Kabanata 0007

Zach lived in a storey building, it was actually a lodge he had leased from his friend John just before John left for his hometown. It was located at the end of the infamous alley Ecùn Pénisùla. A lovely boulevard preceded this alley which made it look like one was walking a red carpet accompanied by guards on each side. It was frequented by easy and accessible transport mediums. Many students chose lodges and motels there for accommodations yearly. Zach had successfully failed to obtain at least a room as he checked each lodge within the premises. He was near the end of that alley when a stranger suggested he check out the storeyed building which sat at the end. How the stranger knew what he wanted was strange but had ventured into the courtyard of the building nonetheless. That was when he met his old college friend John. Stranger still was the welcome he received, as if he was an expected visitor. The ease with which he had obtained occupancy of John's two-room-apartment still marvelled him.

***

"Something came up and though my rent is a year from expiration, I'll need someone to keep it warm while I visit my hometown." He had told me three months later as we were having supper. Yes, he had taken me in as his roommate.

Something came up...in the middle of your important project?

Carl Johnson was a bright young man whom many regarded as a genius save for a select few (few that I was part of) who probably knew him a little bit more from childhood. He was a slim, dark, tall fellow and a tripper. Always on glasses and had an unusual smoothness on his facial skin. He loved having his hair cut and gelled like Lambert who was his favorite scientist. He was a quiet young man and mildly social. He ran various projects; from scientific to archaic ones. He had hoped to obtain admittance into the Association of Wonder Innovators A.W.I or just weirdos as I'd tag them. Members of A.W.I had special respects, benefits, recognition rights, et cetera not just from the government but also from powerful companies. For this he had expressed undivided attention to his current project—the production of a self regenerative power cell using fine sand, alloys of copper, lead, a few chemicals and series of reflecting planes—his best project yet. A.W.I had assured him automatic initiation should his project work a fortnight from his last visit to their HQ at 33 Banglican avenue—an area of the school that wore an abandoned look and was frequently accompanied by solitude. Apparently he has been on that for two years. Five days later, he decided to leave for his hometown suddenly, leaving the project behind, barely functional.

"Well, I suppose I could stay, considering the urgent fact that I need a place to stay." I gave in to his request a while later.

I even needed it more than he could imagine.

"You are the owner in my absence. Just don't mess around my stuff." He'd replied with a chuckle.

"Hope it's nothing serious." I inquired to which he had replied casually.

"Nah, my childhood friend came around and umm, she's staying at my hometown. Our families have a great bond and they had requested my brief visit." He'd summarized.

"I'll be here then. And stay outta trouble." I'd teased. He looked uneasy the eve of the day he left and didn't even say goodbye when the day arrived. He had left before I woke up—could be the reason why he didn't say goodbye. Not that I loved sleeping but because we were awake hours past midnight talking about his plans.

It's been six months and I still hadn't got a word from him or heard anything about him. Attempts to contact him had been futile, or so the authorities had it put weeks after I'd reported his absence as concerned as I was.

The only person that had drawn that level of concern from me was Zoë Ambrose, CJ's girlfriend whom I'd met about a year ago.

***

It was just another day, normal like every other day. I'd arrived late for work for the first time, CJ had arrived hours earlier and had already set off to the usual activities. My workstation was crowded with customers for the first time and my boss was running late also for the first time. Everything was suddenly new, from the usual arrangement of the systems to the unusual crowd in my workstation and my tardy boss.

"Yup, a normal day." I'd settled down and gotten to work.

"A normal day for an abnormal guy." CJ had teased.

I'd only smirked as my fingers tried to defy the odds at typing at least fifty words per minute in the laptop that lay before me.

Did I forget to mention that I worked in a cyber cafe?

Three hours later, I went out for a break. My head was hurting and my eyes felt like they were popping out of their sockets. I'd barely returned and was surfing the internet for books to read when she showed up.

At first, she was just another customer in need of the services we provided...just a girl. A beautiful, gorgeously normal girl and CJ's girlfriend.

I'd inquired what she wanted, still surfing the internet.

"I need to apply for school accommodation." She'd said.

Ten minutes later, being unable to do so as her school's portal rejected several attempts, I'd tried to break the awkward silence that had taken over. CJ was still busy making a hundred photocopy of a work he had done on request from the owner and for the first time too, was silently engrossed in it that it marvelled me. CJ can talk, a lot...even in situations that demanded silence, that's why I was surprised at his display of silence that day.

She was easy to talk to and so it was not long before we delved into topics you'd bring up only with very close friends. She had told me about her first crush, how he crushed her heart and how she would get back at him if she could. Then we talked about love, marriage, politics, school and friends subsequently. Of course I had attended to few customers as we talked. Then she'd punched my shoulder lightly as she stood to go.

"See you later." Accompanied by a wink.

"I'll come back tomorrow and try the portal again ma'am." She'd told my boss before before she was seen off by CJ who had somehow finished the photocopy and had nothing else to do.

"Hello again." She had greeted me the next day with a quick hug. Since then, we had become friends. She loved science.

Just like my roommate.