Chapter 6

Achiever’s University had gained popularity over time as one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Ntone stared at the colossal buildings that made up the department of English and Literary Studies in amazement. They were simply breathtaking. She beamed with pleasure as she recalled the manner the ELS 101 lecturer had explained the first two chapters of the book, ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ by Oliver Goldsmith during the 8:00 am lecture earlier that day. While in the village, she had never understood the play even after reading it several times. Dr. Ogar John had however taken time to explain the chapters to the class and he was impressed with Ntone’s questions. She resolved to read the play again before the next lecture and stayed back in the lecture hall after the lecture to study. She however had to leave when the two hundred level students arrived for their lecture.

At the corridor, the paintings of several literary icons stopped her in her tracks.

“What made these people so different?” Ntone asked herself for probably the fifth time. Her eyes would not leave the paintings of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, John Pepper Clark and other legends that adorned the English and Literary Studies department of Achiever’s University.

“I want to be like them.” She muttered inaudibly, finally descending the staircase. Her mind still wondered from one literary icon to the other. Wole Soyinka was the first Black to win the Nobel Price for Literature. The late Chinua Achebe’s works, especially the novel, ‘Things fall apart’, had won many laurels.

She also thought of female writers like Buchi Emecheta, Flora Nwapa, and the young icon Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Ntone found a spot in the departmental garden and closed her eyes like one in a daydream.

“Are you sleeping?”

In an instant, Ntone’s eyelids flickered open. She didn’t like the intrusion on her daydream. Eno-obong stood before her, eyeing her with dark piercing eyes. “Are you alright?” Eno-obong asked. She clutched a stack of books to her chest.

“I’m fine.” Ntone forced a smile feeling embarrassed that she had been caught daydreaming.

“Where are you off to?” Ntone asked as her gaze wandered to the books in Eno-obong’s hands.

“The library,” Eno-obong replied. “Do you care to join me?”

Ntone’s eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. She had spent two months already in Calabar but still felt like a fish out of water. She always felt uneasy whenever she had to speak in a group. The fear that she would probably say wrong things since she came from the village prevented her from taking part in conversations. She was surprised at the relief she felt at Eno-obong’s request.

“You want me to come with you?” Ntone asked, still uncertain about what she just heard.

“Yes,” Eno-obong shrugged. “Why are you surprised?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Ntone replied, rising to her feet. She strapped her black knapsack across her left hand.

“Are you going to read all that?” Ntone asked, unsure of what to say next as the two girls walked together to the library. The library was just a stone’s throw from their department.

“Yes. Isn’t that the reason why I’m here in the first place?”

A glow found its way to Ntone’s face at this reply. Eno-obong may have made a casual statement but those words seemed to infuse more zeal into Ntone. She must never forget those words. Ntone reminded herself.

●

Ntone could feel her stomach tie up in knots as she walked back to her hostel. She didn’t even hear the porter when she requested for her hostel identity card.

“Hey you, Where is your ID card?” the woman barked the second time.

She flashed the mini frame at the woman who responded with an angry nod. Ntone however didn’t wait to see the nod. She just walked on until she arrived at her room. After a quick meal and refreshing bath, she decided it was time to go to bed.

Her roommates engaged in a lively discussion and she knew that she couldn’t just go to bed.

“Have they apprehended them yet?” Theresa, a light skinned girl, who was partly of Australian origin and partly of Yoruba root, asked in between a mouthful of pasta.

“No.” Idorenyin replied. Her eyes were fixed on the phone in her hands as she read through the daily news update.

“What happened?” Ntone asked in a voice that was a little louder than a whisper. She felt exhausted from the long hours of studying in the library with Eno-obong, her new friend.

“Two boys raped a thirteen year old female. According to the story, the boys who are students of a state university live in the same compound with the girl. On that fateful day, when the girl came home from school, there was no one in the compound except the two boys. They forcefully took her to a room and raped her. She was unconscious when her parents found her several hours after the incident. Although she was taken to the hospital, she is still unconscious.” Idorenyin explained.

Ntone shook her head, too shocked to utter a word.

“The culprits ran away and they’ve not been seen since then.” Folashade said with a note of finality.

“Does this mean that the society is no longer safe for the girl child?” Ntone asked. Her question was directed to no one in particular.

“That is what it looks like.” Theresa replied, even though anyone could have easily detected that Ntone had spoken to herself. “Last week, the story of a seventy year old man who raped a one year old baby was aired on the network news. I watched the news when I went to my aunt’s place.”

“As long as the long arm of the law does not catch up with offenders, the situation will remain the same and even deteriorate.” Idorenyin said, gently placing the phone on the table beside her.

Ntone shut her eyes in a brief reminiscence, recalling those days in the village when Asinya had tried to lure her into marriage. Then, she was only in the secondary school. It was another form of female oppression. A lot of teenage girls in the village had been married off against their will to men old enough to father them. If it wasn’t for her mother, her stepsister would have bundled her off as an adolescent to a man’s house. “Someone really has to be a voice for the girl child. Someone has to advocate for those who are too helpless to help themselves.” Such thoughts rummaged through her mind until she drifted off. That night, her sleep was troubled with nightmares. In a dream, Asinya was with a group of men and they were chasing her. In another dream, she saw a teenage girl who had been raped by her father. She was crying and asking Ntone to rescue her. She woke up the next morning, pondering over the dreams of the night. When she couldn’t make much sense out of them, she concluded that they were just dreams and went about her normal business.