29/11/2025
THE STRANGER I WELCOMED
(SHORT STORY)
TWO
A feral noise bubbled from my throat as the snake lazily zigzagged towards me.
It abruptly stopped inches away from me and stick out a tiny pink tongue at me.
My blood was racing madly while my heart thudded uncontrollably when it bared it's fang, revealing four bitty teeth which shone in the light.
My own teeth was clattering in catatonic shock when the snake suddenly coiled up and raised her head to strike.
The lights suddenly flickered and went out, leaving me in pitch darkness.
I screamed my lungs out, calling my neighbors and jumping blindly from one end of the room to another in order to dodge the attack.
The ground where my feet touched felt soft and cold and I swore to have seen a thousand serpents exhuming from the ground and gliding towards me to dig their fangs inside my body.
"Amara!
I heard my next door neighbor yelling and pounding urgently on the door and the lights instantly came on.
There was no snakes anywhere around the room rather Tina was the one sitting quietly on the bed, minding her business.
I was too traumatized to answer the door but Tina stood up and threw it wide open to the neighbors who thronged in to enquire what is going on.
"Amara!
Oh girl, you don't look good.
What's wrong with you?" One of my neighbors interrogated.
"Babe, you look so pale!
What's that?" Another added and led me to the bed.
"Sna...snake!
It is hiding somewhere in this room." I stammered and some of my neighbors especially the women shrieked and ran out of the room.
The neighbors immediately organized themselves and began to scatter everything in the room to hunt for the snake.
Tina was quiet as they furiously worked, tossing and moving things from one place to another.
For over three hours, they labored in vain and by the time they exhausted their strength and decided to retire to their various rooms, I was too frightened to put my legs down on the floor.
Tina did not show any concern when I left to sleep in a neighbors room and even when they advised her to find a place for herself, at least for the night; she waved it off and declared that she would be alright.
By the time I woke up the next day, she has already left for school and ate the only noodles I intended to use for breakfast.
Nelo was not in class when I got to school and neither is her lines reachable.
I was too occupied during lectures, reminiscing on the events of the previous night.
The more I think about it, the more it seems strange and absolutely frustrating.
By the time we called it a day at school, I went straight to Nelo's lodge to confront and make her take her cousin away from my room but she was nowhere to be found.
Her roommates informed me that she left to an undisclosed destination the previous evening and has not returned home.
Tina was already home, chattering excitedly with a friend when I came in.
They refused to acknowledge my presence and I ignored them in turn.
After resting for a while, I went to my cupboard to get some biscuits and groundnut which my mother packed for me at the beginning of the semester but I could not find anything.
When I carefully looked around, I found the empty carton of biscuit in the wastebasket while Tina's friend was securely hugging the bottle of groundnut which is almost gone between her thighs.
"Tina!" I called in a bitter tone.
"How dare you go close to my cupboard?
Eating my noodles is not enough for you, what on earth gave you the temerity to go close to my cupboard?" I spat and faced her squarely.
"Stop barking at me like a mad dog?" She retorted and stood up to face me.
"Do you even have a home training?
It seems like your mother did not teach you enough manners before you left home." She challenged and glared defiantly at me.
"Ohhhhh!
I've become a mad dog eh?
I've become a mad dog in my own house for being kind enough to accommodate you?" I asked and felt all my muscles twitching for more actions.
"Amarachi!
Are you angry that I'm stating the obvious?
It is only a mad person who will be shouting unprovoked and bringing neighbors into her room.
What happened the previous night?
Did not not raise a false alarm, bringing neighbors into our room?" She mocked and scrunched up her nose.
"You ingrate!" I screamed wildly and grabbed one of her bags closer to me.
"You're leaving my house right now!" I cried and began to throw her things out.
"Bring it on babe!
We are leaving the house together." She returned and began to throw my own things out.
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