Ngozika Agu

Hel l oDi ar y . Toni ghthasbeenadr i zzl year l yMayni ghtandIj ustcommi t t edt hemostser i ouscr i mei nmy l i f esof ar . Ther ewer enost ar s.Thecol dwasbi t i ngandsl i pper swer ewetwi t hmudwat er .Iwr appedmy ar msar oundme.Iwasonl ywear i ngonl yat hi n, t i ghtf i t t i ngv estandshor t s.Iwaswal ki ngwi t h af astpacet owar dst hef emal ehost el i ncampus.Ineededmoneybadl y .AndIwasgoi ngt oget i tt oni ght . Toni ghtwasmyf i r stt i me.Ther ehav ebeenst or i esabout“ wi ndowmen”ci r cul at i ngcampus r ecent l y .Thesepeopl e, accor di ngt omygi r l f r i end, Joan, wentar oundf emal ehost el si nt he mi ddl eoft heni ght , st eal i ngcel l phonesandl apt ops, f r om t hewi ndows.I tsoundedi ncr edul ous whenshet ol dme.Idi dnotbel i ev eher .Idi dnotbel i ev et hatany onewoul dst oopsol ow.Idi d notal sobel i ev et hatany onecanbest ol enf r om t hateasi l y .Wel l , Icannotst i l l bel i ev et hatIj ust j oi nedt hel eagueofwi ndowmen. Ihi tmyl ef tf ootagai nstast one, st umbl edandr ammedr i ghti nt oanel ect r i cpol e. “ Ouch! ” “ Doubl eouch! ! ” Thatsnappedmeoutofmyt hought s.Obv i ousl y , Iwaskeepi ngt oomuchoutoft her oadand t oocl oset ot hegr assbyt hel ef t .Ihadnot or chl i ghti nor dert oav oi dmeet i ngany onesi nceI wasdr essedsodubi ousl y .Mysweat shi r tandj eanswer er i ghti nabagatt hebackofa cl assr oom i ncampus.Myr oommat est houghtt hatIhadgonef orani ghtpr ep.Thatal onewas t r i cky .Ihav enev ergonef orani ghtpr ep. It r i edt of ocus.It r i edt omov ef ast er .Ial sot r i edt okeepJames, mycl assmat eoutofmymi nd andhowhest or medi nt omyr oom scr eami ngt her oofof f , “ Li st ent ome, Cade; i fy oudon’ tpaymebyMonday , I ’ m goi ngt ot eary ouapar t !Forr eal ! ” Ibel i ev edhi m.Ihadowedhi mf orov erf ourmont hs.Thescar yt hi ngwast hatIowedat housand ot herpeopl eandsocoul dnotbor r owf r om any oneel se.Ial sot r i edt of or getmyempt y cupboar dbacki nmyr oom andt hef actt hatnoal l owancewoul dbecomi ngf orweeks.Ial so at t empt edt opushoutofmymi ndt hatnextweeki sJoan’ sbi r t hday .Ihadt opl anf ori t . Iwasget t i ngcl osert ot hehost el .It ookanar r owr out el eadi ngt obehi ndt hebui l di ng.Ist opped. Someonewascomi ngt owar dsme.Icoul dnotseewho.Idoubtt heper soncoul dseemeei t her . Theni ghtwascoal bl ack.Thef oot st epswer el i ghtandf ast .Ist eppedqui ckl yt omyl ef t , away compl et el yf r om t her oad.Twopeopl e, pr esumabl yboy s, al mostbr ushpastme.Theywer e t al ki ngheat edl y . “ Howmanyar et her e? ” “ Thr ee” “ Justt hr ee? ” “ Theot her swer ej ustbey ondmyr each” “ Doy out hi nkwewoket hem? ” “ Yes” Theybr okei nt oal i ght , al mostnoi sel essr un.Ist oodt her ei nadaze.I twasei t hernowornev er .I di dnotknowwhatel set odoorhowel set omakequi ckmoney .Ij usthadt ot r y .Fi v emi nut es l at er , Icamet ot hebackoft hef emal ehost el .Manyr oom l i ght shadbeenswi t chedon.Icoul d heargi r l s’ v oi cest al ki ngexci t edl y .Dr oppi ngonal l f our s, Icr eptsi l ent l yupt ot hewal l .The wi ndow’ sl i ghtwason.Toor i sky .Icr epton.Icoul df eel mypul ser aci ngandmymi ndconj ur i ng al l sor t sofgonewr ongscenar i os. Si xst r ai ghtwi ndowswer el i t .Thesev ent hwasof f .Bel owi t , Icoul dheart hegi r l st al ki ng. “ Wehav et ocat choneoft hewi ndowmenoneoft heseday s. ” “ Thi scampusneedst opostsecur i t yof f i cer sar oundher e” May bet hei rl i ghtbul bwasbur nt .Sl owl y , Ir ai sedmy sel fup.At or chl i ghtwason.Icoul dsee t hr eegi r l s, al mostnaked, t al ki ng, huddl edt oget her .Isweptmyey esar oundt her oom.No phoneswer enear by .Oneoft hegi r l sst oodup.Shewasdr essedscant i l y .It houghtofJoan.She mov edt oawal l .Ther ewasanoi se.Suddenl y , t heent i r er oom wasl i tup.Oneoft hegi r l swas st ar i ngdi r ect l yatme.Idr oppedhur r i edl y .Icr eptqui ckl yt oanunl i twi ndow, aboutf ourwi ndows away . “ Isawhi m!Isawhi m! ” “ I t ’ snotpossi bl e. ” “ Noonecoul dbeoutt her e, notagai nt oni ght ” “ I t ’ sy ourmi ndpl ay i nggames.Wewer ej ustt al ki ngabouti tr emember ? ” Theyqui et edherdown.Bynow, Iwasdr i ppi ngsweatandsay i ngami l l i onpr ay er s.Il ookedt o myf r ont .Awi ndowwasopen.Icr eptt owar dsi t .I twasl i t .Ver ycar ef ul l y , Il ookedi nt ot her oom. Onl yt wogi r l swer ei nsi de.Oneoft hem wasasl eep.Theot herwasl y i ngonherbedcl oset ot he wi ndow.Shewasawake, chat t i ngonherphone.Shehadherear pi eceson.Shemustnothav e hear dt heexci t ement .Thatexpl ai nedt heopenwi ndow.Sat i sf i edt hi swasnotat r ap, Ideci ded t ot aket hephone.I twasanI nf i ni xbr and, l ooki ngnew.It ookadeepbr eat h. Ir ai sedmy sel f , st r et chedmyhandl i kel i ght ni ngandgr abbedt hephone, t ear i ngi tf r om t he ear pi ece.It ur nedandr answi f t l yt hr ought hegr assest owar dst hebackr oad. Scr eamsr entt heai r .AsIr eachedt hebackr oad, Icoul dhearagi r l shout i ng, “ It ol dy ouhewast her e! ” Ihi tmyl ef tf ootagai nagai nstast one.Ist i f l edacr yofpai n.Ikeptr unni ng, hol di ngunt ot he phonef ordearl i f e, unt i l Igother e, t heengi neer i ngcompl ex.Icoul dnothearanyscr eami ng agai n.Ev er y wher ewasst i l l .Iwal kedqui ckl yt ot hebackofacl assr oom near by , pi ckedupmy bagandopenedi t .Ipul l edonmysweat shi r tandj eans.Iwal kedi nt oacl assr oom f r om t heback. Noonenot i cedmecomei n.Isatatt heback, openedupanot ebookandst ar edv acant l yi nt oi t . Icanf eel t het hr obbi ngi nmyl ef tf oot .Ihadasl i ghtheadache.I ’ m al sosweat i ngandmyski ni s cov er edi ngoosepi mpl es.Myhear ti sbeat i ngatt housandspermi nut ebut , If eel good, al most sat i sf i ed. Tomor r ow, I ’ m goi ngt ot r ekt oav er yf armar ket .I ’ m goi ngt osel l t hephonet oadeal eri n secondhandt ech.OnMonday , I ’ m goi ngt opayJames.I ’ m goi ngt omakeJoan’ sbi r t hdaya bomb.Mosti mpor t ant l y , I ’ m goi ngt of i l l upmycupboar dandl i v el i keapr i nce, ev eni ff orashor t t i me. I ’ m begi nni ngt or el ax.I nf act , I ’ m smi l i ngnow.I ’ mf eel i ngl i keJamesBond.Toni ghtshoul dnot r epeati t sel fagai n. Hopef ul l y .