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This is a short story written by me. I have decided to divide it into two parts for easier digestion, and hope it gets pushed to Front Page.

Enjoy...

Blood & Water

A Short Story

by

Kayode Odusanya

Part 1



© 2015 Kayode Odusanya




Mark was trying to get through to Susan on the phone as he walked briskly to where they were meant to meet. With the phone glued to his right ear, a busy tone was all he could get as he wondered who could be on the other end of the line with this girlfriend this long.
An hour had gone by since they were meant to meet at the cafeteria, he was dead sure that by now, she would be pissed at him.



“Hi?” a girl said, as she walked up briskly beside Mark from his right side. She quickly wrapped her left arm around his right, simultaneously putting up a smile. There was confusion all over Mark’s face but it felt perfect. She moved in closer and whispered in his ear, “Please act like you know me.” He looked into her face; frowned, but the beautiful smile didn’t leave her face. By now, they had gotten to a tiny path on the road, he could now see about four guys gathered under the tent that was usually occupied by the lady who sold doughnuts. There, almost instantly, he put two and two together, figured out what was going on and decided to play along with the girl.



She kept talking whilst they walked as Mark played along with the fake conversation to the best of his abilities. As they walked past the tent, he could see some level of disappointment in the eyes of the men. He tried to double up his pace, but the girl pulled him back, slowed him down and tightened her grip on his arm. At the end of the small path was an old rusty gate; Mark opened the gate gently as he stylishly looked back towards the tent. The four guys were arguing, and just about the same time, looked in his direction. Suddenly, in their eyes was some renewed sense of determination. Just as he was about to drag the girl along with him in a dash for the main road, she laid her hands on his cheeks, pulled his face towards hers’ and kissed him passionately.


A few seconds went by, they disentangled and continued walking. Both silent, they only stopped when they got to the main road. The girl leaned on a sign-post on the side of the road that read 'Speed Limit: 40 Km/Hr'. Subconsciously it now clicked; Mark had always thought that it quite was ridiculous for a University campus road, but that was the last thing on his mind right now.

“Do you mind telling me what all that was about?” he said with a quite disgruntled voice. She looked his way but didn't say anything. He took a good look at her now, and noticed that her height and features were quite intimidating. He wondered why she needed his help earlier. He noticed she was still staring at him. As much as it freaked him out; he kept his eyes on hers. Just then, she stood upright and sighed.
“Thanks a lot for that.” she said with a smile.
“Well…its okay, but I’d still like to know what kind of trouble you are in. You know…”
“Sorry I had to kiss you.” she said with a frown, cutting Mark off... “You will surely feel as bad as I do later, trust me.” she continued in a barely audible voice.
“What?”
“What? Oh! Nothing…I wasn’t talking to you.” She said, and started stroking her fingers in her hair. Mark looked around him and noticed no one had passed by since they had been standing there, and fear slowly crept into his mind again. He wondered why the girl was still standing there staring at him, and not running off to some place safer.
“Look…” he said, as he scratched his head. “I really need to get to my girlfriend, are you okay?”
“Oh! yea, I’m going that way.” she said, pointing towards the right side of the road. “I stay at Amina hall.”
“Okay. That’s not far from here. I’m actually going across the road to the cafeteria, are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yes.” she said, before turning around. Mark stood there, staring at her coke-body figure walking away from him, and he wished he could get to know her a little more. Just then, she looked back.
“I’ll be expecting your call.” she said, and hastened her pace.
How am I supposed to call you when I don’t even have your number, Mark thought to himself. “Hey, wait!!I don’t have your number.” he yelled, but she didn’t look back. She just kept on walking, till she got to the school chapel, and disappeared by the bend down the road.



He made his way uphill to the cafeteria. That part of the campus was now an old abandoned village. Many years ago, the inhabitants of the village had won many battles because of the advantage they had of seeing their enemies approaching from downhill, and having the upper hand when fighting them off from that elevation. But as time passed, and warfare became more complex, the village was finally conquered and pillaged by foreigners who wanted the area for selfish reasons.

Mark wiped the sweat off his brow as he walked into the cafeteria. It was always a tiresome walk up the hill, and he wondered if the school made it that way so people would eat less and study more or maybe perhaps, it was an engineering work of nature. He saw Susan sitting at her usual spot, close to the Coca Cola Refrigerator, wearing one of her favorite polka dot gowns. She was talking on the phone, and she sounded really pissed.

“Hey Mark! How are you doing?” A familiar voice called out from behind him. He reluctantly turned around.
“I’m fine Abigail, how are you doing?” Abigail had been trying to get Mark to attend her church fellowship for a while now, and she just wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. She went on and on as usual, telling Mark how good things would become once he gave his life to Christ and started attending church regularly. When Mark noticed she wasn’t going to let him go easy this time, he decided to give in, and promised to attend her Church. A big smile appeared on her chubby face. She took down Mark’s phone number, and gave him about half a dozen Christian tracts. He collected them, slipped them in his right pocket.


Susan had just finished answering a call and was putting her phone in her purse as he approached her. She looked at him, hissed, picked up her purse and walked passed him. He pulled her back by the arm, and was about to apologize, but the look on her face made him let her go. Mark knew what his girlfriend was capable of doing when angry, and this was definitely not a good place for them to settle their drama. He leaned on the Coca-Cola refrigerator and pondered what to do next. He brought out the tracks Abigail had given him, and looked to make sure she was not looking in his direction before putting them on a chair next to him. Someone that needed it more than him would find them, he had thought to himself. Just then, another girl walked up to him, with a look on her face like he was supposed to do something. He stared at the bald headed girl standing in front of him, wondering where he knew her from. “Hello!!! I need to get a bottle of Coke, duh!” she finally said.
“Oh! Im so sorry", Mark said, and moved out of the way.

He walked out of the cafeteria, but this time stood by the entrance. The view was another spectacle, and he could see the whole hostel area from that elevation. He looked towards the brown multiple storey building by the chapel, and wondered if he could spot the girl he had met earlier from the tiny dots of movements he could see from where he stood. His eyes hurt from focusing too long, so he stretched to relax. Whilst yawning uncontrollably, he felt something when he slipped his hand into his left pockets. He at first thought it had to be one of the tracts, but when he got it out from his pocket, he found out it was a sticky note with something scribbled on it. Just then, he noticed someone approaching him from his right side.
“Who was that girl you were talking to!!?” Susan barked out as she stood inches from his face.
“What?” He said, and quickly put the paper back in his pocket.
“I saw you talking to a girl; didn’t I? Who is she?”
“Abigail?” Mark replied, and laughed. “That’s the girl from my department, she…come on! You can’t possibly be getting mad over me talking to Abigail?”
“What are you talking about? I saw you…”She stopped mid-sentence as she was hyperventilating now. Mark stopped to think for a second, and realized who Susan was referring to, but he didn’t know how he was going to explain that situation to her. “Mark!” She shouted out.
“Hey! I’m sorry. I actually thought you were talking about Abigail.” Mark finished his sentence with a chuckle, and started walking towards his girlfriend. She put up a hand, and Mark knew what that meant, so he stopped approaching.
“So, who is she?”
“Susan, technically speaking, I don’t know her.”
“What are you talking about?” She said with a low menacing voice.
“Some guys were going to beat her up; she just used me for protection or something.”
Susan squeezed her face, and looked into space. “Susan, I swear, I don’t know the girl.”
“Call me when you get your facts right.” She said, and angrily walked out on Mark for a second time that day. He leaned on the barricade outside the cafeteria and watched her walk downhill. When she got to leveled ground, she looked up towards him and shook her head before walking off. Mark sighed, and reached into his pants pocket for his phone. His heart skipped a beat when he discovered his phone wasn't there. He checked his pockets again and again, and then he pulled out the small sticky note he had noticed earlier. ‘Helen- 08027794635 was written on it. Just then, it hit him.