Chapter 42

2018.10.14

We started collecting funds for the day. I knew many people who will help me. I managed to collect 343 US dollars, my mother gave 150 US dollars, Sally's father and Zarina's mother gave 100 US dollars each. The other members managed to get at least 10 US dollars each. We were financially stable for now. Things were going well. The competition day was in the next month because we were planning with the topics and the theme. I proposed the theme as 'Wildlife' and made the logo using an online website. I chose a wild leaf and I was happy how it turned out. I did not want to change it, I did not want to make it common like other schools'. Teachers and some members were debating on it and I gave them reasons and finally landed them on my concept.

We now had to do the topics for the competitions. I made the topics alone and gave it to the members to check on it to see if they are okay with it and got help from them to translate them to our native language too. They had their subject teachers' help them put and it was all done. I went to Mr. J. J. Fortune and he was not very keen about it at all. He barely checked it and just gave it and said that go ask your in-charge teacher. And when I went to the in-charge teacher she was like ask sir itself, if not he will complain about the topics. I climbed down the stairs for the fifth time in search of him and told him what the in-charge teacher told me. And he firmly told me to ask her and it was okay. Before I left I could hear the Commerce Sectional head complaining under his breath and Mr. Fortune is giving off his 24 teeth (I could only see that much). I headed back to our chemistry teacher and told her what sir had told me. I was getting tired at this childish act. They kept beating around the bush. I slammed the topics on the table and smiled. Mrs. Beth saw this and talked with the chemistry teacher and they started to check on each topic and they were satisfied with my topics. "Did you write these topics on your own" Mrs. Beth asked me still looking at the paper. I nodded and said "Yes, madam." "What about the translations? Who did them?" She now was looking at me. "It was the members in the committee madam" She looked down back at the prototype paper and said, "It is better to get their subject teachers to look at it again dear. Have to make sure they are translated precisely." "Okay, madam. On it" and I took the paper from her and went to the other teachers.

I came home and started with editing the letter head. I know I was not the editor. I was doing it because the editor that appointed did not know much of editing as I did. I was not looking down on her, I just did not want to waste her efforts. Instead I gave her to type the topics and the rest that comes after the letter head. She did most of them in the school lab. I also did not want her to feel useless. Because to my surprise my members wanted to involve in hard work and was not like the others. I was genuinely proud of them and also I did not want them to suffer. I wanted to cherish them.

2018.10.18

I bought the letter head and the final copy of the topics to the in-charge teacher. They checked over and then told that it was okay. Now I have to show it to the Sectional head, Mr. J. J. Fortune. I took the letter head and went down to his office to show but he was not there and when I was about to go back to my class I met him in the corridor. "Sir, can you check the final copy sir?" I handed him the letter head. He did not go through the topics or any of other pages rather than the letter head. "There is a mistake." I was like, 'not again.' I was already fed up of changing it for the fifth time. "Where is the signature space for the sectional head in the letter head? And you do not add president." My eyebrows went up. What is he talking about? I did the letter head even for the other competitions. I have even checked the other schools' letter heads too. I smiled for myself. He was trying so hard to be in the team. I felt bad but anyways I told him, "No sir. I checked multiple of letter heads they have not put any sectional head. But you put in the president." "No. No. You definitely put sectional head. Add it in here." He said without even looking at me. He was diverting his eyes away for me. "Okay sir" I told him and took the letter head to change it again.

I bought the letter head to the classroom and showed the rest. Many commented on how it looked good but they were not happy because they were not involved in it during the process. Now they were not in the committee at all, comes to school irregularly and most of all I was only discussing with my committee and not the rest. At least I was checking with my committee but they never did. They pretended that the Secretary, editors and the coordinators do not exist. They did whatever they want and did not even inform us. We knew only after we went around them like pet dogs. Even if any new competitions come to school they would simply hide it form us and send the everyday set of people. It is always the damn same people. And you only get a chance out of the blue if only the permanent person cannot make it on that day. I was just giving them the treatment that they gave me, no sorry us.

2018.10.19

Today is Saturday therefore no school. I made changes and started to print. And we are having holidays the next whole week that means it will be hard to get these signed up. I called our chemistry teacher and she said that she will come to school on Monday to sign the letter head. But Mr. J. J. Fortune said that he cannot come. I do not know the reason but it was so evident that he was not making an effort to come to school to sign the letter head. So, WHY THE HELL DID HE WANT HIS NAME BLOODY NAME IN THE LETTER HEAD?

I rung him up. "Sir, we have to send it by this week." "I cannot come. You can tell (Chemistry madam's name) to sign in there for me." I cut the phone pissed off.

2018.10.21

It was Monday and luckily the in-charge teacher came. She signed and told me sign for the sir. I signed it perfectly with no flaw. Meanwhile I was focusing, Zarina took the letter heads and she traced again on the sign. She did for around seven letter heads out of fifteen letter heads. I stopped and looked at what Zarina was doing. I got furious, "Are you crazy? What are you doing? You are making it worse! Now it looks fake." I slammed the pen which I was signing with on the desk. She quickly said, "No, no. Now only it looks good. You are not signing it clearly enough." I did not want to argue anymore. I was scared that the principal will notice the oddness. I told her to stop and I signed the rest and placed them alternatively so that it is not noticeable. I could tell that she wanted to sign it so bad but this is not a game now. We got to be bloody serious.

I took the signed documents to the principal to get her signature. And it was all complete now. Only thing was left to post them. I did not have any addresses and I was not sure how to post them either. Yesterday night, I messaged Jessica and our school captain to ask how to post and they told me that the school did them. But now the school was not helping us post them. We had to do it on our own because sectional head nor the in-charge teacher acting responsible adults.

I printed out designed envelopes for posting. I, Zarina and Zarina's mother went to the post office to post them. I was insisting to hand them over to the students in the tuition class to give o their respective schools. It was reliable than the post and also it was cheap. But Zarina and her mother were like it was not professional –yes, professional not official. I was like okay and she was the secretary too. To be honest with myself and the one who is reading I had a bad feeling. And when you have a bad feeling about it please do consider about it even though you are going to go against your loved ones.

Zarina started filling in the form as we were instructed by the post officer. I bought the stamps and started pasting. Then a customer and a worker in the post office noticed the envelopes and told me, "What are those dear?" "Science day competitions." I replied him. "Those are really beautiful. Did you make them?" I nodded and he also asked which school we were from and he also wished us luck. At last we paid for the registered post and left.

I came home and sat. Then my mother was calling me in a worried voice. It was Zarina and Sally. They had gone back to school to take some things from their locker, and the letters have been returned to the school. The security guard was about to reject the letters saying that these were not the school's. Thank lord that they were there in the incident.

My dad was at home today. Pheww. He rode me to school and I took the letters and went back to the post office. They also had returned the money. I asked then what was wrong. And they told me that I have to write down the schools' addresses. They did not mention it at the first place. I took them to home with me. I was wasted.

My mother suggested to look up on the net and write them down. I was terrified but my mother kept me on check. Later that afternoon, I went and posted them.

2018.10.23

The post office and some of the school staff were on strike. That means that the letters will not be delivered!