Living In The Ghetto - Episode 10

 

When Adanne got to school, she saw Ngozi and Shola. She hadn't seen them before in their school. Maybe she had, but she wasn't aware it was them. She got to school early and assembly normally starts by 7:30AM. She guessed the time would be some minutes before the assembly would start, as she left her house with her brother, and it was minutes before 7:00AM. Different teachers walked all around the environment to inspect if they had been cleaned by those who they were assigned to . They yelled at some and commended others. Primary four, five and six pupil were assigned with different portions of the school compound in which it was divided in groups for each classes and they swept at their designated days. Adanne eyes stretched forward and she saw Ngozi and Shola with brooms in their hands in the midst of other students. Ngozi pulled her pinafore up so the flower it was tangled with, wouldn't render it torn. They were in a group of other students as they walked towards their portions.

"Hey, Ngozi. Hey, Shola," she called out all at once.

They both turned including other students that heard the names. Adanne quickened her pace till she got to where they were.

"You are both in this school and I never knew. I'm seeing both of you for the first time," Adanne said.

"Hi," Shola said, flaunting her white teeth

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/living-in-the-ghetto

. She always smiled uncannily to show how overwhelmed and caught up, she always feel. She spoke pidgin and was always feel to speak in front of Adanne. She opened up to Ngozi when she queried her on keeping mum in front of Adanne.

Adanne smiled back at Ngozi, and they ended up showing whose teeth was whiter. 

"We have always known you were in this school. Maybe you didn't know about us," Ngozi replied. 

Adanne smiled. She was impressed by how fluent Ngozi spoke. She is one of the rarest pupil that spoke fluently in the school. 

"What class?" She asked.

"Primary six," Shola blurted quickly.

"That's nice. I'm in primary five. See you guys later," Adanne said and walked out on them. She adjusted her bag quickly to fit her back.

During the break time, Adanne joined them as usual in different plays they were involved in at the playground. She found them interesting. Having been in the school for over some weeks, she has been adjusting and the new environment was more cheerful and boisterous than were they lived. They were happy in a free way, Ngozi thought. but things she regrets are less niceties they get to eat in their new environment.

In the former place they lived, they always remained indoor except when their mothers would take them out to recreational places. In her former school, they didn't observe break time outside. They stayed in their classes whenever it's time for break, to their proprietor's order. That was how most expensive private schools in the Urban part of Lagos were. They are constructed beautifully with a little environment which gave no room to recreational activities. Only Chimaobim enjoyed the perks of having a spacious playground when he finally moved into a secondary school. It was a missionary private school but  had a spacious surroundings where they played. He had a nice time till their father was befallen with a financial crisis and they were forced to move to this new environment.

Adanne played and stared at all the pupil playing. She was amazed at how happy everyone was. The chattering and energy amazed her. Even those who were calm and collected in class played with all their strengths.

Her eye strained and she sighted Timi under the mango tree while he scribbled with his finger, on the ground. Two girls and a boy that flanked him taunted him. Adanne could guess they were taunting him from the way their hands moved in the air and he occasionally raised his head up and stared at them. At some points, one would tap his head and run backward while others would mock him by making sounds and hitting their palms on their lips to produce mocking noises.

Adanne waltzed to that place in a minute. "Hey, Timi," she said. He raised his head up immediately. Standing up, he dusted his hands on his short and ran toward Adanne.

"See as e be. You dey run to who will save you. Otondo," the boy amongst them said and did a black flip baring the under of his short that had torn. The back of his short had patches all over it. He walked away while the two girls kept staring at them.

"We dey come back. Halimo, let's go," she said and dragged the other one's hand. She pronounced "Halimo" with some flavour of Yoruba intonation.

Adanne's grip still held Timi tightly. Timi gawked at her slowly. He thought Adanne wasn't his friend anymore. She had been snubbing him whenever she entered the class and never talked to him till now. He thought she had joined other students to treat him like an outcast.

"Can we talk?" Adanne asked.

Timi nodded in an affirmation.

Read " The Dormitory (A Sequel) " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. Adanne dragged him to a slab in front of the classroom. She picked up the piece of paper on the floor and wiped off the sands on the slab. They sat down and she noticed how people fixated at them and shook their heads at intervals, some pointed at them to their friends while others gawked non stop. Adanne ignored and turned toward Timi. Timi's face was filled with a light happiness.

"Why don't you like fighting for your self?" Adanne asked.

Timi wriggled his shoulder and cackled. He wanted to speak but words stuck in his throat. He swallowed spits and pushed the words out all at once. "Err....they bully me well. Can not fight them," he said and wriggled his shoulder again and smiled. He hoped he had impressed Adanne with his spoken English. His face lightened up with smiles while Adanne face was filled with confusion trying to decipher the statement he had made.