By: Priscilla Ayodele

“Look at my toe,” a girl chips in. “I bruised it right in front of the SU building two days ago. I hit it against an iron which I think is the remains of what used to be a pipe or something of the sort at that very walkway. Now, what should such a death trap be at the walkway for? I was lucky I didn’t trip and fall, else, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“Oops! Hope you’re getting the toe treated at the school health center, dear?” Alicia inquires with concern. “Which health center are we talking about here? You talk like you’re new on this campus, Alicia.”

“I’ve been there, but it was only a waste of my precious time. The queue was something else, I had to leave so I won’t miss lectures. Though, my hall’s Health Minister helped to apply first aid treatment later in the evening. I wish I had gone for the first aid treatment immediately and never gone to Jaja in the first place.”

“It’s good you were able to get it treated. You should get a tetanus shot as soon as possible if you’re yet to get it, please,” Alicia advises.

“I will. Thanks. I’m just annoyed because I know I could have been spared all the stress if someone somewhere did their job at the right time.”

“Right time, you say? Do they even do it at all, not to talk of doing it at the right or wrong time? It seems the school has no maintenance unit at all, else they’re doing next to nothing,” Sonia replies.

“I can’t agree more with you, dear. A look at the school alone is enough. Or how can you enter a planned campus and the first building you see is Queen’s Hall?”

“Haba! Aunty Tanya, just say you’ve been looking for the perfect opportunity to insult Recte Sapere Fons!”

“Lol! Just look at how contrasting the buildings in the school are, though, you’ll get my point. You’ll see new buildings constructed next to old, fading ones and decorated with irritating hues of green – I mean spirogyra.”

“Yes! And no attempt will be made to even facelift the old ones probably by just repainting them or something.”

“Alicia, you must really rate these people. Will any attempt even be made to tidy up the surroundings of the new one? Can’t you see the construction waste are even left there to decorate the new building?”

“Guys, let’s go find a better place to stay if we must continue this discuss or any other one at all. Our little black friends have breakfasted on my blood more than enough for today.”