Hope - Episode 3

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“Hey! You there, can you please tell us the meaning of Nightingale”, the principal’s voice echoed in Ayomide’s mind. She could hear someone talking but she didn't know the owner of the voice was pointing right at her, not until a hand tapped her from behind.
“He’s talking to you”, the girl behind her said.
“Me?” Ayomide asked shocked by the girl’s word
“Are you deaf or what. You without the school uniform”, the principal seems to be annoyed.
Ayomide suddenly realized she was the only one not wearing the school uniform on that morning's assembly . Before she could utter any word, the principal ordered her out to stand right in front of her fellow students and tell them the meaning of Nightingale.
She climbed up to the podium slowly. She was a bit ashamed now. Who could have thought that a carefree girl like her would be intimidated by the principal? She stood beside the principal lost in yet another series of thoughts.
“Now tell us”, it was the principal again.
“Night-in-gale”, she pronounced the word as though it was the separate words.
The senior students burst into laughter when they heard her. The JSS 1 students didn’t know the cause of their laughter but some of them could be seen smiling
“Quiet everyone!” the vice principal who has been quiet seen the beginning of the assembly that day commanded.
“Nightingale”, the principal corrected Ayomide ignoring the student’s laughter.
The principal, Mr

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/hope

. Gbadamosi is a man of discipline. He doesn't tolerate indiscipline. It has been his tradition every session, since he joined the school, to ask the new intakes the meaning of Nightingale which is the name is the school. Every session has always been the same. No JSS 1 student has been able to provide the meaning correctly. Then, he will always take it upon himself to tell them the meaning but he has never met anyone who could not even pronounce the word let alone give the meaning. He was amazed and was already planning on the best discipline method when he heard the girl's voice for the second time that day.
“Singing bird”, Ayomide said. “It means the bird that sings melodiously”
The principal was astonished. He couldn't believe that the girl who he corrected just now on the pronunciation of Nightingale could actually know its meaning. The whole student in the assembly hall were quiet. If a pin drops at that moment, it won't escape the hearing of both teachers and students of Nightingale Academy. The JSS 1 students on the other hand awaits the stern looking principal's disapproval. Instead the principal announced…
“A round of applause for her”, they could all hear the principal’s voice.
Right from the moment she answered the question, Ayomide knew she was right.

Read " Believe " by the same author ( HABEEBLLAH DAMILOLA )

. She remembered reading it somewhere in a story book. “Nightingale flew across the sky”, she could remember vividly. As inquisitive as she was, she immediately checked up the meaning in her dictionary. Still, Ayomide let out a soft smile when the principal announced she was right. She wanted to leave the podium as soon as possible.
“What's your name young girl”, the principal demanded interestingly.
“Ayo', she responded immediately as if the question would automatically take her back to her line or so she thought.
“Ayo?” the principal was surprised. He wanted to scold her but acted otherwise. “You need to tell your name and surname my dear. You’re not among your friends”, he advised calmly bending a bit to peer into her worried face.
“My name is Ayomide Cole”, she responded with a smile.
“Okay! I see you have potential. Keep it up”, the principal commended. “It's good to have you in our school, go back to your line”
Ayomide kept smiling until she got back to her line. “Could it be I'm beginning to like this school”, she thought.