"I know the feeling like you'll never win.
Your heart's in the washer, your head's in the spin.
You try and you try, but you can't catch a break.
But sometimes believing is all that it takes."
- Magical Thinker (You know it's about you).
___
"They're here! They're here!" Someone shouted. I raised my head from my locker and looked towards the door. It was EBA who just ran in shouting. Everyone else in the hall were also looking at the door.
"Ehh! See as all of them looked at me, it's April fool oh." EBA shouted as he started laughing. People hissed and some insulted him.
April fool in mid April? O ga, it's good to have sense in this life.
"EBA, I swear, you don't have sense." Someone said.
"And he'll think it's funny." Another person replied. Soon, everyone began to scold EBA and he also tried defending himself that he was only joking as I laid my head back on my locker.
Proprietor told us the students from Great Leaders would arrive today. Everyone has been eager to see them since morning. Most of my classmates have resumed to the hostel including Lydia, Rachel and Jetemi. As for me, I should have resumed but I fell really ill two days to my resumption. Due to this, my dad said I should stay home for about a week more, until I'm fine. My mum kept saying it's a sign that I'm already missing home.
I have an injection to take by 1pm. So, my dad should be in school probably by 12 or some minutes to 1pm. After the injection, I'll return to school.
"Demilade." Someone called and I recognised the voice as Jetemi's.
"Uhn?" I replied, raising my head.
"How's your health?"
"I'm better now. Thank you."
"Thank God. Ehm, just wanted to tell you Aunty Tilly is around and if you're fit–"
"Wait, wait. Aunty Tilly has resumed? Are you serious?" I questioned her eagerly as I sprang up from my seat.
"Yes nah. Are you that anxious to see her?" She asked.
"Omo. I've really missed her oh. Plus I want to see her baby. Have you gone to meet her? Is her baby a male or female?" I asked Jetemi anxiously.
"Calm down, Demi. She's sort of sad at the moment."
"Sad? Why? Plus why has she resumed this early? I thought she was supposed to be on leave for about a month or two?" I asked.
"She came because of the students joining us today. You know she's the registrar. It wouldn't make sense when they ask for the registrar and she's absent."
"Ohh. But why is she sad?"
"Ah! You ask too many questions. When you see her, you'll ask her yourself."
"Sorry jor ah. I'm just curious." I said. "So, are you less busy now so that we can go now?"
"Yes, let's go. Though, I'm looking for Lydia. I don't know where she is." Jetemi replied, looking around the hall.
"Guys!" Rachel exclaimed as she walked to us.
"Rachel." Jetemi and I replied.
"Do you guys know Aunty Tilly is back?" She asked.
"Yes, I just came to tell Demilade." Jetemi replied.
"Eh. So when are we going to meet her?" Rachel asked.
"We were about going there." I replied. "Have you seen Lydia?"
"Are you people mad? Now? You people want to go and work abi? " Rachel said.
"I don't get." Jetemi replied.
"If we go now, we'll sweep her office, wash her plates, she might even send us to help her fetch water in her bottle and even go to the nearest eatery to help her buy food. Have you guys forgotten?" Rachel replied.
"Ah, it's true oh." Jetemi and I chorused.
"So, let those S.S.S. 2 girls that went to meet her do all the work. When they're done, we'll go and greet her." Rachel said and we laughed.
"You're smart oh." I said.
"I know, right!" Rachel said and turned to leave. She has gotten to the door of the hall when she ran back to meet me. "Demilade, Demilade."
"What? What's wrong?"
"Initially, what I came here to say is that–" She was saying when Thomas, who was standing beside the door of the hall interrupted her.
"Demilade! Your father is here oh." He called.
"My dad?" I said and checked the time on my wrist watch. The time was 11:00 already. "Why is he here this early?" I muttered. Then, I turned to Rachel. "You were saying?"
"That's what I came here to tell you. I got here and forgot. So, when I was about leaving the hall, I remembered again." She replied.
"Ah, so he has been around for a while?" I asked, realising I've been keeping him waiting. I quickly packed my bag and gave it to Jetemi. "Please, help me take care of my bag. Thank you." I dropped it on her hand and ran out of the hall. I sighted my dad from afar talking to Daddy Agric, the Vice Principal 1. I rushed down to meet them.
"Good afternoon, sir." I greeted Daddy Agric.
"How're you? I sent Rachel to call you."
"Yes sir. Thank you sir." I replied. He and my dad finished their discussion and we walked to his car parked in front of the school gate.
• • •
I watched my dad's car zoom off. I looked inside the nylon he gave to me. There was a bottle of Ribena, glucose and ORS water. I shook my head as I closed the nylon and walked inside the school.
"How will someone buy you Ribena, glucose and ORS water together? When it's not that I'm about to die and I've lost all my energy and strength. Small Malaria oh. They should have kukuma added Lucozade boost too." I said to myself as I shook my head again. I greeted the gateman and walked towards the hall. Everywhere was silent.
Of course, students were in their classes and teachers were teaching them but there were no S.S.S. 3 students in sight, not even on the field. I shrugged and walked towards the hall. It was also silent.
What's going on?, I thought.
I walked towards the back door of the hall. I turned the knob but it didn't open. I turned it again but it still didn't open. It seemed the door was locked from inside. I walked to the front door and saw that it was open. I hid behind it and peeped inside the hall to first see what was going on. The proprietor and principal were standing on the podium. This means they were addressing my classmates. No wonder the hall was quiet.
I stood behind the door for awhile, thinking of maybe to go in or not. To walk inside in front of everyone till I go to my seat, everyone will look at me for a while wondering where I went to. I sighed and stood there trying to calm myself down. After about a minute or two, I walked in. The hall was unnecessarily quiet and it made it more uneasy that all attention would be on me. I looked at the podium immediately I entered and greeted the proprietor and principal.
"Good morning, sir."
"Ehh, 1:00PM!" Someone exclaimed.
These people cannot even cover someone up for small mistake.
"Ah, sorry. Good afternoon, sir." I said to the proprietor.
"Teniola, how're you doing?" Proprietor replied.
"Where are you coming from? I ordered all S.S.S. 3 students here since about thirty minutes ago." The principal said.
"I wasn't around. My dad just dropped me off minutes ago." I replied.
"You're just coming to school?" Proprietor asked.
O ga. Wahala for who no dey around since thirty minutes ago oh.
"No sir. He came to pick me up. We went to the hospital."
"Why? Is everything okay?" Proprietor asked, looking a bit worried.
"Yes sir. I'm a bit sick and I had to take an injection."
"How's your health now?"
"I'm fine, sir. Thank you, sir."
He motioned his hands towards my classmates' direction which means he was telling me to go sit down. I turned and my eyes went wide open. There were new faces among my classmates. The new faces were all in a uniform that wasn't for our school. It was then realisation hit me. Great Leaders students have arrived!
I was embarrassed at first. Why do I have to come late in a situation like this? I was on a spot for about thirty seconds, then I began to walk to them slowly. I sighted Jetemi on her seat and i walked to her first.
"Where's my bag?" I asked her.
"It's on your table." She replied.
I turned to look at my table in the front line and saw that a student from GL was seated on it. I sighed and walked to my seat. The person placed my bag on the table and put her elbow on the bag, resting her jaw on her arm.
"Excuse me." I said.
"Uhn?" The girl replied as she looked at me.
"I want to take my bag." I said and she raised her elbow from the bag. I opened the bag and dropped the nylon I was carrying in it. I closed the bag and looked around, probably I'd see any empty seat but there was none. Some people were even sharing seats. I told the girl on my seat to shift a little and she did. Then, we sat together.
"So, like I said earlier, I want everyone of you to be of good conduct as your exams will start fully next week. Your uniforms would be given to you before the end of this week including your house wears. You can still put on mufti after school hours pending the time you'll be given your house wears." Proprietor said and paused. "I welcome you all to The Empires College once again. I hope you all will be in your best behaviours throughout your stay here." As soon as he finished, someone clapped and like that, everyone of us joined in and we clapped for the proprietor. Then, the principal walked towards us to address us.
"No fights and I want understanding between every single one of you! Is that clear?"
"Yes sir!" We chorused. That said, he walked to the proprietor, they talked for a while and when they were done, they dismissed us and walked out of the hall. Immediately they walked out, the hall scattered. Everyone started making noise. The girl sitting with me stood up and walked towards her other classmates. I sat comfortably on my seat and brought out a biscuit from my bag. I was about tearing the nylon when someone snatched it from me. I turned to see who the intruder was.
"It's junk food that'll kill you. Is this what you're supposed to be eating? A sick person?" Demmie said.
"Yenyenyen. Give me my biscuit."
"Come and collect it nah." He said and walked away. I stood up immediately and turned to look at where he was going.
"Demmie!" I shouted amidst the noise.
He kept walking and when he got to the back of the hall, he sat down with Fiyin and the other guys. I sighed and was about walking to meet them when Lydia hugged me from the back.
"Big head!" She poked my head.
"Lydia! I was looking for you in the morning. Where were you?"
"VP 2 called me jor." She said and released me from the hug. "How's your health now?"
"I'm better now. Thank you." I said to her with a smile.
"Aunt Tilly is back! Do you know? Her baby is so fine. If you see her, oh my God!" She squealed as she explained.
"Wait, the baby is a girl?"
"Yes nah. She's so cute ehn."
"Awwwn. Please let's go and see her. Please please please." I begged her because I didn't want to go to Aunt Tilly's office alone.
"Should we go now? This place is even noisy and boring." She asked.
"Oya nah. By the way, how's the school hostel?"
"Uh." She said and paused. "We thank God. You know most people haven't resumed, so it's just like half of us in SSS3 are the only ones in school and all. When are you resuming?"
"Probably this Saturday."
"Yay! I can't wait."
"Since GL students have resumed, it won't be boring again now. You just wait and see." I said and she shrugged. We were about walking out of the hall when we met Jetemi by the door, about coming in.
"Guys, where are you going?" She asked.
"Demilade hasn't seen Aunt Tilly's baby so I'm accompanying her there." Lydia said and I nodded.
"Ah, you people should do that one later jor." Jetemi said with a slight frown and a pleading look.
"Why?" I asked.
"Proprietor said that stupid boy and I should gather everyone and we should do introduction and all."
"Which stupid boy?" I asked.
"Who else will it be if not Fiyin?" Lydia said and I laughed.
"The stupid boy isn't doing anything! I'm the one Proprietor is calling here and there to do this and that. Is it not senior boy they're supposed to call?!" She ranted on and on.
"Calm down. You have signed for better for worse with Fiyin and the school." I said jokingly.
"Ehn?"
"Ehn nah. Was that not what both of you said during your swearing in programme?" I said and Lydia started laughing.
"You're mad, Demi. You weren't even here sef." Jetemi said smiling.
"I don't have to be here before I know nah." I said.
"See, nah you sabi. You people should sha come inside and assist me." Jetemi said and the three of us walked inside the hall together. We stood in front, staring at the scattered and noisy hall.
"How do I even get all these people's attention?" Jetemi said looking anxious.
"Maybe we should tell Fiyin to–"
"Hello! Announcement! You all should listen up!" Lydia interrupted me by shouting on top of her voice which gained everyone's attention immediately.
"Wow." I muttered. "She's good."
"Thank you, Lydia." Jetemi muttered to Lydia before walking forward. Then, all attention was on her so she started talking. "Please, can you all get a place to sit? We have something we need to do. The order is from the Proprietor, please."
The hall became noisy again as everyone dragged chairs and tables and moved from one place to another to sit. Fiyin and Demmie came to meet us on the podium. Jetemi walked to where we stood, glaring at Fiyin.
"What are you guys doing? What did Proprietor say you should do?" Fiyin asked us.
"Yenyenyen. Better stay here and be ready to introduce yourself and tell all of them to introduce themselves one after the other." Jetemi said to him.
"Me ke? Is it not you Proprietor told? Better do your thing yourself. You've started it already, so end it too." Fiyin said.
"It doesn't make sense, guy. Act like the senior boy." Demmie said to him.
"Whatever. It's because of you oh."
"You're not supposed to do it. Ode." Lydia and I chorused and Jetemi laughed. Fiyin hissed and walked to the front. The hall was arranged already and everyone were seated.
"Good afternoon, guys. I welcome you all to TEC. Our school is fun and our students are one of the best you'll ever meet so, you all are lucky to be here with us." Fiyin said and paused. "We were told to do introduction and get to know one another. So, I'll start from myself. I'm Fiyinfoluwa, the senior prefect boy of TEC. Don't bother about my surname. Here with me are. . ." He paused and turned to us behind him. He motioned to us to come nearer. We walked to where he stood and faced the audience.
"Oluwajetemi, senior prefect girl." Jetemi said with a smile and everyone of them clapped.
"Lydia, laboratory prefect girl." They clapped once again.
"I'll say my own surname oh. Adekunle Ademola." I expected them to clap when Demmie talked but nobody did. We looked at each other and Demmie looked embarrassed.
"Why ain't you guys clapping?" I said, loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear me.
"Doesn't he have a post? If he isn't a prefect, why is he on the stage with the rest?" A girl replied me from the back and some people giggled.
"Abi oh. As fine as he is, he's not a prefect." Another one replied and half of the hall started laughing. We turned to face Demmie and he looked really embarrassed and somehow annoyed. He was about walking away when Fiyin dragged his hand back.
"Order! Is it a must we say our posts? Well since y'all dwell on posts in your school, meet Demola the assistant senior prefect boy!" Fiyin said and almost, if not all TEC students gasped including me.
Demmie turned to face Fiyin with a 'what are you doing' look. To calm the tension and avoid suspicions, I started clapping and soon everyone in the hall joined in. Demmie mouthed a 'we'll talk later' to Fiyin and he nodded. When everyone stopped clapping, they turned to face me.
"What?" I asked.
"Intro now."
"Oh." I said and faced the audience. "I'm Ten–"
"Demilade!" Jetemi called me quietly and I turned to look at her. "Give yourself a post. Probably library prefect girl or anything, you get?"
"Don't worry. That girl that lacks home training, let her say anything to me and you'll see if i'll not make her cry with insults today." I said and Jetemi said 'Ah.'
Then, I turned to face the audience again. Some of them were discussing and there were murmurs here and there. "I'm Teniola Oluwademilade. Nice to meet you all."
Immediately I talked, someone from the audience shouted 'lingerie!' and GL students burst into laughter. I didn't understand at first till my mind wandered to the spelling bee and how we were disqualified because of the word 'lingerie'. Someone must have told them about what happened that day.
"You people should stop your noise now, what's all this?!" A guy stood up and shouted. They all went silent immediately and I was surprised. When the guy turned to sit down, I saw his face and he looked familiar. It was then I realized he's Lolade, the guy that introduced himself to me on the spelling bee day. Someone clapped and I was jerked back to reality. Soon, the whole hall was clapping and I heaved a sigh of relief, thanks to Lolade.
From there, other students from both TEC and GL stood up and introduced themselves one after the other. There were no arguments whatsoever again and it became fun and interesting. I remembered something and looked around the hall to search for someone but didn't see him. I looked at where Lolade was seated but still didn't see the person I was looking for.
Why isn't he here?, I thought.
Almost immediately, someone entered the hall with a school bag and a travel bag. We all turned towards the direction of the door. Immediately the GL students sighted the person, some of the girls squealed.
"Bomi!" They exclaimed.
And that was who I was looking for - Bomi. Lolade stood up from his seat to meet him by the door where he stood, stating at everyone. A pretty young lady walked into the hall at that moment. Her hairdo was so neat I couldn't stop staring at it. It was large braids and it fitted her perfectly. She was on a crop top and joggers with black sneakers. Immediately she walked in, the GL students shouted.
"Ifeeee!" The GL girls screamed and that was how the hall scattered. They rushed to meet the girl and they hugged her. We TEC students just stared at the drama going on.
This is going to be a very long term, I thought. These Great Leaders students are something else.
_____
Once again, thank you all for standing by me. My account was hacked so I took a very long break, just to be back to meet all this. Well, I had to take it from there cause it has gone a long way. Thank you so much, you all. I'm back now.
Hope this chapter wasn't boring? I hope to make it better with each passing chapter.
With Love, Tao.