My roommate finished my garri at 2am and I almost committed a sin

Second semester 300L, exam period. I came back from night class around 11pm, tired, hungry, eyes red from reading Monetary Economics. All I wanted was my garri. I had measured it out that morning, left it in the bowl with groundnut and one small tin of milk I was saving for that exact moment.

I open the cupboard. Empty. The bowl is there but the garri don disappear. My milk tin, open and finished, spoon still inside.

Omo. I stood there for like 5 minutes just staring. My hands were shaking. Not from hunger. From betrayal.

My roommate Chidi was on his bed pretending to sleep. I could see his eyes moving under the wrapper. I knew it was him. Who else?

I didn't shout. I just sat on my bed and started calculating. That garri was ₦800 worth. The milk was ₦1,200. My whole feeding budget for that day was ₦2,500. He ate my tomorrow.

We didn't talk for 3 days. Then he bought me suya and said sorry. We're still friends today. But I swear, till this moment, I don't leave food in that cupboard without writing my name on it.

Lesson: in hostel, your food has no owner until you mark am. Poverty will teach you things school never will. 😭