The day started well enough for Mario and Shades, two strangers united by the crumbling asbestos roof brooding the two-room quarters on Road 12. It completed the living quarters of El Nino, a grey-haired chemistry professor who also doubled as their landlord. Shades and Mugabe, Mario’s cousin were legitimate tenants of the Chemistry lecturer. So Mario was one of the regular visitors to Africa ’s most beautiful campus, and his arrival time coincided with Shades latest request for a date with Nkiru.
After two years of unrequited love, the law damsel eventually cracked, setting the stage for what Shades called a start to bigger things. The day’s lectures seemed to go on forever, leaving him mentally and physically sapped by the time he got back to his room.
He was so tired that the introduction of a youngster clad in baggy jeans to him by Mugabe seemed to be a lucid interlude in his quest for rest, and there were no snores as he plunged into an endless sea of bed clothes. The only discernible noises were the hum of the standing fan as it soused his sensibilities and pushed him further into dreamland. He was not alone in dreaming. Next door, Mario had decided on his next course of action. With his cousin away all night reading, he would be a fool to spend the night alone. Since he was leaving the next day, an oblivious campus female could spend the night with him if he played his cards right.
There was extra cash, and after removing his transport fare from the bundle of rumpled notes, he sauntered off into campus to perfect his plans on getting a sleeping partner. It was a prolific effort as he returned hours later with a slovenly female by the name of Melanie. Other males had avoided dancing with her at the party, and he could almost discern a giggle or two as they proceeded to his cousin’s place. This did not deter him as she had the curves necessary for his nocturnal intentions.
But he got a rude shock as chest hairs and socks suddenly replaced the luscious breasts he was hoping for. The fright was too much for him and instead of going lower, he raced off into the night screaming like a hurt dog. His racket roused Shades, and by the time he poked his head into the room, Melanie was already feeling at home. He, or she had already put its clothes back on, but that did little to reveal the identity of Scraggy Jones, a popular campus transvestite who was unsettled about sexuality in general. Today, he was a female and had on a pair of orange jeans and a gypsy top.
Shades quietly admitted to it being an improvement on the previous look of dirty brown hair and an overdose of make-up, but it had to go before it spoilt their house rep. “Get out, Shades barked. “Get out now.” This did little to rattle Scraggy’s nerves until Shades went to get his belt. This worked like magic on the homeless pervert and Shades proceeded to march him to the compound gate.
Unfortunately, Shades was decked in just a pair of boxer shorts during his solo conquest, a development which raised eyebrows from his classmates returning from class. Instead of back pats the next day, it was all whispers as Nkiru had heard all about his Scraggy episode. Mugabe and his friends believed Shades side, but Nkiru and his classmates didn’t as they all felt he was, like Scraggy, undecided about his sexuality.
---- By Adewole Ajao
---- By Adewole Ajao
