Chapter 2: Chapter 2

If you know me already, you would know I loved the idea of being addicted. Once I love someone or something it's hard to let go for a minute. On that note, I packed six packs of capri sonne into my backpack . Looking around the room, sure I had left nothing, I locked the door.

I headed to the Lodge of the girl I loved and I was addicted to her. Yes, I was addicted to her. How dare that speaker try to prove my feelings wrong? I strongly believed that being a motivational speaker or whatever she was did not make her all knowing.

I had all the time in the world  to walk to her lodge at that point. I could even call my step-mom that loved to say, "you don't have all the time in the world. " and tell her, "I have all the time in the world right now! "

I was wearing a jogger with a blue shirt I left unbuttoned to reveal my Gucci singlet - Well, fake Gucci singlet but who knows?

A couple passed me, the girl was wearing a very big polo as a gown. You would ask me if it's every boy and girl I see walking together that are couples. These two were holding themselves in a way I did not particularly like and most times the girl will make an attempt to jump on the boy's back. The boy suddenly grabbed the girls butt and she held his shoulder, giggling. These ones would have defiled the road before noon if I did not stop them.

" I can see you people oo! " I shouted.

They laughed without turning to look at me. It was a lonely road so they must have come out for an early morning Saturday stroll and I was probably the intruder.

I was grateful leaving them on the lonely road and entering the lodge I was going  to.  By that time of the morning, clothes had already taken up all the positions on the wire. I walked to her door and raised my hand to knock but Nellie  opened the door immediately.

" Have you even had your bath? '' she greeted in place of the, 'Good morning' and 'how was your night' normal people greeted. She bolted the door then went to her wardrobe where she was folding in clothes and bringing out those she will wash.

"If you are planning on washing that means we are going to be the poles."

She turned, urging me to explain further. "Maybe you will call your neighbor to tie one end of a rope to my neck and the other end to your neck then she will help you spread the clothes on the rope."

When she continued looking at me, puzzled, I said, "There's no space for your clothes outside."

"I know that. That's why I'm only grateful you came. You will wear all the clothes I washed and stand outside like a scarecrow till they all dry," she said, then dimmed her eyes as if she was seeing something new on my body.

"Did you pick up that shirt from your dirty clothes?"

"No. It's another one, " I replied, dragging my school bag to my side of the bed and pulling out a pack of Capri Sonne.

"What do you mean by, it's another one? I personally put that..."

she came closer, sniffing my body. "I personally put that shirt in that basket . Look at how you poured perfume on it."

I began to sip my caprisone not minding that her eyes wanted to leave an opening in my skin. "I have not  had my bath. There's no water," I said.

"There's no water here too but they will pump water later," she said, going back to the wardrobe. " and stop bringing those baby drinks to my lodge."

When I was done with my capri sonne, I ran into the bathroom and used the last bucket of water in the room amidst her shouting and cursing, even her attempt to drag me out of the bathroom naked. Nellie could be that extreme.

I did not go back to my lodge. I knew there was no water there. The lodge president punished us on weekends with lack of water because we refused to contribute money for the lodge party. He was desperate; he needed money to embezzle.

The main reason I ran away was that I heard of the plot to beat him up. I preferred it to happen in my absence. I did not want to be dragged into jungle justice. Rustication would break my mother's heart.

I sat outside with Nellie later in the evening after we had made Pasta with the remaining sachets of purewater. She had lots of ideas for getting water for a bath the next day. For some reason or no reason, they also did not pump their water.

"...maybe very early tomorrow you will go and buy a bag of sachet water," she said.

It was dark, I could not read her face properly but I knew she looked at me briefly.

"Why is it only me that will buy the sachet water?"

" How many people should be buying a single bag of sachet water, abi you will carry the head and I will Carry the tail ?" as if she had not sent her point home, she continued, "besides who used the last bucket of water? "

I put my hands in between my legs and nodded, resigned to my fate.

Her neighbor, Chuka came out then. He had finished growing tall and was now bent. He spent almost all his time in class but do not go thinking he was the most intelligent. They were the ones - Medical students, they had a reputation for 'banging ' in class. One more thing!

He loved to borrow, yes he loved it. He borrowed everything down to a stick of matches.

"You people are here," he said.

"Yes, we are here," I replied, yawning widely.

"I'm going for night class."

I could not make out a bag at his back but I could see he was carrying a Sac bag. Night class?

"You will not come back this week abi? " Nellie asked.

"Ah ah what do you mean? I'll be back Monday morning "

"What's the difference? " I shrugged.

I heard him laugh then he said goodnight to us and we replied. I knew he would live like a camper; 'shot-putting' and only washing his mouth and face with a sachet water. Hold that thought! I looked at Nellie and she looked at me, I could not make up if she knew I was the problem solver at that point.

"Lets go and fetch water," I said.

"You are mad. "

It was like realization hit her. She nodded, smiling at me then immediately ran inside. I followed, not sure of her own plans.

"Pour out the jewelry box, bring out all the keys." she said

She hurried over to the drawers and pulled them all out. I got the jewelry box and took out all the keys.

"Let's go," she commanded, holding two buckets, feeling like the crew leader.

I dumped the keys into her hands and  reached out for the last of my capri sonne.

"You better drop that rubbish, " she said.

I dropped it and followed her out. We went round to the back yard. There were a line of identical iron bars locking the little balconies of the occupants of the lodge. I stood in front of Chuka's own and passed my hand through the bar to feel the padlock.

"Give me, B and K, " I said.

She quickly searched and gave me the key. I held the padlock about to insert the key when the padlock came down. I immediately freed the bar and went in. His biggest water storage was empty but there was water in the yellow gallons. I poured it into the two buckets. She carried one of the buckets while I cleaned the floor.

"Who's there!"

I left the floor I was cleaning and began running with my bucket, careful not to leave a trail of water. I ran past Nellie, lowly whispering with urgency, "Run. No retreat, no surrender. "

She began running after me, I could hear her water splashing on the floor.

She dropped her bucket at the gate while I took mine inside then we sat outside like two innocent girls. We were innocent actually; we did not take all of his water. We just borrowed. Chuka did not seem to be coming after us so she carried in the second bucket without leaving a trail of water from the gate to the room.

He later came out with his torch shining like that of a security man.

"Did you people see anybody run past here? " he asked.

"No," Nellie replied.

He flashed his torch around then focused on the trail of water that led to the gate. He stared at it for some time but he said nothing.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Someone broke into my apartment," he said. Nellie exclaimed in shock. It came out too loud and fake.

Chuka did not seem to notice. He had a story to tell. "They took my new plasma TV and maybe other things. I have not settled down to check," he said.

"Chai! " Nellie exclaimed, clapping her hands, dramatically. "Those people are criminals!"

I was unexpressive. I was mostly that way - not someone for drama, not someone for excitement, not someone for even shouting. But I was amused.

We all knew Chuka had no television and yeah, he said 'new'. We also knew that if Chuka decided to pimp his room, the first things he should buy are curtains and a rug. We had been to his apartment the day he took Nellie's mop and refused to return it. No rug, no curtain, except a wrapper he spread on the window facing outside. The two thieves that broke into his house also knew it was only water they stole.

I watched him with feigned pity trying to stifle my laughter especially when he sat on the floor with his hands on his head.

"Why didn't you pursue the thieves? " I asked

"I was pressed. I was purging," he replied, tearfully. " I just came back because there was no light in school."

A little crowd had started to form. The lodge generator was on and anyone could see Chuka where he sat on the floor. Maka pulled me and I grudgingly followed her inside. I had wanted to watch till the end of the drama.

She went into the kitchen and the fridge started to hum. She came out, sighing. "If we knew they were going to put on the generator, we would not have gone to steal his water."

Unperturbed, I shrugged. I only regret the stress we had to go through. I laughed. "We stole water."

Nellie laughed too and fell into the bed beside me. I immediately turned her to back me so I could put my arm around her. She laughed.

"I'm traveling tomorrow," she said. I let her go and put my hands underneath my head.

" Your home is just thirty minutes away. That's not traveling."

" It's actually upto an hour away, Ma."

I went to my backpack and got my last pack of Capri Sonne. I sucked it from the straw while looking at her, waiting for her to say something. She sat up with a scowl then she went into the kitchen. I followed her. She banged the kitchen door in my face before I got in.

"You are violent!" I screamed.

I returned to the bed and began to go through the movies on my phone while it charged. I found a movie, 'Warrior's gate'

I took Nellie's last can of Pringles and relaxed on the wall to watch my movie.

I could not concentrate. What was she doing in the kitchen? I got up and opened the door to the kitchen. She dropped her phone just as I came in. I laughed. "Were you watching pornography?"

"You really don't have sense," she replied, bringing down a pack of Golden morn. I got a spoon and peeped over her shoulder.

"Make it very milky," I said.

She nodded. "Let's add some yoghurt to it and Ribena."

I blinked. "You'll have to mix yours differently. I can do Yoghurt but no Ribena please."

She laughed and hit my arm. " I was just joking"

"Better," I replied and left with my spoon.

She came out later. She kept the bowl at the center of the bed. We pretended to be civilized till the cereals was remaining two spoons or less, we began to drag the plate, battling for who would take the last spoon. She later left it for me and I smiled, triumphantly.