Love And Other Illusions

The shrill sound of Chikaima’s alarm jolted her awake at exactly 6:00 AM. Groaning, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, blinking at the blaring notification: "Morning Devotion - Mum 😒."

“Not today, please,” she muttered, silencing the reminder before rolling out of bed. The cool Port-harcourt morning air filtered through her half-open window, mixing with the faint chirping of birds in the distance. Living alone had its perks—no one barging in or calling her for unnecessary errands—but it also meant dragging herself through mornings like this without anyone to blame for her lateness.

By 7:30 AM, dressed in a simple white blouse and black jeans, Kaima grabbed her backpack and headed to campus. As she locked her apartment, her phone buzzed. It was Chelsea.

"Kaima!" Chelsea’s excited voice rang through. "Please tell me you’re on your way."

Kaima chuckled, walking toward the keke stand. "Relax, babe. I'm coming. This 8 AM class won’t kill us."

Chelsea scoffed. "Speak for yourself. Pharmacology is not for the faint-hearted, and that lecturer's voice is like a lullaby."

Kaima laughed. "True. Just keep a seat for me, biko."

Minutes later, she arrived on campus, spotting Chelsea waiting under their usual mango tree. Chelsea, as always, looked effortlessly put together in her mustard-colored dress and stylish glasses.

"You finally decided to show," Chelsea teased as they walked toward the lecture hall.

"Please, abeg, let’s just survive today," Kaima sighed, rubbing her temples.

The pharmacology lecture dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Kaima found herself stealing glances at Chuma, their ever-reliable course rep, seated two rows ahead. When the lecturer finally declared a break, Chuma walked over, flashing his usual warm smile.

"Kaima, Chelsea," he greeted, adjusting his glasses. "You guys ready for the test next week?"

Kaima groaned. "Please, Chuma, don’t remind me. I’m still trying to recover from the last one."

Chelsea chimed in. "She speaks for both of us."

Chuma chuckled. "You two are unserious. Anyway, Kaima, I sent the updated course outline to the group. Go through it."

"Thanks, Chuma," Kaima said, smiling. "What would we do without you?"

"Fail," Chelsea whispered dramatically, making Kaima giggle.

As the day dragged on, lectures blurred into each other—biochemistry, dispensing lab, and a brief tutorial session with their study group. By the time the clock struck 4 PM, Kaima was exhausted.

Walking out of the lab, Chelsea stretched. "Girl, I need amala and ewedu. You coming?"

Kaima shook her head, yawning. "No abeg, I just want to go home and sleep."

Chelsea smirked. "Or think about your mystery crush?"

Kaima rolled her eyes. "Which crush?"

Chelsea widened her arms, raised her shoulders. "Who knows?."

Kaima laughed, brushing it off. "Chelsea, please. Let me get home in peace."

With a playful wave, Chelsea headed toward the food court while Kaima made her way back to her apartment, enjoying the brief calmness that came with the setting sun. It had been a long day, but nothing a good meal and a Netflix binge couldn't fix.

----

The loud buzz of Chikaima’s alarm pierced through the quiet of her apartment, dragging her out of the warm cocoon of sleep. She groaned, reaching blindly for her phone. 6:00 AM. The dreaded morning routine had begun, and with exam week looming over her like a dark cloud, there was no room for extra sleep.

She rolled out of bed, stretching as the cool morning air filtered through her half-open window. The streets of Port-harcourt were already alive with the distant hum of keke napep and the aroma of frying akara from a nearby roadside stall. But her mind was elsewhere—on the pharmacology exam scheduled for the next day.

A few minutes later, with a cup of steaming coffee in hand, she sat at her study table, flipping through her notes. Her phone buzzed with a message from Chelsea.

Chelsea: "Kaima, you up? Let’s hit the library by 8. No excuses today!"

Kaima chuckled and typed back. "I’m already up, chill abeg. See you soon."

She quickly got ready, pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt before slinging her bag over her shoulder. As she stepped out into the crisp December air, she couldn’t help but feel a little excitement mixed in with the exam stress. Christmas vacation was just around the corner, and soon she'd be back home in Enugu with her family, surrounded by the smell of fried rice, the sound of Christmas carols, and the warmth of familiar faces.

----

The campus was already bustling with students buried in their textbooks, their faces marked with the telltale signs of exam stress—dark circles and hurried whispers. Kaima spotted Chelsea outside the library, waving frantically.

“Babe, if I read any more, my brain might explode,” Chelsea said dramatically as Kaima approached. “Pharmacology is evil.”

Kaima laughed. “I swear, I feel like we’ve been reading the same thing for months, and I still don’t get half of it.”

They found a quiet corner inside and settled in, flipping through their notes. Time seemed to blur as they revised drug classifications and memorized endless side effects.

After a while, Chelsea sighed and leaned back in her chair. “So, Christmas plans? Are you going to Dubai with your family again?”

Kaima shook her head. “No o, just Enugu this time. Dad says we should all be together, and honestly, I miss home.”

Chelsea smiled. “That sounds nice. I’d kill for a quiet Christmas, but my mum is already planning a family reunion in Asaba.”

Kaima chuckled. “You’ll survive. Christmas food makes everything better.”

---

As the day dragged on, Chuma, their course rep, walked over to their table, looking as organized and composed as ever.

“Ladies,” he greeted with his usual friendly smile. “Hope revision is going well?”

Chelsea rolled her eyes. “As well as it can be.”

Chuma handed Kaima a printed revision schedule. “I compiled this from all the past questions. It might help.”

Kaima smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Chuma. What would we do without you?”

He smirked. “Fail, probably.”

Chelsea laughed. “Exactly what I said yesterday!”

Kaima shook her head in amusement. "You guys should stop jinxing us abeg."

Chuma glanced at his watch. “Anyway, I need to run to the faculty office. Don't forget, we have practicals tomorrow.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” Kaima said, watching as he walked off. Chelsea leaned closer with a mischievous grin.

“You know, if your secret crush saw you smiling at Chuma like that, he’d flip.”

Kaima groaned. “Chelsea, please. What's all this talk about a secret crush?, do you know something?”

Chelsea raised her hands in surrender. “Nothing. just saying…”

----

After a long day of studying, Kaima finally made it back to her apartment just as the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. Dropping her bag by the door, she sank onto the couch and sighed deeply.

Her mind drifted to home—her mother’s excited chatter about Christmas decorations, her younger siblings counting down the days, and her father’s insistence that she help organize the church’s Christmas program. She couldn't wait to escape the stress of exams and immerse herself in the warmth of family and celebration.

But before that could happen, she had to survive the next few days of endless studying.

With a deep breath, Kaima grabbed her notes again, reminding herself that Christmas was just a few days away, and freedom was within reach.