CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

When Nandem got to the permanent site, he politely asked a security man for directions. The security man simply told him “just follow these guys they are going to the same administrative block,” and Nandem simply followed them. When he stepped into the hallway, he stopped moving for almost a minute. 

The noise, the crowd, how was he to start? Where was he to start? The queue kept changing face; it would suddenly begin to go backwards because somebody who was trying to join the queue ahead had to push or whoever was allowing the new entrant in to the queue had to move backward to create space for him. Then those behind too will begin to push forward and shout. Then someone who was at the back would come and warn those ahead of him in the queue not to allow any one join the queue again or else… 

The security men would come with tasers and threaten to use them, then little decorum would take over the queue but as soon as the security men turned their backs, things would become worse. Some students were simply leaning on walls, some squatting while some spread  pieces of papers and sat on the floor. They clearly didn’t have the time to join this crazy queue, some were simply resting before joining or rejoining the madness. 

Nandem could not believe what he was seeing. He had imagined it would be simple and easy, just walk in, show your results, go to the cashier point and pay your tuition fee, finish. And yes that was how it was in words, but in action, it took time. A student Nandem had sat beside told him he came here yesterday but couldn’t do anything and that there were many others like him who couldn’t do anything yesterday too. 

Nandem realised he wouldn’t do anything today too if things continued like this. The queue would stop moving, then those behind would begin to ask what had happened. Those ahead of them would tell them it had just been whispered to them that the servers were down. The servers would stay down for about thirty minutes before coming back up. From the computer room where their original results were certified, they would proceed to the admin and faculty officers who would screen their credentials and clear them to go ahead and pay their tuition fees. 

The admin officer would say he was tired and needed to go out for lunch and would return about forty minutes later. The faculty officer too would excuse herself and return later. Nandem knew he had to join the queue. He had come here for this, that he had to go through what these ones were going through. He joined the queue and became a part of the pushing and struggle. He knew he had it in him to stand tall whenever the pushing began. He had just eaten yam for breakfast, bring it on. 

About an hour later after Nandem had joined the queue and yet to move forward, he thought whether he would just go back home. But what would he go and do at home? He had overheard another student telling another student that he had been here since 5am, whether he was lying or telling the truth, Nandem didn’t know but he knew if these students would stay here, so would he, to see how it would end, after all who knew what would happen? A student began to shout, he caught Nandem’s attention, not just Nandem’s attention but everyone who heard him, and he was right in front of Nandem.

“My money, heyyyyy, my money”’ He came out of the queue and began searching his pockets, again. 

“Your money?” another student asked. It was a stupid question but no one cared.

“Yes, my money, my thirty thousand bucks.” “I came here this morning with thirty thousand bucks and now I can’t find it. I’m dead, lord have mercy. Its part of my registration fee.” He began looking at Nandem, it was only logical to look at Nandem who was behind him. Other students too began looking at Nandem because the boy was looking at him. But it was a queue and people come and go. Nandem became uncomfortable, all eyes were on him, maybe the thief too if he or she were still there would have joined others to look at him.

“Guy stop looking at me like that, im not responsible for your missing money.”

“Who do i look at? Tell me who do i look at? Who is behind my back?'

“Is this not a queue for everybody? Afterall people have been joining and leaving. Do you know how many people have joined and left this queue all this while?” The students around began to nod, he had a point, maybe the thief left the moment he stole the money. 

“ok now tell who is the thief, tell me who is the thief?” 

‘Really?’ Was this guy stupid? Nandem thought.  Had he lost his senses because his money was stolen? While Nandem felt pity for him, he didn’t understand why this guy had to ask this stupid question. He had heard about a man who parked his car outside a market. When he came out, the car had been stolen, he looked at where he parked his car but the car was gone. He didn’t know when he bent and began looking under the cars that were parked there. 

He came back to his senses when someone asked him what he was looking for. The crowd that gathered felt pity for him, no one insulted him, they didn’t know what he had gone through before buying the car. Now Nandem was seeing this student behave almost like that. Nandem felt pity for him too. He wanted this guy to come back to his senses, to realise whoever had stolen that money would have left the queue, maybe the building or was lurking somewhere looking at them. 

Nandem emptied his pockets, the money he had on him was about five thousand bucks. Yes, he had come this town with a lot of money but his uncle had advised him against walking around with that much money. His uncle had just saved him from the student whose money had been stolen. Some students apologized to Nandem and told him to see reason and understand that the student was clearly not thinking straight.