Chapter four

Weruche didn't hear anything about Karis again after that night neither did she attend any parties again or any gathering at all apart from church gatherings and the days flew by until it was January again and she was back at the state university where she studied Law.

  She sat at the front of the class and tried to concentrate while the man droned on and on, all the while shooting lascivious glances at her.

  At the end of his lectures, the lecturer asked Weruche to see him in his office and she was filled with dread. She had heard stories of lecturers preying on their female students and victimizing those who refused to have sex with them but she was yet to experience such. She hoped this was not going to be her first encounter with such a lecturer.

  "You know, you should buy a ring and then tell him you're married."

  Weruche turned to see her friend and classmate - Chioma. " What makes you think that would deter him?"

  " Yeah it's true." Chioma agreed with a sigh.

  " Plus I haven't even got the money."

  "That too." Chioma added. "You know, you have that sheltered look about you that rich kids usually have. You should pretend that your father is an important man and he'll drop you like hot coal."

  "Really ?" Weruche was unsure.

  " Yeah -- but you'll need money. Buy him an expensive wine anytime you go home and pretend it's from your father. Anyway, good luck." They said as they parted ways. Chioma heading back to her hostel and Weruche to the lecturers office.

  She knocked on the door which was actually open. "Come in." The lecturer said, showing yellowed teeth in a smile.

  Weruche stepped in. "You asked me to come." She said quietly.

  " Obviously" the man said spreading his arms and Weruche tried her best to ignore the huge patches of sweat stains under his arms.

  The lecturer, Mr. Ifesinachi was a large stout man who seemed to always be sweating and Weruche wondered what it would be like to be locked in an embrace with him, sharing all that body heat. Inspite of the hot weather, she shivered.

  "Come here, have a seat." He said and he waited until she was seated before he continued, all the while leering at her. " I'll cut to the chase, I want to sleep with you. You pick the hotel and time and call me ehn... But it should be in the evening oh because I'm a busy man."

  Weruche shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wondered how on earth the man had gotten to be a lecturer in the first place. Drawing strength from within, she forced on a fake smile--

  Mr. Ifesinachi's face lit up immediately. "Oh what a nice smile. What a nice smile." He repeated, smiling wolfishly. " You see, I can perceive that you are a good girl, nothing like all these ashawos you see on campus." He reached out a sweaty palm and seized Weruche's hand. "You'll find I can be a very generous man when I want to be."

  Weruche tried to remember Chioma's advice to her.... to act like a rich girl. She would try. "Sir this is very inappropriate conduct on your part. I will have you know that my father, Mr Adam Chukwu is a very important man and he could have you arrested for even daring to suggest this."

  Mr. Ifesinachi flared up. The veins in his face and neck all visible as he shouted. "Who do you think you are. You come into my office and you start shouting nye nye nye nye nye."

  this did not go as planned, Weruche thought while a quarter of her mind kept thinking, the man certainly did not look beautiful when he was angry.

  "I would show you in this school! Idiot." He continued shouting. "Get out of my office."

  Weruche scurried away. When she got to the door, she could hear him say "you think you're the only one with big bum bum." She kept one foot in front of another even as she could feel the sting of tears. Why must women be forced to face this kind of humiliation, at school, in their work place and virtually everywhere.

  She stood by the road in front of the man's office and tried to flag down the campus shuttle as they passed but she was too busy trying to hide the fact that she was crying to concentrate on stopping a bus.

  A car pulled up beside her but it was only when the man leaned out of his window to talk to her that Weruche knew he wanted her attention.

  "A beautiful girl like you should not look so sad." He was saying.

  Through her tears, she could barely make out his features yet Weruche instinctively knew she could trust him. Not knowing what to say, she kept quiet.

  "Would you let me give you a ride?"

  "I wouldn't want to cause you any inconvenience. I'm actually going to my hostel."

  " Then let me drop you there."