Chapter 8 - Little Things

"Hey come down!!

Where were you last night??" My bunk mate asked as I climbed down the ladder.

The bell just rang and I was too sad to be having a good sleep, so I dashed out of bed. My bunk mate was already dressed in her Uniform. It seemed Seniors had a different rising time.

"I was at the right wing" I said.

"The right wing?

Is that where your bed is?

You've already started moving around at night baa?

Don't you know it's too early to start lesbianism?

Ehn?"

She gave me a dirty slap that made my head jam against my locker.

What on Earth did I ever do to her? Had I offended her somehow and I couldn't remember. Why would you just meet someone and from the first day be hostile towards that person? This was another thing that didn't make sense to me.

"Irene what is it?"

Another Senior also fully dressed in her Uniform asked my bunk mate as she came into the scene.

She was the one who slept on the bunk that was joined to ours. The lower bed to be precise. So according to the school's vocabulary, she was the side mate to my bunk mate and I had heard my bunk mate refer to her as 'Kechi' twice or thrice. She had obviously been attracted by the sound my head made when it hit the locker.

"Is it not you I am talking to?!!!" My bunk mate screamed, completely ignoring the other Senior Student, Senior Kechi.

Anger welled up inside of me and I said nothing. This was the least thing I wanted to face this morning.

"Oya kneel down since you're now deaf and dumb. You'll stand up when you receive your healing" She said again pulling my ear.

I knelt down angrily as a tear raced down my left cheek making me hate her even more.

It was about 30 minutes later, by 6:15 that she released me and left the Hostel with her things after raining insults on me and making me cry.

She had ruined the morning of my first day at school. Great!

I rushed to the bathroom to take a quick shower and brush my teeth. Mommy made me promise her that I'll brush my teeth every morning at school as she wouldn't be here to remind or force me. I had issues brushing my teeth, I only liked to use my mouth wash and Mommy said my teeth and gum needed some scrubbing as well.

I missed my Mommy so much. I loved her so much, she was my Angel, my everything, my best friend.

I had to be very quick while having my bath as Morning Duty was by 6:30am and today we were told that the Labour Prefect would paste a new list of Morning Duties that will incorporate duties assigned to we the new students.

When I got back to my corner, my heart melted. I saw Tolu dressing my bed and Senior Kechi, the Senior from earlier this morning was neatly placing my School Uniform, Underwear and Socks at the head of my bed.

I was short of words.

Immediately the Senior saw me, she handed me my Deodorant ,

"Here, apply that quickly.

I put your body cream in your school bag. I'll advice that you apply it when you leave the Hostel, you don't have time again."

"Thank you Senior Kechi" I said and I curtseyed out of reflex.

She laughed,

" You know my name"

I didn't know if that was a question so I just gave a brief laughter.

I quickly sprung into my clothing as Tolu helped me polish my shoe.

Senior Kechi left immediately she saw that I was almost done, telling us to leave the Hostel quickly.

So a whole Senior Girl in this school could stoop low to help a Junior student like me because she saw how badly I needed this help?

Little things that matter.

As Tolu and I were leaving the Hostel, the bell for Morning Duty rang.

"Go to the front of the Dinning and Check the notice board for your place of Duty!!!!!

Everybody leave here now to the front of the Dinning Hall.

If I should get there before you!!!

If I should get to the Dinning before you!!!"

That was how the Stampede started. Everybody started running towards the Dinning. I held Tolu's hand and pulled her along. I was very scared.

Was it that nobody walked in this school?

The front of the Dinning was crowded so we stayed behind the Students. I was never used to struggling for things. I waited my turn and used the opportunity to see how Tolu was fairing.

"What are you going to do about the Seniors that are keen on dealing with you?"

I asked and that was when I noticed how red and swollen her eyes were. She had been crying a lot. You could see marks of fingers on her face too. Those cruel Seniors!

"I don't know." She sniffed as tears gathered in her eyes.

She continued,

"I'm just very scared.

If I had known, I would have failed the Entrance Exam to this School on purpose. When my cousin told me my Sister was wicked, I didn't know things would come to this because she's not exactly a nice person at home too." The tears made their way down her cheeks.

*****

I finished my Morning Duty in no time. I was to pick litters on the Basketball Court along with four of my classmates. I could only remember the name of one of them, Angela. She did most of the work and she was the most jovial. I was bad at socializing so I didn't really talk to the other Students.

Our Supervisor was the Sports Prefect. She was to Supervise everybody working in the Sports Arena which included the Field, Lawn Tennis Court, Basket Ball Court and the Swimming Pool.

She told those working at the swimming pool area that they wouldn't work everyday and whenever they were to work, they would put on life jackets. Their duty was to pick litters around the pool too.

It was time for Assembly and I hadn't seen Tolu. She didn't come to the Dinning to have breakfast.

The last time I saw her was when we discovered that her Morning Duty was to scrub the gutter behind our Laundry, where we spread our towels and washed under wear and stockings to dry. It was the only gutter in school according to some students and it wasn't deep but it was quite lengthy and Tolu was the only one working there.

Angela, my 'co-worker' as they called it here had told me that in this school, JSS1 students picked litters as their Morning Duties, JSS2 students removed cobwebs, JSS3 students emptied the bins, SS1 students washed and dried the dust bins while SS2 Students swept and mopped the Corridors. And the school had more than enough cleaners to tidy up the rest of the school.

She knew this because she had an elder Sister in JSS3, Annabella.

So seeing that Tolu, a JSS1 girl was scrubbing the gutter, I could connect the dots and I was filled with rage.

*****

Little Things That Matter

That genuinely warm smile

That gave me peace of mind for a while

Those little whispers of love

That made my problems seem solved

Those little words of encouragement

That made me feel more eminent

Those little acts of kindness

Have occupied the biggest part of my Heart