23/08/2026
It was supposed to be an ordinary trip to Ekene, Kogi State but none of us knew it would be the last journey Juliet and Rilwani would ever take.
For a few seconds, I just stared into the darkness.
Then I heard it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I sat up.
Someone was knocking on our door.
I tried to listen. Then I heard footsteps as if the person was walking away just as I was about to lay back, another knock came.
------------PART 2-----------
The road to Ekene seemed longer than any of us had imagined.
For the first few hours, nobody cared.
The bus was full of excitement.
Students were talking from one end of the bus to the other. Some were eating snacks they had brought from home. Others were taking pictures and making videos for their social media pages. A few students had already fallen asleep, their heads resting against the windows or on the shoulders of their friends.
The lecturers were seated mostly toward the front, occasionally turning around to make sure everything was under control.
As for the three of us, we were having the time of our lives.
Juliet was still resting her head on my shoulder.
Every now and then, she would lift her head, look through the window and point at something outside.
"Look at that!"
"What's that?"
"That mud house."
I looked.
"People still live primitive life here."
"Possibly. It's probably an empty mud house."
"Yeah. It looks nice though. Let me take a picture of it." She pulled out her phone to capture the mud house as the bus move.
I laughed.
"You just like taking pictures."
"Yeah, I like keeping memories."
She rested her head back on my shoulder.
Rilwani, who was sitting on the other side of her, looked at us and shook his head.
"Love birds of the century."
He said and turned toward the other side.
I laughed.
"Leave us alone." Juliet replied jokingly.
"Yes o, I am leaving you people o. Me sef don get new friend."
We continued laughing.
At that point, I felt completely relaxed.
The awkwardness from the kiss had disappeared.
I wasn't thinking about whether Juliet regretted it anymore. She seemed comfortable too.
In fact, the little folded note she had given me was still in my pocket.
I had read it several times already.
I didn't even know why.
Maybe because it was my first romantic memory.
Maybe because it made me feel special.
Or maybe because, without realizing it, I already understood that some moments become precious only after they are gone.
The journey continued.
As we moved farther away from the familiar environment of Zaria, the scenery began changing.
The buildings became fewer.
The roads became quieter.
There were long stretches where we passed mostly farmland, small settlements and roadside businesses.
Some students were asleep by then.
Others were playing games.
After passing Abaji in Abuja, one of the lecturers stood up and reminded everyone that we would soon be approaching our destination.
That immediately woke up those who had been sleeping.
Rilwani stretched his arms.
"Finally."
Juliet looked at him.
"You've been complaining since we left."
"Because I'm tired."
"You wanted the journey. Remember?"
"I wanted to leave school. I didn't say I wanted to sit in a coaster bus for seven hours."
I laughed.
"You're impossible."
He smiled.
"Thank you."
When we finally arrived Lokoja, the driver stopped for a short break, almost everybody rushed out of the bus.
Some went to buy drinks.
Others bought snacks.
A few students took photographs around the area.
I followed Juliet and Rilwani toward a small roadside shop.
Rilwani bought a bottle of water and two meat pies.
Juliet bought a drink.
I didn't buy anything.
"Why aren't you eating?" Juliet asked.
"I'm fine."
"You always say you're fine."
"I'm actually fine."
She looked at me suspiciously.
Then she handed me part of her snack.
"Eat."
I smiled.
"Thank you. But I will throw up in the bus if I eat anything"
"Oh, you do have motion sickness?"
"Sort of." I answered.
Rilwani looked at both of us.
"Please, I don't want to be the third wheel."
Juliet laughed.
"You have always been the third wheel."
"Exactly. So at least respect me."
We laughed again.
Everything about the trip felt ordinary.
That is something I keep remembering.
There was no warning.
Nothing happened that would make a reasonable person say, Something terrible is about to happen.
We were simply students enjoying a trip.
After the break, everyone returned to the bus.
The journey continued.
Eventually, we reached Ekene.
I remember looking through the window as we entered the town.
It wasn't what I expected.
There were houses scattered along the roadside, small shops, food vendors and people moving about their daily activities.
Children played around some of the compounds.
Motorcycles passed occasionally.
People stood beside shops discussing among themselves.
It looked like an ordinary town.
Nothing about it suggested that we were about to experience anything unusual.
Our first major stop was the industrial facility included in the excursion.
The lecturers had arranged for us to tour parts of the facility and learn more about the production processes.
For students in our department, it was actually quite interesting.
We were shown different stages of production and some of the materials involved.
The lecturers explained how certain materials were processed and how different components were combined.
Some students were taking notes.
Others were asking questions.
I was paying attention, but Rilwani was more interested in taking pictures.
"Guy, look at this."
He showed me his phone.
"What's this?"
"Content."
"What content?"
"Future billionaire content."
I laughed.
"You and your future billionaire."
"Don't laugh. When I'm rich, you people will remember."
Juliet joined the conversation.
"Remember what?"
"That I told you I was going to be rich."
"You've been telling us since JAMB."
"And I'm still consistent."
We laughed.
The visit took longer than expected.
By the time we finished, everyone was tired.
The lecturers gathered us together and explained that we would be heading to our accommodation.
That was when I first heard the name of the hotel.
I can't remember who mentioned it first.
Maybe one of the lecturers.
Maybe the driver.
At the time, it didn't matter.
All I remember is that someone said we would be staying at a hotel downtown.
The bus started moving again.
This time, the excitement had reduced.
People were tired.
Some students slept almost immediately.
Juliet sat beside me quietly.
Her head occasionally rested against the window.
Rilwani had his earphones in.
I looked outside.
The sun was beginning to go down.
The town looked different in the evening.
Shops were beginning to close.
Some streetlights had come on.
People were returning home.
For the first time since we left ABU, I started thinking about the night.
I wondered what the hotel would look like.
Would the rooms be comfortable, or just like our dilapidated hostels?
Would there be good network?
Would there be electricity?
Those were the things I was thinking about.
Nothing more.
The bus finally stopped in front of the hotel.
Everybody began waking up.
Some students stretched.
Others grabbed their bags.
The lecturers came down first.
Then the rest of us followed.
The hotel wasn't particularly impressive.
It was a medium-sized building with several rooms arranged around a compound but big enough to accommodate all of us.
There was a reception area at the entrance.
A few cars were parked outside.
There was a small restaurant attached to one side of the building.
Nothing about it looked frightening.
If anything, it looked like the kind of hotel you would find in almost any Nigerian town.
Rilwani looked around.
"This place is okay."
Juliet nodded.
"I expected something worse."
I laughed.
"Worse?"
"Yes. You know how some hotels look like they were built during the colonial era."
Rilwani laughed.
"Please, don't insult colonial architecture."
We entered the reception.
The hotel staff were already expecting us.
The lecturers handled the room allocation while students waited with their bags.
There was some confusion because a few students wanted to stay with their friends.
One student complained that he didn't want to share a room.
Another wanted a room closer to the reception.
The staff tried to sort everything out.
Eventually, we received our room assignments.
The females were paired in one section of the hotel, the male in the other and the lecturers took the executive rooms.
I and Rilwani were put in different rooms. But Rilwani quickly convinced his partner to swap space with me and luckily, he agreed. That was how we got to stay in the same room.
That made Rilwani happy.
"At least I won't be sleeping with a stranger."
I looked at him.
"You're still sleeping with me."
"Exactly. My best friend. My brother from another mother."
We laughed.
We carried our bags upstairs. Juliet followed us even this wasn't completely allowed.
Our room was simple.
Two beds.
A small table.
A wardrobe.
A television.
A bathroom.
There was an air conditioner mounted on the wall.
Nothing luxurious.
But it was clean.
I dropped my bag beside the bed and sat down.
Juliet walked toward the window.
She opened the curtain and looked outside.
"Come and see."
I stood up.
"What?"
She pointed toward the street.
The evening was settling over the town.
A few people were walking along the road.
A motorcycle passed.
Somewhere nearby, a generator started.
Rilwani joined us.
"What's there?"
"Nothing," Juliet said.
"Then why did you call us?"
She laughed.
"I just wanted to show you the view."
Rilwani shook his head.
"Women."
We laughed.
A few minutes later, one of the lecturers knocked on our door.
"Everyone should come downstairs for dinner."
We agreed.
As we walked down the corridor, students were coming out of their rooms.
There was laughter everywhere.
Someone was calling a friend.
Another student was complaining about the room.
Someone else was asking if the hotel had Wi-Fi.
It felt like a normal student trip.
After dinner, we returned to our room.
Rilwani spent several minutes scrolling through his phone.
Juliet was going through the photographs she had taken during the day.
I was sitting on the edge of my bed, thinking about the journey.
I felt happy.
For some reason, I kept remembering the kiss from that morning.
Juliet noticed me staring at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She smiled.
"You've been looking at me for a while."
"I was just thinking."
"About?"
I smiled.
"Nothing."
She laughed.
"You're becoming shy again."
Rilwani looked up from his phone.
"Are you people starting again?"
"Mind your business," Juliet replied.
He laughed.
Eventually, we settled down for the night and Juliet returned to her room.
Before she left, I held her hand briefly. I wanted to hug her and repeat the kiss but somehow, I let go. I watched her as she closed the door behind her.
As soon as she got to her room, we got on a WhatsApp call. We kept talking about everything and nothing.
I remember switching off the light.
I remember hearing people still talking in the corridor.
I remember Rilwani complaining that the air conditioner wasn't cold enough while I was still on a phone call.
I remember Juliet laughing at what Rilwani said from the other side of the phone.
"If you laugh at me, I will come and throw you out of your room." Rilwani said to Juliet because my phone was on handsfree.
"Come na." She replied him.
I just laughed at the both of them. Shortly after, I dropped the call after betting her good night and showered her with some sweet love enchantments.
I remember thinking about how quickly the day had passed.
The journey.
The excursion.
The laughter.
The kiss.
Everything.
I closed my eyes. Shortly after, a knock came from our door. It was Juliet.
"Please, can I spend the night with you guys? My roommate snows a lot and I can't manage it."
"But, this can earn us an expulsion if the lecturers get to find out." I said, trying to decline.
"Nothing go sub guy. Allow her." Rilwani quickly interrupted.
"Thank you." Juliet said looking at me into the eyes and went straight to my bed.
I didn't uttered a word again. I locked the door and joined her.
I had no idea that this would be the last peaceful night we would spend together.
And I certainly didn't know that sometime before morning, something would happen in that hotel that none of us would be able to explain.
At exactly what time it happened, I can't say.
But sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up.
Not because someone called my name.
Not because of a nightmare.
I simply opened my eyes.
The room was dark.
Rilwani was asleep.
Juliet was asleep.
For a few seconds, I just stared into the darkness.
Then I heard it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I sat up.
Someone was knocking on our door.
I tried to listen. Then I heard footsteps as if the person was walking away just as I was about to lay back, another knock came.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
If it was you, what would be your next move? Would you open the door?
