Days went by and Aisha changed. There were rumours that Aisha had a phone. Apparently, the guy in the party had slipped a phone into her bag and had been contacting her ever since. She had often sneaked out of school to be with him. The girls in the hostel rumoured that Aisha had become a “slut”, Sneaking to town and indulging in the green bottle and the fire stick. Kingsley saw less of her and she saw less of the classroom walls. He refused to believe the rumours even when Lucinda told him to steer clear of her. He showed Aisha how to sneak out of the school, and he lost her that night at the party. If he hadn’t taken her there she wouldn’t have met the University Guy that corrupted her. He wanted to make things right, he wanted to save Aisha and by so doing redeem himself. He got a hold of her and tried talking some sense into her.

“Babe, what is this I am hearing about you sneaking to town?”

“Are you judging me now? Have you not sneaked to town before?”

“That’s not what I am talking about. And, I hear you have a phone. Is that true?”

“Okay, so you are now spying on me abi? Is it only the phone you heard about? Listen Kingsley, I have switched lane, I have a new boyfriend and he is an undergraduate in the university. I am done dating small boys”

Kingsley was shocked, she sounded possessed. Like she had eaten the forbidden fruit and had become somebody else.

“A new boyfriend? Me, small boys?”

“Did I stutter when I said it, please if you don’t have something important to say, I have something better to do with my time”

She walked out on him.

He had tears in his eyes. He had walked her into the Lion’s den and she had become prey for the devourer. Aisha was swimming in the ocean of her lust. She was drowning in her desires but didn’t realise she was on her last breathe. He explained to Lucinda what had happened and how he felt he was responsible. She consoled him.

“Kay, it’s not your fault that she started dating the University Guy”

“What do you mean it is not my fault? I took her to that party where she met the guy”

“Listen, she dated him because of her own lust. Even if you hadn’t taken her there, one day she would meet someone and because of her greed she would move on. Kay you deserve better and I am happy you found out about her yourself”

She was his first love and he wasn’t willing to let her go without a fight. He prepared for battle but it was too late. She stopped coming to school. Weeks later, they received word that Aisha was dead. It was said that she took ill and died but amongst some of the students it was rumoured that she got pregnant, tried to do an abortion and died in the process.

…. To be continued