CHAPTER 1
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It was a bright morning for just about everyone but me. Anxiety hung all over my face like makeup. It was my first day at a new school, my eldest brother Sammy, on the other hand was happy about this. He was going to have a sibling at his school. He had been there by himself for two years. I wasn't a big fan of school and had a dislike for social gatherings, was extremely introverted and only comfortable around family members. I had problems expressing my feelings and bottled most of my emotions. The world is a busy place, one that required us to speak up if we wanted to be heard. "Let's go man! We are extremely late!", Sammy shouted to me from the distance. He had realized his little brother was behind, lost in thought. It was natural for anyone to be nervous on their first day of anything, even adults were nervous so it was perfectly normal. "You don't have to worry about a thing, your classroom won't be far from mine since you're a secondary student", said Sammy in confidence. He was always filled with an optimism that came from great deals of certainty, it was a trait worth admiring. He was one of the most popular students in the school and that made me feel uneasy because it meant unwavering levels of attention. He had built a reputation so huge and was positive that everyone would love to meet his brother. His words gave me a mound of relief despite being a temporary one. It would prevent me from experiencing a heart attack before our arrival.
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We had just gotten off public transport when we began hearing chants. It was coming from a building nearby, at the top of the hill. I stared into the distance and realized Sammy was putting on the same uniform as a student in the distance. "Are we heading to that school uphill?", I asked with a shaking voice. Subtle signs of fear written all over my face. I could feel a disturbance in my stomach, my neck felt tingly as sweat rolled down my neck. Going to a school burdened my chest, having to move to a new one did worse. For me, It meant I had to socialize, assess the individuals, make new friends…and enemies. It meant starting life all over. We hurriedly approached the gate in an attempt to convince the gatekeeper we were serious students.
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Hilltop Secondary school had over 500 students despite being a private school. Schools owned by individuals rarely went past 300 since they were less affordable than the ones owned by the government. The parents who chose the public schools did so as a result of the financial discrepancies in existing families…the economy had taken a nosedive. We had been checked at the gate thoroughly, a common measure taken by private schools to avoid foreign objects like phones and other objects being brought to school. We both moved into the assembly line, getting separated according to our classes. I felt abandoned like a bean dropped into a bowl of corn. The only being I was comfortable with, had disappeared into a crowd of students. I struggled to maintain my composure as I searched for my savior. "Quiet, all of you!", roared the principal. I jerked in shock as I wondered how she appeared at the podium. The students got too noisy and comfortable with chit chats no one had seen her mount. She felt disrespected by their indifference. The principal of Hilltop, Mrs Bunmi Adenuga was a middle aged woman known for her little to no tolerance for indiscipline and lack of conduct. She was feared by all students as many had encountered her rage. It was rumored "An unforgettable encounter".
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The gathering was over and Sammy was eager to show me to my new class. He had taken up the responsibility to ensure my settling in was an easy one. He was a good elder brother, he stood for his little brother and took responsibility for us and our actions. As a younger one, the feeling was unmatched…having someone who would put you behind their back when you got intimidated by the outside world. I loved him for that. He wasn't the best elder brother, he had his demons, his flaws would fill a bucket but it didn't matter at this point. He got my back and that was all that mattered to me. "Ta-daa! This is your new class!", exclaimed sammy with a smirk on his face. "It's close to mine, don't hesitate to let me know if someone bullies you or takes your stuff, there are a lot of bullies here". Sammy tapped me at the back as he looked me in the eye. I knew that stare, it said so much without having to speak. I knew he cared for me, I knew he wanted my day to end well and for me to feel comfortable at the new school. He had said all these in a stare, the bond between brothers was indeed underestimated. In a flash, he was off to his class. Left alone but more confident, he had given me the confidence I needed to start the day. I walked into the classroom he had pointed to me, it seemed lifeless as I took the first steps but the opposite when I went further, a thousand faces all went up at me…including the teacher's. He had been in the middle of an illustration when I walked in. I froze, Never had I been assaulted with so much attention. It made me wonder how the teachers could put up with having all the students giving all that attention, and yet they demanded more of it from students. My legs shook as sweat ran down my face, neck and legs. After several seconds of silence, I could not bear it. I walked through the seats hoping the students hoping they would all play indifferent to my presence but my hopes were dashed as they all stared consistently. Midway into my bold march, a voice came from the front of the classroom. "Young man, come here!". I turned over in fright, I spotted an angry face pointing at me with a marker. At this point, I hoped the ground would open and swallow my existence…that never happened so I had to face him. "Are you blind?, how dare you walk in here like that? Have you no manners?". I was numb to the core, feeling lesser than who I was, I tried to speak but words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I stood there trembling like a leaf. "What is your name?", the teacher asked as he drew closer to me. He was furious and looked like he was up to no good. "My name is Josh", I stammered. "A-haa! You must be the new student they spoke to me about", said the teacher as his face loosened up. "Find a place to settle son, I'm rounding up". I heaved a sigh of relief as I walked past the lockers looking for a vacant one. Things had turned around for my good, My angry teacher welcoming me into class…certainly didn't see that one coming. I searched on and on but there were no vacant lockers upfront. Heading to the back, I saw a few and proceeded to pick one up when a backbencher asked me to become his seat neighbor. I stared back at him in confusion, His confidence baffled me. Lost in thought, I wondered his motive for wanting me as a seat neighbor. I stared unnoticed at his book from the distance, he had been drawing the whole class. He was a backbencher for a good reason. The smart ones were never allowed to sit at the back even if they wanted. At this rate I greatly considered turning down this stranger's offer but I had no options left. Besides, a seat upfront would mean so much attention for a lad like me who's dream was to be unnoticed. It was imminent that I'd suffer from a great deal of attention if I was moved upfront.
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My new classroom contained about 53 students, I was the last admitted pupil, a late entry. I could remember my caregivers pleading that I be given the admission and how they rambled on and on about how it would save them a year of babysitting. I wondered how one would beg so much for an acceptance he would eventually pay for. My mind was the most curious I had met. It questioned so much, everything around it. Suddenly I could hear a faint voice, not sure what it kept saying but it started off vague till I could hear my name. Startled, i could feel someone touch my elbows. I followed the direction of the touch to realize it was a student attempting to call my attention. He looked me in the eye as he pointed in the opposite direction, my gaze followed his fingers as it rested on the teacher. The man had lost his patience, it was written all over his face. His composure had melted away. At this rate he probably had no problem strangling the young man that had caused him so much irritation, but he was a teacher and had to live by example, He is expected to be a role model to the students at school. He managed to gather his composure amidst the obvious frustration written on his face and fists. He tried to avert all the attention directed at him with sarcasm. "Young man! are you a statue?", said the teacher in a harsh tone. The class roared in laughter.His frustration had disappeared, his face all bright with teeth that shone in the dark, he was enjoying the approval the students had given to his little joke. I was happy for a different reason, one known only to me. My happiness was as a result of the change that had occurred in the room, it was icy and dull at first…now it had turned around to warm and conducive. His joke had saved me a great deal of anxiety, I was grateful. Without further a-do, I settled into the only vacant locker I had found. It was beside the stranger who requested I become his neighbor, he had the smile on his face as before, it spelt friendly and non-judgemental. It was what I needed at the moment, since there was so much confidence to build. It was a class of 53 students, it wasn't going to be easy. Everyone scaled through the day with laughter as the hours went by…In the end, it was a day worth labeling "a great first day at school".
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