Dedicated to Teefabulous

The hostel generator was faulty and there was no water for the girls to take their bath.

Some of them paraded round the campus with their buckets held up in the air in form of a protest. Ore mistakenly kicked her leg against a stone the minute she stepped out of her block.

"Ouch." She held her foot, yelping in pain as her iron pail came crashing on the ground. She hissed in frustration as she watched the bucket slide down the sidewalk to the road. She was about getting up from her crouched position before a tall and gangly figure picked up her stuff and handed it to her.

Ore stared at the guy's pimpled face for a while. Something about his casual appearance (polo and jeans) reminded her of a guy she had seen sometime ago. Her eyebrow furrowed as a look of recognition flitted across the dude's features.

"It's you, Ore, the girl I and my friends met at the party that night." The guy stroked his beard before helping Ore to her feet. Ore dusted her bumshot and muttered her thanks.

"How did you even remember me?" Ore asked as they began to slowly walk away from the hostel. "You're Mark, Yeah?"

"Yeah, that's right," Mark nodded, jamming a hand into his pocket. "I never thought you were a Year one student though, you looked so mature."

Ore laughed. "Make up sure makes someone look older." Ore thought back to the night she met with Mark and his friends with a disgusted look on her face. Some guys just didn't know when a girl wasn't interested. Ore halted in her step.

"Hey look, I hope I didn't give you mixed headlights that day. That night was fun and all but dude I am not interested in whatever you have to say to me. Thanks for helping me out by the way," Ore stated swinging her bucket by the side. "But I have to get back, my roommate must be waiting for me to fetch water."

Ore looked around them, they were standing under a tree that was shielding a UBA bank ATM and the place was a bit far from her hostel.

Mark blew out a breath and hung his head in shame. "It's okay, I will be on my way then." Ore gulped as he walked away. She felt bad that she had rudely told him off without even trying to put up a conversation. She heaved a sigh as she made a turn back to her block.

"Where you go since ehhnn?" Martha asked shuffling her feet with an annoyed look on her face. She was sitting on the pavement with two buckets by her side. "I been don tire to wait."

(I was tired of waiting.)

"It's okay." Ore shielded her eyes against the burning sun as she gestured that they should be on their way. Martha got up and looked in trepidation at the single bucket Ore was holding. Protesters were marching about and chanting different songs.

"Ahhh, there isn't going to be water for days oo and you are carrying only one bucket inugo?" Ore shrugged as she followed behind a few hostellers who were hopefully going round three other blocks searching for water.

"I will manage na," Ore muttered. "I believe they will repair the generator before tomorrow."

Martha snickered, "I pity you when light doesn't come sha."

Ore huffed as they passed by a few shops. "I believe it will, don't worry." Deep down in her mind, she knew nepa wouldn't bring the light and it was going to take a while for the school to provide money to fix the gen.

"Wait," Ore said placing a restraining hand on Martha's shoulder. "Let me go grab another bucket."

Martha crossed her arms, "I thought so."

Martha and Ore continued to wander around Delta park like two lost sheep. None of the hostel blocks had water and they were checking the lecturer's quarters to try their luck. Martha turned a tap on but nothing flowed and she shook her head. Ore sighed with a tired look on her face.

Her legs were getting heavy and blood was trickling from the injury she had sustained earlier. Her throat was parched, her stomach was rumbling in hunger and her body was itching her.

"Martha, I think we should be going back now, it's getting late and there is no hope." They had been trekking for miles and still, water wasn't forthcoming. Ore was thinking of calling Dami to tell him of her misfortune, an excuse for her to come over.

"No, let's try like two more times before going back you hear?" Martha urged her on as Ore tiredly fell into step behind her. Barely a stone's throw from where they were, Ore spotted a tap that was gushing water but there was a very long line of buckets already.

Ore hissed as they passed by two girls who were struggling for who would place their bucket next. This was how bad their hostel system had degenerated.

"But this thing happening is not fair ooo," Martha complained as she looked at the sore sight with pity. "These people can even die here and nobody will bother to pump water still."

"Na so we see am oo," Ore agreed. (Translation: That's how we see it.)

A shiny sports car zoomed past and splashed mud water on Ore's clothes.

"Chaiii," Ore screamed as she laid down flat on the road. "Kuku kill me na!" (Translation: Please kill me)

Martha couldn't contain her laughter as she held her stomach and stared wildly at Ore.

"Omo, this school ehhnn," Martha crouched. Ore rolled on the ground in a bid for some of the mud to wear off. She couldn't imagine going back to the hostel with no water to wash herself.

"Hey." Martha pointed at a tall stately building few feets away from where they were.

Ore supported her weight with her elbow as she stared with a smirk plastered on her face. "That's VC house ooo," Before the words tumbled out from Ore's mouth, Martha was at the black fenced gate banging it proudly.

Ore's eyes widened as the gate opened and a uniformed security officer cocked a gun at Martha.

"Martha, run!" Ore shouted as she got off the floor and wiped off dirt from her face. Martha stared at the pointed end of the gun with horror as she slowly walked backward and picked up pace.

Martha caught up with Ore and forced her shaky legs to carry on further. "I told you that was VC's house," Ore shouted.

Martha threw her a look with a confused expression on her face. "Well, I didn't hear anything like that." Ore froze as she spotted a running tap by the side of a work shed. She called out to Martha and paused to catch a breath.

Martha squatted. Realization suddenly hit her and she felt her body go lax.

"Martha, where are the buckets na?" Ore was was rushing to wash the mud off her body.

"I left them at the gate." Martha replied with a crazed expression.

Just then, the house owner's door flung open. A well built man with bushy beard dressed in a singlet and a baggy jean came out fumbling with his belt. His look flitted from Ore's haggard appearance to the tap.

Ore stuttered, "ummm, I-was only helping my-se-lf to water sir."

The man didn't say anything, he merely grunted as he headed back in.

Ore steadied her wild heartbeat and rinsed off the remaining mud before Martha ran up with the buckets.

Her hair was wild and she was sweating profusely. Before Ore could utter a word, Martha pushed her out of the way and placed a bucket under the tap.

Author's note: How do you think Martha got those buckets from the gate? Gosh, these two are so hilarious.

Side note: This chapter is gotten from a true life story (obviously mine)

Hope you enjoyed ❤️