The rays from the morning Sun shining through the blinds woke Ese up. It took a little while before she realised she wasn't alone in bed. His hand was around her waist. She smiled as she recalled what had happened over the night. Despite her bravado, she had being nervous at that turning point, but Siji, albeit inexperienced, had being gentle until she had adjusted. And when they had tried it again and again it had gotten better and better. She was sure the incredibly inexplicable surge of sensation she had felt had been the zenith she had always heard and read about.
"Shit." she exclaimed quietly when she looked at her bedside clock, it was 10:30. She had slept past her alarm that was set for 6:30, which was unusual. But again, what happened over the night was unusual too, she reasoned. Good thing it was a Saturday.
She gently lifted his hand and dropped it by his side, he stirred and laid on his back facing up, but he did not wake up. She turned on her side to observe him for a couple of minutes, she could hear the faint singsong sound the air entering and escaping his nostrils made. She was glad it was not a snore for she could not stand snorers. She rose from the bed carefully in order not to wake him up.
---he deserves the sleep--- she surmised as she entered the bathroom.
"Shit." she exclaimed quietly when she looked at her bedside clock, it was 10:30. She had slept past her alarm that was set for 6:30, which was unusual. But again, what happened over the night was unusual too, she reasoned. Good thing it was a Saturday.
She gently lifted his hand and dropped it by his side, he stirred and laid on his back facing up, but he did not wake up. She turned on her side to observe him for a couple of minutes, she could hear the faint singsong sound the air entering and escaping his nostrils made. She was glad it was not a snore for she could not stand snorers. She rose from the bed carefully in order not to wake him up.
---he deserves the sleep--- she surmised as she entered the bathroom.
"Siji so wa nle, are you home? Ma'ami's voice startled him. He was on her bed with Ese, he had thought she would not be coming back early from her shed. His first thought was how he could hide Ese, so that Ma'ami wouldn't see her, but it was too late for the door was already opening. He closed his eyes not wanting to see the look of shock and disappointment he knew would be on Ma'ami's face. He opened his eyes after a while and saw that he was in a different environment. He was still on the bed, yes, but he was alone and the room was different, feminine. Then it dawned on him that he had been dreaming, he was on Ese's bed, not Ma'ami's.
---where is she?--- he thought and he was answered by the sound of water from the bathroom.
The dream had felt so real that he began to think it was a bad omen, not that he regretted what he had done with Ese, but he just could not push the dream aside or explain it away as nothing. He tried to, but his mind would not let him.
The bathroom door opened and Ese stepped into the room. One look at her, and all his thoughts about the dream flew off his mind, she had just showered and she had a towel around her, covering her chest to her thighs, and another tied on her head like a turban.
"Good morning dear." she said smiling shyly at him, but not looking at his eyes. She couldn't explain why she was suddenly shy.
"Good morning to you too. How was your night?"
"You very much know how my night went"
He smiled at her with a smirk "you snuck to the bathroom without inviting me." he accused her jokingly
"I wanted you to enjoy your sleep." she said, then added before she could stop herself "you needed it."
When he observed she still was avoiding his eyes, he said "Ese please look at me." it took an effort to hold his gaze "we need to talk about what happened." He said
"Is there anything to talk about?"
"Of course there are lots of things to talk about, I....."
"Your phone is ringing" she interrupted as she retrieved his phone for him from the pocket of his trouser which was by the door. He had flung it there the night before.
"It's Jasper." she whispered as though he could hear them from the other end, as she handed Siji the phone.
"Hello sir..., yes sir...I'm on campus.....okay....right away." he cut the call and said to Ese as he hurriedly wore his clothes "he wants to see me right away, I gotta go."
He kissed her on her forehead then said. "We still need to talk."
"I know, see you later in the day."
She silently thanked her stars for the phone call as she closed the door behind him. She was not ready to discuss what they did, not yet anyway, not until she had thought about it herself.
---where is she?--- he thought and he was answered by the sound of water from the bathroom.
The dream had felt so real that he began to think it was a bad omen, not that he regretted what he had done with Ese, but he just could not push the dream aside or explain it away as nothing. He tried to, but his mind would not let him.
The bathroom door opened and Ese stepped into the room. One look at her, and all his thoughts about the dream flew off his mind, she had just showered and she had a towel around her, covering her chest to her thighs, and another tied on her head like a turban.
"Good morning dear." she said smiling shyly at him, but not looking at his eyes. She couldn't explain why she was suddenly shy.
"Good morning to you too. How was your night?"
"You very much know how my night went"
He smiled at her with a smirk "you snuck to the bathroom without inviting me." he accused her jokingly
"I wanted you to enjoy your sleep." she said, then added before she could stop herself "you needed it."
When he observed she still was avoiding his eyes, he said "Ese please look at me." it took an effort to hold his gaze "we need to talk about what happened." He said
"Is there anything to talk about?"
"Of course there are lots of things to talk about, I....."
"Your phone is ringing" she interrupted as she retrieved his phone for him from the pocket of his trouser which was by the door. He had flung it there the night before.
"It's Jasper." she whispered as though he could hear them from the other end, as she handed Siji the phone.
"Hello sir..., yes sir...I'm on campus.....okay....right away." he cut the call and said to Ese as he hurriedly wore his clothes "he wants to see me right away, I gotta go."
He kissed her on her forehead then said. "We still need to talk."
"I know, see you later in the day."
She silently thanked her stars for the phone call as she closed the door behind him. She was not ready to discuss what they did, not yet anyway, not until she had thought about it herself.
★★★
"Are you coming from a party?" The Prof asked. Siji silently swore as he realized that was the second time he would be seeing his supervisor unprepared. His shirt was not buttoned to the top and his tie was hanging askew from his neck while he placed his jacket on his arm.
"Not exactly sir, I went to an FYB dinner party last night and slept over at a friend's. I rushed down here from there, I haven't had time to change."
"I see, some party it must have been."
Siji did not know what to say to that, so he kept quiet.
"What is your present CGPA?" The Prof asked startling Siji
"Ehmm.....ehmmmm.... 4.52 sir"
"What of your friend's?"
"My friend's?"
"The other guy with me."
"4.81 or so."
"Or so?"
"Yes sir, I am not very sure, but I know it's above 4.8" Siji said while he was trying to figure out the reasons for the Prof's questions. Siji had made a conscious effort not to follow Pago's CGPA rise, for his own peace of mind. Though it had not been easy.
"4.52." the Prof repeated after awhile, then said "You are really at the border, which means if you have a 'D' in my course and maybe a 'B' or 'C' in another course you'll drop below First Class"
Siji's fear had always been dropping below First Class, hence the Prof's words went through his veins like chilled water. The Prof was still talking.
"I just finished marking your script, not the one you did here yesterday, the one you wrote in the examination hall. It was very poor. You'd have failed my course if not for your course work. You only managed to score a 'D'"
The chilled water in Siji's veins froze up, a million thoughts ran through his mind but he could not make himself talk.
"Tell me something Adesiji." the Prof continued. It was the first time he would call him by his given name. It had always been Adebambi, 'you' or some less pleasant nouns or pronouns.
"Was what you did here yesterday exactly what you did at the exam hall?"
"Yes sir."
"Exactly the same thing? Nothing Changed? Not even the final answer to one of the questions?"
"It was the same thing, even to decimal places."
Jasper knew it was exactly the same, he only needed to hear it from the young man himself. He thought deeply for awhile, then made his decision. "I think something is going wrong son." The endearment was a strange thing too but Siji had no time to dwell on that.
"How do you mean sir?"
Instead of answering his question, Jasper said. "This is what I want you to do, call for the remarking of all your scripts, from last session to this semester."
"How is that possible? Even if it can be done, you know doing that would turn all the lecturers in the department against me"
"Not if I am involved, I would have a word with the HOD. You just write the letter and submit it to the secretary of the department, first thing Monday morning, and I'll follow it up from there. I would have asked you call from two years back but most lecturers would have disposed the scripts, I have your scripts from three sessions ago, and I have gone through them. Something is just not right."
Siji did not know what the Prof was talking about nor did he know why he wanted to help him but he was willing to do anything possible not to fall from First Class.
"Okay sir, thank you sir."
"Don't thank me yet, let's see how it plays out first." Jasper said smiling his very rare smile, then he was all serious again "that will be all for now Adebambi, but I'll like to see the letter before you submit it"
"Okay, thank you sir" Siji said again, before he could stop himself, and left the office.
"Not exactly sir, I went to an FYB dinner party last night and slept over at a friend's. I rushed down here from there, I haven't had time to change."
"I see, some party it must have been."
Siji did not know what to say to that, so he kept quiet.
"What is your present CGPA?" The Prof asked startling Siji
"Ehmm.....ehmmmm.... 4.52 sir"
"What of your friend's?"
"My friend's?"
"The other guy with me."
"4.81 or so."
"Or so?"
"Yes sir, I am not very sure, but I know it's above 4.8" Siji said while he was trying to figure out the reasons for the Prof's questions. Siji had made a conscious effort not to follow Pago's CGPA rise, for his own peace of mind. Though it had not been easy.
"4.52." the Prof repeated after awhile, then said "You are really at the border, which means if you have a 'D' in my course and maybe a 'B' or 'C' in another course you'll drop below First Class"
Siji's fear had always been dropping below First Class, hence the Prof's words went through his veins like chilled water. The Prof was still talking.
"I just finished marking your script, not the one you did here yesterday, the one you wrote in the examination hall. It was very poor. You'd have failed my course if not for your course work. You only managed to score a 'D'"
The chilled water in Siji's veins froze up, a million thoughts ran through his mind but he could not make himself talk.
"Tell me something Adesiji." the Prof continued. It was the first time he would call him by his given name. It had always been Adebambi, 'you' or some less pleasant nouns or pronouns.
"Was what you did here yesterday exactly what you did at the exam hall?"
"Yes sir."
"Exactly the same thing? Nothing Changed? Not even the final answer to one of the questions?"
"It was the same thing, even to decimal places."
Jasper knew it was exactly the same, he only needed to hear it from the young man himself. He thought deeply for awhile, then made his decision. "I think something is going wrong son." The endearment was a strange thing too but Siji had no time to dwell on that.
"How do you mean sir?"
Instead of answering his question, Jasper said. "This is what I want you to do, call for the remarking of all your scripts, from last session to this semester."
"How is that possible? Even if it can be done, you know doing that would turn all the lecturers in the department against me"
"Not if I am involved, I would have a word with the HOD. You just write the letter and submit it to the secretary of the department, first thing Monday morning, and I'll follow it up from there. I would have asked you call from two years back but most lecturers would have disposed the scripts, I have your scripts from three sessions ago, and I have gone through them. Something is just not right."
Siji did not know what the Prof was talking about nor did he know why he wanted to help him but he was willing to do anything possible not to fall from First Class.
"Okay sir, thank you sir."
"Don't thank me yet, let's see how it plays out first." Jasper said smiling his very rare smile, then he was all serious again "that will be all for now Adebambi, but I'll like to see the letter before you submit it"
"Okay, thank you sir" Siji said again, before he could stop himself, and left the office.
★★★
Jasper pondered on what he was about to do, after Siji left his office.
---why am I trying to go this far to help him?---- he asked himself. ---I can just give him an A in my course and he will be safe---
Aside the fact that he hated the fraud that was obviously being perpetrated, he had grown so fond of the young man. He had been intrigued by both of his students. The seemingly smartest and brightest one and the one with the best CGPA. That was why he had picked them to be his students. He had had questions, and they had been answered. But what he had found out while searching for answers to his questions had been shocking. He needed to fix things.
---why am I trying to go this far to help him?---- he asked himself. ---I can just give him an A in my course and he will be safe---
Aside the fact that he hated the fraud that was obviously being perpetrated, he had grown so fond of the young man. He had been intrigued by both of his students. The seemingly smartest and brightest one and the one with the best CGPA. That was why he had picked them to be his students. He had had questions, and they had been answered. But what he had found out while searching for answers to his questions had been shocking. He needed to fix things.
★★★
The first thing Siji did as he left Jasper's office was to call Pago.
"Guy, how far?" Pago answered sleepily
"Guess what?" Siji said
"You finally slept with Ese." Pago said jokingly. It was a normal thing for Pago to say but he struck a cord giving how Siji had spent his night. Siji was silent for a while, longer than usual it seems, for Pago prompted "Hello? Are you there?"
"Yeah, not that" Siji replied "I just left Jasper's office now."
"What did he want with you this time? You wrote another exam?"
"No, he asked me to call all my exam scripts from last session for remarking"
"What! Is he crazy?" Pago was fully awake now. "How is that possible? Does he want you to get into trouble with the lecturers?"
"He said I shouldn't worry about that, that he will have a word with the HOD, he said something isn't right. I don't really understand him. But I may end up falling below First Class if I don't go along with him."
"Are you going to do it? Pago asked incredulously
"Of course, I don't seem to have a choice here if I want to graduate with my desired grade. He said I barely passed EEE 504."
"Siji, calling for one paper is bad enough, but all your scripts for two sessions, that's academic suicide. You may end up not graduating with your mates. The time it will take to remark everything, then the victimization that will follow. I don't think it's a good idea."
"Neither do I, but Jasper gave me his word. There is definitely something he is seeing that I'm not seeing. I'm willing to take the risk, with him backing me. It's a risk worth taking"
"Okay, if you insist" Pago resigned reluctantly "all the best in your quest."
"Thanks bro, that's what I need, your support."
"You know I'm here if you need me."
"Yea, I do, got to go now, later."
"Later."
"Guy, how far?" Pago answered sleepily
"Guess what?" Siji said
"You finally slept with Ese." Pago said jokingly. It was a normal thing for Pago to say but he struck a cord giving how Siji had spent his night. Siji was silent for a while, longer than usual it seems, for Pago prompted "Hello? Are you there?"
"Yeah, not that" Siji replied "I just left Jasper's office now."
"What did he want with you this time? You wrote another exam?"
"No, he asked me to call all my exam scripts from last session for remarking"
"What! Is he crazy?" Pago was fully awake now. "How is that possible? Does he want you to get into trouble with the lecturers?"
"He said I shouldn't worry about that, that he will have a word with the HOD, he said something isn't right. I don't really understand him. But I may end up falling below First Class if I don't go along with him."
"Are you going to do it? Pago asked incredulously
"Of course, I don't seem to have a choice here if I want to graduate with my desired grade. He said I barely passed EEE 504."
"Siji, calling for one paper is bad enough, but all your scripts for two sessions, that's academic suicide. You may end up not graduating with your mates. The time it will take to remark everything, then the victimization that will follow. I don't think it's a good idea."
"Neither do I, but Jasper gave me his word. There is definitely something he is seeing that I'm not seeing. I'm willing to take the risk, with him backing me. It's a risk worth taking"
"Okay, if you insist" Pago resigned reluctantly "all the best in your quest."
"Thanks bro, that's what I need, your support."
"You know I'm here if you need me."
"Yea, I do, got to go now, later."
"Later."
★★★
Pago's heart was beating fast as he dropped his handset on the bed. He was now very sure that Jasper was on to him. Why else would he ask Siji to call his script for remarking?
---This could not be happening to me, not now, not at the eleventh hour. Everything was working just fine before the busybody Prof came into the picture. I can't let this happen, I have to think fast---
He looked by his side, sleeping beside him, satiated and drained was Stella. A plan began to form in his head.
---This could not be happening to me, not now, not at the eleventh hour. Everything was working just fine before the busybody Prof came into the picture. I can't let this happen, I have to think fast---
He looked by his side, sleeping beside him, satiated and drained was Stella. A plan began to form in his head.
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