CHAPTER 14: NO! I CAN'T LEAVE YOU ALONE HERE!

The years ran very fast.

Days went by, then it was weeks, months and eventually years.

Within a twinkle of an eye, it was after seven years.

Many things had changed. I had grown into a lady now, not a naive little girl anymore.

I was eighteen years of age already but still in high school because as I had mentioned before I schooled very late. 

Anyway, I got the opportunity to go to high school after being announced to be the best in my region where I schooled in primary school.

Actually, as always my parents did not have money for my secondary education and to top it all, my mum had given birth when I was in standard six making five in the family.

I remembered that day that my mum gave birth to our lastborn painfully due to lack of medical attention and I sighed heavily.

My mum was a strong lady that I had never seen before.

Could you even imagine that she gave birth alone in the house with me only and my younger ones because my dad that day woke at the crack of dawn to look for something for us to eat because we slept on an empty stomach the previous night?

I was on my holiday at that time so I could say it was better than I was there for her.

I sighed again as I tried to suppress the thought inside me.

I then remembered Madam Monar who helped us again to the county government so that I could get a scholarship.

Despite what the headteacher did to her many years ago, Madam Monar never left us alone.

What happened was that I was given a form to fill in and then returned it for four years scholarship but unfortunately I was young to fill that official form hence we asked my uncle together with my dad but he refused to say that he was busy maybe next time. I tried to beg him but it was futile. 

We did not get a person to do it until at lst we were not able to get the scholarship.

I cried but as always tears would not assist me in any way.

I was already late to join the school that I was to be admitted leading them to sell my space to another rich kid.

I gave up but fortunately, I had two letters. One from a national high school and the second one which I was hesitant to go to was a school for people with disability, as always it was a blind high school.

It was not that I did not want to school there but the problem was that it was very far from my home and also it was a mixed secondary school and my dream was to go to a girls'  high school.

When I remembered that people accused me of making the former headteacher get an early transfer immediately I entered that school, I felt bad that I made a note on my head to work harder so that I could get a normal and national girls' high school but as usual, my fate was to return to the same schools.

Fortunately it school fees were very little compared to the normal girls' high school. 

Anyway, after losing the scholarship, Madam Monar took me back to my former primary school.

The beautiful thing was that the new teacher was an understanding man and did not discriminate against anyone.

After hearing that I couldn't join high school due to lack of fees and I passed with flying colours, he became upset and acted at a bullet pace.

He connected me with the county government together with Monar who took us there.

Eventually, I succeeded in getting a one year scholarship but I did not give a damn as long as I joined, that was enough for me.

That was how I got to see the high school's doors.

But I was scared because the one-year fees ended up eventually. Now I did not know where I would be getting my school fees.

On top of it, sometimes I could not afford the bus fare to school. This forced me to remain at home for a long period.

I was scared that my education journey would come to a halt anytime soon.

It was already my second year in this secondary school.

I worked extra hard that the boys who liked to play with girls feared approaching me.

Unlucky for them I was very serious with my studies that I would top the class with a higher grade than the student who riled me behind.

I worked tirelessly while praying hard that God would do a miracle and I  would get someone to pay my fees because that was the main stress that gave me sleepless nights.

Unfortunately for me, I was not lucky! In the second term of my second year, I was chased out of school.

I became very miserable because my home was far and I did not have any coins for the bus fare.

By that time I had another friend who was loyal to me like Jemimah who we were separated from because she went to another school.

Agnes never left me alone. She had fees but she decided to walk out of school with me to assist me to find a way out.

We walked to a salon where we borrowed a phone so that I could give my parents a call. 

"Hello mum, I have been chased out of school because of school fees" I stated while crying miserably.

"Where are you now, dear?" My mum retorted sadly.

"I am in a salon with my friend outside the school" I'll answer her.

"Baby girl, where will we get such a huge amount of money now? We have not eaten anything since yesterday lunchtime ourselves" She stated making me weak at my knees.

I fall to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Ooh! My goodness! 'Where will I go now?' I asked inwardly as I cried miserably.

"Blessing, put yourself together crying like this in front of all of these people won't help. Please let's go and find a solution" Agnes brought me back from my thoughts.

"Just go to school okay? After all your parents have cleared your fees so it will be unfair for me to keep you here dear" I tried to convince her.

 "No! I won't leave you alone here. Get hold of yourself and stand up. We need to find a solution for your mishap" She soothed me.

"W-where will I get thirty thousand now to clear my fees? Y-you know I have nowhere to go after talking to my parents" I stammered while weeping like a madwoman.

I was in a low spirit.

"Let us go to Mrs Leonard" I suddenly blurted out.

"What? But you are not one of her students who she paid fees for. And your files are showing that you don't have any problem with your eyesight" Agnes argued but I had already made up my mind so it was hard for her to convince me.

"Let us just go. I need to talk to her!" I shouted as I was already running in the direction of her mansion.