The Life I Never Knew

Oh, dear me! Here I am, back at Auntie Rita's house. This was the first time I was suspended at my new school. Two weeks after being admitted to the girls' boarding high school in Anambra state, I got into a fight with one of the students. She was Anna. A classmate full of energy and pride. She will not stop picking on me because of her position as head of class. Despite being in the same grade as her, being as stubborn as a mule, and being the last girl admitted to the SSS1 class, she would always remind me of who she was by sending me on any type of errand that was always meant for her.I had to go buy her snacks during her free time, clean her desk and mine every morning, solve her assignments a few times, and the one time I refused to copy her notes for her while she was studying in the school library, she rudely confronted me and demanded the reason for my behavior. Things escalated when she raised her hand on my check without receiving a response from me, and we got into a wild fight. The school authorities later notified Auntie Rita of my actions, and Anna and I were suspended. 

Serving my suspension term for a week at Auntie Rita's house wasn't as bad as I had feared. It was shocking to see her not reporting my recent school action to my parents. She scolded me and threatened to report me to my parents if I ever fight a fellow classmate at school again. She did not want to worsen the situation by telling my father, which could escalate and result in him ordering me back home.

Prior to my admission to my new school, my mother went to stay with Martha to care for Omugwo. My father would not have left me alone at home if I hadn't gone to the boarding high school while he was busy making a profit from his business. I spent the week resting when necessary and going over the topics we covered in school to refresh my memory of the few things I'd learned. I did not assist Auntie Rita at her boutique, nor did I perform any difficult tasks at her home. She had promised not to impose any chores on me in order to give me enough time to prepare for returning to school.

After completing my suspension term, I returned to school a week later, as did Anna. My classmates cheered and applauded me for standing up to Anna, who had always been a source of competition for them. She was used to intimidating them with her position as the head girl. I believe Anna has found her match. I quickly made new friends with whom I could share my ideas and interests. They were such wonderful friends around me. We would study together in the school library whenever it was convenient for us, helping each other with difficult topics, completing assignments on specific subjects, and arriving at classes early.

After successfully getting Anna out of the way, I realized there was a larger problem closer to me. This was after returning to school for the second term. The senior students in 12th grade appeared to have given me complete freedom of speech and expression during the first term, until the moment they strike. Everything I'd heard about boarding high school became bigger and clearer to me. There wasn't much difference between what they assigned me to do and what a housekeeper does. I was constantly returning to their dormitory while lessons were taking place in my classroom.That was the start of my full-time experience as a boarding school student. It was either me accompanying and assisting a junior student or a classmate on an unnecessary errand, or I me running the errand myself. Every morning and evening, I had to fetch buckets of water, deliver messages to other senior students across the dormitory, and buy unnecessary items, which was as painful as using my pocket money. Every day, I had to do this pathetic errands which were assigned to me by the senior students in grade 12.

"This is very ridiculous!" I thought aloud one day.

However, no one was listening to my plea for assistance. The school teachers do not appear to care about what I or any other victim like me may be going through at the hands of these bullyrags and insulting female beings who identify themselves as our seniors with various positions in the school. During a few conversations with my newfound friends, I learned that they were already used to the situation and there was nothing I could do about it.

It was difficult to balance my time for studying with the excessive amount of time I spent running errands for the undeserving grade 12 students, who have always been on my neck. I never passed by their dormitory without hearing my name called.I was constantly bombarded with requests to either do chores for them in their dormitory or buy them snacks with my school pocket money. It was worse that no student in the lower grades could avoid their task, as any disobedient act could result to severe punishments. And believe me, you do not want to inflict their wrath on yourself.

Fast forward to the end of the term, which ended shortly after our school examinations,Auntie Rita granted my wish to return home. I was overjoyed that I would be returning to my hometown to spend my short school vacation. My father had asked me to come stay with him until school resumes. My mother was still absent from home at that time. I believe she would already be in the process of having morning tea after bathing her two little grandchildren.

"Ah, Mummy!" I exclaimed joyfully after I remembered her.

The Omugwo was everything she had wished for. I was glad she witnessed it and was now enjoying the fruits of her labor.