By the time we got to the school, there was already a large crowd at every corner. We went to the notice board in front of the hall where we had our interview about a month ago. It explained all the processes new intakes had to take to get registered and settled in.
The first step was paying the school fees and being assigned a class but as I was on scholarship, we skipped that process. I was assigned to class 1B and got registered.
The next stop was the hostel where we are to get our uniforms and be assigned a house and room.
On getting to the hostel, my belongings were searched properly at the gate to make sure I didn't bring in any contraband items.
"What's your name?" A prefect asked me after I had been searched.
"Elsie Williams"
"You have been assigned to Sapphire House. Here are your uniforms."
I wasn't happy that I was assigned sapphire house as I wanted to be In Emerald House as I had been in the Green House in my primary school. There were four houses; Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst and Ruby house.
I thought we were going to stay in the main building but we were led to another smaller building with only two floors. When we got to the building, we saw a group of parents talking in hushed tones and complaining and when we asked, we were told that there were not enough rooms for the new intakes. The new intakes had to be moved to the old building.
"This is not right. How do you expect our children to stay there after paying a huge sum of money as school fees."
"Couldn't they have made proper arrangements?"
The voices of the parents went on and on even though the matron tried to calm them down.
We left the angry crowd and entered the hostel. It was as big as a hall used for an event with bunk beds lined up on both sides and enough space in the middle. Two bunks were joined together creating a space, a little corner. Each corner was meant for four students and had a rotating fan attached to the ceiling. At the extremities there were shelves where everyone could keep their belongings, they looked like cupboards and they were all numbered. The hostel was painted in a warm blue shade which was a sharp contrast to the sunset orange painted on the walls outside the building.
To get a bed space, you had to look for your number on the bunks.
"What's your number?" Mom asked me.
"Sixty-two" I replied.
We all began looking for the bed with the number and after a while, we found it in the centre of the hostel. My bed was on top of the bunker. All the beds were neatly made with orange bedsheets bearing the school's logo with a blanket by the bedside. We were also provided with a pair of shoes, sandals, flip-flops and a bucket arranged neatly for everybody.
Mom and Dad helped me to unpack my stuff and arrange everything in my cupboard and locked it.
"Should I help you to put up your mosquito net or would you do that later on?" Dad asked me.
I didn't respond as I was absent-minded. I only replied when Dad tapped me on the shoulder.
"Yes, I won't be able to do it myself."
We chatted for a while while I tried to familiarise myself with getting on and off my bed. Luckily, it had a ladder attached to it.
"Elsie, won't you fall from up here?" Fred asked me.
"I won't fall. I am not a terrible sleeper like you." I chuckled.
"I am not. By the way, no one else has arrived in your corner." Fred noted.
"It's still early, they will all be here very soon," Mom replied.
"Do you still have any other thing to do here?" Dad asked me.
"No, I'm done."
"Change into your daywear so we can take your dress with us. You can't keep mufti wears in school." Mom said.
"Ok," I replied in a sober tone.
"Are you leaving now?" I asked as tears welled up in my eyes.
"No, we are not leaving now. We just want to take a stroll with you. We can't keep sitting on this small bed. My body is cramped up. I need to stretch myself." Dad replied seeing the tears in my eyes.
He had wanted to leave soon but changed his mind at that moment.
My family waited outside for me while I changed. My day wear was a blue check short-sleeved straight gown.
"Mom, I am done," I said to her as I paraded myself in front of them.
"You look so pretty in your uniform. You do look like a high schooler." Mom hugged me.
"Gather round let's take a picture," Dad said to us.
After taking some selfies, group photos and my personal photos Dad announced that it was time for them to go home.
"I don't want to go now. Let's spend some more time with Elsie." Fred whined.
"It's already 5 pm. We need to get going so Elsie can join her mates. Can't you see they are already going out for games?" Dad explained to Fred.
Everybody sighed as we all walked slowly towards the gate. Fred clung to me like a bug and won't let go of me.
I was already crying when we got to the gate and tried hard to contain my tears.
"Don't cry. We will be coming to see you on visiting days." Dad hugged me and wiped my tears.
I went to hug Mom and discovered that she was sobbing. I hugged her and she said the same thing to me, urging me to take care of myself.
"Elsie, I am going to miss you." Fred bawled as he cried his eyes out.
Seeing Fred cry like that, my heart felt heavy as I consoled him. Dad remained calm and sober as if he was trying to control his emotions.