CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: YOU ARE LYING
When I got back to my room, I was greeted by the sight of Morayo sitting cross-legged on her bed, happily eating garri with kuli kuli. I couldn't help but smile. For those who don't know, kuli kuli is a popular Nigerian snack made from groundnuts. There really isn't a proper English equivalent, but it's crunchy, salty, and addictive—perfect with garri.
Garri is another story entirely. I love garri for how quickly it satisfies hunger. It's a staple for the Yoruba people, and while the English call it cassava flakes, that name just doesn't have the same appeal. Garri can be soaked in water or milk, mixed with sugar, or even made into Eba—a dough-like staple I can never quite explain in English.
I remembered one time when I had garri mixed with sugar, groundnuts, evaporated milk, and fried fish on the side. Oh mehn, when that garri swelled up, I ate everything until I could barely breathe. Today, I didn't have all those accompaniments; I only had garri with sugar, groundnuts, and normal milk. I didn't even have kuli kuli to eat with it—but honestly, I didn't mind. Hunger has a way of making everything taste better.
As I scooped another spoonful into my mouth, Victoria entered the room. I wondered why it had taken her so long.
"What took you so long?" I asked, swallowing quickly.
"I went to buy these," she said, holding up a small black nylon bag in her other hand.
I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Is today garri festival?" I asked jokingly as I placed my spoon down.
Victoria laughed. "Lol! If you see girls with garri, girls drinking garri, some even taking it from their lockers… the corridor floor is even filled with garri crumbs. Some were eating while walking. It's chaos!" She emptied the contents of the black nylon bag onto her bed: Fanta and five Coaster biscuits.
Fanta is a very common drink in Nigeria, sweet and fizzy, perfect to wash down garri or biscuits. Coaster biscuits are popular snacks, filling enough to satisfy a hungry student after three or five pieces, especially if taken with a drink.
"Lol, many girls must be very hungry, just like me and Morayo," I said, taking another spoon of garri.
"I don't really like garri that much," Victoria said casually, "but I eat it when I need to."
"That is a loss from your side," I teased. "How will you say you don't like garri and you are a Nigerian?"
"I don't know, I just… I don't really like it," she shrugged.
"Hey!" a voice suddenly interrupted our conversation. I turned to see Vanessa standing at the entrance of the room. Just who I expected.
"I'm sure you ate in dining?" Victoria asked, already assuming the truth.
"No," Vanessa answered straightforwardly.
"Vanessa, why are you lying?" a girl sitting on the bed next to Victoria suddenly called out, breaking through the tension.
"Yes, I already ate," Vanessa said, giving a small smile. "It must have been a slip of the tongue when I said no."
I exchanged a quick glance with Victoria, our eyes meeting in a silent, mutual 'I told you so.' I already knew what she was thinking—that Vanessa's answer was suspicious.
I wondered why Vanessa even lied. Was it to get Victoria to give her something to eat? That sounded likely.
"So, what are you doing here?" Victoria asked, keeping her tone calm but firm.
Vanessa hesitated for a moment, clearly caught off guard. "Uhm… I'm here to check if you guys are ready to go wash your clothes," she replied.
This time, I wasn't even sure if she was telling the truth. I could see Victoria thinking the same.
"Vanessa, we even have something to tell you," I said, alerting her to the confrontation that was coming.
"What? I'm all ears," she said eagerly, leaning forward as if ready to hear some juicy gossip.
"Wait, Morayo is the one who wants to tell you," I added, diverting my gaze to Morayo.
Morayo had been observing all along, sitting calmly on her bed, but when I called her over, she came immediately without hesitation. I admired her confidence.
"Is it about the thing?" she asked as she approached, looking directly at me.
"Yeah, it is about what we wanted to tell her," I confirmed.
"Okay," Morayo said, turning to face Vanessa. "I don't think you can be walking with us anymore."
I wish I could be as straightforward as Morayo in moments like this. She didn't hesitate or sugarcoat her words.
"What? Why?" Vanessa asked, her confusion clear as she looked from Morayo to me.
"You cannot be trusted," Morayo answered bluntly.
"What do you mean by that?" Vanessa asked, growing even more confused.
"You are a liar," Morayo stated firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
I wanted to laugh at her boldness, but I held it in. No one else seemed ready to break into laughter, and I didn't want to be the weird one.
"Liar? Is it because of what I said now?" Vanessa asked, still trying to understand.
"What did you say? I didn't hear it," Morayo said bluntly, refusing to back down.
"She lied that she hadn't eaten, whereas she had," I explained, echoing Morayo's accusation without hesitation.
Vanessa's eyes widened in surprise. She seemed genuinely taken aback that I had called her out. Honestly, I didn't even understand why she expected to get away with it.
"Oh, why would you even lie?" Morayo asked, giving her a disgusted look.
"I said it was a slip of the tongue," Vanessa replied sheepishly.
"And you think that's believable?" Morayo countered, raising an eyebrow sharply.
"I… I don't know what else to say then," Vanessa muttered, shrugging.
"Urgh… I don't even like you, to be honest," Morayo said, finally sitting back on Victoria's bed with a satisfied look.
"I don't care if you don't like me," Vanessa replied, still smiling, though I could sense the discomfort beneath her smile.
It was the first time in a long while that I saw Vanessa truly confronted—no charm, no lies that could cover up her actions. I felt a mix of satisfaction and relief. It was about time someone told her the truth directly.
As I sat on my bed, finishing my garri slowly, I realized how delicate trust was in this school. One slip of the tongue, one little lie, and the whole balance could shift. It wasn't just about garri or Fanta—it was about honesty, boundaries, and knowing who was truly on your side.
For tonight, at least, I felt in control. Vanessa couldn't charm her way out of this one. Not this time.