The bell rang evoking a groan from me. I hated that damn bell. There were times I wished I could steal it and hide it away to buy me time every morning. My body had adapted to living in the boarding house now but it couldn't still adapt to waking up early. I made more friends and eventually became a clique of four who had each others back every time.
The other problem I had was dealing with my seniors. I tried as much as I could since snr Nifemi's fiasco to avoid getting into trouble with all other seniors but I still had the intention of payback fresh in my mind. Still looking for the right moment though. I never wished to touch another senior's disgusting body again. The thought alone made me shudder.
"Get up from your beds now! 1,2,3...". The voice of senior Nkechi fluttered my eyes open in a flash. I flew up instantly and tucked in my bed as quickly as I could before grabbing my toiletries and joining others in struggling to get out. The morning rush was always hectic and even the most groggy eyes became alert in a moment. After devotions as usual we went to have our bathes.
" Can't someone just have a day off" I grumbled dropping my toiletries in its place underneath my bunk.
"Schooling can be tiring" Fathia agreed with me towel drying her body. She pulled her uniform out from the bed handle and began to put it on. We always had to prepare the next day items down so we dot get late from the rush and miss our foods especially.
"I heard there is a possibility of the supervisor coming today, you had better spread your beds and arrange your lockers". Suliat always had first class information and we never disbelieved her. Her parents were rich and close to the school matron so she heard whatever was happening in the first class level.
" well that's easy, I'm not just happy that we have to wash today" Fathia commented grumpily.
"Its our turn already?" I repeated surprisingly "oh come on, I hate dishes".
Suliat giggled "you have no choice dear, just hope we won be picked."
I remembered then and smiled "we washed last time, I doubt if we would be picked again"
Suliat rolled her eyes taunting me "that's if you haven't looked for her trouble this time" i shoved her and Fathia laughed.
"You know I have stopped troublemaking"
Senior nkechi came in then clapping her hands to speed us up.
"Times up...to the dining now...the last four to leave the room get to wash today". Ehn! See speed. The three of us didn't wait to hear the rest as we carried our bags, shoes and socks in hand and ran out bare foot. The whole room was in raucous as everyone tried to get out. We didn't stop till we reached the dinning doorway. We sat on the terrace and burst out laughing.
"That was close" princess said joining us. She was the fourth and newest member of our clique. She was also our baby as she was the youngest. We still wondered why she was brought to the boarding school as she couldn't do most things herself. We had to teach her everything. She was also from a rich family and looked frail and pampered silly.
"You bet it was" I replied trying to catch my breathe. We all wore our socks and sandals at the terrace before going in. Three girls from our rooms passed by grumbling.
"Uh oh, I think they were picked" Fathia whispered and we all laughed glad to have escaped the punishment. Washing of the hostel plate was like death sentence to us. Especially when we were given eba, we had to scrape almost every plate. Not to mention the pots used in preparing it. It was indeed a narrow escape.
We entered into the hall hurriedly so we don't have to go to class on an empty stomach. We stopped in our tracks as soon as we got to the entrance.
"Oh no" I pouted
"Come on" Fathia murmured
"This morning?" Suliat exclaimed
"I want to go home" princess cried making us all look at her. Her expression was priceless. We all burst out laughing. I patted her back. "You are going nowhere dear, we are in this together"
"But I can't eat eba in the morning" she grumbled.
"Neither can I" suliat crossed her arms in annoyance. I looked back into the hall also. I didn't think I could do this either. And we had the whole day to go with most of our cash spent already. A thought dropped into my mind.
"Let's go and take our provisions then" I blurted out my thought.
"That's stupid" Fathia chided. "Do you know what the seniors will do to us"
Suliat nodded "that's true, it will mean a lot of trouble, we have been sent out already". Suliat and Fathia had stayed a term earlier than us here and knew every single detail and woe in the hostel.
"What do we do then?" We all sighed and began tapping our feets, thinking. We had just 30 minutes before assembly to come up with whatever plan we have in mind. One by one we went to sit on the terrace. Just then two seniors from the ss3 class were coming in our direction. They were about to pass by us when I decided to take the risk. I suddenly jumped in their front closing my eyes and pleading with my hands I began to ramble.
"Please come and help me beg my room senior, there is no food for us to eat again and we are so hungry. Just help us talk to her to let us take our provisions. We will be very grateful and God will bless you." I became quiet suddenly and expected a response which didn't come. I slowly opened my eyes to see them both cross their hands looking at me.
"Pleeeaaaase" I added with a little bit of effect one more time". I glued my attention to them and ignored my friends surprised expressions. The perfect thought in their minds right now would probably be that I'm mad.
Fathia came forward to pull me away "I'm sorry, she's new here. Please forgive her". I looked at her then and wondered why she was apologizing when I was trying to help us all. I jerked my hand away from hers and looked back at the seniors straightening up this time. "So will you help us or what?" I spread my hands questioning.
The senior smiled. "I like your guts. What's your name?"
I sighed in relief "Ruth"
"Okay Ruth, show me your room". I was relieved and smiled back. This time the second senior also smiled at me before walking towards my hostel. My friends began giggling behind me and I looked back and stuck out my tongue to them. They laughed back. The shock on senior Nkechi's face and the other seniors were priceless. They couldn't stop us or say anything as we had brought their boss to their doorstep. I'm sure they must have wondered how we gained such connection.
" These girls want to eat their provisions as their food as finished, so you stay with them to keep them from trouble till they are done. If I hear otherwise, you will be punished. Do you understand? " The senior gave her instructions and we snickered as snr Ogechi speechlessly nodded, still shocked from the authority that befell her.
Like a boss we all trooped in to our lockers and began to serve ourselves. I ran back to the door before they left and called out "Wait, I don't know your names".
"I'm Anita" the fair skinned one introduced
"And I'm Wura" The dark one who smiled to me previously murmured shyly.
"Thank you so much, you have made our day"
Anita nodded and smiled "You are a loving character, its my pleasure". They turned back and went and I went back to join my friends to eat fast before time went.
"Ruth you are crazy!" Suliat said as I sat down.
"I know right, well you got to enjoy the profits". We all laughed as we gobbled down our cereals.
We however got to face the consequences later when we got late to assembly. Even if our jss seniors had no right to touch us at that moment, we weren't to escape late coming punishment.
"Ah my mummy" princess had begun to cry as we were made to join other late comers at a section of the assembly.
"Well, so much for the enjoyment" Suliat sighed shaking her head.
"We have to find a way to save princess even if we are to receive this punishment" I offered seeing princess who was already shaking.
"Yeah true, but what do we do?" Fathia asked looking at the poor girl also.
"Okay listen to me" I began drawing their attention. "I will pretend to be in pain while you both should watch out for the seniors diversion" I faced princess "When none of the seniors are looking, you run and join the line okay?" She nodded relieved.
I began to hold my stomach in pain but the seniors didn't care. I decided to take it up a notch and pretended to faint. Everyone began shouting and rushing to my aid. I stilled my breathe until I gasped and jumped up when a bucket of water was doused on me.
"Are you okay?" They began to ask. " come over here and sit. Well, to cut the long story short. I didn't only get to save princess, but the whole late coming crew. Everyone of them had dispersed into the assembly mixing with the crowd as soon as I fainted.
The rest of the classes passed by in a haze as we went from economics to maths to English and all the other subjects. School became less fun to me as we were close to 200 in my class and I sat mostly at the back of the class. Dara and I were in the same class but my other friends were in another Jss1 class was divided into A to F due to the population. Since my friends had come before me, they were in A while Dara and I were in D.
I began to struggle through most of the class as the noise always distracted me and eventually I ended up joining the clique who borrowed novels to read while teaching was going on. The teacher hardly took notice nor cared about our activities in class so we were free to waste our time in essence. Unlike me though, Dara became more serious than I was as she sat at the front seat in class having made friends with some of them.
The only time I looked forward to was during break time when my friends from the hostel and I gathered together for break. We would gist severally and play together before going back to our classes to finish the rest of the day. Thus, was how I deteriorated in my studies without a care in the world. I was particular about being happy. And this, I was going to be.
School closed for the day and we all gathered back in our hostels playing and gisting as we changed into our hostel wear. We talked about the activity we were going to have tonight. Thursdays were the best in the hostels as we all gathered around in front of the hostel for activities.
"Ruth, someone is looking for you" a roommate came in to give me the message.
"Who?" I asked.
"Senior Wura". My friends looked at me raising their eyebrows.
" what does she want?" Fathia asked me
I shrugged. "Well I don't know".
Suliat began to hum " I told you you will get in trouble didn't I?"
I snorted at her and stuck my tongue at her "well whatever happens we are in this together"
She became sober "Just be careful please".
I sighed and went out to meet her.