Chapter twelve. (It is all about school)
Today was the first day of resumption and i was a bit nervous, wearing a locally madeAnkara, i stood in front of the human length mirror and smiled happily, i would finally have to go to school. I pulled my unshaved black hair that had grown longer over the days without me shaving it, into a ponytail. My new found mother, mummy tutu told me my hair was like a naturalIndiahair, standing in front of the mirror i looked at my reflex ion for the last time and walked out.
There was nothing unglamorous about my dressing, i had small silver earrings that looked like tiny bulbs, the necklace of lucky charm my grandma gave me and pair of black slip-on shoes, i neither applied lip gloss or massacre because i had no use for it. I was contended to be natural and i stayed natural.
Stevens’ parent accepted me the way i was but we had no close contact, the only time we came in contact and spoke was when they came back from the airport, but i was told to avoid them by my new mother because they were proud and arrogant, especially the superstar actress mother, while the father was much more humble like his son he could be cranky at times. I could barely contain my excitement as i entered the car and Steven drove out of the apartment.
Nigeria practiced a system indirectly called capitalism, i am not a government student but i studied any book i came across with, which gave me vast knowledge, sometimes, i wish i was born in states like the united states, united kingdom, china and other developed countries because i believe there would be God fearing citizens that cared more about the poor and homeless rather than building houses all over like there was no tomorrow but, i have never been to all those places so i don’t know what life is like over there.
I could see various school children in luxurious school buses and some of those who had missed the bus waited for the commercial ones, i wondered what my new school would be like, the one i attended at the convent had well qualified teachers but hungry, as they were not well paid. We hardly have space to sit because the small classroom were always crowded with poor ventilation….once the school wrote a petition to the government concerning the dilapidated classroom; nothing was done to assist the government owned school.
Whenever rain fell it was horrible because the roof would leak, one can imagine over one hundred children in a small flooded class. The government does not care because we were children of the minorities, we were nobody in the society, children of farmers…beggars, and some of us were even orphans like me. Not everything inNigeria was bad; it was only unbearable for those who don’t have money, because we were the victims.
‘The rich would be richer and the poor poorer.’ Is the normal capitalist slang that i hated with passion?
My new school was something i had dream of when i was a student at the convent school, a school with a reputation for academic and sporting excellence with a conducive learning environment. An head teacher can earn anywhere between £25,000 and £80,000 a year, depending on the size of the school which was pretty much when converted to the Naira we spend in Nigeria. School children in various sizes filed out of the luxurious buses, and some from their personal cars…but that was not my concern it was the smart uniform that appealed to me and i felt like an outcast with myAnkara.
‘We are here.’ Steven said bringing me back to the fact we were still in the car.
He adjusted his shirt with bold blue and yellow stripes at the edge and got down he never tucked in his shirt in his jeans which was odd but very cool to me.
We went to the administrators’ office and from there i got my textbooks, notebooks, school uniform and the writing materials, the private school system was so different from the public school concerning the writing materials. I was asked to sit down while they create my school record and Steven discussed with the school secretary. The school was owned by his mother so he had every right to feel relaxed while i burned inside from phobia.
What would my class mate be like? Would i be able to cope…? I hoped i won’t get into any trouble like i frequently did at the convent school. An elderly man dressed like a commissioner came in with a sober looking boy probably of eighteen years to file his complain.
‘Why in the world was i not contacted when my son refused to come to school for four weeks…..and the school authority kept quiet?’
‘Sir…you would have to wait………..’ The secretary started.
‘Do you know who is standing in front of you?’ The man said not raising his voice but cutting her off rudely.
‘Sir……’
‘I am a commissioner in the house of representative for the federalrepublicofNigeria.’ he boasted
So what? I said inwardly.
‘My son neither wrote the promotional exam nor was promoted to the next class…’
‘Commissioner that was because he was absent during the exams….’
He nodded. ‘….and that is exactly my complain…..don’t you know how busy my life is? No son of mine would have to repeat a class.’
Stephen stood up immediately to rescue the already embarrassed secretary. ‘Your son was absent during exams, if you don’t want him to repeat then take him to another school.’
The man smiled. ‘Stephen, your father is a dear friend of mine.’
‘With all due respect sir, your son has to repeat or take his own examination that he missed and they would be graded immediately.’
The father looked at his son and the boy shook his head.
‘Cant we settle this with money? Promote my son, i am willing to pay any amount…don’t bring this disgrace on me.’
My jam dropped he was attempting to bribe the school authorities, some rich people could be silly, i studied the boy carefully he looked dejected and had a fake sober reflex ion on his cool facial features.
‘I am highly sorry sir…but he has to write the examination.’
The commissioner turned to his son. ‘Very well….son you have no choice but to write the exam.’ He was asked to sit in front of the computer to write his examination and the father excused him……as he sat beside me in front of the huge screen.
The boy stared at the screen blankly and answered very little, the ones he answered were clearly wrong and out of pity i moved closer to him.
‘You obviously don’t know any of it.’ I said.
‘What do you care?’ was his harsh reply that made me blink twice as he stared at me intently.
I shrugged and the smiled to myself.
‘Do you know it?’ he asked.
‘Yes i do, but not everything o!!!’
‘Help me with it….’ He said authoritatively and i turned away, the spoilt brat could not even beg for favor.
‘Please….’he whispered.
That satisfied my ego and i took the mouse from him.
‘Even though i doubt you can answer the question, i have no choice but to let you help me.’ He said later.
Jeez the boy was so annoying but nonetheless, i answered the ones i know and left the rest knowing what i did would fetch him a ‘b upper.’
I wore my school uniform and someone took me to my new class. The classroom was spacious with a fancy chair and table for a person so that meant i would not have to share my sit with anyone. Everyone took note of me but said nothing. The first lecture was geography which was very odd to me because i hated geography and as the period ended i was the first to get out of the class.
After a week i got to know my classmates, the popular girls in the class were the ‘hit girls’ and with Avian as their leader, an extremely pretty miniature Barbie, things worked perfectly fine for them, they all had bleached dark hair and painted their face excessively to make them look like dolls, brag about their boyfriends and never really paid much attention to classes.
Vera and her girls on the other hand were the party rockers, they organized wild parties frequently and never missed any they get drunk every time and they know about the latest dance steps and hit songs.
The guys formed a bad caucus and they were very good at what they do but most of all they were all friendly, because nobody had to prove anything to anyone.
The only girl that caught me by surprise was ‘fat Bose’, she never boasted about anything, she was very quiet and almost every one made fun of her, i was obvious she worried her self with acne a lot, because of her pimples and her hard rimed spectacle.
Today we were having chemistry as our first period and as usual our chemistry teacher decided to come late, the ‘hit girls’ were also absent, the guys sent themselves online messages through their blackberry and so called ‘tablets’, i could tell their subject of discussion was about the last ‘hit’ party they attended.
‘Morning class.’
Mr. Steven stood in front of the noisy class holding our notebooks, as soon as he made known his presence everyone scrambled back to their places and everywhere was in order again.
‘Morning sir.’ They replied grimly
‘I spent the night marking your assignment and i have to confess that i have not seen such a woeful performance.’ He said and the class began to murmur, Daniel a popular trouble marker had bullied me into doing his assignment for him but i fooled him and gave him wrong answers ever since the news of my helping Austin became popular he frequently bullied me into doing his assignment for him, but this time i fooled him into believing that i did the right research, the thought of his annoyed look sent a mischievous little smile to my lips.
He distributed the notes and went to sit at his chair looking round the class, i looked over to David and grinned as he opened his note book, his eyes went blank and they blazed with fury. His facial was expression was so priceless that i held back the grin and looked away. Steven had his white overall on like that of a doctor (anyway he was a doctor) and beneath that was his regular white shirt and blue jean, today he looked exhausted and a bit unhappy which made me wonder why. His hair, darkened by sweat, clung to his head like he had them gelled he caught me staring and i looked away awkwardly.
He stood up and wrote the day’s topic.
‘How can we get a ‘D minus’? ’ Vera asked and Steven turned to look at her.
‘You earned it.’
The class laughed anxiously as the battle with words began.
‘I studied the whole night for this assignment….’ Her eyelids flickered slightly and she smiled. ‘You could have pitied us….sir.’
He went on with his writing not looking back or giving her a reply.
‘I could have repaid you…’she said as her eyes lit up dreamily. ‘In so many ways.’
I had to struggle not to give in to a desire to laugh as she displayed dramatically on her sit as Steven turned to the class for brief explanation the days topic.
The classroom door opened and the ‘late’ Avian came in looking very pretty, even though i knew so little about her i could tell that she was very arrogant and would probably be a snob.
‘Sorry, i am late sir.’
Stephen checked the wall clock and signed. ‘Twenty minutes.’
She looked down and bit on her lips nervously as the whole class watched her closely. ‘I…i had some things to attend to i….had to come late.’
Through out his period there was excessive laughter from the guys and giggle from the girls, it was clear to me that Stephen was a loved teacher even though when it came to education he was very strict, the girls still found a way to flirt with him during classes which i found annoying but yet amusing. The other teachers were different it was only in Steven’s class the girls excessively giggled, joked and made fun of themselves……well it was their cup if tea if they mocked each other and fought over their chemistry teacher who obviously had little interest. He gave us assignment test which we were to submit on his desk the following day as he walked out of the class an angry David stood in front of me and i braced myself for his accusation and my ‘trial’.
The next day during break i made my first friend and i felt like the happiest girl on earth, i met Bose the girl almost every body made fun, i met her crying in the empty theatre all alone, having witnessed her fight with Avian earlier i realized Avian had a wicked sense of humor, Bose did nothing wrong than to ask for a little breathing pace an in front of everyone Avian called her puke and that she smelled like cow shit. I told Bose that to me she was beautiful and did not smell like puke, i asked her if we could be friends and happily said yes and i was glad that she made my day.
Steven also bought me a nice mobile phone and i was very grateful that i felt complete and happy. At night i stayed late in the garden doing a little reminiscence, everything happened to fast for me and i was glad, if only i had a motherly embrace, but i did not need that again i had Steven who i had embraced time without number…to me he was a god sent angel to put an end to my hardship. He was gentle and always ready to listen to me unlike his parents….he showed more interest in my case and it pleased me to see another human interested in my happiness like john, sometimes i could be very shy and stumble on words when he was staring at me but i knew i would find a way to get over the light bubble i feel when ever he was near me.
I took a flower and pressed it to my nose inhaling the sweet fragrance, the garden looked beautiful at night under the naked sky and bright silver moon...
‘I knew i would find you here.’
My head nearly exploded at the sudden voice. You scared me!!!’
‘Sorry i didn’t mean to shock you.’
‘What are you doing out here this late?’ Steven asked.
‘Umm, just thinking and enjoying the scenery.’ I pressed the flower to my nose once more; he was dangerously close behind me.
‘You should do this more often.’ He commented coming to stand beside me.
‘Maybe…..’
He moved around and i could hear his whistling around in the garden. ‘Do you like your new school?’
‘I do…i made a new friend today…’
He looked up from observing the flowers. ‘Really. who?’
‘Her name is Bose….you know her. Don’t you?’
‘I do.’ He answered nonchalantly
‘Do you like her?’ I asked.
‘She has a gentle soul.’ He answered
To my delight he said yes.
I have never seen Steven in a bad mood and i can’t bear to see him unhappy, but, recently i have been witnessing his strange moods, like being absent minded….staring into space frequently. He caught me staring again and i looked away too quickly, feeling suddenly shy and embarrassed.
‘What bothers your mind?’ he asked as he picked up a noisy insect and gently folded it in a neat handkerchief.
‘You.’ I said bluntly.
He stopped and looked up startled, his left eyebrow was raised slightly and i blinked occasionally, trying to swallow the emotions choking my throat.
‘Me?’ he asked
‘Yes…am worried that one day you might hate me and send me packing.’ He shook his head in disbelief coming over to where i stood. ‘I have seen you look at me with regret and something i can’t decipher…and it scares me to think that you would send me away one day.’
He smiled. ‘What made you think i would send you away?’
‘Stella told me that…’
He hushed me. ‘Don’t believe anything Stella tells you. Do you understand?’
I shook my head and he came a bit closer and took my hand in his. ‘You have a soft heart eve, after all she has done, and you still like her?’
I nodded.
‘Why? He asked.
‘i don’t know, i don’t want to blame her because she hates me….she said am a thief and that i would steal everything she has, she said you would send me packing………’
He chuckled softly and i frowned. ‘I told you not to believe anything he tells you.’
I turned my attention back to the flower as he focused on the insect, life must be good to him. I wished i knew what was going on in his mind.
‘Good night.’ I said stretching and yawning at the same time.
‘Good night.’ He replied softly. ‘Sweet dreams.’
Stella was wrong after all Steven liked me and he would never send me away.
Love.
Me.