Stereotypes [A Nigerian Story]

Chapter 5

On Friday morning we had a free period because for some reason -which I'm thankful for- the teacher didn't come. So instead of reading for our upcoming waec and jamb examinations, my class kept doing what we were good at, noise making. Our class was sharing a wall with the staff room and occasionally a teacher would step in to ask us to keep quiet, not that it helped in any way, except if that teacher was Mr Edward.

If Joy was around we'll probably be gisting about a movie. I was going to read a novel but the noise was too much so I just put it back in my bag.

I take a moment to analyse my classmates. No one had changed that much. Blessing still wore a really long skirt and still acted over righteous. Yeah she brings a bible to school everyday. She was the most brilliant one in our class anyway and as such the teachers' favorite.

Chioma was the second best in my class. She was also teachers' favorite but I still think she gets so much privileges because her mother was once a staff in the school.

And there was John. He was the fattest in our class and the whole school. He had bow legs which didn't look as if it supported his weight and the way he walked was as if he was going to fall anytime. He has a degree in lying and skipping class.

I wouldn't fail to mention Mark. His presence in school today was quite surprising. We called him NEPA. His school attendance was on and off. Sometimes I forget he's in my class.

(NEPA or PHCN is the power holding company in Nigeria. There's no stable electricity in Nigeria and as such there are frequent blackouts. So it was fitting to liken Mark to NEPA)

Samuel was just the guy that everyone in my class looked up to. He's a typical bad boy but the Nigerian version. He was always skipping school like he's paid to do so. He never stayed for extra lessons and sometimes, he doesn't even show up in school. He was the one who defyed teachers and broke school rules. He is the best cane chester I've ever known. For a fact, I've never spoken to him since senior year began.

(When someone chests cane, it means that he shows no sign of pain when he is flogged.)

There were some cliques in my class, but nothing about them seemed fun. The only thing about them was that they paraded themselves around school and shared their lunch for most of the time. They go home together and all that stuff.

My best friend Joy is bae. We talk about almost everything and maybe everyone. She is obsessed with South Korean guys and knows practically everything single thing about the country. Her gallery was adorned with pictures of Lee Min Ho. Once, I went through her browsing history and discovered she looked up 'South Korean constitution' on google. Call me creepy but sometimes my friend can be insane. Sometimes I feel she has lived there in her past life. She's a huge fan of music anyways and a foodie. Its ironic how slim she turned out to be.

And then there's me. I can be crazy and boring and whatnot, but it doesn't matter. I'm just being me. The only thing that makes me is the internet and music. I also like playing sports. I try all kinds, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and so on, but I'm perfect in none. I play basketball anyway. I'm more attracted to boys, and I find myself scanning for cute faces each time I'm in a gathering. I hate to brag but the half the boys in my set have had a crush on me. Its not my fault I'm pretty enough.

*****
I was lying on the couch and watching TV. NEPA had decided to bring light today and I was grateful for that. I had plugged in my phone the moment I heard my brother scream 'Up NEPA'. My parents were not even home at this time. My mom had gone out earlier to go to her shop where she sold groceries at a small supermarket. My dad was a trader too. Typical of Igbo tribe. It was all about the business and the money. My brother had just left to go to his friend's place to play a video game. That's the best thing that happened today, since we didn't get into our constant fight on which channel to watch.

Sometimes I'm grateful that my parents are not usually around. If my mom was home, she'd probably be screaming at me for sitting down to watch TV by 10 in the morning especially when I've not even washed the uniform I soaked in water since yesterday. At least the uniform is not complaining. She wouldn't even have let my brother go out. She'd come up with the 'have your friend ever come to visit you' question that she usually asks before saying no.

I am watching Spiderman's Homecoming on MBC Max which was my favorite channel by the way, and just before I could see what was going to happen next, they decided it was time to go on commercial. I mentally groaned and walked into the kitchen to steal milk from the tin just because no one was at home.

Before I had come back to take my place on the couch, the power supply was out again and I nearly screamed at them. I check my phone which was plugged in a socket at the other side of the sitting room. It only had 31% battery life. I just hope the power comes on soon. I had drained the battery last night, playing subway surfers. Only God can understand my addiction to that game.

I decide to finally wash my uniform and while I'm doing it, I play Olamide's Wo, which was the current hit song. Finishing that, I proceed to the kitchen only to be met by a sink full of dirty dishes.

When did we use all this plates sef?

David should better come home quick let me blackmail him to wash this plates.

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Its been a while. Yeah I know. And unfortunately this chapter is short. I'm really sorry. Lia says she's sorry too for not giving you an update. And she also says that if you change that star to orange color, she will update faster. 

Thanks for reading by the way. This chapter is dedicated to crazytaurusgirl for taking time to read and comment. Love you so much.