Part of the screening required to complete the registration process in the university where I just gained admission was medical screening. Every new student is expected to go through this process before being issued an identification card which carries a blood group. I was at the school clinic to do the screening and after my blood and urine samples were collected, I was asked to take an x-ray photo.
We that were in the x-ray section for the same purpose took numbers and we were seated serially waiting for our individual turn in the waiting room. I was called in by the radiographer when it got to my number. The picture was taken after a few minutes and I was asked to come at a particular date for the result.
As I was walking through the waiting room, a young lady greeted me with Ebira language. I was surprised. I turned back immediately and asked her if she knew me before.
"I heard when the radiographer called you in. I identified you as my brother with your name." She explained.
"Wow, that's nice of you. I am happy to meet you. What's your name?" I asked.
She barely told me her name, Nene, when the radiographer called her in. I waited for her outside the building. As she was walking towards where I was leaning towards a Toyota Camry car, I realized that time was not on my side. I needed to see someone on the other campus of the University.
"Nene, I just realized that I need to go now. Can we trek to the gate together so that I can quickly take a taxi to the other campus?"
"I am going there too. Let me drop you there." She responded.
She immediately pressed the car remote in her hand and lo and behold, the car that I was leaning towards is her car.
I entered the car and she drove us to the other campus of the University. We discussed many things and I realized that she was a big girl. The girls that have money to command their ways and preferences on campus. Nene was from a rich family.
"I spent a year in a private University but it was like a prison. It is not different from a boarding secondary school. I decided to change to a public university where there is more freedom." She stated.
We exchanged phone numbers and we became friends. Our friendship grew in strength and it got to a point that Nene was always inviting me to parties. She smokes and drinks and relates with the bad boys on campus. During that period, I drink and smoke occasionally.
Nene invited me to join her clique of friends. I was skeptical initially because these were students that took their academics as a secondary reason for being on campus. The primary being partaking in the activities of their clique anywhere within town and even beyond.
I decided to honor her invitation to a birthday party of one of her friends. It was at the party that I was introduced to the group. I was told the rules and regulations of the group. The most scary one was when the leader asked a question.
"If our financial obligation is competing with your school fees. Which will you respond to?"
"Our financial obligation," all of the rest chorused.
"Hope that is clear?"The leader turned and asked me.
I nodded in agreement but in my mind, I was thinking of being in the wrong gathering. How would I rank anything ahead of my academics with what my parents were going through to sponsor me to school?
However, one thing with identifying with such a group on campus is access to date any girl on campus. Priority is given to looking good among the clique. The members spend lavishly on campus. Due to this reason, many students were justling to belong to the clique. I was seen as being lucky by many admirers. All these so-called benefits made me want to have a sense of belonging by remaining with them.
I was invited to the birthday party of a member on a particular evening. We were returning from the party in Nene's car when we were accosted by Army personnel at a checkpoint.
There were five people in the car including the driver. The soldier asked us to alight from the vehicle for proper identification and screening. Nene was unconscious due to the effects of excessive alcohol that we consumed at the party.
"What happened to her?" The soldier asked, after realizing that she was unconscious.
The rest of us were dizzy and one person replied to the soldier. "Nothing sir."
We were asked to sit down on the ground and wait for the next action. They accused us of drugging and trafficking Nene. All our efforts to explain fell on deaf ears.
It was getting to midnight before Nene regained her consciousness a little. She was, at this stage, able to respond to the soldier.
Upon interview, the soldiers were convinced that there was no case of kidnapping or trafficking. We were released to go to our hostel. They didn't believe in any one of us to continue driving the car in such a situation. They transported us to the hostel gate while our vehicle was seized for that night.
It was the following day that we went to the soldiers to get the vehicle back after giving us stern warning to desist from such a habit.
The experience of that night discouraged me from continuing with such a lifestyle. I nearly broke down. I registered my frustrations to the team but they saw the experience as nothing worth calling for panicking.
I retraced my steps and quit the group. It was not easy but I realized that belonging to the clique was a time bomb for me. It wasn't my way and I quit.