Living In The Ghetto - Episode 5

 

Chimaobim and Adanne were enrolled in schools when the new session resumed; Adanne was in primary while Chimaobim was in secondary. The first day at school, Chimaobim felt totally different. He didn't relate with anyone. The atmosphere smelt unfriendly and the students looked below par than those he related with in his former school. This was a secondary school located in the heart of the ghetto . He wondered how Adanne would feel in the primary school nearby where she was enrolled. Chimaobim always taught Adanne to be someone that bares her mind harshly. She would tell a bad tale when they meet after the school hour.

Chimaobim gawked at their mathematics teacher while she taught them. Her mouth moved slowly as she gestured repeatedly, and Chimaobim's look fixated closely at her.

"Hey, you are new here?" the teacher pointed at Chimaobim with the long slim cane she held tightly.

"Yes, Ma," Chimaobim said and made to stand.

"You can sit," she said and her hand moved up and down slowly.

He watched while other students gazed at him. His eyes moved away immediately he made an eye contact with any of the students. He felt irritated and grumbled at how they gawked at him.

***
Adanne was in primary five. The boy she sat with smelt like a fermented cassava and Adanne couldn't hide her disgust. 

When Adanne was brought into the class by the proprietress, she saw the boy sitting alone on a conjoined tabled chair and he thought it was made specially for him because he looked quiet, secluded and timid

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

. She sat down beside him and they gestured at each other. Adanne greeted him with a facial demeanor. Turning around, she noticed how some students gawked at her, laughed and tried to conceal their laughter. The environment felt unruly to her not until, her nostril couldn't take the smell any longer.

"Hello, auntie" Adanne said and her hand stood in the air. Everyone turned and gazed at her.

"Hi," the teacher said adjusting her glasses that had gone down her nose then raised her head up. "Can I help you?"

"He smells," Adanne blurted and shivers ran down her body, forming little bumps, not knowing know how everybody would feel.

Everywhere was filled with laughter and mockeries. They murmured too.

"Enough, please," Ms. Adebayo cautioned. "Well, Adanne it's not only you that has felt that way. I have flogged him times without number so that he will make cleanliness his top priority but he still remains the same. I am tired."

The boy bent his head slowly on the table and buried his head down. 

"Timi, will you take your head up, you dirty boy!" Ms. Adebayo shouted. 

He looked up slowly. His sight blurred and he froze in a second. He closed his eyes tightly, opened it and tears trickled down slowly in successions. 

"That one na your yeye crocodile cry. Be neat you won't hear. If I talk now, your mama go come school come fight me as usual. I don tire for your matter. Just stay there alone," Ms. Adebayo said. "E jor, what's that your name again?" she said facing Adanne.

"Adanne."

"You can manage to sit with Amuche and Yinka. They are sitting in twos," she pointed and adjusted her glasses.

Adanne dragged her bag and wanted to leave but her foot felt heavy. She stared at him and felt a pity. Standing for a few seconds, she finally walked away from him.

***
After the school hour, Adanne tug her bag and strapped it to her back, then walked out of the class. She would walk to Chimaobim's school which was situated a few kilometers away in the same compound and wait for him till their school hour elapsed. The primary school closed at 1:00PM, while the secondary school closed at 2:00PM.

She walked at a slow pace whilst dragging her foot on the ground.

"Hey fine girl."

She turned toward the side where the voice came from, and it was a drunk man holding a bottle while he staggered by. His trouser nearly fell off baring his dirty brief.

Read " Resuscitated Hope " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. He staggered like he was afraid of the ground.

"Iron, the useless man," other students chanted and laughed. They clapped while mocking him.

Adanne stared at them baffled. She was entertained amidst being baffled. Her face fluttered in a mixed feelings.

"Fine girl, no mind them. Dem no get respect," Iron blurted and liquids splashed out from his mouth. He made to walk toward Adanne to hold her hand but she drifted away and he staggered forward almost falling to the ground. Other students laughed. Adanne walked away quickly.

"You know fine. Your mama sef no fine. I dey give you hope say you fine. Werey omo," he cursed and hissed.

The students laughed, and a voice blurted, "but she fine pass your generation."

"Abi o," they said in a unison.

"See as e be sef come dey insult someone else," another voice said. 

Iron bit his hand quickly and made to pursue them, but fell immediately he took more than two steps, on the side of the little grasses and they mocked him in unison as usual.