My own side of the story (pt7)

As if the things already happening in my life were not bad enough! Haba! Which kain winch wahala be all dis eh! I was as surprised as they all were! I wasn’t expecting it and they were all acting like I took the light, I was a bit confused and I didn’t really know what to do, I was having so much rotten luck recently and truthfully I dint need any more controversial coincidences! I stood in front of the class in the dark waiting for all mighty NEPA to bring the light or for the school generator to come on, whichever came first. It was taking a bit longer than usual; I could hear the girls whispering amongst themselves wondering if the rumours that had been spreading were indeed facts! I stood there in front of the class wondering what sort of interrogations I would be getting and I was half hoping that I won’t be given any unnecessary punishments or asked any witchy questions though I was quite sure that was the precise reason I had been summoned. I sighed! My life was just getting more and more complicated! It seemed minutes had passed by and still no lights and then out of nowhere I heard someone in the dark say, ‘jump out!’ I knew she was referring to me but I wasn’t sure what to do or say so I just stepped out of the classroom. It was dark and no one would know if I jumped or not; besides it won’t make any difference.

If the first incidence with the light was a coincidence well this time fate had it in for me because as soon as I stepped out, whether it was NEPA that brought back the light or the generators had finally kicked in, all I knew was that I stepped out of the classroom and voila! The lights came back on! I didn’t really care for coincidences but I didn’t want to find out what those girls would do to me! As soon as I saw they were distracted by the amazing occurrences of a stupid coincidence, I took off as fast as my legs would carry me! I could hear them shouting at me! Calling me all sorts of names! Why did things have to go from bad to worse for me!

I ran half way and then I started walking to the dining hall area! It would soon be time for dinner! In the distance I could hear the bell signalling the end of prep time! Sigh! Here I was hoping that the whole witch thingy would just about die off instead it was just getting worse! I felt like screaming and shouting and killing someone! I was just so frustrated! Why me of all people?! It had been just a little more than 24 hours since I was first accused of witchcraft and my whole life had just about changed! I hated Chinenye even more; I hated her with every fibre in my being! I hated them all! My mum would say hate was a strong word but I dint care I hated them all and her especially! She was evil! I wished for all the horribly bad things to happen to her, I wished she’d drop dead! I wished she’d choke on her food! I wished she’d fall sick and die, I wished she not wake up ever again! But above all I wished she would just open up and tell people that it was all a lie! I wished in vain! And I didn’t have supernatural powers so I couldn’t do anything to her either! I cried and cried! I wished I was home where I was safe with my family and my real friends! Where my biggest offence was sleeping too much! I hid, crouched in one of the dark corners near the hall! Thank God for the cover of night!

I calmed down wiping the tears from my eyes and then the bell went off again this time signalling dinner time! I dint know if I should wait for the girls to come or I should go in first! I wasn’t sure if I should sit down or go to the kitchen and get the food for my table! I wasn’t sure of anything; I could hear my heartbeat in my head! I was terrified, so much so I was willing to just forget the food and go to the hostel! Then I heard the rumble in my belly and that was the decider! Ahh dang it! I was hungry and I wanted to eat.

I watched the girls come in and some head for the kitchen! I watched my table which was visible from the door. I counted 6 girls at the table, and then 2 of them stood up and went to the kitchen. I entered the dining hall and went straight to the table! I avoided the eyes of every girl in the room. I tried to sit down at the table but the girls covered all the available spaces with hands and legs and they didn’t let me sit! I went around to the other side of the table and they blocked it too. I looked around for any other table that had space so I could seat, but whichever table I went to the girls at that table would block me from sitting. The 2 girls followed by a number of girls from the kitchen came back to the dining room with the food! They smell of the food made my tummy growl! They dropped the food on the table, I stood there now confused. I walked back to my table and the girls at my table told me in very clear words that I could not eat with them, that no girl wanted to eat with a witch. I told them I wasn’t a witch and that was all some made up story, I insisted that I had every right to sit and eat or at least take my fair share of the food but they refused!

I noticed that some girls started to join my tablemates! I couldn’t face them all! So I started moving backwards towards the door slowly! I was so hungry, I pleaded with them to please let me take some food but they refused! One SS1 girl came and took my plate and cup from my hands and threw them outside! She said I had no right being in the hall with them! I had kept on working backwards and soon I felt a drift of cold air on my legs so I knew I was almost at the doorway. I looked at the face of the girls; there could easily have been 30 – 40 girls standing menacingly in front of me walking towards me and I was really scared of being lynched. I could hear the growl in my tummy but my heartbeat was a lot faster and louder because I was very afraid!

I took another step backwards and miscalculated and stumbled and fell backwards, I hit the floor with a loud thud! The girls laughed at me and happily went in to eat! I picked myself up gingerly, looked into the dining room with longing but I didn’t have the liver to enter. I turned and started to look for my plate and cup that had been flung out! My Mum will kill me if I lost them! I started crying while searching for them. It was difficult to find because it was dark! I looked and looked everywhere! I was soo hungry, My glasses were wet from tears and my sights were blurry but I kept looking until finally I found my plate I picked it up, washed it and then headed for the dorm! I told myself I would come the next day when it was bright to search for my cup!

I walked back to the dorm and by this time I was crying so hard! I don’t remember if it was from not eating or not being allowed to eat! But I cried. The only other place I could go to for free food was the Matron’s house but it was already too late so I just had to bear it besides there was no need bothering her this late maybe another time! I had to find another way to find food. So many thoughts were running around riotously in my head as I headed straight to my room, the week had just started, it was just Monday! How would the rest of my week turn out to be! Fear no go let me go chop for dining hall again when those girls dey there! Dey fit chop me to pieces! I was going to have to befriend the kitchen women somehow so they could give me food directly from the kitchen, that way I wouldn’t have to starve to death! But for tonight at least I had some provisions left thank God! I opened my locker! I still had some ovaltine and some oxford cabin biscuits which I hated! My mum had insisted that I take them with me and I usually gave them out so anyone who wanted! She had removed them from the usual box they came in and put them in a plastic container to keep air from making them soft! Thank God for my Mum, I opened them and I ate some!

Yum yum! Cabin biscuits had never tasted so good!

My own side of the story (pt6)

I woke up to complete silence in the room, I lay still in bed while my thoughts ran a summary of the events of the previous day and tears flowed down my face! It wasn’t fair! I hadn’t done anything to deserve these malicious lies that had been told against me! I got up and looked around, there was no one! That was odd! Normally the hustle and bustle associated with Monday mornings were at its loudest! There were usually girls booking turns to have their bath in the bathrooms and some bathing outside. Girls who dint have water would beg from those that did have promising to fetch it back when they came back. Seniors barking out orders and beds being hurriedly made, girls dressing up for classes, and rushing to catch breakfast before classes started! I checked my wristwatch! No wonder! It was a few minutes after 8! I had overslept! Normally girls who wake up earlier wake the others that didn’t hear the wake up bell! So it was pretty weird to wake up to total silence. It was already bright! Dang! Those girls took those witchy accusations pretty seriously! So serious they totally ignored me! Left me alone and now I overslept! Psheeeww!

I stuck my hands under my pillow and located my glass case, took out my glasses and wore them. Couldn’t see anything without them! Then I scurried down from the bed (top bunk) stepping on my bunkmate’s locker which was beside the bed and jumped down. I looked under my bed for my water. I had taken time to fetch them the day before just after lunch! To my horror I couldn’t find my bucket or my plastic container. My mum had taken time to inscribe my name on them so they would be easy to find if they were ever stolen! As dem fear me reach! Dem no fear to kpake my water! Dem no fear say juju or witchcraft fit dey inside the water! Pschhew! Well someone in this dorm will have to have water that I will use to have my bath this morning! I started searching from bed to bed! I found my bucket a couple of rows down and off course it was empty! Not long after I found a bucket of water! I turned it into my bucket and on my way back I found my keg at some senior’s corner and thank God there still was some drinking water in it. I carried it!

I hurriedly had my bath, dressed up in my light blue shirt and navy blue pinafore, brushed my teeth and took off to class! I had missed breakfast so I will have to do with lunch! I then headed straight to the JSS block. Thankfully on my way to class no seniors or teachers stopped me. I got to class, thankfully again the teacher for the second period was late! Integrated Science! As I stepped into the classroom! The loud chatter I had heard from outside became silence! Sigh! Those who were aware of what had happened the previous day were updating those who didn’t. And somehow along the line the story got even more contorted. Now I had learnt that during the confrontation I had uttered some sort of incantations which had thrown Chinenye into a fit! I said nothing! Chinenye’s younger cousin was in my class so she was giving them her version of the story, I wasn’t shocked, we had never seen eye to eye about anything! The students with their seats close to mine had shifted their desks to give me as much space as could possibly be allowed. our teacher wasn’t going to show up so I opened my desk and brought out one of our literature textbooks ‘as you like it’ by Shakespeare and started reading!

Soon enough i could see from a corner of my eyes that other girls from our block where coming to peep and stare at me through the windows! It seemed everyone was waiting for something! Probably for me to vanish or explode or fight or just something to fuel the gossip! At the thought i smiled sadly, i really dint have the energy for any more confrontation! I had lost all my friends in the twinkle of an eye! I was hungry! Visiting day was still 3wks away! I just wanted to be left alone!

We went through the remaining of the classes without any unnecessary excitement! During English class, we were told we would be having an out of school drama act! I signed up! I couldn’t care less! Somehow I had to bring back some sort of normalcy to my life! Classes ended! I rushed back to my room and then headed for lunch room! I was early but I just couldn’t sit in the room and stare at those staring at me! I entered the lost and found/laundry room; it is close to the lunch room! I had met the nice but a bit elderly laundry man! We chatted a while, I looked around and soon after I heard the lunch bell ring! I left the laundry room and entered the lunch room! Since I was early I went to the kitchen to carry the pot for our table! On getting to the table, half of the girls ran! Table for 8 had now become table for 3! I dished my food and sat down waiting for the prayers to start so we could eat. I totally ignored every other person in the room! I kept my head low and avoided everyone’s gaze! I just wanted to eat and go! I could make out conversations around me and kept on hearing my name and witch in the same sentence. I sighed! It was going to be another long day!

After prayers! I hurriedly gobbled my food and headed straight for the tap to wash my plate and then to the dorm! I got to the dorm took my bucket to the tap to fetch water! I was just trying to be busy till prep time when we would have to go and read! As i got back to the room, my bunkmate howbeit reluctantly told me that some seniors in Greenhouse had sent for me. I told her thanks but i wasn’t planning to answer anybody just yet. I climbed my bed and decided to take a nap till prep time.

I heard the bell for prep go! I heard the girls start leaving the room! I counted slowly to 50 hoping that most girls would be well on their way before I left. I knew if I was caught in the room while others were at prep I would be punished! As I heard them leave I got up, jumped down and took off to prep! I could see the girls huddled together in front of me no doubt still talking about me! It was so painful! I kept on asking myself, ‘why me! Why me! What did I do?’ as soon as I got to class! I started on my assignments, and then I continued reading my novel!

I was pretty engrossed in the book and oblivious to the going-ons around me! We had a senior monitoring us so there was a limit to the noise that could be made except she wasn’t around. Not long after the same seniors from green house again sent for me to come to the SS2 block! And this time I couldn’t avoid it! I put my books away in my desk and followed the JSS 3 girl they had sent to call me. They had asked her to make sure I followed her back! It was already about 6pm and it was the period of longer nights and shorter days so it was already getting dark. I got to the class and waited outside the door! No junior girl was allowed to enter a senior girl’s class without first being asked to come in. I waited by the entrance while the JSS 3 girl went in and told them she had brought me and then she was dismissed! She came out and left! I was still standing there! I could see into the class as it was brightly lit. I hated seniors! Their wahala was too much joo! After waiting endlessly! I heard someone (one of the girls) say in a loud voice, ‘Jump in!’ when they ask you to jump! You jump! So I jumped in! And the lights went out! Total black out! Kai!

My own side of the story (pt5)

I’m lying in bed with my legs crossed propped up on a pillow, my eyes closed and I’m going back in time to that day. The day time actually for me stood still. I had never felt more alone in my life. I was the youngest kid in the school surrounded by all these girls and from their looks I could see admiration change to something between fear, anger and bewilderment. I could read the questions in their eyes, ‘how could someone so small be able to cause so much harm and be so feared?’

I stood still and I still hadn’t said a single word. Where would I start? They wouldn’t believe me anyway! What would I say in my defence? I dint have powers! I knew that and I wasn’t a witch either! Though at that point I wished I was someone with super powers! It would have been so cool to have powers! Hypnotic powers to bend everyone to my will or a memory wipe so they would forget everything! Anything! My mind was running around in thoughts!
I stared at Chinenye! I gazed at her intently! I watched her and I was little amused at the tears and at the words that continuously poured from her lying lips being eaten up by the girls around her. I continued to look at her saying nothing doing nothing just standing there and looking at her. Slowly, very slowly my own fear and terror turned to rage and hatred. I was angry, very angry at her, at them all! I had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment! All I wanted was to have a life of my own! I dint want one created by someone! I continued looking at her thinking she was going to stop but things got worse!

The accusations came out vehemently; I was being accused of initiating a bunch of girls who happened to be day students so no one could find them! Then I was accused of stopping girls from going to church including her. She was catholic I was protestant, we didn’t go to the same church and I never missed a church service. Yet I stopped her from going to church? I was accused of killing her grandfather an Mbadiwe who died before I was born! On hearing this, I actually smirked! That was the most hilarious thing I had heard so far! I dint even know the man so she must have been joking. I had read a lot of books and I had a pretty good idea of how some of these stuff worked! My dad was a Deliverance Minister, a Reverend! I knew how it worked! I knew witches could only affect people when they are invited into the family. And invitation could only be done if a member of the family that was a witch invited them in. So even if I was a witch which I wasn’t there’s no way it would have been possible seeing we had just met in school. Off course I couldn’t tell them all that! How would it sound? How does it sound now? Besides they already took my smile the wrong way! It doesn’t always pay to be a know-it-all!

I had been standing close to 3 hours with all the hysteria around me, the gist had spread, so the group of girls had really increased and well you know bad news kinda spreads pretty fast! It wasn’t long before the whole school had heard! Seeing as the girls dint quite know what to do with the unfolding situation, they collectively decided that it was best to take us to the principal’s house.

After waiting a few minutes anxiously, we were told the principal wasn’t home! At this point they took us to the matron’s house; we waited for her to come out. Chinenye was still maintaining her story, I was still puzzled and when she was asked to face me she freaked and started crying again that she couldn’t look at my face that I was going to do lots of horrible things to her, that she wasn’t strong enough spiritually to face me. It was a little too much for me. I was hungry and tired! I told them all at that point that it was pointless. When they heard me speak everywhere became quiet!
You could hear a pin drop in the distance, the rustle in the trees from the soft evening breeze was so audible. The silence was like sweet music! I looked at them all, moving my gaze from one pair of eyes to another from one face to another and finally my gaze rested on Chinenye and I told her in hushed tones, ‘its enough!’ ‘I have heard enough!’ I told her, ‘Now would be a good time to tell the truth!’ she averted her gaze! I knew she was lying! She knew she was lying! What I really wanted to know was why she was doing it anyway! She said nothing! At this point the matron came out! The senior girl with us told her what had happened and Matron just laughed. She said, ‘you girls just like looking for attention! Go back to your hostels and forget about it, I’m sure Dvora is no witch and Chinenye is just making up these things!’

Well we dispersed and I hoped that everything would end there! I hoped that we would laugh it all like one big joke! I got back to the hostel picked up my plates and hurried to the dining hall as it was time for dinner! The dining hall was abuzz with what had happened! Those that hadn’t heard were being filled in by those that had heard. I heard whispers, ‘that’s the girl that is the witch!’ And warnings like, ‘be careful! I hear she is very powerful and dangerous!’ Phlease!

I tried to ignore it all and just sat on my table waiting for the food. As I sat down the girls around me moved away, giving me some distance. I said to myself, ‘Which Kain wahala be this na?’ I feigned not caring and just waited for the food. When the food came the girl dished for everyone avoiding my plate. I smiled again thinking, ‘Na wa!’ I took the spoon and dished my food! I prayed silently and I ate! Since I entered FGGC that probably was my longest meal ever. The hall was quiet! And I could feel the heat of the stares of all the girls boring holes into my back while I ate. Morsel after morsel of rice I swallowed, I noticed I was barely chewing just swallowing. Everywhere was quiet! The sound of plate to spoon was so loud. I finished eating and I stood up carrying my plate and left the hall. It seemed it was only then after I left the hall that everyone started eating! I could hear the buzz behind me so loud like bees in a hive. I shook my head and walked to the tap to rinse my cutleries! Normally we would have been a lot of girls chattering excitedly, complaining about the food and school the next day and we would rush back to the dorm. But here I was alone. A few girls had come out probably to check if I had gone back to the dormitory. I ignored them all and walked back. My heart was heavy and I was confused! I had no one to stand up for me! I still didn’t understand why Chinenye had said all those things! Why she insisted they were true! It was so confusing! It took a long time to get to quadrangle (my dorm) I was deep in thought! I got to my room, and climbed my bed! I lay down and finally I let the tears flow!

There are many things children have the strength to endure but false accusation wasn’t one of it. I couldn’t take it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I would have been facing a lot of girls I would have fought Chinenye for lying against me! I had to keep my cool! I lay down and my mind wandered around. Soon I could hear the girls coming in to the dorm! I pretended to be asleep! I dint want to be drawn into another argument or discussion and it will soon be lights out anyway! I heard the girls whisper about me! Saying all sorts! The things they said made me cry silently! I knew I had no one, no friend and I had to be strong! Sigh! It was going to be a long term! With these thoughts, I slept off!

My own side of the story (pt4)

We know our parents have different opinions about what schools to put us in when we are approaching our teenage years especially as regards to secondary schools for different reasons. Some say they must be private schools, some say government school. Some say mixed schools some say single gendered school (I mean either an all boys or all girls school) whatever the reason I believe it is usually for good.

Nevertheless, I say put your kids in a mixed school! Why? well when u get a bunch of girls or boys together they tend to be more mischievous since they do not have the distraction usually gotten from being or hanging around with the opposite sex which is socially very healthy (that’s strictly my view!).

But let me explain!

It was one of those nice sunny Sundays, we had come back from service, we already had breakfast and lunch and we were just generally chilling! Some of us that like to sleep like me were taking naps peacefully and others that don’t were grouping together and sharing stories or general gist.

In one corner not so far away from mine a JSS2 girl was being accosted by our seniors as usual, she was being asked to explain her reasons for not going to church that Sunday! She was a tall (for her age then) fair skinned girl with short curly hair. She had a perfect shape and she was of a privileged background! In other words her Papa hold enof pepper mehn! Her name was and still is Chinenye Mbadiwe!

Pause! You might be wondering why I mentioned her name since I have deliberately avoided mentioning any others even mine at first. Well it is because this entire preamble is just so we can get to this point! Pay close attention because inasmuch as this story started about twenty years ago, the story still has not quite gotten to its end!

On a different day and time! Our paths probably may never have crossed and if it were in a mixed school, she will probably be busy receiving or rejecting love advances from one boy or another. Unfortunately her parents like mine thought that a mixed school was a no-no and therefore sent her to an all girls’ school.

Nevertheless on this said day! When asked why she didn’t go to church, she replied that her reason for not going to church was me! Yes! Me! Me! Debbie Debora D'vorah Amarachukwu Nwa ANAGA (daughter of Sam Anaga)
Yes! Yes! I know! Another name! But offcourse it is MY story! I get to be the actor na!

Anyway where was I? Ah yes! She said I was the reason she didn’t go to church that Sunday! Now it is important to note that our paths till that day had not crossed! I mean I knew her younger cousin who happened to share the same room with me before I moved hostels and we were in the same class but she had her clique of friends and I had mine.

How did I get from my beautiful life to being the reason for someone who was of the catholic faith not go to church! And she gave her reasons. She said as I remember vividly like it was just yesterday that her bible had been seized and she had been given specific instructions not to go to church or any other Christian gathering by me! She also said that she had been initiated into a coven a few days ago and she had been having meetings at night at some uncompleted building and that the person responsible for it all was me! Yes me! Small me!

Well it was a girls’ ONLY school! How else do u expect a bunch of very idle girls to behave?!

I was in my world, on my bed napping away and dreaming of spaghetti and meatballs (my favourite food at the time) and what a rude awakening! I felt a bizillion hands on my body waking and shaking me up! I dint even stand a chance! They should try it now! Anyways they jacked me up and escorted me howbeit rudely to my accuser!

I was still in shock and had not been brought up to date yet! So I stood perplexed wondering what the reason was for the excitement and sudden flurry of activities. I stood in front of Chinenye and the words I heard coming from her mouth were, “yes she is the one! She told me not to go to church! She seized my bible! She is our leader and she initiated us! I was so shocked I burst out laughing! That was an April fool’s joke though it wasn’t April! She had to be kidding! Me a witch?! How now? She should just stop! These were my thoughts amidst my uncontrollable laughter! The reaction I however got stunned me! I was still looking at Chinenye waiting for her to say it’s all a joke when the girl burst into tears! See serious crying! No! (Wrong choice of word) WEEPING and screaming! Then she said, "I can’t look at her face! She will kill me! I can’t look at her face! I am scared! Please don’t make me look at her! I am scared so scared! She is too powerful! She will do terrible things to me, to us! Please take me away from her!"

Okaaaaaay?! So no joke! She was either a very good actress or she actually believed what she was saying and it was no longer funny! I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable so I stopped laughing! She was being consoled and protected like seriously! This was ridiculous! It had to be some sort of joke but the looks I was beginning to get were scary! They actually believed her, I was stunned, and I had not uttered one word to my defence. How could I? Where would I start from? What would I say? First I was junior so I wasn’t even allowed to speak unless asked too then secondly I had just been accused? Where would I start from? I still couldn’t believe it! I looked around me and I swear if it wasn’t that those girls were scared to death they probably would have beaten or stoned me to my death! I was in shock! Sleep commot from my eyes sharp sharp! My mouth was dry and I could feel all the hairs on my body standing! I was terrified! No one but me noticed this and how could they? I had been tagged; I had just been accused of being not just a witch but a broom/plantain/groundnut shell flying, night meeting, bible seizing, hypnotizing 75-year old witch, and the leader or head of the coven! with POWERS all in the body of a small 9 year old JSS1 girl!

When things go bad sometimes they go very bad! My life took a turn for the worst! It was the moment I am still struggling to forget!

My own side of the story (pt3)

First term came and went quickly amidst the activities!

I was packed and ready to go! I remember keeping some of my things in Matron’s house for safe keeping! I had lots of stories for my little ones and friends at home. My parents were eager to see me as they had not been able to come for any of the visiting days in school. I understood that it wasn’t so easy to go back and forth from Lagos and they felt they had placed me in good hands (my guardians) in school. Anyways we boarded our Ekene Dilichukwu luxurious bus back to Lagos with glee!

I couldn’t wait for second term to start! My new friends with our stories both real and exaggerated! The excitement and the activities! I had not done so well in my first term exams! It had been average all through and my parents were not happy but they attributed it to my being away from home for the first time and it was quite understandable. Truthfully I was a little distracted and I really dint like sitting at the back of the class! Then again I couldn’t really complain! I only promised to do better!

The holidays came and went quickly, not quick enough for me though because I had double portions in English essays and algebra/mathematics problems everyday from my parents for those weeks I was home from school for holiday to make sure I was on top of my game! Is it so bad to be an average student?
Anyways all packed and ready to go! I was headed back to Owerri!

My hostel Blue house had been a little bit crowded! We were very happy to learn that space was going to open up in the Quadrangle and some of us will be moved! Fortunately or unfortunately I couldn’t quite say for sure at that time I was one of those picked to move and I did. I was assigned a top middle bunk bed space in a small room that held 6 bunks (for y’all that don’t know, it is the iron bed that has up and down bed spaces). Off course all the lower bunks and corner spaces were picked first by the senior girls. This room was just next to a long hall that contained a lot more girls so there was a frenzy of activities during the movement.

Once we were resettled, we reported to the senior in charge! We were acquainted with the rules and regulations and so on and so forth! Saturday duties were assigned as usual! And introductions were completed. Though I quite believe that instead of calling them introductions they should have called them interrogations. We were asked all sorts like the rudimentary names and classes and then there was “where are you from?”, “what do your parents do?”, “where were u born?”, “what language do u speak?”, “talents - do u sing, dance?” e.t.c. and the treatment we got was usually based on the answers from the interrogation. It was never surprising though to hear made-up stories to gain favour.

Classes started and I was determined to do a lot better than I had the previous term! I took my books seriously and I took prep seriously. I joined the drama group as well and some Christian activities (remember my Papa na Pastor so no option of doing otherwise)! Everything was becoming quite normal and I was adapting, I was eating better and I had learnt how to gulp down food quick enough. I learnt how to evade some very demanding seniors and tried to stay hidden away if I dint want to be caught and sent on some ridiculous errands! Matron was nice to me and I went to her place every Sunday for some home cooked meal after church

Visiting Day came quickly and i was very excited! My parents had promised that the first visiting day, they would show up! So on that Sunday, we all trooped to the field awaiting our parents or siblings, uncles, aunties, friends to visit. And boy I waited! It was a hot sunny afternoon. They were vendors selling all sorts of stuff, there was suya, ice-cream, pastries, and lovely things we didn’t readily have access to in school. Parents were coming in and out looking for their kids. The smell of home cooked food was everywhere, haba! Enough jollof rice and big pieces of meat! I swallow spit tire! And my belle sing plenty but I said to myself, “no wahala! Momsie or Popsie or somebody must show somehow, somehow!” so I sat on the stands waiting! I walked to the gate to check and walked back waiting! No one showed up! No message! nobody! I didn’t understand anymore! I mean why wouldn’t anyone come to visit me?! I dint ask for much, just some form of care from home! For the first time I actually felt abandoned, left alone and miserable! It hurt! I ran to my matron’s house and there I cried! How could they have done this to me?! I had told everyone they would come! Someone would come! Why?

Matron consoled me! She made me some food and told me not to worry. She was telling a 9year old child to understand! I had understood enough! Now I was paying for understanding. It dint seem fair! I was very angry and it showed. The next few days following I became rebellious and stubborn. I woke up late. I missed classes or I would come late to class. My parents were too worried about my results but they dint seem to worry about my well being! Well no more!

It didn’t take long before the girls in my new hostel noticed that I was some sort of character. I dint react to anything like Ghost stories or going out scared at night, I wasn’t impressed by anything, I didn’t care for favouritisms! To other girls that seemed pretty weird! Heck! To many girls or ladies now it still seems weird. I dint react to punishments they way others did. I couldn’t care less about the haves or have-nots. I did what I supposed to do to the best of my abilities and if you didn’t like it well, too bad! Some thought I was pretty interesting and I was becoming quite famous, I mean I was the only child in the school with fore knowledge on the going-ons in the holy land (that was a plus) and other girls did not quite like it and decided to do something about it.

They made me pretty famous by the time they were done!

My own side of the story (pt2)

I was born on the 7th of July in the early 80s somewhere in Jerusalem in Israel, (I know, I know not a common place to be born in, don’t ask me! ask my parents what took them there) I went through the same process a firstborn Jewish child goes through! My hair was not going to be cut till I got past the age of 12. I was blessed, baptised and handed over to God just like Samuel and many others and when I was of age my first work was in the temple as a child interpreter. My first language was Hebrew and my first love was mathematics.

First born child in a family of six, I was what I called the experimental child. Try it with me and if it don’t work then stop! That’s how I felt!

Anyway before I rattle on! I excelled in everything! The typically brainy child and I never failed in anything. I was smallish and scrawny but tall for my age and I had big feet(funny i still have big feet). We came back to Nigeria in the late 80s and I continued my education and before you knew it I was done with the primary school.

I had written every exam available to be written for a kid in primary 5/6 and passed them all. So academically my parents weren’t worried. Coming from a family with my Dad a teacher and a Reverend and my mum a teacher, you had no excuse for being less than a Gifted and Godly child. Yet everything was new to me. I couldn’t stand the food. I remember my Dad had to hold a cane in one hand just to make sure I got something down my throat. I got stuck on eating bread and bournvita. It just wouldn’t happen for me.


Getting to boarding house and going to the dining room to eat was a pleasant yet not so pleasant experience. I just couldn’t eat the food. I did ok with the yam porridge and rice and looked forward to Sunday breakfast before going to church where we were served something that looked remotely like bread and something that was seriously watered down called TEA! I dint understand why I would find worm in the okro soup, but I guess after your provisions are done and I was new to the garri smuggling and drinking culture you try to eat whatever is presented. I remember having to seat on a table with 6 or 7 other girls and we share a pot of food after prayers. Then how annoyingly you were timed to eat! For Pete’s sake to me it felt like 30secs of prayer and 2mins to eat.
How do you eat a plate of hot porridge in 2mins? Then rush out and wash your plates amidst other girls.

Classes were routine but somewhat interesting. I was in JSS 1U the first class in the JSS 1 block and I was enjoying English classes because we were reading some good books like King Emene. I had a seat at the back row and with my glasses it wasn't quite so bad. I relied more on what I heard though! Being foreign birth had its advantages because girls kinda asked all sorts of questions, also being born in a place like Jerusalem wasn’t like the typical Europe or America! I had questions like ‘what’s the language like?’ can you speak it? Say something? What kind of food? Seen the cross where Jesus died? His grave? Lots wife? Even during evening prep! I was ambushed with all sorts! Can you write the language? Why my name is pronounced funny or written funny? How are the people there and stuff? I enjoyed the attention like probably everyone would and they were some that thought it was pointless after all my family was a middle class family.

Hostel life was tough for me! I wasn’t a stranger to household chores but doing them in the dorm? Now that’s a whole new level of chores. I had obtained favour so I was usually assigned windows and boy was I glad. I didn’t envy one bit those that were assigned bathrooms and even worse the toilets. But we all did our little bits with the seniors running commentary on us. On Saturdays we had the inspection to look forward to howbeit unwillingly. Beds had to be made, windows cleaned, floors scrubbed, courtyard swept, bathrooms and toilets washed, everyone bathed and tidy, and on time. It was a good grooming experience and a tough way to learn about housekeeping.

As a JSS1 student, you had like 5 levels of seniorship! From the JSS2 girls who finally had someone to bully to the SS3 big girls who knew everything! They will send you on all kind of errands. There were the favoured junior girls who had school mothers that took care of them and shared goodies with. And then they were those who well weren’t so fortunate had the jobs of fetching water, making beds, washing clothes, calling someone from one house to another, and then the worst kind of messages where the ones when they gave you little money and sent you to buy goodies worth more than you were given. Abeg! Which kain message be that? Make I go tuck shop for you with my money wey no even reach me! Pscheeew! For senior? They must be joking? Ontop wettin?

As I small reach shaaaaa I stubborn! I just refused simply to be bullied, obtained or played for a fool. I would tell you I wasn’t going and if you insisted well say goodbye to your money cos I wouldn’t come back. I did go for other messages like fetching water as my power reach.
I mean if u gave me a 17ltrs or 15litres iron bucket to go fetch water for you then you are on your own. Bucket wey be like twice my size? How now? Even my bucket wey be 10ltrs plastic sef na work! Which kain punishment be that? Haba a whole iron bucket? Some seniors dem wicked o! I dey forget their bucket for tap take off. So you can imagine what happened to me now. When dem catch me na super heavy punishment. I stubborn like the Israelites no be small. Anyway all na part of school experience shey? Well yea and to an extent it was intriguing and interesting

Some things in my environment where new and strange like for instance before we come back Naija I never see life fowl before. I come jam dem for east! Men that was interesting na! I mean live animals! Please give me a break I was 9yrs old! a smallie and curious. Am I not allowed to be curious?

Then we had our neighbours, they shared a fence with us a boys’ secondary school! Boys from the school were practically notorious and mischievous. They liked to scare off girls that came to the tap at night to fetch water by wearing pillowcases and bed-sheets and acting as ghosts. Abeg abeg abeg! Make I hear word! Even small me knew they were not real now! But girls will scream! Get scared, throw away their buckets and run for the hostels shouting, “Ghosts! Ghosts! Ghosts!” The boys will burst into laughter after the girls had run! Abeg na! I’d just sigh, sometimes it was soooo funny I would laugh so hard, clutching my tummy, then I will shake my head and go and fetch my water and go to my room. A bunch of boys couldn’t scare me! I knew better! Well it didn’t quite go well with some girls and they tagged me strange! Weird! You know all sorts! I dint mind. I mean I couldn’t care less. I was different all right. I was me!