Chapter 5

As the two boys were heading back to their house, they noticed a group of students coming out. It seemed like they were the Form 2s and 3s. Jesse checked his wristwatch and saw that it was already 40 minutes past 5. The compound was starting to get a bit crowded since they were almost finished assigning rooms to all the freshmen.

Jesse couldn't spot Kwesi at the entrance, but he did see the housemaster and a few seniors having a discussion. He even recognized one of the seniors as the person who inspected his things and messed them up. That's something he won't forget!

When they reached the entrance, all three seniors turned to look at them. Feeling a bit nervous, they greeted the seniors and entered the house. They went up to the first floor and noticed other freshmen there too. Jesse was a bit confused because he thought they were all supposed to be on the ground floor with the Form 3s. But then he remembered his school father telling the housemaster that there were too many to fit only on the ground floor.

Jesse bid Ben goodbye before he entered his room, and Ben did the same. It's always nice to have a friend to say goodbye to.

As soon as Jesse entered the room, he noticed Kwesi lying on his bed with a book in his hands. Unlike the other prefect,  Kwesi didn't make Jesse feel intimidated. Just then, Kwesi's voice broke the silence, asking about their little trip. Jesse looked up at Kelvin and smiled," It was okay".

Feeling more comfortable, Jesse mustered the courage to ask a question. " Can I ask a question "?Kwesi raised an eyebrow, sat on the bed, and looked at Jesse curiously, encouraging him to ask away.

" you never told me your name," Jesse said. Kwesi chuckled and apologized for his forgetfulness. "Oh? My bad. Sorry for my manners. My name is Kwesi Ansah," he replied as he stretched out his hands to greet Jesse formally, Jesse couldn't help but feel surprised when Kwesi stretched his hand out to greet him.

Amused by the unexpected gesture, Jesse went to greet Kwesi, but to his surprise, Kwesi quickly slapped his hand, causing Jesse to exclaim, "Ouch!" Confused, Jesse asked Kwesi why he did that. Kwesi looked up from his book and teasingly replied, "For not obeying me today. I told you to stay here, but you chose to go on an adventure, didn't you?"

Jesse didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he sat down on the carpeted floor next to Kwesi's bed. Feeling a rumble in his stomach, Jesse complained about not being served any food yet. Kwesi was amused by how fearlessly Jesse was talking to him, unlike most freshmen who would be scared to even speak to a senior. Kwesi explained, "Freshers aren't served on the same day they arrive since the cooks will not be able to know their exact numbers."

" Don't you have any snacks in your chop box, take them out and eat" Kwesi said to Jesse.

Jesse looked at the other room and asked, "What about him? What's his name" Kwesi let out a tired sigh and replied, 'That's Kelvin, and trust me, he won't appreciate your fearless mouth talking to a senior. You should know that." Jesse didn't really care about the warning and kept going, "So, are you the house Prefect? And what's Senior Kelvin's position?' Kwesi leaned back on the bed, staring into Jesse's eyes, and said, "Okay, I'll spill the beans on this last question. But after that, climb up and hop onto the bed and either get some sleep or do something productive that doesn't involve bothering me." Jesse grinned widely.

"Well, I'm not the house prefect. I'm the protocol prefect of the school. And Kelvin? He's the head of the school. Now, hop on up" Kwesi said

Jesse was shocked by the news, and couldn't believe he'd be sharing a room with the athletic-looking prefect and the almighty head of the school. No wonder he seemed so intimidating. "One last question," Jesse promised, "and then I'll hit the sack." Kwesi turned to the other side, clearly signalling that he wasn't gonna answer. But Jesse, being as stubborn as ever, walked over to face him and playfully called out, "Senior Kwesi,"

"I'm starting to regret making you my school son," Kwesi muttered. "What do you want now, Jesse?"

"You know my name. How nice. I wanted to ask if Jesse's eyes popped out as he whispered. Is he there? Can he hear me?" Kwesi laughed at Jesse and replied, "No, he's at the dining hall. Since he's the head and also a prefect, he ought to be there."

"What about you? Aren't you a prefect?"

"Yes, I am, but I'm quite stubborn. I'm really tired. Can't make it there now. Go to bed." Jesse chuckled, climbed up on the bunk bed to lie down, looked out the window, and saw a few students walking around. He could hear the noises from the houses that surrounded them. He couldn't wait to meet his classmates tomorrow, which was a Monday. He guessed it was getting to 7 pm. He lay there until sleep took him.