Campus Tales: Episode 6 - Jenny My Saviour

JENNY MY SAVIOUR

“Are you sure you’ll be fine by yourself?” Asked Jenny, the lady that saved my life the day before. She visited again the following day, with some provisions. She was really a darling.

But why was she so nice to me? I kept asking myself.

You know, there are lots of evil people in the world, that when someone is unexpectedly nice, the good gesture more often than not, is suspected as having some ulterior motive.

So far, I couldn’t wrap my mind around Jenny’s case.

“Yeah!” I replied, seating up on my bed. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” She prodded, trying to support me, as I sat up. My head was still aching, but my shoulders weren’t really hurting again.

“You need to attend your lecture by 3:00pm, you know.” I said, smiling, as I was touched by her somewhat genuine concern.

“Yeah! I know.” She replied, holding my gaze, and smiling warmly, to one side of her face. “I just want to be sure you’ll be fine.”

” I will. Don’t worry.”

It was few minutes past two. She’d been with me for about two hours now. She used the free period between her morning lecture to pay a visit. My place was quite close, so, it was no biggie.

” Alright!” She exclaimed. “I’ll be seeing you later.”

“Yeah! Thanks.”

” Please don’t mention.” She said, lifting her bag from the table, and headed towards the door.

“Jenny…” I called out.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks a lot for this.” I replied, making sure each syllable of each word in the utterance was backed by the level of deep appreciation I was feeling.

She laughed. “You just don’t give up, do you?”

I was about to reply, when she cut in “see you.” And stepped out of the room, giggling. She was really an angel, sent from above.

No sooner did she leave, than James, my best man, stepped in, smiling from ear to ear.

“Guy…” He uttered, without any prelude, as he pulled out a chair, and sat facing me. ” Tell me that fresh fish is coming from here.”

” What do you mean?” I asked, confused at the term ‘fish’.

“Ah… Nawa to you oo” he exclaimed in frustration. ” Guy tell me that princess I met outside is coming from this room.”

” Oh!” I smiled, on getting his point. ” That was Jenny. Yes, she’s leaving from here. And she’s not a fish. Point of correction.” I concluded, looking at him sternly.

I was not going to have him speak rudely of her. Jenny was an Angel I now cherished. My second favourite person in Uyo, after this big headed James, seated before me, on blue polo, consciously selected to match with the blue jeans and sneakers he had on, which he’d removed, on his way in. He looked tired and worn out from series of trekking and running around school. He still looked handsome, though.

“Shun that thing jare” he replied laughing.

” I’m serious.” I was looking stern, still.

” Ah! Are you in love?” He asked, looking closely at me, suppressing the rising laughter within him.

I flinched at the question, but managed to compose myself.

“What kind of question is that?”

“Is she the medical student that saved your sorry ass?” He asked, evading my question.

” Well,” I replied, ” she is.”

“Guy you need to see how you literally glowed as you were about to answer that.” He laughed again. ” You really are falling for this girl.”

” Dude, can’t you be reasonable for once?” I asked, suppressing the excitement at the word ‘love’. I was feeling something for Jenny, but ‘love’? That was not the term I had in mind. But James already put the name to it.

” I can be serious for twice!” He replied standing. “Bro, that girl is damn good looking.” That was the first time he started a sentence with bro – at least to my hearing. I guess it was a sign that he was serious.

“I know.”

“Good. Now over to you.”

“What about me?” I cut in, thinking he’d still stress on the love thing. I didn’t trust my emotions so I wanted to skip that topic by all means.

“How are you jare?” He finally asked.

“Oh… Well” I started, feeling relieved. “I’m feeling better.”

“Good.” He replied, looking around.

” What’s that?” I asked, noticing his darting sight.

” I’m hungry.”

“Check the pot. There’s something there.”

Yeah! We were that close. I allowed him dish out meals for himself at my place. He did this, and got a moderate quantity of the rice I’d manage to prepare amidst pains, the previous night.

Getting back to his seat he asked, as he scooped the first spoonful.

“So tell me.” He started “How did her lips feel as she kissed you, while trying to revive you?”

” James!!!”

He threw back his head, laughing.