The dust from the matatu settling at the Juja stage swirled around Amina, coating the shiny pink surface of her brand-new plastic basin. In her other hand, she gripped the handle of a heavy, checkered china bag—the universal symbol of a freshman arriving at JKUAT with nothing but big dreams and high hopes.
Around her, the campus gates loomed like the entrance to a promised land. Girls with flawlessly laid wigs and heels walked past, laughing at jokes she couldn't hear, while guys in oversized designer streetwear leaned against sleek cars. Amina smoothed down her simple denim skirt, suddenly feeling very small, very out of place, and very much like a village girl from the countryside.
"Freshia! Unatafuta hostel?" a loud, cheerful voice called out.
Amina turned to see a girl with bright red braided hair and a cropped top strutting toward her. "Mimi naitwa Sharon. Sisi ndio maroomie wako wa Block C, kama wewe ndio Amina."
Amina let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Ehh, naitwa Amina. Kazi sana kupata hii place."
"Usijali, msupa," Sharon laughed, easily grabbing one side of Amina’s heavy bag. "Hapa Juja ni survival of the fittest, lakini ukipata marafiki wajanja kama sisi, utazoea haraka. Kwani hauna simu ya maana upige picha ya first day on campus?"
Amina looked down at her battered, small-screen smartphone. "Iko tu... but battery inakuanga chini."
"Hiyo lazima tuupgrade," Sharon said, winking as they walked toward the crowded hostels. "Hapa Juja, appearance ni kila kitu. Utajua tu."
By evening, the tiny hostel room was unpacked. Amina sat on her thin mattress, staring at her plastic basin in the corner. Her roommates were already busy drawing on eyebrows, spraying expensive perfumes, and arguing about what to wear.
"Amina, kwani hujavaa?" Sharon asked, tossing a tight, glittery black dress onto Amina’s lap. "Leo ni Friday night. Hatuwezi kukuacha kwa keja ukishika tama. Kuna bash kubwa sana Gate A, na nimeshaongea na mtu wetu atuingize."
"Sina chapa ya kubuy drinks," Amina muttered, looking down at the skimpy dress with a mix of anxiety and curiosity.
"Kwani nani amekwambia ununue?" Sharon scoffed, pulling Amina up from the bed. "Kuna mtu anaitwa Brayo. Yeye ndio ana-run hii mtaa. Ako na chapa ya kucheza nayo, na anapenda wasichana wapya wenye hawana maringo. Vaa hii, twende tukaonje hiyo lavish lifestyle."
As Amina zipped up the tight dress, staring at her unfamiliar reflection in Sharon’s full-length mirror, her heart raced. She had come to Juja to get a degree, but as the thumping bass from the distant club started echoing through the campus walls, she felt herself being pulled into a completely different kind of education.