Guns and Roses episode 1
GUNS AND ROSES
(Upland University)
Episode 1
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Written by NobleQueen Josh’Ny
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The evening weather was bright and he looked exceptionally happy. Something was about to happen, something special. She could feel it. The way he smiled and car-ssed her palm, gazing at her in the most sed-ctive fashion spoke volumes.
His handsome and round face with nicely shaved beards complimented his k-ssable pink l-ips and his cologne smelt like fresh water Lily, drawing deep breath from her lungs.
He called her name and took her hands in his. She smiled. He smiled too, then picked up the wine bottle and popped it open. She giggled at the way he handed her the glass of wine. He was trying his best to please her like a perfect gentleman would and it made her happy.
She watched as he took a sip from his glass, then drop it slowly. There came the moment. The moment every lady dreamed of. Moment of over excitement and nervousness.
She stared in happy surprise at the diamond engagement ring that sparkled as the ray of light shone on it’s surface. He raised his head and went down on one knee. Staring deeply into her eyes, his l-ips parted and she sat expectantly but just as he was about speaking, she felt something cold slid into her ear drums and a painful slap on soft ass. That alone brought her back to reality as she jerked and half opened her eyes to see mom standing with a cup in her hand.
“Joseph the dreamer!” Mom’s voice mocked. “Busy smiling nonsense.”
She frowned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Mom! Why do you always wake me up just when…”
Mom snapped, “Is that a good morning?”
“Sorry,” She opened her eyes fully to behold her mom standing beside the bed like an inspector waiting for a suspect to speak. Her wrapper knotted loosely around her wa-ist and her flappy br-ast visible under her t-shirt. She smelt of curry and mixed spices which explains what she had been doing. “Good morning, mom!”
“It’s 3am,” mom said without replying her greeting. “I’ve parboiled the rice and made sauce. Come quickly, we leave this house by 7am. Your brother is already out.”
Ella half smiled her positive response as she watched mom turn and walk towards the door. Despite being woken up against her will, she felt a pang of pity as she removed her hair net, arranged her hair and wore it back. Since Dad kicked the bucket three years ago, mom resorted to start selling food on campus to earn a decent living and the stress alone had drained and made her emaciate completely. She wished her mom would stop working so hærd and take time to care for herself but then, how would they survive?
Sighing deeply, she got up from bed, wore her slippers and left the room after glancing at the wall clock.
Outside, the flames that sparkled from the firewood overshadowed thus illuminating everywhere with light. Manny, her brother was on both knee, using a broken dustpan to fan another tripod stand where the fire had been put off by the morning breeze.
Ella greeted him calmly, cracked some joke about fart which made him laugh, before picking up the tray of onions from the bench which mom sat on.
As she sat to peel the onions, Manny stood and dusted his knee, then stared at her and shook head. She was smiling unknowingly.
“He came to you again?”
“What? Who?” Ella looked up, trying to hide her smile but her eyes betrayed her.
“Nothing, madam dreamer,” Manny said and went to sit beside her, then pulled the mortar containing cubes to himself.
“I really saw his face today. He’s cute oo. Finer than you,” Ella whispered
“And that’s how he’ll give you fine mysterious belle,” Manny whispered back and they laughed
“Control your laughter,” Mom snapped in a serious tone. “This food should be saliva free.” Then as an afterthought, she added, “Keep dreaming about men, later you’ll complain of stomach pains.”
Ella exchanged a knowing glance with Manny, wondering how dreaming could possibly cause stomach pains while Manny shrugged and focused on his work…
With all hands on deck, everything was ready before 6:30am. In front of the compound lay three big coolers of different type of rice + two pots of stew and sauce with rubbers of spaghetti, fried meat and fish and the likes.
Their luck was that, dad, before his death had bought an Hilux which served them well. After packing everything into the back of the car, each person went back in to eat and freshen up.
Soon, at about 7:15am, everyone was ready and good to go. Ella’s joy knew no bounds as she was newly admitted into Upland University where her mom sold food. She thought of the new faces She’ll meet and the old friends she had when she most times stood at mom’s stand to help sell food.
Prior to this time, Mom had hired two girls that would help her sell while Ella and Manny attended lectures and so, she worried less about needing help.
While in,side the car on the way to school, Manny, who was a final year student in the department of Microbiology kept on pinching and making fun of Ella who seemed not only nervous but skeptical about how she’d cope as a fresh student…
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On getting to the campus premises, each person went their separate way and Ella who already knew her way round the school due to the nature of work her mom did, moved straight to the department of English and literary studies where was offered admission into.
Luckily for her, she met two girls who were fresh students like her. They soon got to know themselves and after brief side talks decided to get few passports for screening at the park where academic activities like on line registration, printing and photocopy of all sorts, etc were carried out.
The park, as busy as usual, was filled with different people and that made it look like a mini market. Students could be seen walking up and down, trying to get one or two things done. Some could be seen in a group of three or four, chattering and laughing. Ella glanced at her wrist watch, it was past 9am and some students were already munching snacks hungrily.
Though she’d always passed the park a couple of times when mom would send her to go deliver food in some offices, she didn’t really know people there.
Trying to look serious and responsible, Ella and her new friends, Joy and Peace, walked steadily towards the passport area. About six guys did same business and each called out to them for a nice shot.
They moved towards an average dark guy in a red polo and black trouser. He’d just finished attending to two guys who sat close to his small table, waiting for their passports to be printed. Joy and Peace greeted but Ella didn’t bother, rather pulled a white plastic chair and lowered herself into it. She glanced at one of the guys who wore glasses. Something about him reminded her of her dream guy but she ignored the message her heart was trying to pass and dropped her bag on her laps, then faced the passport guy.
“How much for eight copies?” Joy asked while wiping tiny beads of sweat from her forehead using a white handkerchief. Peace just stood, admiring one of the guys they’d greeted.
The way the guy curved his mouth happily to say, “one thousand” made Ella jump from her seat with a shout of “Jesus Christ” causing her bag to fall.
“Ehn, eight copies of passport, one thousand naira?” she inquired just to be sure while picking up her bag and dusting it in the process. When the passport guy nodded in affirmative, she chuckled and added in pidgin, “No be small thing. You sure say na passport you dey snap abi na pre-wedding photo?”
People around laughed including one of the guys they met there.
“That’s the normal price,” one of the guys who laughed, said, trying to sound diplomatic while the other who wore glasses was busy with his phone, acting like nothing’s happening around him
“Uncle,” Ella let her bag handle slid on her shoulder as she turned to face him. “Eight copies of passport is 500naira and I’m not paying more than that.”
The other guy who’d been quietly fiddling with his phone looked up, adjusted his glasses and smiled. He instantly fell in love with Ella’s outspoken nature and the way her tiny but sharp voice sounded made his heart churn. There and then, he took time to access her. She wasn’t ski-ny nor slim, neither was she chubby. She was just normal and her fair skin looked fresh and smooth. Her round ass shoot out smoothly in the skirt she wore and her long braids fitted perfectly on her oval face. She was a beauty to behold even without makeup and her small l-ips made him wonder if a spoon of food could pass through.
He was still admiring quietly when he heard Nath, his friend, say, “Don’t worry about that, I’ll pay the balance.” As a signal, he cleared his throat just as the passport guy started cutting their passports to size, muttering something intangible and grinning from ear to ear.
Ella and her friends politely declined the offer but Nath insisted against his friend’s warning signals. He was carried away by Ella’s beauty that he completely forgot he left his wallet with ATM at home and that it was his friend, Dave, who paid their way to school…
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To be continued