October 1984. Aquinas College, Akure. Walking along the side of the hall (became the library in 1990) and went towards my classroom. Our classroom was a new building, with decking in place but the classrooms above have not been completed. I have spent 4 weeks in this school that I do not want to be in. Don’t think and look at me that way 😡... There was a myriad of people like me around class 1 then. We participated in the common entrance exam, we passed, did the interview, and looking forward to moving on once we get into the Federal Government school of choice; using ACA as a stop-gap or a backup plan. A lot of my primary schools mates were leaving - Wale Kumuyi, Tunde Sesan, Sola Fanimi, and others like Bimbo Babalola, Dapo Omonijo, and others. I am sad as I had an admission to a Federal government school as well but a decision has been made at home that I cannot go. Stuck here...
Slap 💥. Back to reality. A senior just gave me a backhand slap. I am looking sheepishly and he says- “What are you dragging your legs for? Your class has started and here in this school, we do not have slackers. You better show up”. I look up and run off to class 1V. My thoughts are - “is this going to continue like this?” I look at the school and there is a trend. Teachers run the senior class with the backing of the principal. The school itself is run by Form 5 students led by Badmus Akinbowa, who is the senior prefect. All the forms ahead of you had authority over their juniors. Even class captains in classes had more power than other students. Then I smile. I am glad that I am not in 1X. Seyi No manners Ajayi is running that class like a military regime. No break if you make noise. Punishment if you speak vernacular. Na wah o. Boarding house may be better or could it be worse 🧐? I sat down to listen to the lesson with the view that I will go to see my friend in Form 4 for some comfort words later. End of lesson .. Yay 🕺🏼..
I run out of class during the short break, through 1Y, across the tennis courts and now in front of Form 4E ( The classes were labeled 5A-5D, 4E-4I,3J-3O, 2P-2T, and 1U-1Y and additional forms had a Z class as an extension class for each form that needs it). I walked onto the pavement and as I was peeping into 4E to see where my friend is, one of the seniors sees me and asked “What are you doing here?”. I was shaking and before I could explain myself, he beckoned that I come into their class and stand behind the door as a punishment. What is my crime? I stepped on the holy land which is the pavement of Form 5 floor but shared with the vice principals and form 4E. Mo daran 🙆🏾♂️! Tears in my eyes, I stand behind the door and I was warned that the teacher must not hear me whilst he is teaching. Fortunately for me, I was only standing there for 15 minutes and I was let go before the teacher came in. I was told they hoped I had learned my lesson. Lesson learnt. I run to my class and stayed within my area.
School ends and then there was prep. Usually, we get an hour of break to play before reading prep starts. Time to buy something from the tuck shop if you can afford it and the most common meal is groundnut and bread. Heaven 🗽.. but sometimes it may be garri brought from home, ground nut and water from the well near the tuck shop. That well. If we all know what has lived, died or floating in that well, drinking it will not be an option but what were the alternatives? We drank anyway, and our antibodies got stronger and the water went into our garri.. 🎼Wey your calabash, water don pass gari o, whey your calabash🎼
Back to my story. I have just eaten some groundnut but I have left it late and there was about 10 minutes for prep to start. I decided that I will watch some people playing on the field but it looked scanty; not sure why. I started working outside the field perimeter; beside the biology and chemistry lab and towards the tree beside class 3 block, the muturu tree that all us were told that witches live in it because it bleeds when it was cut. I had learnt my lesson earlier and stayed away from their block. Wrong! “What are you doing here?” I was taken aback... “I am just looking at what is happening in the field”. “Really?” He retorted. It was Dapo Adegbuyi’s brother Pa Jimoh. “Have you not been told that people pay to watch the relay team train?”. Ooo God! Which kind of school is this? Before I could say a word, I was dragged into a class to start dancing for watching only 2 minutes of running. Now, I had learnt my lesson. So ewe agbeje mowo ati ese. Stay where you are confined to. Watch with your mates. Learn the rules and nuances. The community discipline was there to ensure the students well rounded in all that we do. Look at us now... Achieve Integritas...
Comments