MY SCARIEST MOMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY

The university, (as we have established with different posts and stories) will hold so many memories for everyone. Different folks will have different tales and different experiences. There will be some fun (and not so fun) exhilarating, mind-blowing, thrilling, inspiring, and scary moments and memories. As I ponder on this topic and reminisce on my time in the university, I realize that I haven’t so much as “LIVED” on the dangerous path of life. I know I’m pretty level headed and a stickler for rules but I wonder if I was overly cautious or maybe there is generally no daredevil streak in me as I have not been in any individual one-on-one scary situation. That is not to say though that I did not witness my own fair share of Halloween-worthy moments. The truth is nobody actually leaves the shores of a university without starting in a few horror movie scenarios even if they ain’t the lead role.

I witnessed my first scary moment in my first year; it was an armed robbery attack that took place in my hostel.  It was a beautiful day that started like every other day. The sun shone brightly, routine activities for the day went on, as usual, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and so nothing prepared the beautiful girls of Eco hostel for what was to come.

Fast forward to evening; the hostel was alive with girls filling the hallways, stairwells, and corridors. Some of them going to empty classrooms on campus to study and others returning from their lecture halls exhausted and famished, ready to go about the usual night ritual in typical Eco hostel style which included; food to quell the gnawing hunger in their bellies, a warm bath to wash away the rigors of hectic classes and the very unfriendly Abraka sun, aproko gist with roomies and neighbors to catch up on the happenings of the day and the welcoming arms of their bed to soothe tired bones. (Did I say, everybody? Well, that was what was on my mind anyways). But that was not the case that night.

In-room 39C (my room which was located on the last floor) I and my roomie had just returned from class. I was just about ready to hit the bed but I had to settle my wailing stomach first so I got down to business, immediately heading to the balcony to whip up something for my friends and I (who  by the way always depends on me to do all of their cooking) I had just finished putting the fish I got at a very good price in the hot oil waiting for it to fry so I can go ahead with stew preparations when I heard a girl screaming  “*Ewu* in the hostel” from the basket ball court downstairs. (*Ewu* is used to refer to guys who remain in female hostel after visiting hours).

Trust eco hostel girls to show themselves in situations like this. My roomie and I ran outside to catch a glimpse of who the unfortunate “ewu” was, (my frying fish forgot at this point) as we joined in the chanting, screaming at the top of our lungs and throwing things at the dude. The court filled out with girls some of them on their way to the bathroom and others returning from class as everyone struggled to chase the “ewu” out of the hostel.

Feeling trapped, the guy who was the watchdog for his counterparts in the “operation” saw no way of escape in order to dispel the growing mob of girls he fired a deafening shot from the gun no one knew he had that sent everybody running for cover in different directions.

I ran as fast as my two left legs could carry me to my room with my roomie closely behind as we shut the door behind us, our hearts beating loudly in our chests. I had never heard a gunshot in my life up until that moment and I was just about ready to pee in my pants. I hurriedly ran out to the balcony to put off my gas to avoid another disaster as my fish was already burnt and unrecognizable in the blackened fry pan. I remember thinking what a waste that was. I locked the door to the balcony and went back into the room where my roomie was dramatically calling on the host of heaven in tears and lamenting about how a robbery could take place in our hostel (which was supposed to be a safe haven as it was within the school premises as opposed to the hostels outside school) as she struggled to hide her gadgets. I calmly removed my sim card and media card from my phone and laid out the phone on my bed ready to give it up when they got to our room.

We lay on the floor praying and waiting while we heard screams and threatening voices from the rooms downstairs. A few very long minutes later, the security patrol car’s siren was heard presumably alerted to the robbery by the gunshots that were fired. The robbers seeing no way out fled the hostel before they could get to my floor, escaping through the hostel’s back fence.

The hostel became quiet as a grave yard; no single soul was in sight. The only sounds we could hear was squeals of girls that were robbed and prayers offered up to God for the ordeal to be over. That night was the longest night of my life, the whole hostel was quaking with fear, my friends whose rooms downstairs were too scared to sleep and we all huddled up in my room, offering thanks to God while assuring family members and friends that we were fine and unhurt. Definitely not a day I would love to relive!!