Chapter 5 Sunny Day.

IF I HAD KNOWN.

After Sewa made me promise that I should confront Denola the next day in school, I didn't.

Well, I didn't, because I didn't see him in school, perhaps he was absent - I couldn't say exactly.

So, the next chapter of my story would fast forward to the two weeks after. My next encounter with Denola.

|TUESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2020.|

I sat at my desk, eyes staring out the window whilst Paul kept talking about the Bermuda triangle - which I had absolutely no interest in. I was only interested in going home after a long day at school, but I couldn't. I still had about an hour left until closing time until I could see professor Felix and go home. Whilst I waited, I ended up staring at the sky. It was white and the sun stood amidst it, adding more beauty to the already beautiful sky. My own thoughts about the sky and life filled up my head. I couldn't stop wondering and asking myself questions such as; was there more to this life than we humans already know? More to humanity? Could we all be just characters in someone else's novel? Better still, could the sun burn up the earth one day, leading to its extinction?

Some flocks of birds, specifically pigeons. Flew across the sky, soaring high up, and I couldn't help but admire the beauty of their tenacity. Flying in flocks and living peacefully, I'd presumed. Anyways, nature was indeed beautiful.

". . .are you even Listening to me?" Paul's voice shot right through me, bringing me out of my reverie.

I looked at him, smiled awkwardly and said; "Sure, I was listening to you." Actually, I lied, because I had stopped listening to him six minutes ago, and that was the same time he'd started his talk. I mean, nature was too beautiful to be ignored.

"What was the last thing I said then?" He asked, resting back unto his chair, eyes focused on me through his recommended glasses. "I'm still awaiting your response."

I nodded, then smiled sheepishly as I scratched my hair for answers which I totally knew weren't coming, because I didn't listen a bit to whatever he had said.

He laughed, shook his head and said. "I'll just start again."

Paul's behavior was really good, he was nice, caring and a really good listener, though he spoke a lot. Since, I'd been sharing the same office with him, we'd never argued, he was just a rare type of human, with his very nice behaviors and just like me, he rarely got angry.

"Please listen now," I nodded and he started. "Bermuda triangle, section of the North Atlantic ocean of North America in which more than 50 ships and 21 airplanes are said to have mysteriously disappeared. The area, whose boundaries are not universally agreed upon, has a vaguely triangular shape marked by the Atlantic coast of the Florida panhandle - in the United States, Bermuda, and the Greater Antilles. . ."

This time I listened carefully to whatever Paul had to tell me, Making sure that I wasn't going to be distracted by anything.

I yawned as Paul kept on talking. Remember I had said he spoke a lot, so yes, he had been talking non-stop about the Bermuda triangle for the past thirty minutes and honestly, he didn't look like he was going to stop talking anytime soon. I looked down at my wrist watch and saw the time was 16:04pm, four minutes past my normal closing time and I needed to see professor Felix. I packed my bag and kept all the necessary stuff that I knew I needed.

"Paul?"

He stopped talking, had a huge grin on his face as he removed his glasses and played with it - a act that I'd noticed he usually does, whenever he was nervous, antsy or even eerily quiet. "I've been talking too much right?" He didn't even wait for my response before he continued. "I'm sorry, for taking your time."

"Oh, no Paul. You didn't take my time," I'd told him, though he did take four minutes out of my time, it wasn't something to apologize for. "Honestly, if I had enough time I would have listened to the end, but I've got to see professor Felix before going home."

He nodded, smiled and wore his glasses back. "Alright, see ya tomorrow?" He made it more of a question than a statement.

"Of course, I'm stuck with you and you're stuck with me for a whole year." We both laughed at that as I took my bag, walked out of the office but not before I waved him goodbye.

I walked to the second floor towards professor Felix's office, praying that he was around. I knocked on his door and in less than a second the door shot opened and professor Felix 'fair face came into view.

"Oh Tiwa, you're here?" He asked me as he closed the door to his office.

"Yes sir, Good evening sir." I looked down at the man and saw that he was carrying his bag, and his office was already locked by him, meaning he was on his way out.

"How are you my dear?" He responded and I smiled in response, then I attempted to assist him with his bag, but he didn't allow it. I insisted, he still didn't allow it, instead, He said; "I have hands, Tiwa, and this is another form of exercise. Moreover, everyone should learn to carry their own baggage in life."

I walked behind him as he finally got outside of the administrative building. He stopped. He looked at me and said; "You haven't said the reason you came to see me."

"I only came over to your office to greet you sir, most especially since it's been long since we've seen each other."

He released a low chuckle and patted me on my back. "So, how has Orange University been treating you so far?"

"It's been okay sir, the students are warming up to me, and everything seems to be going smoothly for me," I replied honestly. "You're on your way out sir?"

He raised his hand up, showing his leather bag. "I have to be somewhere in ten minutes, I'd have loved to drop you off but I'm rushing, so don't be angry, Tiwa."

I gave him a huge smile. "I'm not angry sir, I only came to say hello."

He nodded and dipped his hand into his pocket, brought out some Naira notes from it and handed it over to me.

"Don't worry sir, thank you." I rejected the money, but professor Felix only shook his head.

"I insist." He had said, so I had no other choice but to receive the money from him, then he left and I bade him goodbye.

I kept the money in my bag as I stood in front of the administrative building. All of a sudden my stomach started to growl and I knew exactly what it was. Hunger pangs. I hadn't eaten, except from the breakfast I had at home before coming to school. It wasn't as if there weren't food stores within the school compound, I just wasn't a fan of buying outside food, unless they were made in a really big restaurant. Also, I totally forgot that I hadn't eaten at all because I was busy with classes.

I decided to walk to a snack store in order to keep my hunger pangs at bay. I wasn't planning on buying cooked food, I was only planning on buying plantain chips and a really chilled soda.

Finally, I arrived at the store. There weren't a lot of people there, just few. I scanned the store with my eyes and I finally saw what I wanted - peppered unripe plantain chips with a chilled Coca cola.

"Good evening ma'am," I greeted the seller and she smiled brightly at me. "I'll buy one bottle of Coca cola and two unripe plantain chips."

She nodded and proceeded to get them for me, when I heard a voice from my back say; "Please, buy for two."

I recognized the voice instantly, turned around and smiled and I came face to face with Sharon. . . Shar.

"Hey Sharon." I hugged her and she hugged me back, almost squeezing me in her hug.

Ever since I'd met Shar on my first day of resumption, she'd never stopped greeting me and honestly she was a good friend and I also assisted her whenever she had a problem with the course I was taking - mathematics.

"So, I'm I going to get one also?" She asked, referring to the drinks and chips.

"Sure, which one do you want?"

"Fanta and egg rolls." she'd said, so I told the seller and she brought it out for the both of us, handed it, then I paid her.

"Thanks so much, Tiwa," Shar appreciated whilst I just shrugged it off as nothing. "I'm really grateful, you might not know, but you helped save a couple of Naira out of my pocket money."

"No biggie, Shar."

"Okies, are you on your way home?" I nodded to her question and she unwrapped the egg roll and started to bite from it whilst I just held my Coca cola, my chips were already placed in my bag. "See you tomorrow then, I'm on my way to the hostel."

"Alright bye!" I waved her off and started my journey to the school gate.

I opened my Coca cola and took a sip out of it whilst I walked. The sun wasn't out so much as it was beginning to set. I was almost by the school gate when I had my name. I looked back and I was shocked when I saw who called me. It was him. I hadn't even seen him for almost two weeks, if not more than, but then he was walking right towards me, with a beautiful smile on his face. Paint me red.

"Miss Tiwa." I was painted red.