The day finally came, my dad asked us to put on our uniforms. We did, and he led us to the school where he handed us over to the headteacher, and then left for the farm. The headteacher wore a long-sleeved shirt tucked in a maroon coloured pair of trousers. But to my utter dismay and shock, he put a rope-like cloth around his neck. The rope hung down along the button line. I was afraid, I thought he was going to die because he seemed to me like a goat tied on its way to the slaughter house. But I got things wrong.
Matthew who had not just seen it for the first time had to explain to me. The cloth of a cord around his neck was supposed to be a beautifying object called the TIE.
We were shown into a shed with flat stones and unsmoothed planks serving as seats. A man came into our shed with a book and a writing material in his hand. We all looked at his direction and he ordered us to stand up and say "Good morning, sir ", which was supposed to be a greeting. We all chorused it "Goo morin sha".
We were to answer "Sir" whenever our names were called. I was not easily acquainted to that answer. One day, my name was called but I answered "Naam". To my astonishment, I was ordered to stand in front of a class with the other pupils laughing at me without knowing the cause. The teacher told me my offence and then ordered me to pull at my ears. I hesitated, but he helped himself to my ears and pulled so hard that I yelled with tears of sorrow down my cheeks. I wanted to give up and go back to the farm but for my parents. I was to answer "Sir" for a man and "Ma" for a woman.
Mr. Gabriel was our class teacher, while Mr. Ezo was the headteacher. Weekly tests took place on every fifth school day in the week. At the close of the term, an examination was conducted. I topped the list of thirty-six pupils examined. Matthew was placed on a bracket fifth position with another girl called Babias. My other siblings went home gloomily, their sadness was not unconnected with the failure they registered in the examination.
Papa would surely flog them for their poor performances. Their position ranged between twenty fifth to twenty third. In fact, it was Nana that bagged the twenty third position out of our roll of thirty six. Matthew and I were highly elated with the joy of our success.
On our way home, two boys engaged themselves in physical combats. The smaller of the two, Tobi teased the bully Jacob for not performing well in the paper work. Tobi called him a bunch of big muscles and iron bones but with a shallow brain. Jacob was infuriated at the concept of Tobi. The former then cupped a handful of sand in his palm and boasted that if the latter dared to turn it away, he "would smell dog excrete". They started to exchange words and curses. Tobi was to receive a sudden beating that sent him unconscious "I will beat you" said the bully while Tobi replied with "you can do nothing". He then turned down the sand but received a hard slap that sent him reeling across the field.
I intervened and pulled Jacob away from him. He turned and smacked me across the fact which made me lift him up shoulder high and smashed him on a heap of pebbles nearby. The other students roared, cheered and congratulated my effrontery. When we finally got up, he boasted that we would meet on better grounds but it was simply a joke to cover up his shame.
On reaching home, we took our report cards to Papa. Nana was called upon to interpret the contents. After it was over, Papa passed his remarks. He congratulated those whose position ranged high, but to Matthew and I, he said "come and kneel down here, you are good for nothing children".....
To be continued.....
