Living in a dormitory entails a lot. It has an amazing way of keeping you in check of your belongings. I never knew my scent could be so significant until it saved me from an unexpected predicament.
It was on a weekend, and I'd gone to shower and prepare myself for our daily Rosary. Walking in, I noticed the absence of my neatly pressed weekend uniform from its usual spot.
Who took my uniform? Why would someone take my uniform? Those were the questions that swirled through my mind as I frantically scoured the entire dormitory hoping it was a mere oversight.
We had different uniforms for different days, and since it was the weekend, I needed to go with my weekend wear, not until I found myself embroiled in an unexpected situation.
I hated to be punished, I hated to pick a pin, sit on the air, think about my future, and fan my senior till dawn without a blink. My heart panicked and I was engulfed in bewilderment as I continued the search.
After the unyielding search, I resolved to wear my daywear. The fear of being punished by my seniors consumed my thoughts, making my palm sweaty. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, matching the intensity of my fears.
I slowly walked out of the dormitory in shivers, my imagination running wild to what might become of me at that moment. Just as expected, all eyes were fixed on me, I noticed it, I felt it.
"Start running from there," a familiar voice echoed, and I obeyed.
"Why are you in your daywear?" One of the seniors asked.
"Someone took it from where I hung it," I responded in trepidation, and with my feet trembling.
"You're going to kneel, raise your hands and open your mouth till the end of the prayer. And after the prayer, you'd go in and pick a pin beside my bunk." She commanded.
A cold sweat trickled down my forehead at the severity of my punishment. My frustration grew and my eyes were soaked in tears. Why on earth would a human like me be so cold-hearted and make me go through this discomfort? I contemplated in anger.
Without any more delay, I lowered my knee to the ground, feeling the sharp sting of sand piercing through my skin. That was going to last for more than an hour and I was already feeling hurt.
After the rosary, I got up and headed to the dormitory to carry out my second punishment. At that point, I felt a throbbing and burning pain in my knee like the roots of its hairs were being ruthlessly wrenched out. I hadn't even started, I thought.
As I walked to her bunk, tears hurriedly streamed down my cheeks as I thought of how I would go about picking a pin. Its effect was felt on multiple levels as I got started.
A cold sweat drenched my entire being, and my feet and hands quivered uncontrollably. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pleaded for mercy. No one had pity, no one even looked at me.
After a torrent of tearful pleas, I was pardoned from my punishment. Immediately, I felt a surge of immense relief, though my entire body ached, and I needed to get some rest.
Walking back to my bed, the thought of my missing uniform engulfed my mind. All hopes of finding it faded away.
The usual bell rang and everyone moved to the refectory, hastily in one accord. Shockingly, a trace of my scent, one I had grown accustomed to invaded my nostrils. "Someone is wearing my uniform," I mumbled. My scent lingering on her body guided me to her presence.
"You're wearing my uniform," I said in utter anger.
"How? Like I don't have mine? This isn't your uniform, please!"
Despite the ample evidence, she couldn't still tell the truth until the matter escalated to the hearings of my seniors. She was rigorously questioned regarding the rightful owner of the uniform, and she eventually yielded to the truth.
At that moment, my heart raced with fury, not after the punishment I had to go through. But regardless of the situation, I felt overwhelmingly good and satisfied knowing that my uniform was found through the subtle trail of my scent, the signature of my essence.
Although my punishment may have been severe, Mary was assigned the task of scrubbing the toilet for three consecutive days, one of the punishments I vastly dreaded the most.
Nevertheless, in the depths of my heart, I'd forgiven her.
Thanks for reading.
