Sister Rita looked at her, an amused expression on her face. "I think you should settle in first, you have two weeks to see Mother Jose."
But that would mean being trapped for two weeks, she didn't have such luxury, who knows what Itohan was going to do? She shook her head. "I would love to meet her now."
The nun titled her head to the side. "That's strange, I thought you were here for some kind of punishment?"
That put her in her place. Whoever said innocent looking people were nice? Except they only knew how to throw nice shades.
Her room was small, smaller than her dorm back at school, and as she stepped into it, a wave of claustrophobia hit her.
Sister Rita was saying, "You have to wake up by six everyday and you go to bed by eight. Breakfast is by ten in the morning and dinner is by seven in the evening, no lunch."
Ivie's eyes nearly bulged out of her socket. "What kind of inhuman treatment is that?"
"The kind that fits someone who is receiving a punishment, you can't waltz in here and expect to have things done your way. Moreover, this is from your Dean."
So Father IK had told them what kind of punishment to give her? Tears pooled in her eyes and she blinked them away.
"Okay," she said.
"The room has already been cleaned, take your bath and come out."
"Does the punishment start now?"
"I need to let Mother Jose know you're here. Be fast, Itohan."
And with that, the nun left, leaving Ivie to her self and to her fate. Does it make any sense? Who would ever believe her? What was the guarantee that Mother Jose, Mother Jose who seemed crazy, would believe her?
"I know my life has never been easy, but is this not too much?"
She stared at her hand. Her hand? It was not hers, and hers was miles away from her, she didn't even know how to her it back, or if she'd ever get it back.
She opened Itohan's luggable and unpacked her things, looking for a pack of bubble gum or cigarette. Luckily, she found them and pushed the gum into her mouth, the thrills of having friends with your kind of people.
But she was worried. Not for herself this time around, but for her friends. She was worried for Gaga, what would Itohan do her? To all of them?
Then she was worried for Father Chibuike. What if he showed Amaka to her? What if the lunatic priest decided to visit her room one more time? Itohan would find out, if she kept the act for as long as two weeks then she was going to find out, and it would be disastrous. She needed to get to Father Chibuike before any of that madness would happen.
She blew a bubble from her gum. "This place already feels like a prison, escaping from here is not even an option." Father IK seemed to have the best idea of what a punishment is, from the moment she stepped into the convent, she felt sick.
She offloaded the remaining of Itohan's luggage into the wardrobe and arranged them. Then she left the room and looked for Sister Rita, after all, Mother Jose is her best shot at the moment.
She found Sister Rita in the midst of other nuns and she waited until she excused herself and came to her.
"Mother Jose is not in at the moment, unfortunately, she'll be back by tomorrow or next. But not to worry, I've given her the details of your arrival already, she sends her regard. Come, I'll tell you what to do."
With gritted teeth, Ivie began her punishment.
Back in St. Stephen, Itohan opened the door to Father Chibuike's office.
"Today is the day pigs learned to fly," he said.
"Why is that, Father?"
"For somebody who prefers keeping her distance, you don't usually come into my office. If I can remember correctly, this is the first time you've been here on your own, except your little misconduct the other day, which, of course, I forgive you."
"I came to submit my own letter." She stretched the brown envelope to him.
"No comeback today? Indeed pigs have learned to fly." He took the envelope from her and opened it. "You didn't wait for your friends so you can bring everything together?"
Itohan shook her head mentally, she needed time alone with the priest. She said, "I had to get it off her hands."
"Now, let's see what reprobate Ivie has written." He was holding the letter, and he was looking at her, waiting. When she kept mute, he shook his head in amusement. "No comeback again? I don't know what you've eaten today."
Itohan ignored him and looked around the office. She wanted to ask him straight forwardly where his cat was, but she didn't know how much Ivie knew and the last thing she wanted to do was raise suspicion.
She walked to his shelf, touching the books on it lightly. She looked back at him to make sure he was still reading the letter she had used AI to write, before she proceeded to the sofa.
It was then she heard chirping noises. She paused and looked around, to be sure of where it was coming from but it had already stopped. She leaned on the sofa, waiting to hear more, nothing.
She looked back at the priest again, and he was fixed to what he was reading. Then she gave the sofa a little push. The noise came rushing back in. She smiled, what a lucky day for her. Boldened, she pushed the sofa further away from position.
"What are you doing?" Father Chibuike asked and she turned to see that his head was half raised, watching her.
"I—the," she looked from him to the empty spot before her, and her brows furrowed. She saw it.