Chapter 4 - The Pact

"Don't worry I'll help you fold them back. Stop crying " She was almost whispering.

I looked at the light skinned girl who had helped me. She immediately got up and took the hangers from me.

" You can continue with the other things lemme do this one"

I nodded as I tried to control the tears.

She carefully organized the clothes and put them in my locker after sweeping out the dirts.

When she was done, she approached the bed to sit but I pleaded,

"Please help me"

"Okay"

She said and went back to my things.

*****

We were almost done. I must say, our team work was superb. She organized the things into the locker while I handed them over to her at her polite request. I also gathered the empty packets of soaps and other things that littered the place, she advised me to do this too.

She also helped me dress my bed. Then she folded my pink duvet and placed at the foot of my bed. I figured that every student present in the Hostel had the same color of duvet. I wasn't surprised, it was given to us by the school so I guessed the school wanted Uniformity as our bedsheets were same too although they asked us to make bold embroideries of our names on them.

"Please pass the bk padlock let me lock the box containing the provisions" She said and I handed it over to her.

Our provisions were beverages and cereals we were asked to come with in case we got hungry before or after Dinning time. Mommy bought excess of it although there was no limitation but to me 3 Family size packets each of Milo, Milk, Golden Morn, Rice Crispies, Coco Pops and Frosties were so much. She even included some packets of cabin biscuits, Milo crunches, sugar, peanut butter for my bread and smaller sachets of milk 'just in case' according to her.

When the girl was done, we placed the boxes on the top of my locker. But we stood them so they wouldn't take the space belonging to other people.

"Done!" She said and stretched gently.

"Thank You" I said. Only that, I really meant it this time.

"You're welcome. I don't even know your name "

"Menma. You?"

"Tolu Adediji"

That was how we talked for a while about random things.

*****

"Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding..." The sound of the bell was continuous it woke us from the short nap we had fallen into on opposite beds. I really hated that sound.

"Leave the Hostel it's dinning time" The girl with the bell got into our Hostel as she continued ringing the bell.

"Get your cutlery and leave now"

Tolu and I hurriedly got ours. Mommy had told me to put it in a place I could easily access.

I waited for Tolu at the door as she had to go to her bed to get her own cutlery.

Outside our Hostel, we saw dozens of other students. Some were excited, some were normal, hopeful if I may say, some were angry,some isolated themselves from others while I saw some with red eyes. We followed the crowd, hoping they led to the dinning hall.

"Be Quiet!!

If I get you talking!!

Shut up oh!!"

Different Students I presumed were prefects screamed differently as we entered the Dinning Hall.

The Dinning Hall was really large. There were long tables and seats arranged till the end of it and water dispensers were placed at different points. The coolers with our food had already arrived, they were small ceramic coolers. I was guessing that a few of us would be asked to share the food in one.

"12 per table, 6 on each seat

Oya Oya

12 per table, 6 on each seat" A Prefect shouted and everybody quickly adjusted.

It seemed like they were very eager to eat, unlike me. I couldn't careless about anything, I just wanted to go home and meet my Mommy. I blinked back the tears, this wasn't the best place to cry.

Some of the Prefects began to carefully place coolers of food and 12 glass plates on each table after which they shared the food in the cooler equally amongst us.

When the Prefect on my table opened the cooler and began to share, my heart broke a into a million pieces; it was Yam Pottage. I hated Yam pottage, Mommy would never prepare it for me at home. Never. But my consolation was that I never planned to eat and once I declared it on my table, two girls that sat on my table pounced on my food hungrily.

Who rushes for a meal as horrible as that?

While we were rounding up our meal, some prefects came to address us. They told us a whole lot; about the school rules and school time table, how to address a Senior Student, how to even know a Senior Student and a lot more.

"Welcome to The Rock's oh" One had said as she and other Prefects laughed at a joke the rest of us were yet to get. She continued,

"Shey we are Sisters? We have a Sister Hood Pact oh. Harro oh.

Whatever Happens in the Hostel!!"

"Stays in the Hostel!!!" Other Prefects screamed

"At The Rock's

Whatever Happens in the Hostel!!!" She called out again.

"Stays in the Hostel!!!" The Prefects screamed again excitedly.

*

Whatever Happens in the Hostel

Stays in the Hostel, what did that even mean?

*

"The Hostel gowns of Senior Students which we refer to as Day Wears have the V-neck not the round neck that the Juniors have. SS3 Students put on the Green Check Day wears while the rest of the school puts on the Red Check although by next term when we hand over the Prefect-ship Positions to the SS2 class, they would begin to put on this color as well.

For the School Uniform, just like every other Secondary School out there, the Senior Students put on Skirt while the Junior Students put on The Pinafore.

New Senior Girls amongst you, if you don't tuck your shirt into your skirt at any point during school period or in the school block, you would put on the pinafore for a whole week"

The girl who spoke had this carriage and prestige. In fact, she had introduced herself as the Senior Prefect and she asked us to refer to her as Senior Ima as her name was Imabong Edet.

After we had been addressed, we went in to have our bath then we had our night devotion during which we sang hymns and prayed.

After this, the bell rang again and a similar voice to the one that had accompanied it earlier screamed,

"LIGHTS !!!!!! OUT!!!!!!"

And that was how the lights in our Hostel were switched off.

Every where became dark.

I couldn't believe I wasn't going to sleep off in Mommy's room as I usually did while she waited for my Dad who usually came home from work late. I always held unto her firmly and slept as she occupied herself with Tv series. I was always carried to my room by my Dad. I knew this because sometimes I woke up in the course of the journey plus my Mommy couldn't carry me, she was petite and fragile.

I felt alone and scared, I never slept in the dark. I missed my Parents and I wanted to go back home immediately. Tears flowed effortlessly out of my eyes and I cried bitterly until I slept off.