HUZZY'S POV:
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"Sir, he's a new student," a lady in pink checks interrupted. She had light makeup applied to her face, and her blue scarf draped over her shoulders made her look more beautiful.
"Who asked you? Did anyone give you the right?" He retorted angrily, to which she seemed frightened. Who does that?
He sent them away and faced me once more. Fortunately, my parents came out of the Admin block. I heaved a sigh of relief as I saw them coming.
My Dad exchanged greetings with the man, to which i was introduced to as Mallam Musa, my house master.
"Don't hesitate to look for him if there's ever anything," my dad said.
We went back to the school gate to complete my clearance. A man there collected my mattress, locker, pillow, bucket, and wrote my name boldly on them.
"No one will steal your stuffs like this" he said as he continues with the black in.
We completed the registration, and it was time for my parents to leave. A moment I wasn't ready for. I had no intention of becoming emotional at a time like this, but then realized I had no control over myself as well.
"Hey, you can do this, okay? Mallam Musa will be here, and before you know it, it will be your visiting day," my sister said reassuringly as she came to give me a hug.
That wasn't something I expected from her. We hardly say nice things to each other, but that was something I needed at this moment. Someone to tell me that I can do this.
My mum called for a group hug, and they set off to go after that.
"Don't forget your Azkhar, okay?" My mum reminded as they drove out of the school.
"Bye, Huzzy!" Hammad and Hameed chorused at the same time.
I had to push back the tears and wave back at them.
I received quite a few boring lectures from Mallam Musa after my parents left the school. He made me stand until my house captain came to fetch me, which was taking forever.
The angel that saved me came to pass with her group of friends, and they stopped where I was standing.
"Hey there! Sorry about earlier," the lady apologized, and I could tell that she's a nice person.
"Oh, it's fine," I said with a shrug.
"I am Minal," she introduced. "And these are my friends: Suffy, Zainab, Aisha, and Grace," she said, pointing at the three ladies who accompanied her.
"It's nice meeting you all. I am..."
"Huzaifa Adams," the lady named Suffy completed.
"Right. So I'm guessing we're in the same house?" I asked Minal, seeing we're wearing the same house colors.
"Yeah, you're lucky to be in one of the best hostels in the school. Do well to uphold our name," she said, smiling.
"What's your major?" the lady named Zainab asked.
"Sciences. You?" I asked, directing the question to all of them.
"Same. We hope to see you in class on Monday. Come prepared; we have lots of gurus in the class," Minal joked as they made to leave.
"Definitely," I said, smiling.
"Mallam Musa, I'm here," a tall, young guy said to Mallam Musa, who was sitting on the other side while he kept me standing.
"House, take this boy with you," he said, coming to where we were standing.
"He's a very stubborn and useless boy. Make sure you handle him very well," he added, caring less I was there listening to what he was saying.
The house captain smiled and replied, "Yes, sir," and instructed the boys that accompanied him to take my luggage. I was only left with the backpack I was carrying as we went towards the hostel areas.
The numerous shouts of my name from young boys made me feel relieved as we walked towards the hostel. At least I am recognized here.
A tall building stood at the center of the hostel area, not far from the school gate. Beside it was the Rima-Niger hostel, and on the left led to Benue-Chad complex.
We took the turn to my hostel when I saw some students lying shirtless on mattresses outside the hostel.
'I can't wait to get rid of this pink check,' I thought to myself as we made to enter.
"Hey!" One of the shirtless guys shouted in our direction.
"Frog-jump position," he added, clearly directing it at me.
The other students maintained their positions, and I decided to go after our house captain, who was far ahead of us when a lightning slap landed on my left ear.
"Frog-jump position means to jump from where you are right to where we are sitting," a short guy among the shirtless students reminded and dragged me to where they were seated.
"Lower your height," he added when we got there. I understood what that meant, so I did it to avoid another slap.
"Meye sunanka?" one of them asked in a sing-song manner. I ignored the manner to which he spoke and gave him a direct answer.
I was landed with another hot slap by the same short guy, and I realized what my mistake was. I wanted to fight back but realized it would be a bad idea to fight on my first day in school. Plus, these are guys I won't have a chance with.
He asked again, to which I answered correctly: "Sunana Huzaifa."
'Okay, let's play.'
I know the questions were aimed to test my confidence and how fast I think. Well, they have the wrong guy to play with. He asked numerous unrealistic questions, to which not even my great-grandfather could answer them. They're questions that don't make the simplest sense, or a person could answer.
He asked questions like; who's my grandfather's first crush? What's the name of my uncle's unborn child? Who are my grandmother's classmates? A thousand useless questions, and not even a single one did I miss answering. The other new student I met there was already in tears, stammering.
I was getting impatient and irritated when my house captain showed up and requested to take me, saying they can have me later.
I followed him to the hostel along with the other boys. I was greeted by many faces in the hostel compound, among them are some shirtless students as well, who never cared to look at me a second time, so I assumed they are the 'I don't care' type of seniors, my kind of people.
I was taken to room 4 Chad, the last room in the hostel. It has 8 bunks, 4 on each side of the room and a large space in the middle as a passageway. I could see the first room through the passageway doors. Each bunk has two lockers on the sides. I was taken to the first bunk on the right.
He introduced himself as Sani, my house captain, and introduced the rest of my roommates.
Each room had a mixture of 3 SS1 students, 3 SS2 students, and 2 SS3 students. The junior set had a different hostel, which they called 'Unity House'.
Not long after SNR Sani left, I started to unpack with the help of the SS1 students in the room, when a group of four students came in and introduced themselves as BAE's.
"Hi, Huzzy. I am Yasman. It's nice to have a public figure in our school," he said as he extended his hands for a handshake.
"These are..." he turned back to introduce the three guys that accompanied him.
"Sultan. I'm in Room one," the first guy introduced.
"I'm Ramadan, Katagum house."
"Adnan, Niger house."
I shook their hands after they introduced themselves, and they helped me unpack.
We continued to chat when we heard a loud banging on the windows, shouting:
"All my junior students in this complex should run out for prayer!
1....! 2.....!! 3.....!!!
Don't let me get you inside!!
If I get you inside, whatever happens to you, don't blame me, blame yourself!!
Chad-Benue all run out!!"
"I promise you'll get used to this. My apologies," Yasman apologized, and before any of us could say another thing, a shirtless figure with short knickers barged into the room, holding branches.
"All of you should lay flat," he said, fuming with rage.
None of us budged, which enraged him even more, and he rained down branches of the cane on us, giving us only two seconds to leave the room.
We left the room afterward and headed toward the mosque area, where again it was another series of being chased with branches and a guy counting for us to finish ablution at the ablution center.
I was pressed immediately when the prayer was over, so I made to leave, but Yasman dragged me back, saying I have to wait till the officials announce 'we may leave.'
Some minutes after most of the SS3 went out, the student that led the prayer announced we may leave, and I took off on my heels immediately.
Most of the students were outside when I got to the hostel area. On getting to my room, I found my bunk empty without a mattress, and thought maybe my room was changed, but I saw my locker still there. My bucket, pillow, and everything I kept under my bunk were missing. I opened my locker and saw everything was there, except the things I kept outside.
I was grabbed with panic, thinking of what to do next when I heard a loud siren ringing in the school. At first, I thought the school was on fire or some kind of emergency, when I heard some students shouting it's dining time, followed by a loud banging sending all the junior students away. In a second, all the students vanished out, leaving me all alone in the room.
I sat by the bunk edge contemplating going out or mourning my missing stuff, or waiting for another shirtless guy to show up.
I knew instantly that my life is over. I wonder if these people actually knew who I am or what my net worth is. But I guess none of that matters here; it's all man to himself.
I lay down on the bunk and took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and said out loud,
"What a day!"
YAZEED'S POV:
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"Yazeed, are you taking forever to finish bathing?" I heard a voice shouting.
We took turns in bathing, and because today is Monday, everyone is trying to avoid the prefects on duty. I poured out the remaining water on my body and rushed out to my room fully dressed up in my white and green. We're not allowed to move an inch without being fully dressed, not even coming out from the toilet. Only the seniors have the freedom to do so. In a nutshell, that's what we call 'freedom' here in the boys' hostel.
I hurried into my stockings and started to munch on my Kanzo that I soaked before going to bathe.
"Do you guys take us for slaves or what?" Yasman stormed into my corner holding a broom.
"Ungrateful animals. You guys are unbelievable. After what the government did for you, yet you can't clean its school," he said with scorn and left, reminding me to go sweep my portion.
It's always about the scholarship students, and now I know how torturing it must have been for them to be here. Always the object of mockery.
I believe absence is better than embarrassment, so I always took the last turn to sweep, to which I always end up sweeping the last portion. I finished on the right time when I heard the last banging, sending all the students to the assembly ground, left with only the SS3 students in the hostel to take forever before they come out. It has always been the tradition like that.
I checked my time, and it was barely after 6. I took my backpack and headed toward the assembly ground.
It didn't come as a surprise that the new celebrity students were with the BAEs all the time. They formed a small circle with other students in the assembly ground, while the Borno-Scholars remained on the line.
Soon after, the SS3 students joined up, sending everyone back to his line. There was a series of standing, inspection by the seniors, and punishments, an unending Monday's drama before the arrival of the staff.
The band boys went into action as the staff made their way to the floor, as well as the SS3 students forming their lines. A habit the school always frowns at, but it seems they will not change. It has been a tradition like that.
"Wow, PC's the best dresser."
"I like Mrs. Amaka's shoes."
"Her necklace must have cost thousands."
I heard the girls saying as usual. That has been their jobs on every assembly day, rating the staff's dressings as they entered the assembly ground.
"Prayers," says the head boy through the speakers, while the juniors mimicked and says "Players."
"Get ready to sing the national anthem, after the count of 3..."
The juniors were singing with so much passion and energy, while the seniors, uninterested and probably mumbling their village anthems. We sang the national anthem followed by the national pledge and waited patiently for the house inspection to be announced.
The head boy passed the mic to the senior boarding house master to announce the inspection.
"Saturday's inspection compiled by; Mr. Agaji, Mr. Judge, Mrs. Massi, and Mr. Lawal. Boy's section; the last house was taken by..."
"Rima house!" All the students said in chorus. There was laughter all over the assembly ground before he continues, announcing the results down to the girls' section.
All these while, the Zumas (a slang for Junior students) shouting and clapping till the end of the announcements.
Though we're very good in intercourse sports, house inspection was never our thing. The seniors believed real competition to be in the field, not by cleaning surroundings to earn points. Each house has its slogan, and we are 'The real men house.'
We're very popular for taking last in house inspection, but never in intercourse sports. It's irritating purple check is one word for it. I wished to be in either of Chad house or Niger house; their house uniforms are always picked for any occasion, but never Rima's.
The principal, Mr. Abdullahi, took over and addressed the students in his normal masculine yet calming and inspiring voice. It's only once in a blue moon that he attends the assembly, and whenever he does, everyone looks forward to hearing from him. He sure is an eloquent speaker. Even the SS3 with their nonchalant attitudes seems to always like and listen to him. We call him 'Baba.' He was accompanied by claps from both students and staff after he was done, and the head boy collected the mic to close the assembly.
"The college anthem, after the count of 2..."
"Now you may leave to your various classes, starting from SS3 and SS2," he says after the college anthem, and the band boys took over the drums, beating them in a rhythmical way, while the seniors made their way to their various classes.
'Unchangeable routines,' I thought.
Read the next chapter here
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