The morning sun streamed through the dusty hostel window, casting golden streaks across Akutu's room. She groaned as she stretched, feeling the weight of the new day pressing down on her. It had been a week since she decided to distance herself from Naa, but the struggles of university life hadn't made things any easier.
Her timetable was merciless—back-to-back lectures, endless assignments, and group projects that seemed designed to test her patience. The so-called "freedom" of university life was starting to feel like a trap, a cycle of exhaustion that left her drained by the end of each day.
Jenny, already dressed, glanced at her. "You look like you fought with a lion in your dreams."
Akutu yawned. "More like fought with my textbooks."
Jenny chuckled. "Welcome to university. We all signed up for this torture willingly."
As Akutu rushed through her morning routine, she checked her phone. A message from her group leader popped up.
"Reminder: Group meeting at 10 AM sharp. No excuses."
She sighed. Group work—another struggle she hadn't anticipated.
The library was packed, filled with students flipping through thick textbooks and typing furiously on their laptops. Akutu spotted her group in the far corner, already engaged in a heated discussion.
"I'm telling you, the deadline is unrealistic!" one of the students, Kofi, argued.
"We all have other assignments!" another girl, Linda, added.
The group leader, David, pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Look, I get it. But we can't change the deadline. We either finish this, or we all fail."
Akutu slid into a chair. "Sorry, I'm late."
David barely acknowledged her. "Okay, since everyone is here, let's divide the work. Akutu, you handle the literature review."
She blinked. "Alone?"
David nodded. "Yes. Everyone has their part."
"But that's a lot of work," she protested.
"Then work harder," he said coldly.
Akutu clenched her jaw. This was the reality of group work—some people carried more weight than others. She wanted to argue, but she also knew that wasting time in an argument wouldn't change anything.
By the time she got back to her hostel that evening, her head was pounding. Her laptop screen blurred as she struggled to finish her part of the project. The words danced before her eyes, but none of them made sense.
Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't even eaten all day.
Jenny walked in and frowned. "You haven't left that spot all evening."
Akutu sighed. "I have too much work."
Jenny disappeared and returned a few minutes later with a plate of rice. "Eat first. You're not a robot."
Akutu stared at the food, then at her screen. Which struggle should she prioritize—her health or her grades?
She sighed and took a bite.
The pulleys of life were tightening once again.