A Seat in His Heart

Chapter 1 - New World

[Gold]

I walked into the gates of my new college, beaming with happiness, smiles and of course fear of the new world before me. My Uncle asked me to come check things out for myself as he needed me to be familiar with my surroundings and be independent. He didn’t tell me directly though. The truth was that my uncle knew from childhood that I was a chronic introvert and I could not handle new environments on my own, so he set me up for the day.

So I walked into college, knowing nowhere to go, I just had intentions of walking around till I stumbled on my faculty and department then I’d proceed from there. Everyone was doing what they pleased, I saw some classes where starting, some were ending, some students were busy laughing and talking in groups and there I was, I knew absolutely no one and had no one with me, I mean who could I know here, when there are no signs on their foreheads stating senior or junior. After a split second of fidgeting, then I pulled myself together and walked in, I passed some buildings looking for faculty of engineering and department of computer engineering. Yes, after a couple of suggestions from my uncle, I took the course and truthfully I love engineering. So there I was walking past the soccer field then I heard a loud

“hey”. I’m a kind of girl who does not turn when called by "Hey", because if you do that, you are very much a stranger, by my ruling and I have nothing to do with you.

“Hey.” it came a second time, I reluctantly turned my head to see who had such temerity to call me. There he was, by the way he carried himself, I was sure he wasn’t a freshman. He was petit although a little taller than me.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “looking for my department” I replied and he smiled.

“What is your department” he inquired. “Computer Engineering”.

“Oh...it’s down at the other side across this pitch and after the bend. –just before the love garden” he smirked. I knew he just added the last part to get my attention, which was weird. I thanked him anyway and moved away.

“Will I see you again?” he called to me.

“I don’t know” I called back. I hope I don’t see him ever again. After all I came to college to study and not see people the likes of him or go to love gardens.

Well that was not too weird for a first conversation in college as I had braced myself for a wild experience in this place beforehand. I moved to my department got the class schedule from some fresh men I met Luckily. They had just finished the class for the day and stayed back to review some class work. I met a girl and a guy, Beatrice and Pete, they were nice, Beatrice was a chocolate skinned brunette girl, not so striking a beauty but beautiful, tall and much older than me. Just like the saying goes manners makes a man; it's the attitude that matters. Oh, did I mention I’m sixteen years old? Yeah I am that smart that I was bumped up a few grades in high school. Pete on the other hand is well built, handsome, older than both Beatrice and I. the way these two communicate, seems like they’ve known each other before college, or so I thought. They helped me with the class schedule, with the home work we talked about some things, trust me, they did all the talking, I only patted the conversation at intervals. They gave me notes that I missed in three days and I never knew how to thank them enough. I mean I never knew lectures had begun three days ago since my uncle did the enrolment for me all I did was to write the entrance aptitude test, which I passed and got admitted.

Since lectures were over for the day, I decided to leave the school together with my new colleagues, I tagged along silently, thanking God for having people who could carry me along or maybe friends.

As we left, we took a cab together, both Beatrice and Pete were quite the chatter boxes with Beatrice acting like the Donkey in Shrek cartoon, they seemed to have a lot to talk about, I only listened, maybe they were overly excited to start college or something, I shrugged. On my part I never wanted to study in my country, I wanted to go abroad, but what can I do, seems Natural forces didn’t want me to go, because if that happened this story would be taking a different turn. Oh yeah, I believe in God and I’m religious.

I got back home to my Uncle’s. I know by now you are wondering why I’m at my uncle’s, the thing is, my school is in another state different from the one I stayed with my parents. Mum and Dad are over protective and never want me to stay on my own, they go on and on about the world being too dangerous for me to stay in my own rented apartment, and they don't fancy the dorms either, so I should go stay at my uncle’s. My uncle is married and has a daughter she’s a sweet and smart five year old who was a spitting image of her father. Her name is Diamond. So I got back home, freshened up and sat down to fix myself up for Monday as today is Friday and if I lose the focus I’m had at the moment, I might not meet up with the work before me.

“How was your day.” My uncle asked. I gave him the rundown of everything that happened and I could see the amusement in his eyes and there was a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “You know I would have found out your schedule or even given you a tour around campus but -”. “You needed me to be independent and get lost as a normal fresh man” I cut him off. He smiled and nodded. “it will be a great memory in future.” He consoled. “I guess so.” I smiled at him.

I concluded my work, and walked into the Kitchen to get my dinner. I was famished as I skipped lunch earlier. After dinner I decided to congratulate myself for the day by watching an anime on my uncle’s PC for the umpteenth time and as old as the anime maybe, I'm still intrigued. I lay on the couch after a call to my mum, wondering what kind of experiences await me in college. I shrugged and closed my eyes.

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[Gold]

Did I tell you I hate weekends? Oh yes weekends come with an excruciating load of work to do at home and everyone is around too, no free space or time for yourself. Oh I hate it more now I stay at my uncle’s. His wife, Cindy, is a total pain in the ass. She Slaves me like a maid but doesn’t see it so, she frequently snaps “You think this is punishment? I’m doing this for your own good!”. Today is Saturday, I flinched at the mountain of clothes waiting to go for laundry. Guess what, I’m to hand wash all of them! “Jesus Christ!” my inner self yelped at the sight of those clothes. My uncle wasn’t around, he left early to attend to some things, I know she won’t do this if my uncle were here.

I do chores back at home with my parents but that was a child’s play compared to what I face here. Among the heap I spotted her under wears. “what the hell!” I exclaimed softly and my eyes widened. Man! My mum has to hear this just maybe she'd regret her decision of me staying with family. After laundry, I have to do the dishes, clean the entire house and help her fix dinner. Well I did them all. But by the time I finished I was a walking Dead. The sad thing is, this has been my routine for the past three weeks I’ve spent here and there is no escape from Mrs. Cindy.

She often bad mouthed me that I can do nothing for myself and my mum didn’t do a good job in training me. If only she knew my mum and the kind of life, I led for the past years before coming to stay here. Well I put on the television to watch Barbie fairy secret with Diamond. “Barbie!” she squealed in her high pitched childish voice. “Can you keep a secret…secret…ooh oh.” I sang for her and she jumped on me giggling as I tickled her. To be honest this was my only joy in the house, when I watched cartoons with Diamond. I introduced her to lots of cartoons when I arrived and to be honest, my uncle loved how close we were. We had dinner together and left to sit in the lawn outside in front of the house. I told Diamond some stories while Aunt Cindy just sat there playing games on her phone. It was 9:40 PM, Diamond was already sleeping on her mum’s lap, I picked her up and took her inside, lay her on the bed and put on my nightie and lay on the couch then sleep fanned my eye lids shut.

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Sunday was the next day; we all went to church for service, came back, did the normal routine, it was very uneventful and I couldn’t help but pray for a wonderful Monday. Ironically, many people pray for a weekend, but I on the other hand pray for the quick coming of a Monday. As funny as it sounds, week days have always been my escape from boredom as I will at least have place to go, sit and watch people chat in groups with friends, eat together, fight or whatever they did together and that place is school. Right from my high school days, even just watching people gave me the entertainment I needed, but I never dared have my own involvements with them. “Damn it.” I said softly, I didn’t ask what time I should show up to school from Beatrice. I will reach there as early as I drop Diamond off to her school. This means I would prepare myself too. So we move at once. I made that mental note, as I never want to miss anything in school...okay let me say I never want to spend much time with Mrs. Cindy so I need to flee the house as an early bird.