₦airaland Forum

Alas, it was a peaceful atmosphere. The police returned carrying along arrested students but were later released on the intervention of the president who had also heard the news. Thus, the president of the nation addresses the situation when he said, the safety of the students would be ensured as necessary security forces would be deployed, and those whose properties destroyed shall have restitution. Fatalities, he also said, shall be given proper medical attention, as he encouraged all to restore dialogue to its rightful place.
They stood on the road opposite the faculty building when she said, ‘at least, things will calm down for now since the president has intervened,’ Janet said. She had her wounded arm bandaged.
‘It all seems as if nothing had happened yesterday,’ Renshaw said.
‘I heard the boy shot in the eye survived it but needs a surgical operation,’ said Yinka.
‘Really’ Halimah said ‘waow! That is good news you know,’ she reached out to pat Tunde’s arm. She leaned lightly against him- a lightness that was unbearably tender, as though she possessed magnificent reflexes toward him. She smiled and gazed into the atmosphere.

Halimah sprang into ecstasy of hearing the good news. He watched her while she jumped staring at her lobes of buttocks. He had missed her.
‘I didn’t Bleep her’. He said sharply without hesitation.
‘Excuse me.’
‘Yes, I didn’t. That obsessed bitch has been stalking me for a long time until she sets me up’. He nodded his head sympathetically.
‘Really’ she scoffed. ‘And you want me to believe all that, right? So the kiss was also a set up.’
‘Exactly, that is what she wanted in the first place. She did that in order to ward you off from me because she sees you as a threat to her. Your friend is one desperate bitch.’
‘She is not my friend anymore. I loathed her since that day. But you didn’t ward her off when she kissed and hugged you. Did you? She asked.
‘I tried to but…’ Tunde saw on her face a vague expression that she will not believe him. ‘I can understand it is hard for you to believe but I am saying nothing but the truth. There is nothing between us.’
She looked at him and saw on his face regret when a spasm of pity squeezed her heart. ‘But why didn’t you tell me Jennifer’s been stalking you,’ She asked softly. ‘That is where I screwed up. I should have told you earlier,’ He felt remorseful.
It happened shortly that she started gasping and giggling. He went on top of her caressing her until he slid into her. Hips continued to move back and forth, as she moaned, uttering words that are meaningless.
‘Whew! I cannot imagine we just did this under this tense atmosphere,’ she smiled in disbelief and stared up at the ceiling. Tunde could only stare at her. He had the most exciting moment that he had just regained something he had longed for. ‘It is alright babe,’ He kissed her forehead.
On the mind of Halimah were Renshaw and Yinka that were forcefully taken away by the police. ‘But these arrests by the police belittle our humane virtues. They are going to release them, aren’t they?’ She asked him in a keen tone. ‘Absolutely yes, they cannot afford to hold them for long,’ He provided her a satisfactory answer.

It has now become a widening climate of fear; the students were not safe neither from going outside nor staying indoors, as the policemen continued to break doors to forcefully arrest them. They have the entire place under siege.
‘Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to them,’ He tried to solace her
‘I think I should be on my way now’. He rolled up his sleeves. Even though he knew there is nowhere for him to go at the moment. Halimah was amazed at his incredible thought.
‘You are joking, aren’t you? Don’t you know how dangerous it is out there?’ She asked him. He frowned slightly and replied, ‘don’t worry, I will find my way through,’ She saw boldly on his face disappointment that she almost denied him of entering earlier.
‘Don’t take my word for it, you can stay. I don’t think they can come here again,’ she also said persuasively. ‘Thanks’. He took up the plastic chair from the floor and sat on it.
‘I should be the one to thank you for coming to our rescue earlier,’ Said Halima. ‘No problem,’ As usual, he tried to shrug it off. However, the moments was followed by the echoes of gun fires shot by the police as the air still hung heavy of smokes of the tear gas. They tried to call Renshaw and Yinka phone numbers but it’s not going through. While surfing the internet on his phone, he saw and called out
‘It’s the commissioner of police. He has ordered the policemen that they must arrest students and also the press is even on the side of the police,’ He showed his phone to Halimah that saw the news headline: students went violent by beating policemen. ‘Unbelievable’ she exclaimed. ‘But we didn’t beat any policemen. Now the people will think we are the architects of the violence,’ she was worried.
‘I know the press will always be a subservient of the police. They will not even listen to our own side of the story. Amateur journalism,’ He hissed.
Later, Tunde received a text message from the doctor that Janet had regained consciousness.

‘Half breed brain,’ Yinka answered clearly. They were about to engage each other when Janet gasped until she went into asphyxiation.
‘Are you guys even thinking? She has fainted. What should we do now?’ she was trembling. Tears slid back and forth at the bottom of her eyes. Each tear was a little spherical, and she felt like the world’s coming to an end. Renshaw and Yinka could proffer no answer while they stood like a drenched fowl, only they had supposed they had been under some spell.
His timing was precise when he came to knock on the door, but she wouldn’t open the door. She remained defiant as Renshaw and Yinka persuaded her to open the door. ‘I am sorry; there is no room for you to seek cover. You can find somewhere else,’ she said. It was Tunde behind the door.
‘Lima, should we let our personal differences costs the live you have in there? Come on, it’s not about me, it’s about saving a live,’ Tunde said persuasively. They were flabbergasted. Renshaw moved swiftly towards the door and open; followed by Tunde was the doctor who rushed quickly to check Janet’s pulse on the floor. ‘Thank God!’ Renshaw felt a buoyant of relief at the sight of the doctor. He brought out the stethoscope in his briefcase and checked her heartbeat.
While the doctor’s busy attending to her, Renshaw asked Tunde of how he knew about the incident since nobody seems to notice, because everywhere was in helter-skelter and also happened in a flash. He replied ‘I was heading towards you guys when I saw it. Immediately, I called the doctor to meet me at the veranda’ ‘Eeya! So you have been around this house premises. Thanks bro,’ Renshaw appreciated but Halimah remained indifferent. He also said the shot was as a result of a policeman that misfired.
‘We have to take her to the hospital. She has a weak pulse,’ the doctor said.
‘Yes sir, but how do we do it since the situation is still tense outside,’ Said Tunde
‘Tunde, don’t worry. I will handle that. They will let me through since am a doctor. It is an emergency,’ the doctor left while Tunde mounted Janet on his back to the doctor’s car.
It appeared strange to him the moment he came back, he saw the door broken and looked through the room but couldn’t found Renshaw and Yinka, all he saw was a disorganized room and Halimah picking up scattered books on the floor. He asked in surprise ‘lima, what happened?
‘The p-police,’ she sputtered. They barged in to take them away’. She was sad.
‘Ah! This is unacceptable. So it is now a crime to stay in our house,’ he said in distraught

‘I can’t believe this. I have always seen this in movies. Could this really be happening’ Renshaw was taken aback with how the protesters were destroying vehicles and properties.
‘Yes, this is going to send a signal to them that we don’t joke with one of our own. An injury to one of us is an injury to all of us. After all, it was a peaceful protest until they took a life,’ Yinka said in defense of the protesters.
‘I know. But how will the owners have personal claims to anything that is lost?’ Renshaw meekly asked.
‘I had wished it is the police cars they are destroying. They caused all this and ran away,’ Janet snapped
‘I think we should leave this place before it gets worsen,’ Halimah had heard and seen enough; she needed to leave. As they were about to leave the perilous scene, she received a phone call from her mother.
‘Hello, my daughter. How are you? We are hearing from here that you students are fighting? Is it true?’
‘Yes ma.’
‘Ah! Make sure you stay indoors. Do you understand? And be a good girl. Ehn oo!’
‘I will ma,’ she hung up the phone. Her mother usually ended phone calls with Ehn oo!
Before she could turn around to leave, she felt a splash of liquid on her face and tried to know what could it be, it ended up to have her hand stained with blood. She felt numb with shock, the usual crease around her forehead got thicker when she saw the person whom the blood emanated from.
The next thing that followed the incident was the multiple sounds of gunfire and tear gas canisters shot in the air. This time, just like the ram in a fight that reversed to come back with more powers, the policemen came back fully equipped in their large numbers to subdue further destruction of vehicles and properties by the protesters. Eventually, the protesters took off as fast as their legs could carry them into safety.
Yinka carried Janet in her arms and ran quickly into Halimah apartment because her house is closer. He had torn off his shirt to serve as tourniquet for her severed arm that has been shot.
‘Let us take her to the hospital. She is losing too much blood,’ Renshaw protested. ‘No, we cannot. It is dangerous out there and moreover this first aid should stop the bleeding,’ Yinka said, as he tied the tourniquet conscientiously. He had participated in a British professional training on Health and Safety.
‘What the hell’s wrong with you? We can’t just leave her like this, she needs medical attention,’ Renshaw said, getting increasingly impatient.
Halimah is still in a state of numbness and shock, she still do not want to believe all this is happening, as she sat close to Janet on the floor. ‘What should we do now?’ She asked while she gazed over Janet writhed on the floor. Yinka was furious when he heard Renshaw called him a bald fool but did not make it noticeable. He was diagnosed of alopecia at an early age- a disease that results from loss of hair from the head.
‘You should watch your mouth bro,’ He said. ‘Aren’t you one bald fool? I don’t know how you found it difficult to take her to the hospital. If something happens to her, the blame is on you,’ He pointed his finger at him.
‘I can’t also fathom how it is difficult for you to use your brain that the moment we get out of here we are doomed. So get that into your half breed brain,’ Said Yinka. ‘Excuse me; what did you just call me?’ Renshaw clenched his fists in anger.