Chapter 1: Midnight Noise and Hostel Gist

The school's management? Na just anyhow! See as boys dey para for this hostel, ehn. Sometimes, e go be like say management no even send who dey come or dey go. In short, dem dey run things as e pain dem. Musa wey dey my lower bunk, na so e carry him babe come like say na him papa build the place. People wey suppose fear rule, na dem stubborn pass!

If you hear the kain complaint boys dey drop for hostel, you go fear. The place na real comedy. But na Musa matter dey reign—him no dey hide, bring babe come, dey do as e like.

For middle of the night, bed just dey creak kpa kpa kpa, no gree rest. I just dey lie down, half awake, my mind dey waka up and down, spirit no even fit relax. Mosquito dey hum for my ear, heat for the room dey press me like mortar. Sweat dey pour like say NEPA seize light since morning, mosquito dey bite like dem get family meeting for my leg. Every kpa kpa wey the bed dey make, e dey vex my soul. Person no fit sleep for this hostel wahala. Inside my head, I dey pray, "God, abeg, let NEPA bring light, make fan blow small."

Suddenly, one guy from the next room send message: [Abeg, tell those girls for your room to calm down. They dey shout, dey laugh, dey make noise too much.]

Omo, I pause. I just dey look my phone, dey wonder which kain wahala be this? For hostel like this, person gats dey alert—anything fit happen for night.

Girls? Girls ke?

I poke my head out, look down at the lower bunk. My neck long reach ground, I dey squint for darkness, make sure say my eyes no dey do me strong thing. Na only Musa babe I see—Halima. No extra shadow, no extra person. Abi my brain dey turn yam?

I dey ask myself: na only one girl Musa bring come, abi another babe sneak enter when I dey sleep? But I sure say na only Halima. The kain wahala for this hostel, na so e dey start o.