Freedom isn’t free: My sweet, sour life as a fresher

IT was the night before I joined campus and I couldn’t wait! My heart was beating so fast. Finally! The boring Senior Six vacation was over. When you are at school reading yourself to sleep, all you look forward to is fun during vacation; the ka miserly job you will get such that you spend less hours at home, your first formal introduction to happening places, getting high, meeting hot men who are willing to dish out cash and falling in love for the first time.

But, poor me, I had not experienced any of these, though some of my friends had managed to live up to the vac fairy tale. Sometimes they would pass by my home to give me the juicy details. It sounded like so much fun and I felt I was missing out.

My mum kept an eagle’s eye on me, vowing never to give me the liberty to turn into “one of those rowdy girls that roamed the streets at night”.

“Mum, I am 18! I am now legally old enough to take care of myself!” I once said in frustration. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that. You have no idea what is out there!” she said sternly.

“I’ll soon find out anyway,” I murmured.
“What?” “I said I am sorry, mum.”
And that was the end of the talk. Nothing like it ever came up since.
This one night, all my friends were going to hang out to bid farewell to Sheila. She had done SATs and had been admitted to one of the top universities in America. I wished I had done SATs too.

My phone kept ringing non-stop. “Are you hanging out with us tonight?” were the text messages that came through.
I felt I had to go. How could I miss out?
I meekly walked to my father to ask for permission because he was more approachable than my mother.

“I think it’s okay,” he said, “but you will have to confirm with your mum.”
“Oh, thanks daddy, I will tell her you okayed it.”

I walked slowly to my parents’ bedroom and knocked gently, afraid to wake up mum, although that was the point.
“Come in!” “Hello mum,” I said. My voice sounding squeaky. “I can see you want something I won’t give,” she said.

I froze. What was I expecting? That she would say yes when my curfew was 5:00pm? “Did you come here to stare at me? Say what you want and leave; I want to sleep.”

“Uhh, Mummy, you remember my friend Sheila?” “No, what about her?” “Well, she is leaving for the States next week.” “That one is surely gonna get spoiled!”

A few seconds passed as I tried to digest her words. I should just give up, I thought. “If that is all you wanted to tell me, let me get to bed now.” “No! Ummm, Mummy, I was wondering if I could go out to give my friend a send-off.”
“Of course, you can. Just be home by 5:00pm.”

“But mummy, the party starts at 7:00pm.” “Then you have the answer,” she said with such finality. I went crying to my bedroom. This is unfair! A prisoner in my own home! Like I wouldn’t have my way at campus!

A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was Sheila. “Hi Jolene! Are you hanging out with us tonight?” ‘No Sheila, my mum has refused,” I said miserably. “Bambi, I really want you to be with us. Can’t you jump over the fence?” she asked.
“What? No way! We have a guard at home!”

“Wah! Just bribe that guy. He will let you out.” “I can’t. They will find out.”
“Babe, you have your own room. Put a pillow inside your bed and sneak out. We will pick you up at midnight sharp. Bambi, say yes.”

“Ok, but you if I am caught, mum will mutilate me!” “Don’t worry, you won’t get caught.” I immediately picked some money and went to talk to the guard. I told him about the deal and he did not even argue. Wow, this was easier than I thought.

I set my alarm for midnight. When the alarm went off, I jumped out of bed, freshened up and called Sheila to see if she was outside. “Not yet, but I will call you once we are outside your gate.”

It was coming to 1:00am when my phone finally rang. It was Sheila! I quickly put on my heels and ran outside. As I approached the gate, I heard a familiar voice calling out. “Jolene!”

No, it can’t be! I was imagining things. That couldn’t be my imagination. It was my mum’s voice. My body froze.
“Where are you going at this time?” “Answer me you stupid girl! Where are you going?”

As I turned to answer, she slapped me hard in the face. I tried to speak, but not a word came out of my mouth. Only tears flowed down my face. Mum dragged me to my room and locked the door. Inside there, I could hear her angrily explaining my misdemeanour to dad.

“That girl is out of control! We shall send her to the village first thing tomorrow morning. Maybe she will learn a few lessons there!”

As usual, my dad barely said a thing.
Off to the village. The following day, I was put on the first bus to Ntungamo, my village, and only returned after being shortlisted for a course at Makerere University Business School (MUBS).

When I returned home, it was like nothing had happened. Everyone was proud of me. “Was I only good enough after passing exams?”
However, the realisation that I would soon join campus, where I would be free, kept me cool.

Finally free
“Here, you will not be distracted,” my mum said, on reaching Berlin, my hall of residence at campus.
I felt my spirit soar into the heavens.

Freedom at last!
I was beginning to smile when I saw the ugly building before me.” Is this where I will spend the next three years of my life?” I wondered.

Shock, like everything else, wanes with time. I soon got used to my ugly surroundings. My roommates did not turn up that first week. They just brought their property and left to God knows where.

I began to feel lonely. Two days ago, I would never have felt like this. I missed my parents, even my horrible mother.

Meeting Sandra
I was walking through the corridors the next day when I saw a familiar face.
“Sandra!”
“Hey Jolene, what’s up!”
“What’s up? Moving into Berlin?”
“Nah. Just helping out a friend. You’ve been so lost. I didn’t hear from you the whole vac!”
“It’s a long story. So, where are you staying?”
“You’re staying here?”
“Yeah, munange.”

“Man, why? You are strong. I couldn’t handle this gross hall.”
“Babe, I have been so bored.”
“What! The First week should be full of fun. Maybe you can hang out in my room for a while. My roomie hasn’t yet shown up.

I also need some company.”
From that moment on, a strong bond formed between us. We partied the whole week without paying a dime.
Sandra was one of the hottest girls at campus.

She was irresistible and whatever she wanted, Sandra got, as long as men walked the earth.

Name withheld on request