Super Story: Karma’s Romance (Complete Episode)

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

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(Episode 1) - Karma’s Romance

NOVEMBER 1998

It was barely 8 ‘0’ clock on Saturday morning on a very cold day and Adaora was enjoying rolling about in her mattress. It was one of those wonderful days you just didn’t feel like getting up. Under her blanket, she stretched her supple body and adjusted her pillow to get into another gear of sleep.

She didn’t hear the door open and she wasn’t concerned. When you share a room with 2 other girls in a Hostel as big as Succoth was, you learn to wear ear plugs when you go to bed. Barely a few seconds after the door opened, she felt herself shaken vigorously and drowsily opened her eyes to stare into her best friend’s angry eyes.

Adaora: “Rita, what is it? Isn’t it too early?”

Rita: “How could you miss the vigil? How? What is wrong with you?

We have been planning this for over 6 weeks and you just refused to show up. That’s so wrong!!”

Adaora : “I was tired jor!” She said grumpily. “Really tired, I just needed to sleep.” She proceeded to cover herself with the blanket, not mindful of her friend’s boiling temper.

Rita : grabbed the blanket off Adaora, very angry, “Ada, what is wrong with you? Are you ignoring God now?”

Ada gets up angrily, her small body clad in her nightgown, her normally calm demeanour riled up.

Adaora : “Rita, Rita, Rita, I’m warning you! Stop this nonsense! What’s wrong with you? Why are you always trying to control me? If you want to go for a vigil, why can’t you go? Why must you drag me along? Am I not the one who wants to sleep? If you don’t want to sleep, go for your vigil!!”

Rita : “Ada, is it me you’re referring to? Have you lost your sense of shame and dignity? You’re the one who did wrong and you’re still talking!” She didn’t stop when she saw Ada’s new roommates, Lanke and Kosi walk in.

As far as she was concerned, these girls were a bad influence on Ada and she was going to see the Hall Mistress about having Ada’s room changed.“How could you miss this vigil?” She ranted on. “Weren’t you aware that the Zonal Priest would be around?

What kind of sleep was so important?”

Kosi: Her arms akimbo, focused on Rita, “This girl, what is your problem? Why are you always disturbing Ada? Why are you always trying to control her?”

Rita : “Please, I’m not interested in talking to a sinner like you!” She turned her nose up as the other girl, Lanke started laughing.

Lanke: “Imagine!! We are sinners, abi? Because we are not willing to allow your sad life influence us? Because we prefer to party now? Or you would prefer us to be like you who would be cheating on her husband years from now because you spent all your university life being fake?”

Kosi and Lanke started giggling while Adaora looked uncomfortable.

She was tired of Rita but she didn’t want her roommates making jest of her. Rita was very controlling and she couldn’t stand for anyone making her look stupid.

Rita : “So this is what you want, right? This is how you want your friends to be talking to me, right? When all I tried to do was help you out so you won’t mess up your life? Well, keep it up! Just know that I won’t stand to be a part of your life if you want to continue like this!!”

She turned on her heels and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Kosi and Lanke burst into laughter immediately and when Adaora merely sighed and sat on her bed, they both laughed harder. When they were still giggling twenty minutes later, Adaora looked at both of them worriedly.

Adaora : “Are you guys okay? Or are you drunk?” When they started giggling louder, she realised they were indeed drunk. “Isn’t it too early for you to be drunk?”

Kosi: “Early? No oh, our party just ended not long.” She said as they took off their clothes and ran into the bathroom together, giggling all the way.

Adaora was surprised. She knew the school was very strict about students not being outside the school without proper exeat. Since she began her 2nd year and got to room with Kosi and Lanke in the past 5 weeks, she realised that some students went out anytime without exeats. She didn’t know how they did it and she was curious.

Adaora : “How did you get in this morning?” She called out through the door.

Kosi and Lanke: “We have our means!” She heard the two of them echo followed by more giggles.

She smiled as she laid down back on her bed. She really enjoyed rooming with Kosi and Lanke. They were not perfect, she knew that.

From the stories they told of partying, meeting guys and one episode of panic after Lanke had had a one night stand without a condom, she got the idea that their morals were very loose.

Adaora did not want to be like them, they were too much for her but she wanted their care freeness, their ability to laugh at everything and have fun while they did. She had spent all her life being good and decent and now at 18, she couldn’t point out one fun thing she had done in her life. Lanke was 18 too and also in her second year but was far ahead in experience.

Kosi was a year older in age and academics but years ahead in experience. She, on the other hand had spent her entire life at the control of her best friend, Rita.

She and Rita had been best friends since her days at their catholic all girls primary School, Saint Augustas. After that, they had proceeded to the same catholic secondary school and now the same Catholic University. Infact, the only reason she had come to this school was because Rita was going there.

However, on getting to the University, she realised she wanted more than being at her best friend’s behest all her life. She had felt that Rita had controlled her for too long and she needed to break off from her.

Knowing her nature, she was aware that she would have to apologise to Rita, she had never been able to keep malice with her no matter how angry she was with Rita’s controlling excesses. She sighed as she got back into her bed and covered herself with her blanket. She would apologise when she woke up in a few hours’ time.

***
Adaora rushed out quickly so she could make her Philosophy 211 course. Rhaddeus University was pretty new, barely 3 years old, one of the two new Private Universities in Nigeria and they took class attendance and punctuality very seriously. Anyway, she also happened to enjoy the class and had a very fun philosophy lecturer.

In 1998, Private Universities were still a very new development in Nigeria and Adaora’s parents hadn’t considered one for their daughter.

In fact, their plan had been for Adaora to go abroad to study in Ireland but Adaora had wanted to stay close to Rita. Of course, Rita had pressured her a lot too.

When Rita had gotten her their Priest to speak with Adaora’a staunchly catholic parents about Rhaddeus University, they had given in, albeit reluctantly when they realised the school was catholic and disciplined.

So far, they hadn’t had any cause to regret their decision.

Which was why it came as a surprise when Adaora heard her name being mentioned barely 2 hours later, over the speaker, which was in every lecture room, asking her to report to the Office of the Dean of student Affairs.

When she got there 30 minutes later, the Dean, a Catholic Reverend had greeted her affably and informed her she had a telephone call from her parents. As was the school’s policy, when Parents wanted to communicate with their children, they could send letters or if they had telephones at home, make direct calls to the Dean, the child was then called to the Dean’s office to receive the call.

Adaora was surprised at her parents calling her in school though. Since she started at Rhaddeus, her parents had often sent her letters but they had never called before. She tried not to be worried but as she went into the phone room, she was worried something was wrong.

She heard the phone ring immediately she entered the booth and she picked it quickly. She heard her mother say hello and she replied hesitantly…

To be continued...

Story by: Adelove

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

(Episode 2) - Karma's Romance

Adaora : “Hello… good afternoon, mummy.”

Mrs Chineme : “Adaora, how are you? How is school?” Her mother inquired.

Adaora : sighing with relief, “Mummy, its fine, as usual. Really, quite good.”

Mrs Chineme: “Really? Is that what you would say? Because that isn’t what I and your father have been hearing!! What have you been up to?!”

Adaora was aghast at the anger in her mother’s voice. Her mother was usually the calm one and when her father was getting angry, her mum was usually the one to calm him down.

Adaora :“Mummy, I haven’t been up to anything, I promise you, I have been a good girl here mummy.”

Mrs Chineme: “That isn’t what I have been hearing Ada, I’ve heard very bad things about you.”

Ada wondered at that word “hearing”. What exactly could anyone be telling her mother about her? And why would her mother believe such a person except if it was someone she had known for a long time? And then it came to her, of course, it was Rita. No other person would go as far as reporting her to her parents.
Adaora : “Mummy, is it Rita telling you stuff about me?”

Mrs Chineme: “ Does it matter who it is? My question is, what are you doing? Who are these new friends you are keeping?”

Adaora : “Mummy, I’m not keeping any new friends, Rita is just lying! I can’t believe that girl! Yes, I have two new roommates but they aren’t bad or horrible like Rita is painting them! They…..”

Mrs Chineme: “ Do they go to mass? Confessions? Do they pray? You know how your father and I made plans for you, don’t ruin them! I don’t want you keeping any bad friends!”

Adaora : “Muuuumy…” she whined, “….they aren’t bad. And they aren’t my friends, just my roommates! I missed one stupid vigil and now Rita has you thinking I’m now satan’s daughter?”

Mrs Chineme: “ Stupid vigil? Stupid vigil? Ada, what has come over you? We raised you better than that!! You had better watch yourself over there. You wouldn’t be sounding this way if I had let your father talk to you like he wanted to but I begged him to let me talk to you first.”

At that, Adaora subsided. Her father was very strict and if he was the one at the other end of the phone, she knew she would be crying miserably by now. As it was, it took everything in her to stop from bawling.

Mrs Chineme: “Adaora…” Her mother’s voice gentled, “…I love you and I want the best for you. You are my daughter, my special first child, please don’t keep bad friends, do what is right and study hard. Remember the daughter of whom you are, okay?”

Adaora : “Yes, Nne.” She sniffed, “I won’t forget, thank you.”

They went on to talk about other things including Ada’s father and her 12 year old younger sister, Sochi. By the time Ada rounded off the call, she didn’t feel so sad anymore but deeply angry. How could Rita call her parents? How could she be so manipulative?

Her parents had started having children very late. And even at that, they had only managed to have 2 so they were extremely protective of Ada and Sochi. They never joked with any issue affecting their daughters and had spared no expense in giving them the very best of everything in life.

Her father, Engineer Chineme was a Civil Engineer who also had a huge import and exports business. He was very rich and had for all of Ada’s life been able to afford summer holidays every year in different countries. As it was, Ada and her sister were citizens of the UK and the US. They were born in the UK and through their father had earned American citizenship.

Her mother had always been a stay at home mum who was more comfortable taking care of her family, cooking and entertaining her slew of in-laws. Although her Parents were pretty strict, she had never had any cause to doubt their love and dedication to their children.

Without actually seeming to, they gave them everything they wanted, including an opportunity for their beloved first daughter to attend a relatively unknown University just because her best friend was going there. Of course, for her masters, Adaora would still have to go to a foreign University.

Rita on the other hand did not have such a great home life. Her mother was on her 4th husband and she had 7 children for 4 different men. Rita was the fifth child but the 1st child born by her mother to her 3rd husband. A man who also happened to have 2 wives already.

However, Rita’s brains, academic excellence, pious living and her unspoken desire to become a Reverend Sister ensured that the Catholic Church continued to fund her education.

Adaora had not gotten around to apologising to Rita as she had planned to do on Saturday. When she had woken up, she had gone to wash, cook, eat and catch up on her school work that she had quite forgotten Rita. On Sunday in Church, Rita had refused to make eye contact with her and she had decided not to stress herself talking to her, she was tired of always apologising first.

Which was most likely why, today being Tuesday, she was getting a call from her parents, Rita had probably called them yesterday. Another way to bring Adaora to heel. Adaora had however decided not to heed Rita, she refused to be Rita’s puppet forever and for this stunt, she was going to have something to say to Rita.

***
As she passed the corridor to her 3rd floor room, she saw Rita coming out of the 2nd floor common room and heading for her own room which was two doors away. She quietly approached Rita whose head was in a book so she didn’t see Adaora until she walked right into her.

When she looked up and saw it was Ada, she hissed and continued walking and was shocked speechless when Ada’s tiny arms dragged her backward by her shirt.

Adaora : “I’m warning you right now!” She said with fire in her eyes, “If you ever call my parents on me again, you will regret it. I’m not your child or your puppet, I don’t have to do everything you tell me to! Stop trying to control me, go and get a life. If you think you’re so perfect, then stay alone but leave me out of your miserably controlled life.

Amebo, AIT!!” She shouted as she walked away.

Rita stood in the corridor as several girls who had heard Ada’s tirade stared at her and laughed. She was so shocked, she didn’t notice them at first. Ada had never spoken to her like that in all their lives.

What was happening to her? Yes, she had called Ada’s parents but only because Ada had refused to apologise for last Friday’s incident.

All she wanted was Ada’s good. If Ada continued to walk with those sinners, she would become like them and she could not have her best friend become a sinner.

She became aware of the girls laughing in the corridor and she got angry. Ada must know that there was no greater insult she could pass than to insult her in a corridor full of girls who didn’t like her. She knew she wasn’t very popular among the other girls because she was holy but she didn’t care. She knew she couldn’t afford to fit in with people who weren’t heaven bound and that was that.

But for Ada to humiliate her in these same corridor where they had flaunted their 15 year friendship was the worst thing that could happen and she would never forgive Ada for that. Now their friendship was truly over. Ada could keep her sinful friends, Rita would keep Jesus.

To be continued...

Story by: Adelove

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

(Episode 3) - Karma’s Romance

Kosi was having a good time. She sat at a table laden with different assortments of night foods and she couldn’t be happier. Of course, her happiness had more to do with the hunky boy man she recently started calling boyfriend than with the amount of food.

She knew he was bad for her but she had had a crush on James since her first year and he had never looked in her direction. He had actually been interested in Lanke for a while and that had made her mad.

Recently however, they had been out together with mutual friends and they had all gotten into a game of truth or dare.

She and James had been dared to kiss each other and since then had been inseparable. He wasn’t really her boyfriend, they weren’t dating or being exclusive but she didn’t really mind, she just wanted a piece of the hottest boy on campus. At 24, he was in his 2nd year studying business administration and if the rumors were to be believed, he was a member of a cult group that had gained notoriety last year.

Of course, she didn’t care about that, all that mattered was the good sex she enjoyed in the back seat of his car regularly since she started hanging with him. Unlike the younger post teenage boys in school, he was tough, brutal, handsome, mean and he had a magic penis that brought her plenty of pleasure.

She picked at the suya on the table and smiled as she listened to the music and the cacophony of voices around them. Lanke sat opposite her with her own boyfriend, Nelson who was a student of the neighbouring state University. Rumour had it he was also a cultist, a leader of another gang.

Beside them were others, Juwon, a brilliant guy studying law but who liked to hang with the hot crowd and smoke marijuana. According to James, his Parents had to bring him back to Nigeria when he started spending time with bad boys in Chicago where they lived before. That was why at 22, he was just starting his first year. If only his parents could see him now.

Anslem, the cutest guy in school also sat with them smoking cigarettes and deep in conversation with Kachi, another suspected cultist. Anslem was a well-known man whore and had slept with virtually the entire female population at Rhaddeus University, including Kosi, Lanke and most of their friends. He broke hearts like a pro and did it with a smile. He was so cute though that girls usually forgave him.

Kachi was 22 and was believed to be a very high ranking member of the Black cellos, a cult group formed by students of the state University and of Rhaddeus which James headed. The cult wasn’t particularly deadly but girls in School had heard they had been linked to the rape of some girls from the State school. Girls didn’t really get raped at Rhaddeus because of the protected nature of the school.

Ufoma, a real wannabe dude was also hanging around them. In Kosi’s opinion, the guy was just stupidly hanging on. He was 18 and wanted to fit in so he kept running around for the older guys and doing everything they wanted him to do like he had no mind of his own, he probably didn’t anyway. She had heard his parents were rich and he was also a very hot dancer who got paid for big jobs so she wondered at him sometimes.

And farthest from the table entirely was Biggie, Kosi didn’t know his real name but the guy was over 6 ft tall with muscles, abs and weight to match. He was very dark and she had often wondered how his girlfriend, a slim bony girl coped with having such a huge boyfriend.

When she finally asked Debo, who was a close friend, Debo had told her they weren’t having sex yet and were waiting for marriage.

This had surprised Kosi who not only didn’t believe in shit like that, she also didn’t see Biggie as the kind of Guy who would wait. The two however, Biggie and Debo seemed perfectly content with each other and had been dating from their orientation week when they were all in their first year.

She was quietly contemplating everyone, including Lanke and Nelson when she noticed that most of the guys, excluding Biggie and James, who was smoking away were involved in a deep discussion about something. She couldn’t hear them though, the music was too loud and she wondered how they were hearing themselves.

Suddenly the music went off and she could hear them clearly.

Anslem: “……..What do you mean? Get away jare!! There’s no girl in that school I cannot have, even your school!”

Kachi: “Guy, waka comot jare! Just because some girls dey open leg for you, you don dey feel yourself abi?”

Ufoma: “As in! You’re just running mouth! Have you slept with Kanmi in mass communication?”

Anslem: “Ehn? Which Kanmi? Why do you think she doesn’t talk to me anymore? She begged me not to break up with her but I had to tell her I don’t do exclusive relationships.”

Ufoma: “For real? And I liked that girl oh.” He sounded really disappointed. “Was she a virgin?”

Anslem: “Which virgin? If I hear!! Are there still any virgins in that our school?”

Kachi : “No be una call am Catholic University?” He guffawed.

Nelson : “Ha! Na inside God house sinners dey pass!” He said as he joined in the conversation.

Juwon: “Chill oh, that girl Rita, in Engineering, she’s in Succoth Hostel, that girl go be virgin now, abi Lanke?”

Lanke: “Oh please, don’t talk about that bitch, abeg! Even if she’s a virgin, she’s too toxic please.”

Anslem: “True, I don’t even like her. Heard she’s going to become a nun….”

Juwon: “Talk true, you know you can’t get her or that her tiny fine friend. Those girls have class!”

Lanke: “Which class? Please let me hear word jor? Ada is my roommate and there’s nothing special to her!” She said derisively.

“Only that her folks are rich!”

Kosi: “True! She’s a very fake girl and pretentious. I don’t like her at all, I just form nice because she always has plenty stuff to give. I don’t know if she’s a virgin though.”

Nelson : “For real? I know that girl now, abi?”
Juwon: “If she’s a virgin, she will never agree to sleep with Anslem, trust me!!”

Anslem: “I don’t like how you guys are always doubting me! I don’t like it at all! I can get that girl! Let’s bet on it!”

The guys all hooted and started shouting. James and Biggie joined in and they started arguing on how much to bet to the excitement of the girls excluding Debo who found it disrespectful and walked away.

Biggie quickly followed her, eager to appease her. The other guys settled on #20,000 which Anslem would give them if he couldn’t get Ada and they would give him if he got her.

With laughter, Lanke and Kosi promised to help him get what he wanted and they enjoyed their night. Work would begin tomorrow.
***
Lanke: “Have you heard?” She asked, excited as she burst into the room.

Kosi: “Heard what?”Asked dismissively
Lanke: “Reverend Sister goody goody and Madam Hoity toity argued in the downstairs corridor yesterday!!” She said as she burst out laughing.

Kosi: “Really?” Kosi askedgiggling. Around Lanke, she spent a lot of time giggling even though sometimes she wanted to laugh. The truth was she had esteem issues with laughing around Lanke. Lanke had the most perfect set of teeth she had ever seen of anyone and she, on the other hand, had teeth that were the colour of caramel and in the top layer of her gums, she was even growing double teeth. Of course, James didn’t mind.

Lanke: “Yes oh, many people saw them! They said Reverend Sister wanted to die!” She said as she started laughing again.

Now, Kosi laughed. Served that idiot Rita right for thinking she was more perfect than everybody else. People like Rita and Ada nauseated her. Rita acted like she was Gods only begotten daughter and Ada was so proud because her father was so rich and she had been to many countries and had a car of her own at home.

Kosi: “Serves them right! Stupid girls!”

Lanke: “Seriously! I wish I was there. That Ada too, always acting like one first lady, prim and proper like she no get mouth! Imagine!”

Kosi: “So you have also noticed, abi? I swear that girl is so fake!”

Lanke laughed coldly, she really hated that stupid Rita and she had told the girl several times but with Ada, she couldn’t tell. The girl was just so nice, pretty, quiet and rich. She did not believe anyone could have it all and as far as she was concerned, Ada had her secrets and she would find them out.

Lanke: “Maybe we should ask her when she comes today, what do you think?”

Kosi: “Ask her what?”
Lanke: “If she’s a virgin now. We promised to help Anslem, remember?”

Kosi: “Oh, true oh. Or if she has a boyfriend.”
Lanke: “Hahaha!!” They both started giggling again at their own ingenuity.
***
After the showdown with Rita, Ada had decided to avoid her room for a while in case Rita chose to pay her a visit and had yesterday, slept in her floor’s common room. Today, she finally made her way back to her room, glad to see Rita hadn’t come to disturb her things in her absence. Lanke was dancing to music from the radio charger in the corner, swinging her massive bumbum while Kosi was on her bed, filing her nails and blowing gum. They both looked up when she entered.

Ada : “Hello ladies…”

Lanke: “How are you? Heard about your drama with your friend, Assistant Holy Mary. What happened?”

Ada : “Nothing serious.” She told them as she made her way to her bed, taking off her clothes as she sat down. She quickly wrapped a towel around her underwear clad body because she wasn’t comfortable being naked around her almost always naked roommates.

Kosi: “Nothing abi? Okay oh, don’t worry, since you can’t treat us like your friends and tell us.” She giggled at Lanke when Ada entered the bathroom.

Ada came out three minutes later feeling refreshed and went to sit on her bed.

Lanke: “So Ada, you can tell us what happened now. I thought we were friends?”

Ada : “No, it’s nothing like that, I just don’t want to ruin entirely what I have with Rita. I know we will get back together very soon so let me just keep quiet about it, I was just angry yesterday, if not, I wouldn’t even have shouted at her at all.”

Kosi: “Eyaa!” She left her bed and came to sit beside Ada on her bed, rubbing her back. “Don’t be angry with yourself okay?”

Ada had always felt comfortable around the quieter and more composed Kosi unlike Lanke who was always forward and talkative.

She was grateful for Kosi’s comforting aura right now. She knew they weren’t perfect but she didn’t find them so disagreeable. They weren’t critical or judgemental like Rita and they seemed genuinely nice.

Ada :“Thank you, I feel better right now.”

Kosi: “Okay then, I’m glad. Hmm….. Ada, do you have a boyfriend?”

Ada : “Boyfriend?!” She shouted. “Nooooooo! What for? At my age?”

Lanke: “Haha! Aren’t you an adult? What are you saying?”

Ada : “Boys aren’t a priority though! I don’t need that kind of distraction…”

Kosi: “So you have never had a boyfriend ?Ever?”

Ada : “No!! For what? I don’t need one!!”
Lanke: “Have you had sex before?”
Ada : “No, you guys are acting weird oh! I don’t believe in premarital sex at all.”

Lanke: “So, you’re a virgin?”

Ada : “Yes!” She stated emphatically, shrugging.
Kosi: “Okay, okay!” She told Ada, winked at Lanke and went back to her own bed.

To be continued...

Story by: Adelove

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

(Episode 4) - Karma's Romance

It had been 3 weeks since the fight with Rita and Ada was getting worried. Rita was now avoiding her, if Rita saw her coming one way, she would go the other way. Ada’s parents knew the money Rita got as pocket money wasn’t enough so whenever they sent Ada money, they sent to Rita too.

Knowing how proud Rita could be, Ada had written an apology note tucked with the money and placed it under Rita’s room pillow. Initially, she assumed Rita didn’t get it since she still avoided Ada but she had since realised Rita had gotten it for she had paid for the lab suit and googles she told Ada she wanted to buy.

This worried Ada because the action suggested that Rita did not want to have anything to do with her again. How would she cope without Rita? All she wanted was a little respect from Rita in their friendship.

She wasn’t used to having to make new friends and the whole thing was tiring her out. She had been spending a lot of time with Kosi and Lanke but they had nothing in common.

All they talked about were their boyfriends, nails, clothes etc. nothing about books, school and all the things Ada liked. She sighed as she continued walking to the Library, she had barely gotten to the entrance when she heard her name being called, she turned around and saw Anslem.

Ada : “Hi, Anslem, how are you?”
Anslem: “How are you, dear? Where are you going?”

Ada : “This part only leads to one building…” She said sarcastically. She was beginning to feel irritated by Anslem’s ridiculous attention. He had an overblown ego because he was handsome, he had the brains of a cockroach and she expected a guy of 21 to have more going for him than a reputation for haven shagged the highest number of girls on Campus.

Anslem: “You look extra beautiful today” He said as he leered at her bosom.

Ada : “It must be the sun, its making you see visions!”

Anslem: “No! Don’t you know you’re beautiful?” He smiled his winning smile.

Ada : “I know, I just don’t like hearing you mention it every day!” She answered with a tight smile, letting her disdain show a little. “I have an assignment right now so I have to go. Talk to you later. Bye.” She turned and walked away.

Anslem stood on the partway and rubbed his hands over his head. His time was running out, he barely had 8 days and he couldn’t even say he had gotten the girl to like him much less getting into her panties.

What was he supposed to do now? The stupid bitch was just being so stubborn! What was her problem anyway? He decided to go and search for Lanke and Kosi, they weren’t helping at all.
***
Lanke: “Why don’t you like Anslem?” She asked Ada who was sitting on the reading table drinking cornflakes.

Kosi: “Abi oh! Hes so cute and all the girls want him.”

Ada : “Why don’t they take him then? I’m not interested in him! I told you I can’t afford male distractions right now. My parents expect me to do well and I will.”

Kosi: Who says you can’t do well and have a boyfriend?”

Ada : “I don’t want to have a boyfriend, if I wanted a boyfriend, it wouldn’t be Anslem!”

Lanke: “Anslem? Why not?” She couldn’t understand how any girl wouldn’t want Anslem. When she was having sex with Anslem last semester, she and the other girls he was sleeping with at that time knew about each other but no one cared. How can this yeye girl think she was all that special? “Do you know how girls are rushing for him?”

Ada : “I don’t care! I don’t want a boyfriend…..”
Kosi: “We are not talking about dating him, just sleeping with him. If you’re a virgin, its better you start with a guy with experience.”

Ada : looked at them like they were both mad. “I would not sleep with any man until marriage and especially not a male prostitute, please, don’t tell me that again, I beg you!” She stood up and walked out of the room with her cornflakes.
***
Anslem stood in the corner by the library wondering what to do. Lanke and Kosi had just told him to forget Ada and he was devastated.

Besides the money he was about to lose, his pride had also badly suffered. He couldn’t believe Ada had turned him down and lost him so much money. What did that girl think she was?

He had only four days now and he figured he could take another shot at it. He waited another 20 minutes till it was 9pm when Ada usually left the Library. He straightened when he saw her come out of the library.

Anslem: “Hey dear!”
Ada was startled when she saw Anslem in the shadows, she sighed and walked into the darkness at the corner. He looked miserable and she felt bad for him. She knew how that felt.

Ada : “Hi, how are you?”
Anslem: shrugs, “I’m fine, you?”
Ada : “Fine, I was reading.”

Anslem: “I know, I missed you.” He leaned into her and grabbed her waist. Before she could do more than squeak, he planted a sloppy kiss on her. He deepened the kiss when she started struggling and pushed his left hand under her blouse up to her breasts. He knew that all he needed was for him to kiss her for a few minutes and she would want him very soon. It had worked several times before. Women did not always know what they wanted.

Ada was very angry. This bastard had the guts to put his hands on her breasts and she couldn’t get free. She tried to jerk free but she was small and he was big and he pushed his tongues deeper into her throat. She could feel his organ getting bigger against her stomach and she started getting scared.

She dropped the books she had been holding, they fell on his feet and he jerked backward, she took a deep breath and bit deeply on his tongue. He screamed and released her breasts then she punched him in the eye and bit his shoulders too.

Anslem: “You bitch!!!” He screamed when his hands which he had put on his tongue came away with blood. “What’s your problem?? You’re crazy!!”

Ada : “You’re mad!! Your family is crazy!! Your life is crazy!! How dare you?!!” She screamed back as she started running, tears slipping out of her eyes.

Anslem: “That crazy girl!! She will suffer for this.” He said into the dark rubbing at his painful shoulder.
***
Anslem’s friends couldn’t help laughing when they saw him the next evening. He looked funny. His eyes were black and his tongue swollen so he couldn’t talk. His friends wanted to know what happened but he wouldn’t say. Eventually, when Kosi came with James, she told the other guys what had happened as she had heard from Ada when she got back to the room yesterday. This only made the guys laugh harder that a girl had taken down the mighty Anslem.

Kosi: “You guys, I’m serious oh! It took Lanke and me the whole night to convince her not to report him to anyone. Do you know what could have happened if anyone heard?”

Ufoma: “What is wrong with that girl though? It’s Anslem now.”

Juwon: “I don’t get it oh….. Who does she think she is? Is she finer than some of the other girls Anslem has fucked?”

Kachi : “I swear she lucky say she no be student for our school, she for don suffer!!”

James : “What’s stopping you from dealing with her?” He said with deadly calm as all the other guys paid attention.

Anslem was embarrassed but he was feeling angry and vengeful.

“How do I deal with her? She’s in Rhaddeus, you know?”

James : “So? Won’t she come out?”
Kosi: “No….” She said nervously, “She doesn’t go anywhere.”

James : “Then you’ll bring her out!”
Biggie: “For what?” He asked. “Please guys, let’s leave the matter.

She messed up but she’s young, let’s forget it.”
Anslem: “You can forget it but you’re not the one she just humiliated!

I lost money because of her.” He spat out.
Biggie: “Guy, that’s your ego talking. If that’s the case, we won’t collect money for the bet…”

Juwon: “For where? Make the rest of you no collect, I go collect.”

Anslem “You see?”
Ufoma: “Guys, seriously, let’s just scare her or something.”

Kachi : “You know say you no get liver, go siddon!” He pulled out a cigarette and started smoking. “Nothing will happen except what we want to happen!”

Biggie: “What do you want to do to her? Beat a small girl?”

Nelson : “No, he will take the virginity she’s so proud of.” He laughed.

Biggie: “Guys, no! Don’t go there! I’m warning you. Just leave her. Is she stupid that she won’t remember? This is not State University oh.

See, I’m out, I don’t have the energy for trouble!” He said as he dropped his beer bottle and money on the table and stood up to leave.

Kachi : “Coward, no wonder na Debo dey control you! Big for nothing mumu!” he shouted at his former best friend.

Biggie kept walking like he didn’t hear the insult.

Anslem: “But what if she recognises me?”
James : “She won’t. You’ll just give her something to drink before it happens and she will never know what hit her.”

Kosi: “What of the person who brought her out? Won’t she remember us?”

Nelson : “You guys are overthinking this stuff, bring her out, do what you want to do and wait for the result, that’s what real men do!” He said decisively

Kosi: “Please guys, let’s not do it, I’m not cut out for this kind of trouble.” She said beginning to realise what kind of fix she had gotten herself into.

Juwon: “I like the idea, let’s do it!”
“Yeaaaah!!” The other guys started screaming “Bugu!! Bugu!!” They shouted and clinked their bottles as other patrons turned to watch them.
***
“No, no, no, please, let me go!” She screamed as the guy grabbed her and started tearing her clothes off….

Rita was panting when she woke up. Her body was pooled with sweat and her bed linens were scattered all over. She felt terrified again when she realised that the dream had been about Ada. Ada had been led into the woods by Kosi and Lanke where some guys had been waiting to attack her. She quickly said a prayer and although she was still angry with Ada, she would tell her in the morning.

When she woke in the morning, she figured the dream was her imagination because she was jealous of Ada’s new friendship with Kosi and Lanke, Ada had never had any friends besides her. Of course, the idea that she would have to talk to Ada now grated on her nerves. Ada would assume she was talking to her because she needed money, which she did.

She came out of her room and saw Ada coming downstairs giggling with Lanke and decided not to tell her afterall. If Ada was in danger, God would have told her new best friends. In her anger, she forgot her dreams usually came true.

To be continued...

Story by: Adelove

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

(Episode 5) - Karma's Romance

Kosi was really nervous, she was eating her beloved suya way too fast but she couldn’t relax. All week, her head felt very heavy at the thought of what she had to do. She was worried about what James would have done to her if she hadn’t agreed. So naturally, she had approached Lanke with the plan and Lanke had been excited about the idea and had even been able to infect Kosi with her excitement, a little.

It had been hard to convince Ada to come out on a Friday night without telling anyone beforehand. Fortunately, Ada did not have any other friends besides that pious Rita who still wasn’t talking to her.

They eventually convinced her by telling her they had to attend an HIV convention taking place at midnight.

Of course, she wanted to know why they had to go without school exeat since it was all perfectly legal, then they told her the School did not want to identify with the HIV patients. They convinced her because they told her there were lots of HIV patients who needed a listening ear. Or maybe because they continued to whine but eventually she agreed, probably because she was depressed over her bestie.

Lanke: “Calm down Kosi, what’s wrong with you? You’ll give it up.”

She whispered at Kosi who was acting all jittery.

Kosi: “I can’t calm down, I’m scared! What if something goes wrong? What if……..”

Lanke, “Chill, they will soon be here.”

Ada noticed them talking and wondered for the 100th time what she was doing in this place. The girls said they had to chill because the program did not start until 11pm but she was feeling very nervous.

She put that down to the knowledge that she was never outside by 10pm. If her parents ever found out that she went outside school, she would be in big trouble.

As she sipped her drink and ate of the suya, she had an inkling that she should have told at least one person about this outing. Maybe her class Rep or one of those girls in the room beside theirs who greeted her nicely. She just realised it was stupid to come out this late without telling anyone and with two girls she suddenly didn’t trust at all.

Lanke and Kosi were looking around furtively and then suddenly seemed to relax. Ada stopped drinking her coke halfway and watched them quietly. She couldn’t place it but something wasn’t right. Then again the local bar was quite crowded so she didn’t think anything could happen. 5 minutes later, after her goose bumps kept rising, she stood up and they both stood up.

Ada : “Girls, I’m going back!”

Kosi: “At this time? No way!! You can’t go!! Please, have your seat, it’s almost 11pm.”

Maybe it was the way she screamed but Ada was even more determined. Lanke looked somewhere beyond the entrance and she nodded at Ada.

Lanke: “Okay, let’s go.”

They all moved out of the bar to the door and unto the stretch of road that led back to school. Just then, a jeep stopped beside them. A guy she recognised as Kosi’s boyfriend and Ufoma, a dancer from school got out of the car.

James : “Hi, Ada” He greeted, resting on the car’s bonnet.

Ada looked back and saw that the road was rather deserted and no one was outside.

 Suddenly, she saw another car coming down the untarred road, and then parked behind them. Anslem then got out with some other guys she didn’t recognise. When she saw Anslem’s face, she grabbed Kosi and screamed.

Ada :“Run!! Run!!” She screamed as she ran, making her way back to the bar but was tackled from behind, carried and thrown into the trunk of the second car where she was pinned down and her mouth covered by two guys. When they tied her hands, they closed the car’s trunk.

She tried to scream but no sound came out.
She felt terrified and started crying. Why would Anslem do this? How could James let them kidnap his girlfriend? Did they think Lanke and Kosi were responsible for what happened with Anslem last week?

She listened and heard laughter outside. The laughter was feminine but she hadn’t seen any other females except herself and her roommates. Then she heard the laughter clearly and realised it was Lankes’s. Then it clicked, she realised she had made a mistake. The girls had tricked her and lured her out like bait…

Lanke: “Can I come and watch?” She asked James eagerly.

James : “No way!! Ufoma, take them to our place.”

Ufoma: “Not now….. I will miss this. Let someone else take them.”

James : “I said drop them and come back later to join us. We would be at the initiation ground.”

Lanke: “That’s not fair, how come all of you are going to watch and I can’t come and watch?”

James : “You don’t know the initiation ground and we can’t take you there.”

Kosi: felt really scared at all this. She had thought it would be a quick simple rape, Ada would cry, forget what happened and learn to treat others more respectfully. She didn’t like all these talks of initiation grounds anymore. Were they all cultists? It was supposed to be only James and Nelson, how come cowardly Ufoma knew where it was?

“Look, let’s call this off, I’m no longer comfortable, please.”

James : “Shut up and get into the car! Ufoma, get in, drop them and come back.”

At his tone, the two girls bundled into the car, Lanke looking resentful and Kosi crying. She watched with a heavy heart as the guys went into the other car and drove in the other direction.
***
Ada felt the grass where they laid her on, her hands tied and fear overwhelming her. She could see six guys standing around her laughing and the tears started pouring out. From her position on the ground, she could see the place was a clearing in the forest and the moon high in the sky. No one would hear her! She started struggling earnestly as tears leaked from her eyes.

Anslem: “Guys look, she’s crying!” He laughed. “I thought you were super woman, oya free yourself.”

James : “She’s such a cutie.” He laughed and lighted up his cigarette, “Guys tear off her clothes!”

Anslem and Kachi approached her. Anslem, holding up a scissors was laughing, very excited. They knelt beside her, Anslem put the scissors into her blouse and started cutting it up along with her bra. Kachi pulled it apart and tore it off her along with the sleeve while Anslem started cutting her trousers.

Ada : “Please, No, Please, I beg you!!” She cried out, terrified and sure nothing would save her yet hopeful. She felt them pull all her clothes off as she closed her eyes. She heard the guys hooting. She felt a slap on her cheek and opened her eyes and saw one of them kneeling beside her with a something in a cup. He forced her mouth open and poured in the drink. It was a bitter liquid and she started to pray for God to help her.

She felt very confused and dizzy but she saw Anslem had taken off his trousers and his organ was erect. He pushed her knees apart with his legs and knelt between her thighs. At his first thrust, she screamed so loud, she felt the Earth shake. As Anslem pumped away, the other guys kept shouting, laughing and drinking.

She felt so tired and in so much pain, she closed her eyes against the pain. Just as she felt Anslem groaning as he released, she felt another one of them grab her left breast and start tugging it painfully. Another wet mouth attacked her right breast and was biting and sucking painfully. She started crying again.

Another guy pushed her limp thighs apart and entered her and she couldn’t scream. She opened her eyes but she couldn’t see him. As he finished, another guy replaced him and she went to another place. She stared at the sky, only seeing the outline of the moon as the guys humiliated her, sucked her breasts, pinched her, bit her, fingered her and she lost count of who was doing what and what number he was.

She felt she couldn’t feel anything anymore until she was rolled over unto her belly and her legs spread again. She was wrong. As whoever it was pushed his organ into her untried anus, she started crying again.

This was the most humiliating thing they had done to her and she would never forgive them. Her senses came back alive and she smelt him and heard his voice clearly as he groaned terrible nonsense into her ears, it was James.

After that, she was turned over and her legs spread again. She saw Ufoma’s face as he mounted her. She called his name but he didn’t hear her because she had lost her voice and was only whispering as she cried.

When Ufoma stood up, he looked at the other guys and couldn’t believe what he done to prove himself, he was disgusted and felt nausea roiling up within him. He grabbed his stomach, moved to a corner and threw up as the other guys started laughing. He refused to look back at Ada where she lay. Her body weak and her eyes rolled back.

Anslem: “What do we do with her now? She looks too tired. Lazy bitch, she’s not even tough!!”

Kachi : “But I enjoyed the girl oh, she just tight like no man business!”

Juwon: “Abi oh!” And they started laughing again.

James went and knelt beside her when he saw her mouth moving. He pointed the torchlight at her and saw her mouthing the words “Anslem” “James”“Ufoma”

James : “Guys, I don’t think she will forget us. She might not have clear memories but she will remember our names, let’s finish her.” He said coldly.

Ufoma: “No, no, that wasn’t the plan!!” He cried out.

James : “All of us raping her wasn’t the plan either but didn’t you join in? Didn’t you release?”

Juwon: “But James, since we didn’t plan to kill her, there’s no need for that.”

James : “She’s calling Anslem’s name, mine and Ufoma. If you guys don’t mind going to Prison, I do.”

Anslem: “She’s calling my name?! You said the drugs would make her forget?”

James : “Well, it didn’t work! She’s stronger than we thought”

Anslem: “I think James is right, we should end it. If she goes back and everyone finds out she has been raped, her parents will do a DNA test and they will know it was us because none of us wore a condom. I saw this happen in a movie recently!”
Ufoma: “You guys, I don’t like this, why didn’t we say all these before?” he started crying.

Nelson : “The plan no be for all of us to do her. That one just entered this night.”

Kachi : “Abeg, kill the girl!”
Juwon: “Anything you guys want to do, just do it quickly, it’s almost 4am.”

Ufoma: “What of when they find her body? They will still catch us!!” He cried louder.

James : “Shut up! We will bury her here. Guys, start digging under that tree there.” He pointed at the farthest end of the clearing. “Dig very deep, okay? Kachi, finish her off.”

Kachi : “With pleasure!” He picked up the scissors and knelt beside her. She opened her eyes and saw his smug eyes as he raised the scissors and tears came to her eyes again. She couldn’t believe they still planned to kill her after everything.

She looked up to heaven and asked God to avenge her even while he received her soul. She didn’t say it loud for she couldn’t speak anymore but she knew God heard her. Kachi pushed the scissors into her belly several times. Then she felt nothing at all.

When Kachi finished with her, he, Nelson and Anslem carried her bloody body towards the hole and buried her with her clothes. Kachi could not hide his excitement at the night’s proceedings and he smiled at James with contentment, Ufoma cried as he poured sand over the body, Juwon was in shock, he had done something he never thought he would do.

 Anslem wished they had kept her longer so he could have his way with her several more times before they killed her. He had never done anything so pleasurable.

Nelson was indifferent. He had virtually been last on Ada ad he hated the idea of being in that position. He minded how James had made him go last like he was boss of them all. James might be Boss in his own cult, Nelson was also a Boss in his.

James felt really good. After the guys had buried all the evidence and washed off, he made all of them swear a blood oath that their secret would never be revealed. Then they left in the car. At the House where they normally met, he forced Kosi and Lanke to take the same oath. And when Kosi wouldn’t stop crying, he pushed her into a bedroom and took her brutally against the wall.

The next day, Lanke reported to the hostel mistress that they hadn’t seen Ada since the previous day and they didn’t know where she was.

They started searching for her but couldn’t find her and a few hours later, the whole school was in an uproar, her parents were also called in.

Rita knew without a doubt Kosi and Lanke had something to do with what had happened to Ada especially when Kosi did not return to school the following semester. She remembered the dream she had days before Ada disappeared and wished she had told Ada about that dream. Now, she was scared they would do something bad to her so she still didn’t tell anyone about it.

Biggie, confronted James and Anslem about her. They told him to mind his business and warned him that if he didn’t, he would find himself wherever Ada was, he knew after that, that something horrible had happened to the girl so he stayed clear from them.

Ada’s parents aged overnight when they couldn’t find her after a month of searching for her. Initially they thought she had been kidnapped for ransom but when no one reached out to them after a month, they knew something else had happened. The Police was put on the case but they didn’t have any clues, no one gave them information.

Kosi and Lanke lied to them, Biggie moved far away, Rita hid in the Lab and Church and Ufoma had to home for he was very sick. The school had no cameras and no one had seen her leave the school at all. The case dragged on for a while but there were no leads. When 3 months passed, her parents came to pack her things in grief.

At home, they looked for the words to explain to 12 year old Sochi that her sister might not be coming back home.

They went on their semester break and Kosi did not return. Those who knew why breathed a sigh of relief. Their secret was safe. They had gotten away with murder.

To be continued...

Story by: Adelove

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

(Episode 6) - Karma's Romance

20 YEARS LATER, IN FEBRUARY 2018

The Church of The Holy Overflow, Sango Ota had just bought a new land and were having their ground-breaking ceremony. There was excitement in the air as the Head Pastor raised his pick and hit it on the ground. Cheers followed along with snapshots by professional photographers and amateurs with phones. The diggers took over while church members went to devour the plates of rice that had been
generously supplied.

3 hours later and still digging, a bricklayer was surprised when his shovel packed up something that looked vaguely like fingers from a skeleton. Convincing himself that it was only the remains of an animal, he continued digging and then screamed loud when he shovelled up what he saw was a whole human palm.

His scream brought the other workmen around and careful further digging of the site showed that there was indeed a human body lying beneath the surface there. Pastor Jeremiah Akanni, Senior Pastor immediately called the police to the site and an hour later, they were
there and sealed off the place.

Only Pastor Akanni’s high stand in society and the knowledge that he had only procured the land a few weeks ago saved him from being the No 1 suspect in connection to the body lying underground. The body was carefully exhumed to preserve the bones and submitted for autopsy at the state Lab.

The case was very high profile, as the nation was experiencing a spate of ritual killings and Pastor Akanni’s church was linked very often to the skeleton that was found. In a bid to assuage the people, the Governor insisted that everything must be done to find out how the body got there in the first place.

The State Medical Examiner, after the Autopsy concluded that the body he found was that of a female in her late teens. She died from nothing
less than 6 stab wounds. He could only tell that number because of the markings that had been left on her rib bones by whatever instrument had been used. He also determined that the bones had been in the ground for nothing less than 18 years.

Immediately Police got to working on the case and checked for females in their late teens who had been declared missing between 17 to 20 years ago around that area. One case stood out for them and was very glaring. The case of Adaora Chineme, the 18 year old University Student that had gone missing around that time.

It took them a long while to track down Ada’s family for they had moved to settle in the USA when their daughter, Sochi was due to attend University almost 13 years ago. They finally managed to get the family through their relatives still in Nigeria and when the Chinemes
heard what had been discovered, they took a flight back home along with Sochi who was married and pregnant with her second child.

When they got back to Nigeria and reported at the Ogun state Command handling the case, they were told that because of the decomposition of the body, they would need DNA samples from her mother to compare with the bones they found.

Mrs Chineme obliged them all the while praying that the body would not be that of her daughters’. All along, she had hoped that somehow, somewhere, Ada was still alive and healthy. If the results showed that indeed the body was Ada’s, it would mean that her daughter had been dead for years. The mere thought sent her into tears.

Three weeks later, the results were out and they showed that indeed, the remains were that of Adaora. The police started working the case to see what could have led to her being killed in that area but they couldn’t find anything. There were no witnesses, no leads and most of the people who once knew about the case had since moved on.

A week later, a burial ceremony for Ada was to hold in her hometown in Owerri in Imo state and her family members were devastated. Her mother cried her eyes out as other woman tried to placate her and her pregnant sister, Sochi was a mess. The pain was much, it was like
losing her all over again and they never even got to say goodbye properly.

When the ambulance bearing the body arrived and Ada’s remains were laid, her mother broke from the other women and ran to the casket, tears streaming down her face.

Mrs Chineme: “God!! God!! You said I should serve you and obey you, you said I should do your will, is this my reward? Is this what you promised me? That they will stab my daughter and leave her in the ground like she has no one? God where are you?” She screamed as she cried. The other women tried to move her but she would not go.

Woman 1 : “Chidindu, biko kwusi ibe akwa, God is not asleep, Nne. Please stand up”.

Woman 2: “Chidindu, jikonata onwe gi, biko” (patting her on the back and also crying) Other women gathered and dragged Chidindu Chineme away from the casket but she only cried louder.

Mrs Chineme : “Adaora uwam, how can you sleep? How can you not fight? Why would you let them do this to you and get away with it?
God, God, God, where is your face?”

When they brought her back to the front of the house, her pregnant daughter grabbed her around the waist and cried against her shoulders.

Sochi : “Mummy it is well! Don’t cry anymore, biko.” She sniffled, “God will avenge Ada. He is a God of vengeance, he will not fail us.”

All along, Mr Chineme stood on the other side staring out, unable to hide the tears that slipped out of his eyes. The men rallied around him and patted his back, they told him to take heart and be a man. He almost wished that they had never found her body for he had already let her go in his mind, now he had to start the pain all over again.

The priests came and conducted the interment service later that day and as they poured sand on Ada thesecond time, the skies opened up
and poured all over them. Her father looked up in the skies and spoke to God

Mr Chineme: “Nobody should ever know the grave of their children.

That is not the bargain I made when I chose to serve you. Now, Ada is dead, someone killed her. God do not sleep oh, do not sleep at all.
They have brought grief to our hearts in our old age, they have removed happiness from our lives and they have filled it with anguish.

God, whoever is responsible, let sleep be far from them, let happiness elude them and let them know the kind of pain my daughter felt when they took her.”

And then thunder rumbled in accent and lightening said yes.
***

Sister Rita of Our Lady of Sacred Hearts was asleep on her bed when she saw the thunder. She heard screams of agony, she saw blood and felt pain and she woke up screaming. She wasn’t alone in her room.

She shared the room with Sister Mary. They were both nuns in the convent in Edo state.
Sister Mary : Rushing to Sister Rita’s bedside, “What is it, Sister Rita?

What happened?” She asked as she rubbed her shoulders in comfort.

Sister Rita : “I’m okay, I’m fine, and all is well. Thank you, Sister Mary.”

Sister Mary : “Are you sure? You were screaming just now.”

Sister Rita : “Yes, I’m sure, I’m okay, don’t worry, go back to bed. It was just a dream.” She rolled over as sister Mary returned to her bed but she couldn’t sleep. She tried to see whose face it had been in her dream but she couldn’t tell who it was. She felt scared all over again.

All her life, her dreams had always come true, good or bad. That was a gift she had. And she was certain this one would too, she just didn’t
know who it would be.

Ever since, she had made that mistake and refused to tell her best friend about the dream that showed that something would happen to her, she had promised herself that no matter what it took, she would always tell anyone what she saw about them no matter what. For all
of these years since she had become a Nun, she had always kept to her word for she wanted no repeat of the disastrous consequences of keeping silent.

She remembered the dream again, heard the glasses shattering, the thunder and she heard the screams and saw blood. She was very scared and she wondered what was going to happen and who it would happen to.

She knelt down by her bed and said a quick prayer of mercy and preservation for the people around her.

To be continued...

Story by: Adelove