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!
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