MY Days At
CROWN SCHOOL
➖➖
✒{Yeqande Joseph)✔
#EPISODE_31
Escaping all the duties and finally free, I walked very fast towards the libr@ry. The day after the literary and debate, I was surprised to have gotten a gift from principal, and my favourite English teacher. I never knew I could anchor the programme so well. But I appreciate the fact that they showed appreciation. That wasn’t necessary, because it was p@rt of the learning, but they did it.
I was about entering the libr@ry when I heard my phone vibr@ted from my pocket. Instead of st©pping, I walked in straight to my corner, where I enjoyed sitting. I comfortably sat down, and brou-ght out the phone. I dropped my textbook, and concentrated on my phone. I unlocked to re-ad the message that c@m£ in.
?
✒’Let’s do it in a crazy way that she is… Happy birthday in advance.
That pretty girl is about to clock sixteen’.
Somehow, a smile graced myl-ips. That person succeeded to make me smile. But when I checked the s£nder, it was from Unknown caller. No number to trace the person who s£nt the message.
Why hide the number?
I cracked my br@in to think of who could have s£nt something like that. Truly it was a crazy idea, for someone trying to hide the number. The only person that c@m£ to my mind was Mercy. She was capable of doing something as that. I picked up my tab, and dialed her number, which she picked immediately.
“Suzy you remember me today,” was the first s£ntence that greeted me.
I tried to digest the important words carefully.
Remember!
Today!
Those two words got me worried.
Remember…. Today..
“Wait Mercy.. Are you not the one that just s£nt a crazy message to me now?”
“Hmm… Crazy message,” she tea-sed. “Your admirers are so loyal to start s£nding you birthday message at this time… And not just a normal one, but a crazy one.. Hmmm,” she whined.
I chuckled lightly, not to make so much noise because I was in the libr@ry. “Mercy, you’re not alright. But I’m being serious here. Did you s£nd the message?”
She laughed. “Suzy.. Suzy,” she tea-sed, and st©pped laughing. “I did not s£nd a message to you.”
I still could not believe her. “Mercy are you sure?”
“Very sure,” she replied. “Now let me allow you to go look for your secret admirer.” She ended the call.
I went over the message again, and again. There was something about the message that made me smile when I re-ad it. May be because of the crazy added to it. Something like, ‘Crazy Suzy’. But I couldn’t think of a person who could have s£nt it. Was still battling to know the s£nder, when another one c@m£ in.
‘No word can express,
??
??
But my heart can tell how much you really mean.
That smile… Like that of a new born baby
That laughter… Full of live, fun, and beautiful
So much I love… So much I cherish about her.
Aww… What a cute ro-mantic message she’s
re-ading…’
Haha
This time, I bur-st into an uncontrollable laughter. I was not even done re-ading the message and the person added that to it.
The p@rt of heavens he c@m£ from, I wish to know.
To be sincere, it was so cute, ro-mantic, and I couldn’t st©p myself from blu-shing. My mind was into the rest of the message, and I immediately continued.
‘In a hurry to see how I will end it with the crazy
Suzy, the baddest foodie.’
The s£nder helped my ministry in laughing, because I was sure if people were around me, they would agree it was a five minutes madness. Thorou-gh one, but was a laughing, and blu-shing session.
There was a feeling that hit me, when thinking of someone who could have succeeded in ma-king laugh this ha-rd .
Only he I know..
“Who else could have succeeded ma-king me laugh this ha-rd ?” I murmured to myself. But I was wrong.
“It’s him Suzy.” The familiar voice replied.
What was that? I raised my head, staring face to face with Victoria.
“Tell me you just c@m£ in.” That sounded like a command, but she laughed it off.
“Well, I saw how you beautifully displa-yed your five minutes madness, blu-shing, and laughing. Guess she has forgotten everyone keeps eye on the head girl and the head boy. There is someone always watching Suzy.”
Hmmm…
The Adviser!
She took a seat beside me, and heaved a sigh. “Suzy, I know this is the last thing you would like to talk about. You should know that was Victor.”
Silence
..Angry..
But I kept quiet.
“So he’s the one wishing you Happy Birthday?”
“In advance,” I sh0t back.
“Hey,” Victoria noticed my mood. “I’m Victoria and not Victor,” she smiled trying to brighten my mood. And I couldn’t help but found it a bit funny, having a smile spre-ad on myl-ips.
“I know you’re angry Suzy. Would you believe if I tell you yesterday was his third time of calling me after he had left. And I really do know what’s going on. But I s-en-se something went wrong between him and Mom or Dad.” Victoria tried to explain. “And I really do not know why he has been hiding his number for me. Only Dad and Mom can reach him.”
Truly, I haven’t been picking a call because the caller hid his or her number. How would I have known. Though, the unknown caller calls me once in a blue moon.
And what do his parents have to do with all that? Well, that wasn’t p@rt of my business in Crown school, so I never mentioned a word to Victoria.
“He won’t talk to me either,” Victoria continued. “And that’s one habit Victor has. No matter how free he is with people, he keep things to himself.”
Okay. I really do not know why Victoria was telling me all that. But I couldn’t deny the fact that every p@rt of me wanted to know how Victor was doing. How is new life was going.
I missed him
I missed him..
My heart couldn’t deny that..
My mind went back and repla-yed the message over and over again. A smile couldn’t escape myl-ips, and the blus-h was not smart enough not to spre-ad to my face.
I should have known…
That only him can..
And that scared me a lot.
“Suzy are you here?” Victoria tapped me. “Long ago, you were frowning, and now you’re blu-shing again.”
“I’m not blu-shing,” I disagreed.
“But you almost fell from that chair when re-ading his message,” she added. “That’s how crazy you act, when it comes to Victor.”
I chuckled a little, trying not to blus-h… Everyone has formed the habit of calling me crazy. But there are categories of crazy.
Crazy is Crazy…
Well, yes, but…
The word crazy from Victor is somehow beautiful
and sound sweet to hearing…
Hmm…Suzy
Haha…
Exactly!
Somehow, I bur-st into laughter again.
“Again!” Victoria said.
“Victoria it’s normal. Someone cannot laugh again?”
“Normal to have your face red as tomatoe.”
I laughter. People and this tomatoe thing… “Victoria, remember I don’t use a red powder. But if you tell me my face is looking like a pancake, I would agree, because I make use of brown powder.”
Victoria didn’t know when she bur-st into a loud, and heavy laughter. Thank God the libr@rian was not on the seat. “Suzy, this is serious. Pancake! You should have just informed me you feel like eating one instead of using your face.”
I joined her, and we both laughed at each other. Actually, that just c@m£ to my mind.
But I don’t mind if I see one.
✏✏✏
�
MY
DAYS
. AT
CROWN
SCHOOL
#EPISODE_32
???
When the birthday girl was mistaken as the bride…
Every October 31st, two months after Mercy’s birthday, I celebr@te my very special day. My birthday.
I wanted to announce again, that I was only celebr@ting my birthday and not getting married. A week before my day, Mom called, and prayed with me. Sister Blessing also was not left out. Mercy also s£nt a message, and tried to hide her number too, but there wasn’t enough spices to make me laugh. She didn’t succeed.
I didn’t discuss about celebr@ting my sixteenth birthday with Dad, because recently, Dad had given me a new motto, ‘be prepared’.
If I try to ask for anything, my waec exams would find its way into our discussion, and would end with, ‘be prepared’.
Every of my corner was full of gifts, from many people I could not imagine, walked up to me and gave me gifts. The prefects in all were not left out. Separately, Gabriel Whyte, the head boy c@m£ to me and surprised me with another gift, wra-pped with a beautiful wra-pping paper.
This same head boy, we ba-rely talk. I couldn’t remember the day we talked knowing we were in the same clas-s, if not because we were both chos£n as a leader. He was this quiet guy. Brilliant, and always walking around with a novel. I knew he wasn’t a Nigerian, because he was very fair, and his skin looked a bit different from ours.
I was overwhelmed by the love everyone showed me. Rose also gave me a pres£nt, even when we ba-rely talk after we talked about church, and God. Since then, I have a p@rticular name I call her.
‘My church girl.’
I was parading in my corner sorting out the gifts everyone gave me, when I heard familiar voices of group of girls singing as they made their way to my corner.
“h!ph!ph!p!!!’
“Hurray!!!” They screamed.
As I turned back, I almost fainted at the hvge cake I saw. But I dare not faint, because I was not re-ady to miss out of the sweet cake. So instead of fainting, my mouth gaped open. Victoria, Kunmi, Temi, and Debbie shocked me, and left me speechless with their surprise. I wasn’t expecting something as hvge or big as what I saw. These kids were rich though. But only love can make you sacrifice so much for someone.
I noticed I couldn’t find Temi, and Kunmi when I woke up this morning. I woke up with the scream of ‘happy birthday’ around me though.
The girls really planned this well. Because I felt so loved and happy. And they actually celebr@ted my sixteenth birthday for me. We took pictures with my tab, and did a lot of silly things together.
“Happy birthday to you Suzy.” A voice said, walking towards my corner. “The house mistress wants to see you now, and-” she quic-kly st©pped. “Be very fast. She’s waiting at the dinning now,” she said, and left.
I pushed the remaining cake in my mouth, and stood up. “Just a minute,” I told the girls, and headed straight to the dinning. Opening the gate to the hall, as I raised my head, my face lit up with joy and I ran to the woman whose smile was greeting me from afar.
“Mom, you c@m£!” I hvgged her, and at the corner, I found my sister. And guess what… Tears were starting to form, and before I knew it, it fell, and rolled down.
My mom smiled, and hvgged me to her che-st. “Aww… Birthday girl don’t cry. Happy birthday to you dear. You really think we would miss your sixteenth birthday for anything in this world?”
Though… I could not see Dad.
But Mom was here.
That was enough.
Mom and sister Blessing sang a birthday song for me, and I was back laughing. Why was I crying before?
Tears of joy
“Your Dad could not come, because he has something important to attend to. But he s£nt this to you.”
I collected it from Mom and opened it immediately. Couldn’t believe Dad bought me a silver, and very shinning earrings. It was lovely.
Sister Blessing brou-ght out the cake they made for me, and the jollof and fried rice they brou-ght for me. I took out of the turkey first, while I kept the remaining so I could share with the girls.
The girls later c@m£ looking for me, and I introduced them to Mom and sister Blessing. I told mom what the girls had done for me. Mom was glad and prayed with them, appreciate them, and I could hear the girls saying,
“you’re just like your Mom.”
“She smiles a lot.”
“She’s really beautiful.”
Guess Dad is really lucky.
And I’m the luckiest daughter.
We took pictures together, including the girls. And immediately, they got along with sister Blessing and Mom, telling them how n@ûghty I was. I felt so happy seeing the girls relate well with my family. And for Mom and sister Blessing, acting as if they’ve known them for long.
The day was finally over.
I relaxed my tired b©dy on my soft be-d. It was the best birthday ever! I thought my family won’t come, but I actually like the surprise they gave me. Dad called me, and apologize for not ma-king it to my birthday. He s£nt me credit and asked if I like the gift he s£nt me. Never knew Dad really care that much. Though it wasn’t new to me because Dad would always buy Mom things like that.
I laughed alone on my be-d thinking about how the day went. I went throu-gh my pictures and smiled at the faces that popped up on the screen. Everyone looked so happy and joyful. Feeling sleepy alre-ady, I dropped my phone, and closed my eyes.
A call disturbe-d me, and I picked it without checking the caller.
“Hello,” I said.
I knew it was none other than Mercy, trying to disturb me, but the caller wasn’t talking.
“Hello,” I said again.
Silence
I kept quiet also, waiting for the caller to talk.
✅”Happy Birthday.” A thick voice finally spoke up, and I felt my heart picked up a race. The whole of my b©dy vibr@ted and left me dumbfounded.
That was no imagination..
That was no dream…
It was his voice.
His voice.
Suzy it’s him.
Yes.. It was him who called.
“Suzy.” My name rolled out of his ton-gue again, and I found myself shut up with silence. I could not come up with a word, and I could not st©p my heart from screaming how much I’ve missed him.
✒”I know you’re there,” his voice c@m£ up again. I found myself wondering if this was the childish Victor I knew back then.
✒”I know you’re angry at me, but you cannot un-derstand his ways. He didn’t forget the girl after his heart, and the distance has no role to pla-y. I might miss everyday of your life, but not this special day. Suzy…”
The tear I was holding on dropped.
It dropped very fast!
✏”Victor never forgets you. Life sometimes, would not just always go by your plan. He may not be p@rt of her thoughts anymore, but I as-sure you, to him, she’s always in his thoughts…Happy birthday my baddest foodie. Beautiful and crazy at the same time.”
That was it… My heart couldn’t deny…
I wanted to scream…
I wanted to shout….
I wish I could st©p the tears from falling, but the tears signify how much it hurts to think he has forgotten me.
And the smile….
The smile on myl-ips couldn’t deny how much I love to hear those sweet names.
“Suzy, I really miss you.”✅
Stupid✅
Stupid you..✅
“I hate you.”✅
I tried to open my mouth to talk, but no single word c@m£ out.
Mouth opened
Mouth closed
✒”Can you just plea-se say something,” his voice sounded pleading.
Silence
And a loud tears bur-st out of my mouth. Immediately, not to embarras-s myself any longer, I did the most stupid, and best thing at that p@rticular time.
I dropped the call.
“Stupid you…”
I hvgged my pillow.
Why was I even crying?
Because I don’t know.
But I couldn’t deny the hor-mones.
I’m a girl.
We can’t help it.
I have so much to ask him. I wanted to know how he was doing, how life was treating him, and…
Don’t exclude that p@rt Suzy
Yes! Don’t I have the right to know as a friend if there was any girl in the picture.
✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏
?✅?✅?✅?✅?✅?
Birthday was gone, but I still held on to my phone for an unexpected call, which I knew won’t come for months.
There is always a new look when Crown school students start their exams. That sudden seriousness, and an innocent look. Everyone was busy re-ading, and serious with their books because of the exams.
The school as usual, announced to the ss3 students to prepare for the coming WAEC exams. And every blessed day, the principal himself, and the teachers in group, would encourage us to prepare our mind to learning, re-ading, and many practicals to get ourselves prepared.
As other clas-ses were excited about going home, the ss3 students were excited about the esc-rtion which was announced that the ss3 would go for. Each year, the school practice it in order to make the ss3 students have fun, after exams. Victor’s set also went, and I heard a lot about the fun they had.
Though the principal haven’t announced where we would go, but it was so bad that the ss3 students had nothing else to discuss, besides traveling out of the country.
“esc-rtion things on my mind!”
“cape town!”
Many different places I haven’t heard before was mentioned.
Finally, when the exam started, all other students were serious ap@rt from the ss3 students. They believe they don’t nee-d the result. But when others are free, the head boy and the head girl are not just free. I re-ad as I could, but I actually re-ad as if I was starting my WAEC exams alre-ady.
Dropping my pen somewhere in the bag. Exams for the semester was done, and I couldn’t wait to find a place and sleep for the rest of the day. You know that feeling when you just finished your exams? You would feel like doing so many things you couldn’t do because of the exams. The first thing that c@m£ to my mind was eating to my satisfaction, and slee-ping on my big be-d.
“Victoria how was the exams?”
“No baby, New York things on my mind.”
I laughed at first, before I realized what was going on.
“You guys are still on this matter?”
“Manhattan baby, life and direct!” Temi’s tiny voice joined the discussion. I bur-st into another bundle of laughter. You can’t stay around these girls and not laugh away your sorrow. “So, it’s all about esc-rtion now?”
“Yes, my sister.” Debbie was not left out as well.
“So, is this your first time of traveling out of the country?” I asked, curious to know because for them to know so many names, it was as if, that was where they c@m£ from.
Debbie looked at both Temi and Victoria, as if asking for permission to talk.
Victoria laughed. “Debbie st©p looking at me, as if I’ve got someone murdered.”
“Cousin, I know you can’t,” Temi said to Victoria, ma-king Debbie laughed at her reaction.
“Wait, no one is answering my question,” I quic-kly said.
Victoria turned to me.” About that, you knew during Victor’s set, the jss3 also went out of the country.”
Yes, I was aware.
“So, generally in school,” Victoria said. “The jss1, jss3, ss1 and the ss3 students always travel out of the country.” She explained. “But for my cousins and I, we sometimes go for shopping during the holidays we don’t travel from school.”
Wow!
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“And actually, that was where Temi stayed before she joined us in Crown school during ss1”
“Really!” I turned to Temi.
She smiled and noded. “Yes.”
Guess that resulted to the reasons why she could speak very fast, with a tiny and advanced English.
“Hope you’re not feeling bad,” Temi seemed concern. I laughed. “Are you kidding! Why would I? In fact tell me more about your travelling.”
“Well, we have people there, so we just have fun, do some shopping, and meet some old friends,” Temi went on. “Just to have fun.”
I smiled. Since we were done with exams, I decided to shout the surest place for my own esc-rtion.
“Abuja here I come!” I screamed into their ears, and they all bur-st into laughter.
The term was finally over.
•••
Second term resumed. Fully loaded and prepared. It was as if Dad was waiting for me to get back home. My lessons started immediately. Calculating everything that has to do with physics, mathematics, futher maths, and chemistry, including practicals. A week before the resumption, I ended up falling sick, that I could ba-rely eat. Mom was scared because it was as if the drugs they gave me were not working as they should.
I was finally taken to the hospital where I was given injections. That tiny nee-dle, has the power to make people cry, but I wasn’t p@rt of them. I got better, and waited a week after we resumed to get fully recovered.
When I c@m£ back, the teachers as well were not helping, and at the same time, it was for our own good. We st©pped having normal lectures. And the ss3 students began to observe every morning prep. From seven o’clock in the morning to ten o’clock in the morning. By twelve in the afternoon, teachers would come in and solve past questions with us till evening. And once it was eight in the evening, we resumed back to re-ading. It was just re-ading and re-ading.
Finally, the school was left with ss3 students entirely. It was so funny how some ss3 students fell sick, and some complained that their hands were shaking when they were given the question paper. Kunmi never left my side during the time of exams. I would always doff my hat for Kunmi because when it comes to calculating, she can solve it, and solve it well. From what have noticed about her, she prefers calculating to re-ading.
Silent and peaceful, every ss3 student on the h0t seats couldn’t wait to submit the last paper. I did the most important thing mom taught me. I prayed and committed everything to God. I fasted along, because the result means a lot to me. I would never want to fail my Dad especially. I might complain about him most times, but the truth still remains that this man helped me a lot in my academics.
Each time friends come to me to explain and solve a p@rticular question, I knew within me that I didn’t just turn out as that brilliant girl one day, or neither do I know it all. But the fact still remains that, practice makes perfect. The time spent during the holidays re-ading, solving. Neither slee-ping, nor pla-ying when others were, paid very handsomely.
And as Dad would always say,
‘When you re-ad, you will pas-s.’
I got up to my feet, and approached the supervisor near my roll to submit my last paper.
“So quic-k,” he said.
I gave him a weak, and as-suring smile. “Very simple,” I replied.
He smiled lightly. “That’s because you re-ad. Excellent result I pray for you.”
“Amen, thank you sir.” I dropped my script, and went out of the hall. I joined others who have submitted, and some minutes later, the hall was almost empty.
Alone at where I stood, I looked around. I was proud to be p@rt of them in Crown school. Is not just any school. Ap@rt from the fun and exciting activities, I’ve learnt a lot. I couldn’t believe that soon, I was going to say goodbye to this great school. And especially the girls.
A tear sli-pped down.
Suzy why?
Because I’m going to miss so much fun.
Remember, life goes on.
Kunmi, my first and true friend.
It started with the time table..
I was glad I chose to ask her for that.
Victoria, my favorite. Sincere, and friendly. No single word can really describe how much she amazes me.
Don’t get in fight with the grammarian. I admire her tiny and sweet voice the very first day. Temi and the oxford dictionary. I won’t ever forget that.
And the last of all. We weren’t that close though. But she was fun to be precise. I was going to miss Debbie too.
Everyone was eager about the esc-rtion. But I still couldn’t believe I was going to say goodbye to the girls soon.
And also to Crown school.
The best of the best.
••••Next_Episode_In_Progress••••••