A Hazel Haven

Chapter 28

Few Months later

First semester's exams were over and the long awaited results were out in some faculties. The class group had buzzed incessantly the day before with comments foreshadowing doom, so Uche had been too anxious to fuss over an outfit and settled for a plain polo and jean. She strolled towards the display board area crammed with students, her mind blank. Prepared for anything, steeling herself, she waited until the rowdiness had died down before scanning for her mat number.A row of C's and....... She leaned in closer, eyes squinted, brows furrowed, and just to be sure, crosschecked her mat number twice. Then her brows crept up. Slowly.

Nothing could have prepared her for this. She caught a whiff of a familiar scent, and knew who it was before the person spoke.

"Will you look at that. Who would have thought?" Rita beamed at her,not failing to look snazzy in a black suit and low heels. There was something reserved about the way her eyes gleamed. "How far?"

"Been okay." Uche said curtly. They hadn't conversed since the assignment. "You?"

"Surviving." After an awkward silence, Rita cleared her throat, glanced at the papers showing grades. "All your hard work paid off." When Uche made no remark, Rita lowered her voice, talking out of the corner of her mouth. " I saw you. At the library. I have to say, for someone who started late it's pretty impressive. You're some kind of recessive scholar, aren't you? This is like what, your best result so far, right? And yes, I did memorize your mat number."

Uche merely shook her head. But the truth couldn't be denied. It was her best result. Ever. She hadn't thought it possible. All those sleepless nights, all the headaches, all the eye aches, actually paid off.

"How did you do?" Uche asked, out of courtesy.

"I know you don't care," chuckled Rita. "It's still sweet, though." She sighed, crossed her arms. "The usual. Thankfully, no fail. Seeing yours, I'm motivated to do better." Then she grinned, gave Uche a shy, sidelong glance. "Maybe I'll have you tutor me next semester."

A beep interrupted, and Uche felt her pocket for her phone. It was a text from Huma.She'd gone home for the holiday. (They now conversed through the chatapp). Strange how the room felt empty these days.

"Did I win?" the text read.

She could lie, say it was all for nothing. Dash the hope out of those does eyes. "Yes, you did."

"So you'll teach me?"

"Yes, I'll teach you how to cook. You don't seem surprised." The reply came instantly.

"Had faith in Allah......"

Whatever. It was her head and eyes hurting from the ordeal.

"And in you."

No one had ever told her that, so taken aback was Uche that she went still, eyes transfixed on those three words. No one. Except her mother.

"Everything okay?" Rita by Uche's side and had been walking with her until she'd halted in her tracks.

"Sure." Without texting back, Uche replaced the phone. "I guess I'll see you around." She started forward but Rita captured an arm.