Sister-in-Campus 11

T

he bright light from behind was not friendly to Oti as he struggled to undress Stacia in the dark. Stacia was not giving in easily as she was determined to fight to the end. Joyce on the other hand had been felled onto some flowers by the Pk and Galgalo but got the better part of them. She had said it was not going to happen to her like she was some disabled person. There was some loose soil on the ground under the flowers. She picked it and threw toward the direction of her attackers. The cried in pain as they rubbed their eyes. The soil was itching more as they struggled with it. Most probably it was acidic from recent spraying of the flowers.

“Leave the girl alone!” the voice behind the bright flash light commanded. Oti had never been commanded before. He felt like fighting back in agitation but then another voice was heard, “Leave and run for your life or you regret it.”

“Did we just speak in French?” a deeper voice added. Stacia felt the hands gripping relax and the person moved away in the opposite direction where the light was directed. After a few steps ahead he started to run and disappeared into the corner.

“Stacia come over babe, you are now safe”, Kalos called on Stacia as he moved closer to her. She was very happy as she had already recognized his voice.

“Guys am here”, Joyce called out from near where Stacia stood up from. Kalos was about to hug Stacia when Joyce urged on, “Please let's get out of here first of all.”

They were soon in Joyce’s room, with a broken traveling bag and a Stacia whose left leg had trans located. As Joyce watched Stacia and Kalos lost in a tight embrace she too couldn't help but plant herself into Godfrey. He was taken by surprise at such unexpected generosity that he had nothing to do against it. Campus girls are used to hug their male counterparts by force as if it is a right, “A handshake is not enough! I need a hug.” They often like to tease the full time Christians like Godfrey almost all the time.

“Were you too headed for town?” Kalos asked when he had released Stacia from his arms. Joyce did not feel like explaining the whole story but Stacia offered to give a whole summary of events. Joyce and Stacia sat down holding each other like two blood sisters by the time Stacia was done with her story. Just then Kalos made like as if he was going to fall down but Godfrey help him and helped him sit on the other bed. He simply went ahead to lie on his back. Everyone else could see his swollen hand with a few bruises evident from far.

“Sorry if you had to go through this my dear” Stacia said as she moved closer to examine the hands.

“Wow! My left leg is in pain too!” Kalos cried when Stacia stepped on his left leg as “Sorry” escaped from her mouth.

“Don't you think Kalos you will need to be taken to the health center?”, Godfrey asked him as he watched him in pain.

“My major problem is food right now, I have not eaten since morning” Kalos replied.

“In that case I will help you with some soda and KDFs from the canteen.

As Godfrey went to the canteen Stacia cleaned up Kalos where he was souled as well as blessed. She marvelled at how he was not flinching in pain as she cleaned his fresh wounds. Joyce got herself busy unpacking some of her things that she would be heading for the night. Just then Daisy came in followed by another male student.

“So you have not left as you had said?” She asked Joyce without caring to greet those who were in the room.

“Shut happened”, Stacia said before Joyce could say anything. Joyce was obviously annoyed and didn’t know what to say next. Stacia had something made up to say as she realised Joyce was not ready to tell Daisy what had happened.

“Well I just came back and tripped near the hostel entrance and fell terribly till my phone screen split”, Kalos offered to give a scant story of it. Daisy wished him a quick recovery and asked him to be careful next time. She picked up some papers from the table and left just as she had come. Ever since Joyce was told that Daisy and her other room mates had failed to give their statements fully at the police station she never trusted them with any of her confidential information. She choose to keep quite most of the time and only shared with Stacia. She knew these people even if they knew something they would not help when need arose.

When Godfrey came back with a soda and three KDFs Kalos did not waste anytime with it. He ate like he had been saved from refuge camp where he was starving. They soon left for the health center to escort Kalos there. Meanwhile worry was eating up Joyce as she realised her phone had disappeared in the whole fracas. She was expecting her fare back home on her mpesa. Possibly it had already been sent to her only that her phone was missing.

* * * * *

Ever since the funeral of Daudi, many people had kept off Debra the widow left behind. Pastor Mwanga had been keeping a safe distance since he discovered that Daudi had been investigating him with the help of Petro. He didn’t expect Petro of all the people would spy on him. He had raised him from a small boy to now a grown up man who was going to be his son-in-law if all went well. Though he too had nursed the thought of eliminating Daudi he didn't have an idea of how. He was equally shocked to learn of his death. Apparently Daudi had many enemies.

All this time Debra on the other hand was thrown into a world of unknown. Many were treating her with a lot of suspicion that she had a hand in her husband’s death. Though they had no evidence to the claims they were nursing in their gossiping tongues they just couldn't help but think along those lines. One Munyaka a women group chairperson was once overheard in one of the Chama meetings that she had seen Debra going to visit someone whom she believed was paid to do the job. Everyone watched in shock as she narrated it. It was not the first time she had said such claims yet her story metamorphosed all the time.

Debra on the hand could not help but think Pastor Mwanga was one of the master minds in her husband's death. She believed with the greatest convocation that he planned it all from a to z like a clever Chinese architecture building roads on top of each other. She believed that from the way he had bravely paid her a visit and held her till she felt sweet. She had longed to lie with him and had been waiting for him to come again. But her husband had made things hard as from the day he came home early. He planted spies almost everywhere and for some strange reasons Pastor avoided her like he had forgotten her. If truly pastor was not involved he would have advanced towards her again without any fear. Little did she know after her appearance in the funeral pastor had decided to keep a distance from her as he felt unsafe in her presence. Her beauty was like no other woman in the village.

“My Lord!” pastor’s wife called from the kitchen.

“Yes my dear” Pastor answered coming out of the house into the kitchen which stood next to the main house on the left.

“I hope you have sent Joyce the cash for the fare.” Pastor’s wife asked.

“I can see its about half past seven o'clock, its like I did that about one hour ago but she has not acknowledged if she got it”

“You were to send her the money earlier than that”

“My dear wife I only got the money to send her almost that time, I have been down financially and you know” Pastor was getting defensive knowing very well the discussion could easily get there and get him into an awkward position.

“You have a bigger church than when you began and two of your members have cars” his wife went on.

“If it's to do with tithes don’t you go there because I also don’t know about it. I am a pastor and not a trustee, they should know better like how much is collected” pastor said disappointedly. Mrs. Mwanga could understand why her husband was doing odd jobs in the village to earn some income when those in the village are getting richer and richer.

“By the way I have a question for you if you wont mind” His wife asked.

“Do go ahead and ask”

“What is going on between you and Daudi's widow?”