What's my sin?

Chapter 20: Freedom walk

The bang of the car door woke me up and I noticed the car had stopped. My step mum was outside already but we were still on the street. I sat upright to look at what was going on. Dara was still asleep so I crossed my hand over her to loom out her window.

"What are you doing?" She pushed me waking up from sleep.

"Mummy and Mr Kunle went out. I'm only checking what they are doing. She sat upright and looked out the window also and I joined her. They both went in to a shop and came back minutes later with some bags which they put into the boot.

" You are awake!" My step mum muttered as they sat down and closed the door before the car began to move again. "We are close by, almost at the school already".

We both sat up and focused on the road,taking in every detail we could as the car drove by. We eventually got to a very big gate and the car drove in revealing a very large space with several buildings.  There were school children everywhere in brown pinafore and checked brown shirt while some just wore a brown gown.

Our entrance caught their attention as they all followed the car with their eyes. Dara and I quickly sunk down our heads, raising it back after a few minutes. The car kept going revealing how huge the school was as we kept passing several building. Some children were going towards the same direction of the car and very soon we saw a very huge hostel at the end of the Schoo with several of them putting on different colours of checked gowns.

Those outside looked at our direction as the car came to a stop. Our legs suddenly became heavy to lift when Mr kunle opened the back door for us.

" We don't have all day, come down from the car". I began to rethink the whole decision of freedom as I stepped down from the car. What if this place is worse than home? What if no one likes me? How all I ever get to see my mum again.

The reality of it all began to dawn on me and I went straight to my step mum.

"Please I don't want to stay here, take me with you" I pleaded

Dara nodded in agreement "Yes mummy please don't leave us". She just looked at us and laughed. "don't worry you will be fine".
Just then a whistle blew and in seconds students came rushing out of the building down to the hall beside us. I swallowed in anxiety.  I doubt I will be fine

" Let's go". We followed her into a different block before the hall the pupils went to. Inside was a chubby and lively woman who looked liked she carried no weight on her shoulders.

"Hello beautiful girls, what are your names?". She asked us as soon as we stepped in still smiling.

" Dara"

"Ruth" I croaked from crying previously

"No, no, no don't cry, I understand how you feel." She came forward and held my shoulders. "Its a matter of time before you make great friends here. You will actually love it here I promise you, okay".

I nodded. She got up and continued the transaction with my step mum as I looked on absent minded. I looked at Dara, she was looking at the floor and had become quiet ever since then.

The woman got up and brought out two bags from behind her desk and stretched it to us. " Come and have it". We each stood up and reached for it.

"Those are you house wears, you are to put them on everyday of the week except on Sundays when you can wear your mofty." She waited to see if we understood and we nodded before she continued. "There are two of them inside with a slip for the hostel schedule. I will take you to meet your matron as soon as your mum leaves. Do you understand?". We nodded again.

" That will be all".

We went out with my step mum again, none of us spoke a word even when our belongings were dropped for us. My step mum then called Dara aside and spoke to her for some minutes before she came back to bid us farewell.

"Manage your provisions okay, will visit you on one of the Sundays" . she got into the car and waved at us as the car disappeared.

"Okay, come with me" The principals voice jolted us as she passes by us walking gallantly towards the hostel. We picked our bags and dragged it along as we followed her to a separate building where we met our matron.

In fact there were two matrons supervising the junior section as she made us know we had passed the senior section on our way. She gave us instructions on the daily routine and how we are to behave ourselves in the hostel. Thereafter she informed us on the different house colours there are in the hostel and we had to bring out our check uniform. Dara had a yellow uniform while I was given the red.

We didn't know what those signify until she took us to the hostel block. The block was a long and narrow one facing the school direction. It had several rows of doors which led to different rooms. I counted them and saw that they were six. The students had started trooping back from the hall in bits and I could see most of them whisper among themselves as they stole glances at us.

She pointed to a room at the far end of the block and spoke to Dara. "That will be your room, you are in yellow house". I looked at her and she had a blank expression like she didn't care for whatever would happen again.  She then pointed to four rooms away from Dara's own. " And that will be yours, red house." I could see some of the occupants of the rooms peeping out already like they were all waiting for which of the rooms we would enter.

The woman faced us finally. "Now I will leave you at this point to mingle with your peers. Don't worry you will love it here. Change into your uniforms and get ready for prep at 8pm. I will get you your room prefects to get you settled in.". She looked back towards the hostel and shouted.

" Ogechi!"

"Faderera!"

They both responded from within and came running down. A fat, short, black girl came out from the yellow house room while a tall fair and lanky girl came out of the red house room. They both had low cuts on too and looked fearsome. I swallowed.

She placed her hand on my shoulder "This is  Ruth, she will be joining your house from today" the girl nodded. "And this is Dara, for  yellow house" she said to the other girl placing her second hand on Dara as well. "Please do make them feel welcome".

" Yes ma" they responded and gestured for us to follow them. For the first time we both felt sad leaving each other and we waved sadly while we parted. My roommates had already piled up at the end of the bunk close to the door waiting for me. I looked down as I entered the room.

"This is Ruth" she said plainly. "You!" She pointed to someone from the crowd. "Show her the locker beside yours. She will be your bunkmate. The rest of you, disappear". Like they were never there, everyone was on their bed in a split second.

" Come, my name is Fathia. This is your locker " the girl said in her tiny little voice smiling at me. She joined me in arranging my stuffs and kept telling me about the place and the rules governing it".

"Don't worry, just obey the rules and you will be fine. The seniors can be very brutal if you disobey." I nodded in fear. "This is your bunk, you can lay your bed. I'll be right back". I quietly laid my bed under the observing eyes of the roommates. When I was done I lay on my bed and wept.

I want to go home!