Ouagadougou was in chaos. The party fever was building up. Everyone was shouting in a call and response manner. “Ouaga, Ouaga – Ouagie baby! Ouaga, Ouaga – Ouagie baby! We gonna Ouaga – Watch out baby! ‘CAUSE WE GONNA WAG IT RIGHT AT YOU!” Kaye, Alex, Theo and César joined in the cheer after which they all laughed raucously as they headed for their cubicle.
Ouagadougou was one large hall that was partitioned into cubicles, which accommodated two double-decked beds and two wardrobes. There were two doors on either end of the dorm. They opened to two courtyards that led to the senior six rooms.
The prefects were on the prowl. They knew that the late afternoon before a dance was the time students sneaked in alcohol. Two prefects sauntered into The Dude’s cubicle and struck up a conversation as they casually inspected the place, asking questions about miscellaneous items as if they held any interest for them.
Kaye shook his head as he chuckled, “You guys, why don’t you just come straight out and ask if we have any swallow?” The prefects stated that it was just a social visit. “Look, you’ve never “visited” us before and we know for a fact that you don’t like us and I know you haven’t gotten a change of heart, so why don’t you cut the bullshit, search the place and bust!” Theo couldn’t stand hypocrites; especially the ones he felt were stupid.
The prefects did not appreciate The Dude’s attitude and a confrontation was on the verge of taking place when Morgan Mushega entered. “I’ll take over from here,” he said to the prefects. With some reluctance, they left. Turning to his friends Morgan said, “How many times do I have to tell you to stop annoying my prefects? They’re just doing their jobs. Just chill them, okay?” There were murmurs of assent all round. “Good,” Morgan continued, “Hey César, I was wondering if I could borrow your black jeans.” César pointed him to where they were and soon Morgan was on his way. Theo commented, “Sometimes Morgan can be so worked-up, he’s the one who needs to chill!”
Four years of O’ level had seen them get into trouble for only minor infractions but never the more serious offences. Theo wondered why the prefects thought that the two years of A’ level would be any different. The others chuckled as they nodded their agreement. “You guys need to realise that it’s Morgan who keeps us out of trouble. Stop tempting fate,” said César.
“Now look who’s being so hot and bothered?” Theo joked. They all joined him in laughter. César sobered and remarked, “But seriously, we need to realise that we’re not above the rules.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get preachy on us. I’m off to bathe.” Alex grabbed his basin and towel as made his way to the first courtyard. The others followed suit.
♣ ♣ ♣
Meanwhile, at girls’ end, there was bustling activity as girls went about their preparations for the dance later that evening. The girls’ dormitories were larger than the boys’ dorms, each with rooms that accommodated six girls in the junior dorms and four girls in the senior dorms. The rooms in each dormitory shared a common corridor that led to a courtyard that was flanked by the bathrooms and the rooms of the girls in the highest class of both the junior and senior sections.
In Alexandria, one of the junior dormitories, sitting on her bed, Cassandra looked up from the novel she was reading as the door to the room flew open and slammed shut. She watched her best friend and roommate rush to the window and hand over a one-litre bottle that had been hidden underneath her jacket to a girl that was waiting for her outside who quickly disappeared. She then jumped into her bed seconds before the door flew open once again and the Head Girl, Aida Namatovu, stormed in. “Maureen Mukasa, you will tell me what you were hiding underneath your jacket!” Maureen replied in the weakest voice she could muster, “Nothing.”
“You will stop lying to me, Maureen!”
“I swear I’m not.”
“Then get out of your bed so I can check you.”
“But I’m sick; I think I’m getting malaria.”
“I don’t believe you. When I called you a few minutes ago, you were running like a mad woman, hiding something from me.”
“I wasn’t hiding anything. I was feeling dizzy so I was trying to rush to my bed before I collapsed.” Aida stepped to Maureen, pulled back her bed covers, and patted her down. She searched under the beds and then turned to Cassandra with a questioning look. Cassandra just shrugged and returned to her novel. Aida then turned back to Maureen, “You had better be telling me the truth.”
“I am. I’m just waiting for the medical assistant to open the medical room.” Aida gave her one final glare and swept out of the room.
Maureen giggled as Cassandra burst into laughter, “I swear, Mo, sometimes I think you enjoy living on the edge.” Maureen got out of her bed and shrugged off her jacket, “Well, what do you expect with this boring old school? There’s never any real action so one must create one’s own fun!”
“I hate it when you switch to that accent of yours. Anyway, you had better watch out because Aida is determined to catch you.” Maureen made a dismissive gesture, as they heard a knock at the window. The girl that had been handed the one-litre bottle earlier by Maureen was returning it minus half the contents. Maureen took it, thanking the girl who promised to reciprocate the next time. “No problem,” said Maureen.
Cassandra grabbed greedily at the bottle and took a large swig from it. Maureen raised a sardonic brow, “Cassandra Kamani! I hope you realise that’s alcohol and not water you’re guzzling like that. Be careful, you don’t want you’re brother seeing you drunk.”
“Ach! He can go to hell. I’m going to have some fun tonight in spite of him!”
The girls continued to drink then Cassandra asked where Maureen had got the alcohol; it tasted different. “This’ the real stuff, not that watered down nonsense that the other guys give us. I got this from Yona.”
“You’re really serious about that guy. There’s something shady about him. Besides, you know how him and his friends are always getting into trouble. You had better be careful.”
“He’s so irresistible, I can’t help myself.” Then Maureen leaned over to Cassandra in a conspiratorial manner, “Tonight, Yona and his teenies want to sneak us out of school for a drink up.”
“Are you mad? We could get into trouble!”
“Shh! There’s no need to shout. What’s the matter, Cass? Are you chicken? I’ve never known you to turn down an opportunity for some fun.”
“Well, this is not one of them. I told you I intend on having some fun tonight,” Cassandra said huffily
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