Betrayed by my Stepsister, Saved by Love

August passed, and September came like a thief in the night. The air felt fresher, lighter, and filled with a quiet tension that signaled new beginnings.

Star stood at the gate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), with her old box of clothes and a black handbag that held all her savings. Her heart beat loudly beneath her chest. The campus buzzed with students moving in different directions, some with friends, some with parents, some completely alone. 

She was one of the only ones. But she smiled anyway, dragging her bag and making her way to the school shuttle parking area. 

Her admission letter was folded neatly in her bag. She had been given a room in the female hostel, and though she shared it with three other girls, Star was grateful. The mattress was old, and the ceiling fan barely worked, but at least it wasn't the floor of a bar or her mother's cold bathroom tile.

The next morning felt sacred; it was her first lecture day. Her phone alarm beeped continuously. Star opened her eyes and reached for the smartphone. She turned off the alarm and stood up from the bed, stretching her body.

Star knelt at the edge of her student's rectangular bed, her Bible resting open in front of her, the pages slightly curled from old tears and constant reading. She closed her eyes, placed her right hand gently over her chest, and made the sign of the cross one more time.

 "Lord, this is it. My first day attending a lecture at this university. Go with me."

She closed the Bible carefully, kissed the cover, and stood up.

The rays of early sunlight had begun to filter through the spaces in her blue-flowered curtain of her own space. She walked to the window and pulled them apart. The light flooded in immediately, dancing across the walls like a blessing from heaven.

It was indeed a bright and beautiful morning.

Her roommates are still sleeping, and she was careful not to make noise and disturb their sleep. 

She smiled to herself. No matter what the day held, she was ready. She quickly went to shower and attend to her hygienic needs.

Star walked to her modest wardrobe, a rusted steel one that squeaked slightly whenever she opened it. She needed to get her things in order before preparing for her 8:00 a.m. lecture. Her fingers brushed the printed timetable that was pinned on the inside of the door.

"GSS 1101 – 8:00 a.m."

She was grateful that one of her roommates had told her that GSS stood for General Studies and that 1101 was Use of English, a compulsory course for all year-one students.

She picked a clean outfit, simple jeans, and a white blouse, and brushed her natural hair into a low bun.

She didn't need makeup; she didn't even have any except her regular white powder. Her natural glow, even when hidden under layers of pain and responsibility, was enough.

A few minutes later, with her worn-out bag strapped over her shoulder and a file of writing materials and printed personal information clutched tightly, like a soldier holds a sword, but determined to conquer.

Star closed the hostel door room gently behind her, as her roommates were still sleeping, and stepped out.

Today, the girl who once served alcohol in a club... was now a university student. The moment Star stepped through the main university gate, her heart skipped a beat.

 "Yeah! Campus, here I am!" she whispered to herself, unable to hide the excitement.

She almost shouted it out loud, but when she looked around, she noticed other students were busy walking past her, unbothered, confident, and focused.

 "Okay, calm down… don't overdo it," she muttered and walked further in. Her eyes widened in wonder.

The campus was nothing like she had imagined. So beautiful, so vast, so alive. Flowers of all kinds decorated the pathways, with big trees lined like sentinels, their branches dancing gently in the morning breeze. The scent of polished cars and fresh-cut grass filled the air. Dozens of school shuttle buses were packed to one side, and students were moving everywhere, some alone, some in groups, all in a hurry.

She stopped abruptly.

"Where am I even going to?"

She opened her file, pulled out the timetable, and read the venue: Prefab II.

But where was that? The school was much bigger than her secondary school. This was an entirely different world, and she felt like a foreigner in her own country.

Just then, she saw a girl walking towards her, slim, brown-skinned, with a golden braid of hair packed in a bun, and a confused look plastered on her face. Star waited until the girl came closer.

"Excuse me," Star began. "Please, how do I locate Prefab II?"

The girl blinked in surprise.

"God, I wish I knew. I'm just as confused as you. Today's my first day too. This place doesn't look anything like I imagined."

They both laughed lightly, and for a moment, the confusion didn't feel so heavy.

"Which venue exactly are you looking for?" Star asked again.

"Prefab or something…" the girl answered with a tired shrug.

"Prefab II?"

"Yeah, I guess that's it."

"We need help. Let's ask someone," Star suggested.

As if on cue, a dreadlocked guy in a white T-shirt walked towards them. Star quickly approached him and asked politely. He gave them a quick smile, pointed them in the right direction, and disappeared into the crowd. Star and the girl walked briskly in the direction they were shown. 

The Biology Education Department was filled with students from different backgrounds and tribes. Eventually, the two girls located the Prefab II, a long, open-sided structure with iron sheet roofing and old benches arranged in rows.

The place was already crowded with students. Hundreds of freshers, scattered all over the space. Some were sitting, some standing, some already sweating under the morning heat. Some were loud, others curious, some clearly unsure why they were even there. 

Star stood at the entrance, stunned.

Phones were out, earpieces in, voices high. Laughter here, gossip there.

Then a man walked in, middle-aged, pot-bellied, wearing a faded blue shirt tucked into baggy trousers. He walked straight to the front without acknowledging the noisy room and began speaking, his voice too low to reach the back, but the man didn't seem to care. He needs to do his job and leave. 

 "That's the lecturer?" Star whispered.

She and the girl stood at the back, trying to hear, but the chaos around them made it impossible. Students chatted loudly, some exchanged numbers, some chewed gum, and snapped pictures.

A group of overly dressed girls in bright colors and heavy perfumes sat by the window. Star didn't need to guess, 'pepper them gang'. You could tell from one look that their parents had deep pockets. 

The whole place felt like a carnival, not a lecture hall. The place truly was not conducive for learning, especially for the large number of students she is seeing right now.

"This place is very noisy," the girl beside her muttered, adjusting her collar.

Star just stared, too disappointed to speak.

"Is this really a university?"

"Is this where I'm supposed to be built for the future?"

The room felt stuffy. Her back was drenched in sweat. Her spirit dropped. She had dreamed of this moment all her life, stepping into university, meeting brilliant minds, and being part of something great. But instead, she felt like she had walked into a noisy market.

"Matchewwwwww," Star hissed.

"Mehnnn", Star said and looked at her body,

'Gosh!', She was sweating, goodness God, she had had enough of this. She turned and said to the girl beside her. 

"I'm leaving."

"Me too," the girl replied instantly.

They stepped out of the hall together, gasping for air as the breeze hit their faces again. For a few moments, they walked in silence.

"I'm Star," she said eventually.

"I'm Lizzy," the girl replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here."

They smiled, and for the first time that morning, Star didn't feel completely lost anymore.

Star thought the hardest part was getting into the university… but she has no idea what's waiting ahead. New faces, hidden agendas, and secrets buried deep within the walls of this campus are about to unfold.

She came here to build a future… but will UNILAG shape her, or shatter her?