's thankful that the class is finally over but she knows what the lecturer is saying is just cap, he won't calculate their assignments as part of their actual scores, he'll most likely use a random test in which the students scored badly on to calculate 70% of their grades in this semester.

The assignment is due to be submitted next week when he has his next class but she knows she won't be submitting anything. She's tired, her roommates have been extra annoying lately, and assignments are the last thing on her mind. All she wants to do is sleep - or be unconscious for the next three days. Perhaps if she "accidentally" crosses the road at the wrong time, she'll finally get the rest she needs.


These types of thoughts have been coming at her lately and the only things stopping her from actualizing them is the fact that her parents and twin brother will be heartbroken.

She hangs her tote bag on her shoulder and leaves the class, she hadn't even bothered to take out any of her books during the duration of the class. She takes the less used exit since she doesn't want to encounter any of her friends & course mates. Results were out last week and they've been excitedly comparing results. She know she has had yet another carry-over, and this time it's not just one, but three. She's delaying telling her parents because she knows it will just be yet another disappointment to them. She has only told her twin, Timothy, and even he knew that their parents wouldn't take it well.

Her "agreement" with her parents had been that she would do a change of course after 100 level but instead of gracing her parents with results that would make her eligible for a transfer, she'd brought home a carry-over at the end of her first year.


Disappointment isn't the only word to describe how her parents had felt. Her father shouted and called her an idiot.

"You'll start at one carryover and before you know it, you'll drop out of school! You want to disgrace me abi? I won't let you!"

Her mother had begun weeping and asking her if she wanted to end up unsuccessful. In her mother's eyes, anyone who didn't attend university couldn't amount to anything. She herself was a prime example. A stay-at-home parent and housewife, her mother had never held a job or financial position as long as she'd known her. Her excuse was that she dropped out of secondary school in SS2 because of her stubbornness and had lived to regret it. Her biggest blessing was her husband who'd accepted her even with her "flaws". A daughter who she'd thought would live her dreams of attaining a university degree was now failing at school and her best method of offence was emotional blackmail.

"Do you want to end up like me?", she'd asked when Phoebe's father left.

"Do you know that no man will take you seriously without a university education? Don't you know that everyone isn't like your father who accepted me? Don't you know that men these days want an educated wife?", she'd wailed.

Phoebe had watched as her mother complained and couldn't bring herself to feel anything. She'd heard it all before. She knew her mother wasn't a "failure" as she often implied. Her mother simply didn't have a backbone. One word from her father and her mother would bow so low. Her aunties sometimes told her how her mother had been fearless and stubborn when she was younger but she couldn't reconcile the image of stubborn Hannah Okoike to the image of servile Mrs. Hannah Fejiro.

There wasn't any arsenal her mother hadn't pulled to get her to do better in her studies. She'd blamed, she'd cried, she'd compared, she even threatened. Phoebe best liked her mother when she showed signs of her former self so she only stopped her mother's rant when she threatened to disown her. She knew her mother couldn't do anything like that, she and her twin brother were her mother's pride & joy. Her brother more so.

At the age of twenty, her twin brother Timothy was studying Engineering in Babcock University under a scholarship even though her father could have shouldered the expensive fees. He's in his final year with multiple awards from his time in the department. He has also been applying for a master's scholarship abroad. He prefers the UK.

She has never felt jealous of her brother and although she thinks he should be just a little less of an over achiever, she knows that's just her selfish self wanting to not be so regularly compared to her brother.


Despite her pleas and tries to persuade her parents that she could perform better if she stayed alone off campus, her father refused to pay for the accommodation. He told her that she would do better if she had people around her but she knew the real reason for his action is so that she doesn't become "wayward".

* * *

Despite her attempts at better grades, her carryovers and barely passing grades still wink at her from her phone's screen. Her vision gets blurry and she knows she might begin to cry so she looks away from her phone and blinks rapidly. She's sure it's not her fault that her grades are this bad. The lectures are too quick and aren't tailored for understanding. Her lecturers act as if they're not being paid to teach sometimes and the ones who are kind don't have enough time to properly explain topics. YouTube videos and tutorials haven't done much help for her. A dark figure groped her breasts during night class tutorials in 100 level and she's never gone ever since.


In secondary school, she could manage because her classmates were placed into small units and had sufficient teachers. She could also ask questions from her teachers after classes since she was "ejire". Her home lesson teacher was also a definite plus. Although she struggled with her academics then, she'd never gotten lower than a D. After scaling through the horrors of SSCE, she decided that secondary school was where formal education stopped for her. She told her twin and he understood, he knew of her struggles while they were in secondary school.


A talk with her parents though, proved another issue. Her father first calmly asked her what she would do if she didn't go to university and she'd become lost for words. She didn't know what she would do, she only that she couldn't do uni. Her father capitalized on her silence and told her never to mention an idea like that again. He promptly left. Her mother who'd been silent throughout the conversation walked up to her and dealt her a slap. It was so surprising that she felt confusion more than the sting on her cheek.

"Don't ever mention that again! In your life!! My daughter will go to university and she will graduate. The devil that is trying to ruin your destiny will not succeed."

Her mother left soon after but also dragged her along to a number of revivals and deliverances at different churches. Her consideration died a very quick death.


Although she took JAMB thrice before receiving admission, her parents never stopped to consider her plea to learn a skill and turn it to a career. They allowed her to learn Catering and Interior decoration in between her exams, but only so she could use it as a side gig when she was in school.

She comes out of her reverie when the sales girl asks her what she wants to eat. She quickly asks for a bottle of water and follows her to the counter since the sales girl is probably already wondering who she is. If you go to a buka and order only a bottle of water, you don't get to have a seat and watch the TV, you only get the chance to sit if you're ordering food too. She pays the sales girl and begins to walk towards her hostel.


Translations
Ejire = twins

Amazing story.
Publish your work on Amazon

Teaveapoet:
Amazing story.
Publish your work on Amazon

Thank you, but this is still a work in progress. I'm using it as a sort of test for myself as a writer too. And I honestly don't think it's so easy to publish on Amazon and then immediately get buyers.

Chapter Two
Back at her hostel which she shared with seven other girls instead of five, Phoebe wasn't surprised to find two of the girls arguing.

"Did you take my wig brush?"

The question was simple enough and shouldn't have generated any animosity, but Greta had a quick temper and her missing wig brush at that moment when she was packing a small bag to spend the weekend at one of her boyfriends' house was enough to spark a fuse.

"Tamara, did you hear me?! Where is my wig brush", Greya thundered.

"I said I didn't take your wig brush. Is it not ordinary wig brush? Tell one of your boyfriends to buy a new one for you", Tamara clapped back.

Greta was fuming now, but she knew she couldn't do anything further, it was almost 4pm now and she had to catch a bus to begin a four hour journey (minus traffic conditions) or she'd get to her boyfriend's place very late at night. Still, she was determined to have the last say. She zipped the small bag and hefted it on her shoulders, her phone and money purse in one hand.

"Better tell your boyfriend to give you better money so you won't be thiefing people's wig brush. You and your two kobo boyfriend", she hissed and stepped out of the room.

Tamara jumped out of her bed and began to spew insults at Greta.

"Ewu, community borehole, brainless thing. Be thinking you're better than everyone because your boyfriend cashed out, mtcheew"

Greta didn't reply to any of the insults, she simply walked away smugly.

"Tamara, you know how she is, please calm down", Phoebe said, trying to dispel the upcoming fight when Greta came back.

"Nooooo", Bella thundered, "Greta has been doing too much nau, since first semester. Is she the first person to live in hostel ni? Wo, we have to teach her a lesson once and for all!"

Phoebe sighed and fell against her bed. Her attempts at peace making had failed. A fight would erupt on Monday when Greta came back and she simply couldn't deal with the aftermath, or even the fight itself.

She began to think of places she could stay in the next week. She came up with nothing. If she stayed at anyone of her coursemate's houses, the topic of their results would surely come up. She thought of staying at the cheap guesthouse she'd lodged at with her boyfriend in her first year, and although she remembered the dirty looks from the staff, she decided to lodge there anyway. Better dirty looks from them than being caught in the crossfire of her roommate's fight. She began to pack her own small bag.

Chapter Three
After packing a small bag, Phee bids goodbye to her roomates, lying that she's going home for the weekend. The ever-shining sun blinds her for a minute when she steps out of her room but she quickly fishes out a pair of sunglasses out of her cross bag and puts them on. She ignores the hostel porter by pretending she can't hear him as she has her earphones on but when she walks out of the hostel and has walked a good distance, she takes them out of her ears.

She walks away from the group of hostels and past the large, old gate which is usually locked by 11pm now. It used to be locked by 12pm but now it's closed earlier due to security reasons. She walks past students and non-students alike, turning to another direction if she recognizes anyone. She finally gets to the main gate and the security officers stationed at the security booth. It's like a wave of relief washes over her when she walks through the gate and away from the school. She can't be the only one who thinks she's in a wicked school nau?

"One fifty to Sha sha! Wole pelu change e", she hears a conductor shout. His voice is one of the many in a cacophony of noises, but since she's heading to Sha sha, that's the sound she picks up on. She takes a seat at the back close to the window since she's going to alight at the last bus stop.

When the bus finally gets moving and the conductor has rudely collected money from all the passengers, she's barely aware of the jerky movements of her mode of transportation. Her mind has strayed back to the issue of her carry-overs and how she'll explain it to her parents. She knows she can't hide it from her parents for very long. At the most, by Easter break when she has to return home, her parents will ask and she won't be able to lie.

Why exactly does she even have to be in this situation? She thinks. If they'd answered her pleas, she wouldn't have had to write JAMB or seek admission to University. After secondary school, she would simply have registered at a training school and began learning. By now, she's sure she would have gone quite far. But no, Mr and Mrs Fejiro a.k.a her parents think that University is the only path to success.


She recognizes that she's angry so she changes her line of thought. She really should have considered the cost of accomodation at the guest house. She has never gone alone, she usually went with Daniel, her ex boyfriend. Daniel who'd seemed like the sun and moon and stars in one person but had turned out to be her biggest heartbreak. Her ex boyfriend? More like everyone's boyfriend. He covered his tracks sloppily and gave really silly excuses when she caught him cheating. The straw which broke the camel's back had been catching him smooching a girl at a party she'd gone to with her friends. A party he'd declined coming to because he said he was ill. Apparently, ill just meant he wanted to go out with babe seven. When she'd confronted him, he'd shouted at her, saying she'd embarrassed him and asking what was so shocking about the fact that he had another babe. He wasn't the only guy in campus to have multiple girlfriends. And truly, he wasn't. If he wanted to have multiple girlfriends, he should have just told her he was polyamorous and left her alone. She couldn't share her boyfriend. She'd broken up with him angry and heartbroken only for her to later find out he'd spread rumours about her saying that she was an easy lay. That had been the icing on the cake of her pain. It also didn't help that her tests were to be conducted during that period. She missed a few tests and barely passed the rest.


"Aunty, ati de last busy stop o", she hears the driver say. Then he adds, "Fine girl like you will be thinking anyhow. Ma she ara e leshe o!"

She mutters a thank you and gets down from the bus with some embarrassment, walking the short distance to the guesthouse.



Translations
"Wole pelu change e" = Enter (the bus) with your change

"Ma she ara e leshe o!" = Don't wound yourself!

Please note that the university Phoebe (a.k.a Phee) goes to is a fictional University located in Lagos State. Any similarities to UNILAG or LASU is purely fictional.

Hello Blossumpowerpuf (weird and long moniker by the way )

You've got a great story going
Ride on

Cc ishilove, meneski, souloho19

Come read this fine piece

zorse:
Hello Blossumpowerpuf (weird and long moniker by the way )

You've got a great story going
Ride on

Cc ishilove, meneski, souloho19

Come read this fine piece

Thank you! I really appreciate this. Thanks for the mentions too.

I really liked the powerpuff girls when I was younger and that's what inspired the moniker.

Chapter Four

At the front desk, there's a young woman who looks to be in her twenties and obviously does not want to be attending to her. She's watching a Yoruba movie on her phone and since none of her supervisors are around, she's free to do as she likes.

"Ehn, so what did you say you want?", she asks.

Phee wants to scream at this point but she know it won't help anything. Since getting to the guesthouse ten minutes ago, she still hasn't gotten a room. Their conversation has essentially been moving in circles.

"If you don't answer me now, I'll call your manager! Ahn ahn, do you think I have time to waste because you want to watch Mr Macaroni?", she screams, her anger finally getting the best of her. She's tired of being treated as if her opinions don't matter and the receptionist takes the most of her infuriation.

"Ahn now", the reception finally replies, "there was no need to shout". She places her phone into the drawer in the desk and faces Phee squarely, a mean expression on her face as if she's trying to be professional.

"So, which room do you want?", she asks again.

"I want the weekend package, the one of 20k".

Phee pays the amount and collects the key from the still-angry receptionist but she doesn't care at that point. She takes the staircase up to the room she was given, sliding the key into the lock when she gets there. She drops her bags on the floor and looks at the small room. The bed is just large enough for two medium sized people and the room is sparsely furnished with only a small arm chair on which two cushions lie. There's a rug in the center of the room and a movable wardrobe near a small door which is likely to lead to the bathroom. A quick trot to the door assures her that it is clean and she sighs with relief. Although the room isn't perfect and there's a slightly musty smell in the air even though she has parted the curtains and opened the wondows, she's grateful to be away from school.


She walks over the bed and dusts the bed with one of the pillows before settling down on it. She wishes she could have more "weekend getaways" like this, but even this weekend stay was funded by her twin brother. She flops onto the bed and sighs, closing her eyes and softly massaging her temple. She stays like this for a few minutes, trying to keep her mind clear of all her troubles. Before long, she's asleep.


* * *

When she wakes up by around 6:30pm, the setting sun casting warm shades into the room, she takes a quick shower and heads downstairs to get a quick meal. She knows the layout of the area since she has been to the guesthouse before with her ex boyfriend, Daniel. She gets meshai Indomie and fried egg from the friendly mallam who surprisingly, still recognises her, and a little distance later, a bottle of water. Since she hasn't eaten anything since morning, she finishes the meal quickly, polishing the styrofoam plate in mere minutes. She throws the plate into the dustbin, taking a swig of water as she goes.

Seated in the armchair, the cushions at her back and her phone beside her, her thoughts make a comeback. She hates school. She hates the never-ending lectures and the surprise tests, the exams and the lecturers who seem to come from unhappy homes, she hates her hostel and her carryovers, the pressure put on by her parents and the obvious truth that she can't keep up. Once again, she thinks of dropping out of school, but this time, her thoughts are more logical. She met an old friend weeks ago. Usually, he would be just another person she wanted to avoid, but when he announced that he dropped out of school, her interest had been piqued. Drop outs had always seemed like irresponsible people who had money - since it was almost a surety that your parents would disown you and kick you out of their house - but he'd let her see the reality he faced.

In his first year, he soon realized that he wasn't going to learn anything which would help his career choices. He was studying Biochemistry due to his parents' wish for him to study medicine. It failed and he found himself stuck in a course he didn't want and had very little hope in. He quickly turned to his true love, foreign exchange, but his grades suffered. By second semester, he dropped out of school, informing his parents that he couldn't be what they wanted him to be, he could only be himself. They'd raved and threatened, but after two years of failures and success in his ventures, were finally warming up to the fact that their son had made a wise decision.


Phee still knows most of what she learnt about Interior decoration. She even worked some weekends with an interior decorator near school in her first year before the demands of her school work made her stop. She's fairly certain that she could make a career from it. She enjoys it enough, and anything apart from school at this point will make her happy. Saliu, the interior decorator she worked for, had a degree in Statistics. Although he often spoke of his time in University, he also always quipped that he'd never once used his certificate.


It's like Phee is going through a realization. She almost feels stupid now. Of course she could drop out of school! Yes, she knows her parents will either kill or disown her, but she could stay with Mariam, her bougie friend who stays at a large family house with only a few people because the rest of her family are abroad.


She makes a call to her brother because there's no way she'll way a decision this big without listening to his opinions first. He doesn't pick at first so she sends a text on WhatsApp since he's online and her chat is pinned on his phone.

"It's very urgent, please pick your call".

In a few minutes, her phone buzzes with his call.


Translations
Meshai indomie - Roadside stir fry noodles usually sold by people from the northern side of Nigeria.

Mr Macaroni - A popular Nigerian skit comedian.

Thanks for the update

Hope all goes well for Phoebe
#schoolisnotforeveryone

Not so important but what course is she studying?

zorse:
Thanks for the update

Hope all goes well for Phoebe
#schoolisnotforeveryone

Not so important but what course is she studying?

Haqqq (since nairaland has refused to put in emojis) in my head it was so obvious that she was studying Business administration that I forgot to actually place it into the story.

Blossompowerpuf:


Haqqq (since nairaland has refused to put in emojis) in my head it was so obvious that she was studying Business administration that I forgot to actually place it into the story.

It happens

This is becoming more interesting... Keep updating us, we love you

osuolale95:
This is becoming more interesting... Keep updating us, we love you

Love ke? :-D Thank you tho, I'll do so.

Blossompowerpuf:

Love ke? :-D Thank you tho, I'll do so.

tooor, don't quote me wrong ma'am... I develop reading habit lately, and i love your write up and i think that's all

osuolale95:
tooor, don't quote me wrong ma'am... I develop reading habit lately, and i love your write up and i think that's all

Okay sir, thank you.

Blossompowerpuf:

Okay sir, thank you.

we hope you'll bless our weekend with the continuation of the writeup

osuolale95:
we hope you'll bless our weekend with the continuation of the writeup

Yessir! Coming up right about now...

Chapter Five

"Hey Phee, how far, what's up?", She hears her brother say and the knot in her chest loosens a little. She's relieved because even though her parents will be disappointed, she knows she has her twin on her side.

"I'm dropping out"

She hears him sigh. "I can't say I'm surprised. It's like I always knew this was coming. Mum and Dad should have just let you be. I'm sure you'll do really well at whatever you choose, school isn't just it for you."

The knot loosens a little more and she stays silent for a little while, revelling in the relief. Her twin, Timothy, knows not to talk.

"Thank you", she finally says, her voice choked with emotion and the tears already threatening at her eyes. "I'm going to go cry now, thank you so much Tim, I love you bro, thank you."

"Of course, you know I've got your back always. Call me soon though, I want to know all the details. I'll come back to Lagos whenever you're ready to tell mum and dad."

Although, she feels her stomach lurch at the thought of telling her parents, she consoles herself with her brother's support.

"Of course dude. I'll text you tomorrow. Good night, stay safe"

"Good night Phee, don't overthinking it, you're doing what's best for you."

Her sniffle is what replies him but she mumbles a "bye bye" and cuts off the call.

It's like the call was the only thing holding her together and the cut button was the trigger. Her tears begin to flow, they're not tears of sorrow, she's immensely relieved and she wishes that she thought of this sooner. Of course she should have thought of her own happiness and not only of what her parents expected of her. There was no reason for her to court with suicidal thoughts just because she was fed up of school. More tears run down her face and she curls into a ball, holding on to the pillow and letting it all out.



* * *

The next day is Saturday, and although her sleep was fitful, she wakes up feeling like she has no worries. There are no thoughts of carryovers or lecturers, and she was not woken up by the loud shrills of her roommates. All of that doesn't matter now because she's dropping out. She chuckles at the thought that she's glad to be dropping out. The thought of it would have filled her with dread at how her parents would react but now, she's filled with joy.

The sun light ellipsing from the half opened windows informs her that's it's already morning. A quick check at her phone shows her that it's 8:43am and shucks the sheets off her body, taking off her clothes from last night and putting on a towel. She unpacks her hair from her silk bonnet and packs it back into a shower cap. Fifteen minutes later and she's done with her bath. Some five minutes later and she has located her tooth brush and tooth paste. She goes through the motions of moisturizing and then picks out a large t-shirt and a pair of shorts to wear. Today is going to be a casual day. Casual with a side of drop-out.

Hunger lances through her middle and so she's forced downstairs, comfy slippers at her feet and her purse in hand as she goes to look for breakfast.

The smell of fried eggs calls her and she finds herself back at the mallam's stand. This time, she doesn't opt for noodles, she gets bread and fried eggs. The fried eggs are littered with diced pepper and onions and are placed into the bread's inside and the bread is browned on a frying pan, but only for a little while. She collects her breakfast after about fifteen minutes of waiting in line for the other patrons who came before her. This time, she greets the mallam with a cheerful good morning, evading his questions about where she lives as he puts her breakfast together. She waves a cheery bye as she leaves, the relief in her making her feel as light as a feather. She gets a bottle of water on the way back to the guest house since soft drinks make her gassy and the feel of the cold liquid running down her throat burns a little.

She gets a bottle of pink moscato at the bar and heads back to her room, a happy tune humming at her lips.


This time, she slowly eats her meal, enjoying the mixed taste of bread and fried eggs peppered wit the vegetables. There's a bit of deja Vu since she usually ate bread and fried eggs on Saturday mornings with her family when she was younger. Until her father complained that the family needed "real food" after the children did their chores. Her mother had promptly changed the meal time table.


When she's done eating, she drinks some water and heads to her bag to pick up a new notebook, a pen, a purple highlighter, and a plastic wine cup that she'd stashed in her bag as she packed.


One thing she really loves is organization and that's one of the ways school stole her mojo. In her hostel and with classes, she'd almost never been able to place things in order. When one thing started to fall into place, something new popped up: a new argument with her roommates, an impromptu assignment from a lecturer, water scarcity e.t.c. It was simply the ghetto and she's glad that she'll soon be away from it all. Now, she can place her things in order and she'll start by writing them down.

Following

More!!!

Great update Blossom!

One lesson learnt is to always confide your problem to someone. A problem shared is a problem half solved. Bottling it up only guarantee depression (in Phee's case).

Wonder how a conversation with her parents would play out...

Once again, ride on!

Chapter Six

She opens the cheap exercise book and it legit feels like she's opening a new chapter to her life. She knows she's being a bit dramatic, but still.

In one page, she writes 'PLANS' in bold. In another, she writes, 'TO-DO'. And in a less formal tone and a new page, she places the heading as, 'How to make sure my parents don't disown me'.

Even though she's starting with the more palatable options, she still opens the bottle of pink Moscato and pours it into the plastic cup. She takes a small sip and begins, determined to not get tipsy until she's done with the task at hand.

She starts with the first page titled, 'PLANS'. It's easy to fill out the pages since she already has an idea of the things she wants to do. She begins to write:

• Get back in touch with Saliu, the interior decorator I worked with before. See if I can work with him as his official assistant.
• Get my clothes and belongings from my hostel.
• Call Mariam and tell her that I'll be spending a couple of weeks at her place. Make sure to collect the address!
• Order a Bolt driver and have me and my things moved to Mariam's house.
• Look at Business administration courses online

The last point might seem confusing since she's dropping out. Why exactly is she making plans to start online courses? But Phee knows what she's doing. Although, the alcohol's already giving her a pleasantly airy tinge, she knows that an online business course has a lot of advantages. First off, she gets to learn at her own pace, and secondly, she needs knowledge of business if she's going to start an Interior decoration business in the future. For now, she will use that knowledge in Saliu's business and make herself useful.

With the first page filled, Phee moves on to the next page titled, 'TO-DO'

• Call Tim and tell him of my plans.
• Call Mariam!
• Get a large ghana must go sack for cooking equipments and books in the hostel.
• Give out the things I can't carry along such as my buckets.
• Find out the cost of a Bolt ride from school to Mariam's house. See if I need to get some money from Tim.

Although, she has a feeling she's forgetting something, she's sure she'll write it down when she remembers. She moves on to the next page and lets out a long sigh. Her hand subconsciously reach for the bottle of alcohol but she pulls it back to her torso and places it on her chest, feeling her rapidly beating heart.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, exhaling after a few seconds. She does this a few more times before she begins to feel a sense of calm.

She grabs the biro back again and begins to fill the page.

• Call Tim whenever I'm ready to go back home.
• Call Aunty Fiona to help me beg mum and dad.

She considers calling her parents now and checking up on them, something that her parents are sure to approve of since they always complain that she never calls. But reason tells her that when she reveals the truth that she has dropped out, her father will surely ask when it happened and they'll find out that she lied when they asked about school. That's surely not going to go down well.

She sighs and leans back into the arm chair, closing her eyes for about half a minute before she sits back up and picks up her phone. She calls her twin and this time he replies almost immediately.

"Hey, how far nau?", He greets, "how are you now?"

"I'm fine Timmy. I made a few plans and I said I should let you know"

"Okay, shoot"

"Well, for one, I'm not going to Mum and Dad's place when I pack my things, I'll stay at Mariam's place for a few weeks and enjoy the calm before the storm"

She can swear that she can see the way her brother scrunches his face as he replies.

"Mariam? is that girl even in Nigeria at this point?"

She chuckles, knowing that her brother has mixed feelings about her friend. Mariam had been one of her closest friends in secondary school. She'd stood up for her a lot of times but she knows that Tim doesn't like her lavish lifestyle which is sponsored by her wealthy but absent parents.

"I talked to her recently. She's not abroad, she's in the country rn and she said she's not jetting off anytime soon"

She hears the resignation in his voice. "Well, I guess she's the best option you have right now"

"Guyyy, she's my ONLY option. She's a good person, don't worry"

"Okay madam. I won't worry"

She hisses and continues. "I'm going to call Aunty Fiona to come and beg mum and dad when I finally tell them"

"That, my dear Phee, is a very good choice. Aunty will definitely support this. She's like the only one who has any sway with Daddy and mum definitely respects her"

"Heh, that's true. I'll call her as soon as I get off this call"

"I hear you ma, I'll stop disturbing you. Bye bye, go and call Aunty"

She lets out a mock cry of outrage. "Of course I'm not sending you away! I was just telling you I'm going to call her"

"Lies, better call her now before she'll go for owambe. You can call me later. I even have somewhere to be soon"

"I love you Timmy boy. Greet Chisom for me"

"Chisom is not my girlfriend Phee. And stop calling me Timmy boy! Bye bye"

She barely has the time to form a reply before she hears him cut the call. She cackles and bursts into a fit of laughter. She knows her brother doesn't like his childhood nickname.

When she's settled, she calls her Aunty Fiona who listens to her and agrees to be at her parents' house whenever she's ready to reveal the news to them. She offers some words of advice and some minutes after the call, Phee is pleased to see that her Aunty has sent her some money. She sends a thank you text since she knows her aunty doesn't like to be "overly appreciated" by calls.

Excitedly, she calls Mariam and tells her everything. Mariam is excited at the news of her drop out since she too knows how difficult secondary school was for Phee. She congratulates her and offers to send a personal driver to pick Phee up. They talk for some more time before they say goodbye.

At this point, the time is almost 12noon and Phee feels more free than she has felt in a long time. She plugs in her earphones and plays a Rag 'n' Bone Man album. She fills the wine cup and sings along as the song 'Healed' begins to play.

Thanks for the update!

Still dreading the storm that is about to be brewed between her parents...

Who knows, they might respect her decision (fingers crossed)

zorse:
Thanks for the update!

Still dreading the storm that is about to be brewed between her parents...

Who knows, they might respect her decision (fingers crossed)

You're going to wait a little while for the storm. With the way her parents have been described, do you think they'll respect her decision?

Hello nairaland! I've got a brief announcement.

To those who might find Wattpad more convenient, I'm also writing this story on Wattpad. I don't have a lot of views there since I don't have a lot of followers. I used Wattpad only for reading and I didn't connect with anyone until I started writing this story. You can find me at Blossomgrows, the story title is the same. See you there!

Blossompowerpuf:


You're going to wait a little while for the storm. With the way her parents have been described, do you think they'll respect her decision?

I highly doubt they would.
At least, not her father.

But anything is possible sha...

Thanks for the update

Hello nairaland!

Recently, I've tried to dedicate some days of the week into posting. I chose Wednesday and Saturday but I was busy last week Saturday and couldn't write. I'm back to my flow now and will hopefully be posting as regularly as I've planned.

Chapter seven is coming right up...

Chapter Seven

Time had passed quickly since her insightful weekend at the guesthouse. After her short stay, she took the trip back to school and had began to pack her belongings almost immediately.

Even though she might have liked to keep her roommates in the dark about her actions, she knew it would be a wiser option to not have them worry about her. She informed them of her decision and was met with shocked gasps. Bella had made a joke about how they didn't see her decision coming. If anyone was going to dropout, she'd have guessed it would be Greta. Greta shot her a mean look but thankfully didn't shoot back a retort which would have surely led to a fight.

They helped her pack her personal books and clothes, delegating them into their appropriate boxes. They were elated to find out that she was giving some of her foodstuffs, textbooks, and buckets away. They each received something from her and in that way, Phee was able to reduce the load she would have to carry.

Phee was sure she didn't want to formally drop out of school by filing a report or writing a letter to someone in the admission board. The school has been wicked to her and there was no need for any formality. When she "missed" the second semester exams, maybe they'd get the cue that she'd left.

Her roommates encouraged her to stay one more day with them and Phee was a little sad at the realization that it'd taken her withdrawal from uni for them to act peacefully.

On the D-Day, Phee was more than ready to leave. She said some surprisingly heart felt good byes to the coursemates she'd been somewhat close to and took a bolt ride to Mariam's house on the island.

The ride took 4 hours rather than just a little over 3 hours because of the traffic and Phee practically jumped out of the car when she arrived at Mariam's house. Her legs were cramped from being in the small space for hours on end and she lightly stretched her legs as the driver rounded the car to open the boot where her belongings had been stowed. She thanked him and knocked on the large gate. She was soon answered by the gateman who helped carry her bags to the room that'd been prepared for her.

Phee's family were more than comfortable in terms of finances; but Mariam's family managed to take luxury to another level. She gasped in wonder at the high ceilings and pristine white walls. Chandeliers graced the ceilings even to the large dining room which had a large arch as its entrance. The furniture was sturdy and had ornate designs at the top. When she sat, she was made aware of the plush abundance of the armchair. She leaned back and felt a smile creep on her face. This was the life!

Mariam came from the kitchen and Phee jumped and ran to her, squealing in excitement and embracing her. Mariam, the picture of 'trust-fund baby' smiled and laughed at Phee's excitement. She'd packed her hair in a loose bun atop her head and was dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts but even the simple clothing combination screamed "money!"

"Phee, I swear that I'm glad to see you but what's up with this...clinging?"

With her arms still wrapped around her, Phee replied, "I've missed you, that's all."

Mariam tightened her arms around her and reciprocated the embrace before saying, "I've missed you too babes."

Mariam's voice still has a twinge of a British accent from her time spent in the UK. She'd spent the first ten years of her life in the UK before her parents decided to move back to Nigeria. She'd begun secondary school in a new school, new country, and even a new continent! She'd visited Nigeria with her family before, but they'd never stayed more than three weeks at a time. At her new school, she was painfully shy until she met Phee. They quickly bonded and were soon the closest of friends.

They soon let go of each other and skip up the stairs, trading gists as they shorten the distance to Phee's room.