CHAPTER SIX; It's Friday !

This morning, I woke up feeling really excited and relived because today is FRIDAY. I was just about to jump down from my bed with excitement when two painful realities dawned on me. The first was that today being Friday, the last two rows in the class room would be sweeping and I'm a part of that and I didn't know how to sweep a public school class room with almost one hundred furnitures.

The second was that in the next two days Which would be Sunday , I would have to go to church and I didn't want to go with my low cut. I thought of tying a scarf but my church doesn't really fancy scarves, I didn't have a wig , so I had no other choice but to just go like that and the thought of that felt like hot water being splashed on my heart. I was really hurt and sad concerning this.

When I got to School that day, the assembly was the same as it was the previous day with the same set of people leading it. After the singing, the Muslim teacher taught on hard work and when he was done, we all matched into our class rooms in a disorderly manner. I waited . so I wouldn't get squashed .

Today is Friday and there would be no teaching today, I overheard some girls discussing . They said that Friday was a playing day and that teachers don't teach on Fridays. It is surprising because that's not how it's done in private Schools. Well, I decided to summon some courage and go to the library today, after all, I wasn't going to learn anything in Class today so, why not leave instead of staying in this hot and stuffy class and getting flogged for no reason.

The Library was not filled when I entered and the air conditioner wasn't turned on. I wondered why it wasn't turned on because I've never seen it on Since the first day I entered, instead, all the windows were widely opened . Perhaps the air conditioner is spoilt. I thought to my self.

My prayer was answered because Mrs. Yejide wasn't in the Library only Mr. Adesola was in the library.

I greeted him and kept my School bag by the door side. He didn't respond to my greeting neither did he glanced at me , nor did he stop what he was writing, he just continued like a robot.

I went to a shelf and spotted a really attractive book , I took it and went to sit

down carefully and quietly . I opened the book after touching the front cover and reading the title out loud, it was as if I was about to cook the book. That's exactly how I always treat a book before reading it. The title of the book is 'FELICITY'.

I was still reading the book when I heard the bell for break followed by the excited noises from the students in the next class, which is my class. I didn't bother going out for break because of what Chubuikem told me yesterday during break . I just remained in the library and concentrated on my book as others stepped out of the library. Finally, I was the only student in the library. I was left alone with Mr. Adesola and he finally took notice of me and asked"aren't you going out for break?" "No sir." I responded carefully.

"why not?" He asked again. "Nothing sir". I answered him while looking at his face but he just ignored me and kept writing.

Afterwards, a female student with a burnt patch on her uniform walked into the library holding a tray of food. She greeted Mr. Adesola and I saw him smile at her and took the food from her. He kept the food on his table full of books . He gave her some money and and she left the library stylishly even though her uniform has a burnt patch on it.

When Mr. Adesola started eating, to my surprise, he looked at me and invited me to come and eat with him and my response as taught by my mother was "Oh! thank you sir." I didn't join him. In this part of the world where I live, it Is a taboo to eat in public without inviting the people around to join you,hence the saying; "whoever eats alone , would die alone." To be sincere, this saying has left me confused a lot because why eat with you when I know I'll die with you, doesn't that mean that the food might be poisoned? or isn't that very ironic? as for me, I'll let you 'EAT alone , and , DIE alone'.

Do you know the most amusing part of it all? it's that you can not say yes and eat with that person it is considered abnormal and indecent to accept someone's food and eat with that person even if you were invited nicely. This is all too confusing for my small mind to understand. I couldn't ask , just to avoid being shunned.

I went back to reading my book after wandering on those thoughts for a while.

As soon as I started reading, I heard the school bell that signifies that the break is over , this time, something strange happened, the bell rang thrice . I was still reading my book when Mrs. Yejide's voice interrupted my reading "Hey! what are you still doing here? didn't you hear the bell for the afternoon assembly? or are you deaf? " She asked so many questions at once, I didn't know which one to answer first. I looked at her in shock, cold sweat broke on my fore head, my stomach felt hit and cold, My whole body was numb. I didn't know when she came into the library. that was what shocked me to the core. She is so intimidating. She finally shouted "Get out!" after my silent and fearful treatment towards her.

I leaped out of my chair, left the book on the table , picked my School bag up and ran down the stairs for my dear life. When I got down stairs I opened my eyes in shock. The crowd was so much , I looked and they were more than a thousand students standing on the assembly ground.

But how come there are so many people in the afternoon assembly that they were in the mornings assembly? I wondered in shock and disbelief, does this mean that majority of the students are late comers?

I walked up to the last line and didn't see any one of my class mates, I didn't know all their names or faces , but I could recognize them. I was unwilling to move into the lines so I don't get squashed. I stood there in the sun feeling really terrible. I felt this way from the heat and also form the way we were being treated in the public schools.

I saw some moderately dressed adults on the school corridor that serves as the stage during assembly. They looked happy, bringing out their phones and taking pictures every few seconds . They took pictures of us, I made sure that my face was hiding behind someone in front of me because I didn't want to be seen on the internet as a very poor public school student. They gave some speeches , I didn't hear them at all because I was at the extreme end and plus my brain was boiling from the scorching heat of the sun . While they were taking, I noticed that they were each holding a yellow colored book. They shouted but most of us couldn't hear them because they weren't using a microphone nor an amplifier. I didn't bother stranding my ears at all.

The vice principal, Mrs. Ibitoroko who is naturally blessed with a very loud voice, took over and started explaining to us who they were and what they came to do. This adults as good looking as they were , came to give us dictionaries. They said that the dictionaries were for children and that they didn't have bad words in them. They said that the brought over a thousand of these dictionaries for the Junior and senior section of Osa community Secondary School.

The vice principal, Mrs. Ibitoroko signaled for the prefects to come and start distributing the dictionaries. To my surprise, the students struggled to get the dictionary like it was their daily bread. Mrs.Ibitoroko had to order them to behave themselves , other wise , they wouldn't get . I waited patiently for my turn. I didn't even bother at all , I already have a dictionary, so, If I don't get this, I would not bother. The girl beside me said that she would not take it likely if she doesn't get the dictionary because she has been standing in the sun for almost three hours and her standing would not be in vain.

The dictionary finally got to me and I collected it reluctantly mainly because I was taught to never reject gifts. When the dictionary finally got to everyone, we were asked to wave it while they did a video. They did this as if they were the ones sponsoring our education all in the name of being wealthy and helping the less privileged.

They finally said good bye to us and left the school premises. When they left the School premises , Mrs.Ibotoroko ordered for the two gates leading to the upstairs corridor to be locked. Thank God I was with my bag.

Mrs. Ibitoroko warned against cultism and advised that we all go home immediately before the fight starts. I was filled with so many unanswered questions that left me greatly troubled and full of fear. She also announced that there would be no fellowship today . She finally dismissed us and everybody went their way. I stood there in fear and confusion. I wondered what she meant by "go home before the fight starts!" I couldn't find Chubuikem because of the crowd. I couldn't call him to find out where he was because I didn't have a phone.

I finally summoned courage and followed the crowd outside the school gate. When I stepped out of the School premises, I spotted Chubuikem afar off and decided to run to him despite hitting people along the way. Thank God for his height and fair skin. "Chubuikem, I've been looking for you, please let's go home quickly before the fight starts . " I said pulling hurriedly and fearfully while pulling him along with me." calm down, which fight? relax! " He said while holding me still and making me relaxed my pace.

" Winner had the sun fried your Brain? " He asked playfully, " what happened? did any body threaten you in School? "

" No. " I responded calmly and then began to explain to him about what Mrs.Ibitoroko said during the afternoon assembly. He narrowed his eyes at me and said "that's not true at all , there are no cultists in the school. She is just over reacting, it's just some silly boys fighting over some unnecessary issues. I felt relaxed by his words and walked home along with him peacefully.

He dropped me at the front of my house as usual and left to his own house.

When my mum got home , I showed her the dictionary and she was so excited to see it, I didn't understand her excitement at all.

I didn't sleep peacefully at night, I kept thinking about the fight and Chubuikem's reaction to it. I was perplexed and upset because I didn't know how to appear in church on Sunday.