The trouble to find my school's uniform began as early as 5:30 AM. Everywhere was as dark as a Midnight's witches coven and a bit too quiet. I moved around my room, searching through my wardrobe for my school's uniform as quietly as I could, careful not to attract any noise. There had been a shortage of electricity over the weekend which prevented me from ironing the godforsaken uniform.
Fortunately for me, NEPA decided to bring the light in the middle of the night, just the perfect time to get ready for school. I detest rumpled uniforms, they make me feel like the only odd person out. I skipped through my laundry basket, all to no avail. I sat down, slumped on my bed, my hands on my forehead as I questioned why God had decided to punish me this early Monday morning. Going to school is bad enough, waking up unreasonably early is worse, Mondays just happen to be the worst days too. Just who did I offend?
"I can't kill myself, I should just skip school." Just as I was about to give up, my eyes caught the shabby piece of useless material right on my bedside lamp.
Jesus! How did it get there?
I picked it up, brushed the dirt from the ruffles away, and laid it on the ironing board. Just as I was about to put the plug into the extension box, the light went off.
"You must be kidding me!" I said to myself.
I sat on my bedside stool, waiting to see if the light would come back. You know how NEPA is, they like to mess you with people's mind. Maybe a switch went off mistakenly as they were trying to set it up? Or maybe water got died up in kanji dam where light is generated?
Oh God, please help me. I can't go to school with a rumpled up uniform. My mates would pick on me, not to talk about Zeke. He would be there too!
I heard a knock on my door. It was now 6:00AM, time for my bath.
"Ruth, mum said I should wake you up," Zoe poked her head inside. I barely even paid her any attention. "I already had my bath, what about you? This one you're looking standing like a zombie, is everything alright with your head?"
"Where's Zion?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"The idiot's still sleeping. You know how guys are, snoring like pigs. I have to get ready, see you later."
"Just get out."
"Geez, you didn't have to be so rude." She hissed, banging the door behind her.
"Hey, watch how you handle my door, you two faced monkey." I hollered back.
I was beyond pissed, I didn't know how to keep it in. Stupid Mondays, deprived sleep, rumpled uniforms, you might as well kill me.
Finally, I finished dressing up ten minutes before seven am. Shoving my things down my bag violently, I slung my navy blue cardigan over my shoulder. I opened my door, getting out, before banging it behind me. Tssk, the door can go to hell itself.
"Good morning Dad, Mom," I greeted my parents. My dad's attention was on the punch newspaper before him, and my mom, well, my mom was busy doing what regular moms do. Cooking.
My dad only grunted a reply and I frowned. What's up with the both of them this morning?
I grabbed an apple, biting into it.
"Is that how to greet your parents Ruth, tell me! I carried you in my womb for nine good months, and you treat me like this? You treat us like this?"
I chocked on the apple I was chewing.
"How am I supposed to greet you mum?"
My mum's hand came like a flash upon my face. I merely dodged it, but the apple went flying into the trash can beside me.
"You see what I'm talking about? Children of nowadays have no manners, I'm telling you." She said, addressing my Dad whose attention was still on the newspaper. She eyed him dangerously and I nearly laughed. She turned to face me again. "Those good for nothing boys in your school, they're already getting into your head, uh? To the extent that you disrespect me, your mother?"
I just kept quiet, looking at her. It's already bad enough that my morning has been frustrating, I don't need another lecture from my mum. One thing that I've learnt from living with African parents is that you don't talk when they talk, you'll only make matters worse.
Just in time, Zion and Zoe burst into the kitchen.
"Morning mum, morning Dad." Zion grunted, before dragging his bag behind him to the sitting room.
Zoe was even worse, she didn't even greet at all. She just passed by us, grabbing a bottle of water before sitting on a kitchen stool.
"What's going on here?" Zoe asked, sipping on her bottled water. I resisted the urge to laugh at Mom's furious face. I could literally see the steam coming out of her ears.
"You know what, never mind. The three of you are taking the bus to school for the rest of this week and back." Zoe too chocked on her water, while I chocked on... Air. "Turn in your phones when you're back from school today too. All of you."
"But mum-"
"No buts. Get out of my kitchen now and find your way to school, disrespectful brats."
"Mum, we're sorry. We didn't mean it like that, please mum." Zoe and I knelt down before her.
"Dad, can we please leave now?" Zion grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. He raised his brows as he saw us kneeling on the floor. "What's up with you two?"
"Get out of here now before I lose my temper." She reached for the spoon of soup and we all scampered out.
"Why were the both of you kneeling down? You both got into trouble again, right?" He laughed. "God knows I'm the only innocent person in this house."
I glared at him.
"We have to take the bus to school for a week, punishment for what I know nothing about," Zoe explained, her bag on her shoulder. "No phones too."
That shut him up really quickly.
"What?"
♦♦♦♦♦
By the time we got to school, it was already past eight, which simply means we skipped assembly, so we had to pick dirts from the field as punishment.
"I'm going to class." Zion grumbled, running to catch up with his friends.
"I'll go drown myself in an hot tub full of acid.' Zoe too walked off in the direction of her class. Over dramatic peasants.
I watched them go into Sss2 B before I made my way to my own class. The classroom was painted in light yellow, the paint already peeling off, a big poster with 'Sss3 A' on the top.
"Ruth, how're you? How was your weekend?" Carolina, one of my classmates greeted immediately I stepped foot into the class.
"Fine." I responded, placing my head on my desk. I wasn't on the mood to speak with anyone, that's for sure.
"This one you're sweating, did you run a marathon?"
I didn't reply. I was hoping she would go, but she didn't take the hint.
"Answer me Ruth. Or did you pour water on your head?"
"Look, I am not in the mood for this, just leave me alone." I snapped at her.
"Gee, I was just looking out for you, no need to get all snappy."
"Maybe she's on her period, just let her be." The whole class cackled in laughter.
"She's always on her period. Does her period ever stop?"
The whole class laughed harder. I just ignored them, my head on my locker, pretending as if they weren't there at all.
"And her uniform is rumpled too. Maybe her dog chewed on it?"
They laughed the more. That ticked me off.
"That's enough. I don't have a dog for your information, and even if I did, it'd speak more sense than you do. Why can't you just keep quiet and mind your business?"
The class got quiet immediately. Dominic, the class monitor spoke up. "They were only joking Ruth, what's up with you?"
"I don't care, they should mind what they say."
I retorted, picking up my bag to go to the library, ignoring the fact that we had chemistry for first period. Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I made for your door.
"And where do you think you're going young lady?" Mr Desmond, the chemistry teacher asked, suddenly appearing on the door step. I curse my tough luck.
"Nowhere sir."
"That's what I thought, now go have your seat."
The rest of the period went on and on like that. English came second, and maths for third time. And finally, my favourite hour of the day came. Break time.
I picked up my lunch box before making my way to the cafeteria to get my food. I saw Zeke and a few of our classmates gisting and I waved my hands. He flashed me a smile back and began to jog over to me. My heartbeat quickened as I tried to remain calm. Deep breathes in, out, in, out.
"Hey." He greeted as he got near me. My insides felt jittery and I could feel my breathe hitch.
"Hi." I replied. He looked as if he was struggling to say something as he began to scratch the nape of his neck.
"There's something I actually want to ask from you, if that's okay with you?"
I tried not to be too jittery, else he would get the memo. I needed to play calm and smooth.
"Sure, what is it?"
"So, I was wondering if-" He began but someone cut him off.
"Ruth!"
Zoe ran towards me, her braids bouncing as she walked. No one would believe that she was only sixteen with her height which rocked a close 5"6. Zion is close to six feet, yet he's in SSS 2 while I'm in SSS 3 and nothing more or less than 5"9. Everyone in the school was pretty tall, except dome students who were specially destined to be dwarfs. It was as if everyone was given a bag of fertilizer for their growth.
"What do you want?"
I snapped, annoyed that she had chosen to interrupt my little moment.
"Chill, Mr. Desmond wants to see you. Prefects meeting or something like that."
I groaned.
"So?"
Zoe quirked her brows. "What do you mean by 'so'? A teacher just called you and you're saying 'so'?"
"I'm on my way, now go." I said, slightly pushing her away.
"No, it's okay, I'll see you later Ruth." Zeke interrupted, waving at me once again before jogging back to his friends.
I glared at Zoe.
"What're you still doing here? Do you need me to break your neck?"
She sniffled the air and I frowned.
"What're you looking for?" I asked, confuse.
"Love. I can smell it all around you," She sniffled again. "Mmm, sweet love."
"You better get out of my sight before I-"
She quickly ran off.
I stood on the corridor for a minute, looking around lost until I remembered I had a prefects meeting. My eyes wandered around the field until I saw Zeke. He was also looking at me, a small smile on his face, before I turned mine away. Since he was also a prefect, maybe we could just get to continue our conversation when we're done.
But first things first, I'm hungry, I need my food.