UNshackled

 " Check for the room with the number on your card, that's your room " The old security guard spoke. 

 James nodded and turned to the door. Just as he was about to walk out of the security room into the hostel compound, a voice stopped him in his track. " Wait ".

 It belonged to the old security guard. 

 James paused and turned back. " How may I help you, sir " he asked. 

 " You forgot your key " the old man said.

 " Ohhhhh! " James exclaimed in surprise. ' I wasn't told there were keys ' he thought within as a weird expression developed on his face. ' More like you forgot to give or inform me ' he thought further in a by no means disrespectful mindset, just cruise. 

 " No need for the drama, just read out the room number on your card and I will give you your key " The old man spoke. 

 " Room 107, Sir " James called out immediately.

 Hearing his words, the old man drew out the drawer on the table by his side and dipped his hand within to search for the key. Frequently, he will bring out a key and check the number on it before returning it to the drawer. 

 " Here it is " The old man spoke, holding a bunch of keys on his hands. This bunch contained four keys. He took out a piece and handed it to James. 

 " By the way, what's your name? " the security guard asked.

 " James Gideon, Sir " James replied. 

 " Alright, alright, stop with the " sirs ", I don't like being treated like an old man " The old man said, a bit annoyed.

 In embarrassment, James scratched the back of his head. ' You are so old, if I don't call you sir, wouldn't it be disrespectful? Besides I don't know your name, so what would I call you ' he thought, but kept it to himself. 

 With a sigh, the old man spoke " Call me Mr Obi. James you said, that's a pretty good name, a name of a chapter of the Bible. So we should be expecting your name to become the second James in the Bible. You know, like first Samuel and second Samuel, it will be first James and then you, second James " The old man joked. 

 James chuckled weirdly in reply. The joke, though a bit funny, felt off. ' Why use so many words to crack a single joke ' James thought. But he still let out the chuckle, not to disappoint the old man.

 " You can be free around me boy, I am a very nice person. " Mr Obi said.

 " Okay sir, I will keep that in mind " James said with a nod. 

 With a second sigh, Mr Obi spoke " Still calling me sir! Never mind, you're still new here, with time, you will understand ". 

 Suddenly, his eyes glinted. " Ohhh, I forgot to inform you. Hope you're aware you will be staying with a roommate " he said.

 Hearing his words, the smiley face of James lost its radiance immediately. He had never considered staying with a roommate while on his way here. Being an introvert, he enjoyed most of his time alone, and now he was being told he would have to live with a roommate, that was like simply informing him " No more alone time".

 Mr Obi shook his head, seeing James' reaction. With a wry smile, he said " You don't have to be like that. To be sincere, you can be considered lucky since you only got one roommate. Some got two and even three, making it four students in a room. If the students who had three roommates were to see that expression of yours, it wouldn't come as a shock if they buried you alive " The old man said.

 Alas, his words had no positive effect on James who was still reasoning how he will have to share a room with a stranger. 

 " Sigh…, you boy, snap out of it. Just pray you get a less problematic person as a roommate and you yourself should be mature. With that, it shouldn't be hard for you guys to live amicably, " Mr Obi added, dropping advice to bitter James. 

 James couldn't help but feel like his grandpa was giving him a lecture. A smile etched onto his face.

 " Okay, okay, you may go to your room. You will get to understand more the longer you stay at campus " he concluded, giving James the permission to leave for his room. 

 " What a nice old man " James muttered in a low pitch with his smile still etched on his face as he entered the compound.

 Behind the gates was a nice-looking, but slightly dirty compound with slime algae plastered on the grounds and walls at various spots.

 His eyes caught sight of a few boys outside at different corners of the compound.

 " Good day everyone " James greeted loudly for everyone to hear after which he walked directly onto the staircase door as he knew there was no way room 107 would be on the lowest floor. 

 During his discussion with friends earlier at the sign-in event, James got to know that the hostel had a total of one hundred and twenty rooms, with each floor having twenty rooms each, making six floors in the building. 

 He was also told that the room number count-up started from the lowest floor, so he knew his room was at the second to the topmost floor of the story building. 

 Without waiting for a further exchange of greetings with the other students downstairs, he entered the door of his staircase. 

 " Shit " James exclaimed as soon as his eyes set on the staircase. He couldn't help but feel like bumping his fist on the wall. 

 ' This staircase is too... ' he thought.