K.I.S.S

1

This is how I visualize KIS female senior school uniform.

***
Runo

I blinked slowly, turning onto my side. Looking at the glowing wall clock at the middle of the room, I saw it was still 4:35 am. The exact time I woke up yesterday. I smiled at the coincidence.

Laying my head on my pillow, I let my thoughts wander. It was the official first day of resumption and as usual, the hostel reeked of home food. But trust K.I.S girls to always neglect first day cleanup and go to sleep immediately after gossiping about the holidays.

I turned my face upwards to see the depression caused by my sleeping bunkmate. I smiled to myself again.

Being a senior student feels surreal. To think that at this same time last year I was a junior in short sleeves and white socks and still climbing bunk ladders to get to my bed. Time seems to have flown past so fast, and now, here I am, looking up at my bunkmate's bed.

I glanced at the clock again. 4:38. I groaned. Bathing now won't make any difference, so I got up.

Stretching, I turned to my bunkmate, Sandra. "Hey, get up".

She groaned,"who is that?"

"It's your bunkmate. Get up, it's morning already". I had this habit
of waking up whoever was sleeping close to me whenever I woke up. My past bunkmate loved me for that.

Sandra yawned and stretched. "Good morning senior. No light yet?"

"As you can see". I was fumbling with my locker's password when the light suddenly came on.

"God! My eyes!" She buried her head in her pillow. "This NEPA sef".

I chuckled. "No longer NEPA, PHCN".

"The same set of humans, only with a refined name."

I finally opened the locker. "Will you get down and stop complaining?"

She mumbled something but got up and jumped down. I took off my nightwear, searching for my towel. "The ladder is there for a purpose, you know."

She gave me an impish grin. "Morning exercise".

I shook my head. "Jumping from bunks?" She smiled again and took off her night gown. "Ehen, senior, did you in any way see my shower cap?"

I raised a brow. "Shower cap? For which hair? The one on your head?"

She laughed and ran a hand through the dense afro. "Yes na. I want to start growing it. I even brought hair food to school."

"If you wanted to grow it why didn't you start at home?"

She scoffed and donned the shower cap she had found nestled underneath her pillow. "I don't know for my daddy oh. It's all his fault, making me cut my hair alongside my brothers. I don't know if he thinks I'm also a boy."

I was now wrapped in my towel and also stuffing my long braided hair into my shower cap. "Are you the only girl?"

"Nope. My elder sister's in the university. Behaves like a tomboy though, so hmm". She shrugged.

"So it's in the gene".

She scoffed again. "Not my gene, oh. I'm breaking out".

I shook my head. "Abeg sister, go and bathe before my effort of waking you becomes vain and the bathrooms get filled".

She exhibited a mock salute. "Yes, senior".

She pranced off and I walked to the opposite direction, towards the senior bathrooms. Halfway, I felt someone close my eyes.