DEAD END (Episode 1)

“Life is just so unbelievable.”

Lucy thought as she cleaned a tear that escaped her eyes.
The stove hissed in front of her as the okra soup she was cooking rose rapidly in the pot and into the fire.
She sat up quickly to return the spoon in her hand into the pot and stirred the soup.
She reduced the fire as she quickly rose up to put a smoked fish inside the soup. She stirred the soup repeatedly until she was satisfied it was well cooked.
She switched off the stove.
Humming silently she served the Okra soup in a plate and moved towards her study table that served as a dining table as well. She placed the soup on the table and returned to her cooking corner to pick two wraps of fufu before finally settling down on her chair.

Lucy stared at the Fufu and Ila Asepo in front of her as she sighed.

“Everyone is feeding on Good soup and fresh Meat since the school is just resuming. I’m here eating Fufu and Ila Asepo. Even the smoked Fish Mama gave me has been at home for long.” She said dejectedly before finally putting a lump of Fufu in her mouth.

She looked round her room in disgust. The room was very small: the size of their Bathroom at home. She had thought she would be able to move to a self-contained room this session but all hope of that was now dashed.

A new session was just beginning. To every student, it was usually the beginning of a fresh life. However for Lucy, a third year Student of the Department of Computer Engineering it was the beginning of worry and anxiety. The previous Semester break had been filled with tales of woe for her. Two of her elder siblings who had been the hope of the family had died in a ghastly motor accident. Things changed for the Family simultaneously.
Paying the tuition fee for the new session and some other bills was a great challenge as her parents were both retirees.

One of her distant cousin’s, Cecil who was also a student in the institution where Lucy schooled was also dependent on her family as she was orphaned.

“Things cannot continue to go on like this at all.” She said aloud as her eyes strayed to a Christian Magazine on the table.

She stretched her left hand to pick it up and placed it in front of her.
As she ate, she flipped through the book. She had just scanned through two pages when her eyes caught a Bible Verse.

“But Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto thee.” Matthew 6:33.

Yes, she was familiar with the verse.

“If I am not even a serious Christian, at least my Parents are. Where are those other things now?” she said as she closed the book and dropped it.

Lucy had never been a Serious Christian before but due to their present situation, she seem to lose all the faith she thought she had.

“I have to think of something to do.” She said as she finished eating.

The following day was not an easy one at all. Lucy had already had four lectures non-stop and still had two more to go.

She walked towards the Cafeteria as her stomach growled. She was seriously hungry and couldn’t bare it any longer.

“I will have to make do with the last amount of money with me. I wonder how 100 naira rice will even be? I have never even had reasons to buy food before.” She thought as she checked around at the quantity of food being sold to the other students.
She joined the queue and after few moments it was soon her turn.

“Rice 100naira.” Lucy whispered to the fat woman selling the food.

The woman looked up in surprised.

“100naira?” She asked loudly causing people to look towards the place.

“Yes.” Lucy replied blinking her eyes.

“What was happening? Why was she so surprised?” Lucy wondered within her.

“We don’t sell 100 naira Rice. The least is 150.” The woman replied much louder this time.

“Chai! This is embarrassment oo.”

Lucy turned to look at the people behind her, and wished she hadn’t.
Pairs of eyes were focused on her.

“Abeg! Omo yi, da mi loun now!” (Please answer me quickly.) The woman said furiously in Yoruba.

“Ema worry Ma.” (Don’t worry Ma.) Lucy replied quickly as she left the queue quickly.

Gbam!

“Ha ha!” Someone said angrily to her face.
She looked up to realize she had collided with a lady.

“Babe, look front now?” The Lady said as Lucy looked on apologetically.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking.” She replied as she turned to go.

“I’m not the one that said you should not bring enough money here now.” Lucy heard the lady say behind her as she hurried out of the place.

“God! What kind of life is this?” She thought as tears rolled down her face.

She walked on angrily towards a deserted area; crying as she went.

“Who is she to humiliate me like that? And why were they all staring at me. Couldn’t they all just mind their business?”

“Even that 100 Naira is the last money on me. If not that there are two more lectures, will i go to that place?” She thought bending down.

“God why?” She screamed.

“Why all this?”

“Why me?” She said as she cried heavily.

“Things are going to get better.”

Lucy stopped.

“Who was that?” She asked herself as she cleaned her face to search for the person whose voice she heard.

She looked towards the path where she faced. No one was there.

“Who would even come here?” She asked herself.

“Or Is God speaking to me?” she thought suddenly as she rose up steadily and took a step down the path.

She stopped.

“Has he finally decided to show that he cares?” She thought as she peered her face down the path. She wished she knew the direction the voice had come from.

“Hello!” Someone said directly behind her as she stopped suddenly.

“Who is that?” She asked as she turned swiftly.

WHO CAN IT BE?

How will this meeting affect Lucy’s life?

Stay Expectant for the next Episode.

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