HOSTEL SIX

HOSTEL SIX.                            Amudipe Opeyemi Marcus

I stood right in the middle of the market in my pants and my white singlets staring like a thief in the middle of a sugar cane plantation, the evening breeze bellowed round me, it's coldness finding its way down my bones, I shivered like a leaf in the harmattan, the flies danced round me as if they were making a mockery of my predicament, I had left home yesterday morning, promising my parents that I will nail my Pre university examination, making a piece meal out of them, 24hours later, I was standing in the middle of the general market wearing only just my underwear.
My mind was blank, absolutely devoid of any reasonable thoughts that could help me out of my situation, I simply stared at the market people, no one, not one noticed me, or asked me if I needed help considering the manner of my appearance, took me no fewer seconds to understand why, just as I was about to cut a corner just right beside the abbatoir, a grey haired man approached me, asking me where my cart for loading goods are.

Then it sanked in, I'm all alone here, I'm most likely to get no help from anyone, I thought about approaching some market women for assistance, but on a second thought, I realised that it would be better if I just stay put, a man already took me for a cart pusher, simply because of my appearance, I would want another person to take me for something more worse. It was already getting dark, the cloud was already giving way for the misty dark air, stalls were beginning to get closed down, and the market began to get a relief of it heavy numbers, my mind began to pound furiously, where would I spend the night?

Different thoughts evaded my mind, I thought of finding a suitable stall to pass the night, but then,  what if it rained?  Then I thought about going to the police station, maybe they could offer any form of assistance, but then I realised that in this part of the country, police is not our friend, they might complicate issues for me, and might even accuse me of being a thief or criminal of some sort, not after all the troubles I have put myself into,  I wouldn't want another right now, I have had my own fair share of troubles, so while I continually battled it out in my mind where I was going to pass the night, my naked feels continually roamed the template of the market, once I scratched my foot against a stone, and I was lucky to have dad just a minor scratch, it's been long since I visited any market,  market duties at home were often delegated to my sisters and my mind became to get transfixed on the busy activities of the market, I watched with keen attention how customers employed their negotiation skills in haggling prices with sellers, and I was quite amused when I saw An Hausa man threatening to stab a customer who was giving ridiculous price for his meat. Suddenly a thought came to my mind, and it's realisation offered me a glint of hope, 'church' I can pass the night in a church, hopefully I can get to see the pastor who could probably offer me any form of assistance, and  I can easily make use of his phone to call home, but the problem is, I don't even know my parents mobile numbers ,they were all saved in my phone which I left in the bag I dropped off at the hostel before my troubles started.
I was again jeered back to life by the sudden noise in the market, I looked back and saw people running, not realising what was happening, took me no fewer seconds to hear the deafening shouts of thieves! Thieves!

Hearing this, I immediately took to my heels navigating the crowds as I ran,  I had not runnedfor long when a sharp blow brought me to my knees,"I don catch ham" the world around me seems inside down, the four cardinals were meeting in my head, my sight became blurry, my heart skipped a bit, I couldn't understand a thing, more punches found their way to my temple, the rain of slap found themselves a fertile ground on the terrace of my face, tributeries and streams of tears had found their way down my cheek, the beating continued, while shouts of, thief, thief, thief rent the air, my chi must definitely be asleep today, for it were not, all these would not be happening to me, with all that had happened to me today, I knew the end had come, I closed my eyes, remained motionless as the mob increased in numbers, if this be the end, let it be I said in within me, suddenly we heard another shout from the other section of the market, thief! thief! thief! A young lady ran from the other side came running to where I was being held, " na the wrong person you hold, we don catch the real thief"
As if an imaginary tear gas was thrown into our midst, the mob had disappeared into the thin air, I was left alone in the middle of the market with blood stained underwear, I remained on a single spot lying on the bare ground, the older market women watched from afar, shaking their head, showing sympathies, but no one would play the good Samaritan for me.


....



The smell of drugs and the sanitised hospital air woke me up, patches of Stitches had found an abode on different part of my body parts, who brought me here!
No one was with me to proffer answers to my question, I looked around, I saw other patients lying on their beds.
At this point I realised that I must have passed out and someone must have brought me here, but who!
While I pondered on this, a nurse carrying a tray containing drugs and a syringe walked to my bed side
"Good morning young man, please turn over"
I needed no one to tell me, I was about to be injected, how I hate Injections, but right now,  anything will do, whom am I to complain when I'm getting help from onky God knows.
The young nurse without no troubles found her way easily down my buttocks, pushing my short down seems no herculean task for her,  and with ease,  she drilled the syringe down my buttocks while I closed my eyes, trying to suppress the pains.
I wanted to ask her who brought me here, when she's was about leaving, as if she knew what I was about to ask her, she told me without looking at me, "The man who brought you here is with the doctor, he should be with you any moment from now"
I heaved a sigh of relief, while I watched the young nurse find her way out of the ward.
She was about leaving the exit door when a man walked in, he looked so familiar, but I couldn't tell where I had known him
How do you Innocent!
I was shocked, how did he know my name, for I had no documents stating my name on me, then it came, my memory!
Like a water breaking its dam, Mr Okonkwo!!
He had changed a great deal, he had a clean shaven face back then, but now, strands of hairs had found an habitat on his cheek down to his lower jaw, his horn rimmed glasses gave him a nerdy look, while his bald head shone under the while florescent light of the hospital.
He's was my class teacher, back then in secondary  school
He had taught us Economics in Kings Government College before he left. We later learnt he had went to further his education in the university. I remained glued to my bed. As if a bucket of super glue had been poured on the bed, my body wouldn't move.
, Seems he understood my plight, he moved closer to my bed, strectching forth his hairy arms to have a feel of my temperature, the whole process looked weird, but it also saved me from the pain of having to open my mouth first, I was ready to talk yet, I was glad he reached out first.
"oh thank God, you seem much better now"
"Yeah thank God for the quick intervention, less he would have suffered much complications" the voice of the Doctor seconded his, I never noticed his presence, not until he talked.
Innocent, this Dr Okwonkwo, he brought you here, you were found lying in a pool of your own blood in the market place, you should thank him for he pair your bills, this is your fourth day here, the doctor added.
I was startled, my fourth day!
I couldn't believe my ears, my parents would have been searching everywhere for me,  hot streams of tears rolled down my cheeks, I looked up to Dr Okwonkwo, nodding my head to acknowledge his kind gesture.
I guess I will leave you two to talk, the doctor said as he blessed us with his back, strolling out of the ward, his white coat bellowed with the winds.
Innocent! Dr Okwonkwo called
Yes sir. I replied
What happened to you.

I stared into the thin air,my eyes finding a gazing abode on the dancing fan above, while my eyes continually rained.
Sir, I had come to the state university for my per university examination four days ago, stayed with a long time friend outside the school premises, After my papers, I decided to take a walk around the school premises, mixing with the normal students, the problem started when I needed to use the toilet and I saw a nearby hostel, with the inscription, " Hostel Six" I entered seeing everyone trouping in and out the hostel building.
You did what! Dr Okwonkwo shouted!
I entered sir,I never knew,it was a female hostel,  because I saw a lot of guys there,  and I made my way for the toilet, there I meet my Waterloo.
There I came across two ladies completely naked, I was surprised seeing them, just as they were shockingly surprised at seeing me there. Other girls came along, and when they saw me, they raised an alarm, I took to my heels, I was pursued, the school security guards were already alerted, in the process, I pushed a lady down the staircase, I made my way out of the school premises, thinking I had escaped them,  they followed me, I made my way into a nearby bush, there I laid under the vegetations, there I hid myself,removing my clothes, I never knew I was lying beside a snake , the sudden realisation made me jumped to my feet, alerting my pursuers, I ran down the main road, I saw a truck packed nearby ,which I climbed, tucking myself inside. The truck drove me off and I found myself in the market place, there I was mistook for a thief.