Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

chapter 3: Dara's tantrum

"Riiiiiiiiiing!!!!" The morning bell rang so loudly, throwing everyone off their beds. Our housekeeper's voice followed after it .

"Wake up, sleepy heads!!" Her voice cracked behind the megaphone.

I kept wondering why she even used a megaphone.. Her voice was already loud enough. Geez.

I stood up sluggishly and knelt to pray beside my bed. I had always been taught to do that. If I went a day without praying, I wouldn't be comfortable.

It was 5:am. From the corner of my eyes, I saw my sister getting down from her bed to pray, too. Good girl.

"Lord, I don't seem to know what I'm doing." I said to God.

"But you always seem to know how everything should go, so I'm starting this term with you. Guide me and help me end well. "

After praying, bathing, and dressing up, I was about to leave the hostel when a group of girls approached my bed.They wanted to know who the "new girl" was.

"New girl, what's your name?" One of them asked.

"It's Doyin..Adejare," I replied coldly, as usual.

"Nice name." They said.

"Thanks."

"What class are you entering?"They asked, making me tired of all their questions, me being an "antisocial" person.

I mean, don't people ever get tired of asking this same question?

"Grade 10(ss1)". I replied, trying my best not to ignore all their questions and walk away.

I later found out they were one class above me .

Then, they started asking all sorts of questions, including the reason why I left my former school. I sighed because I would have to be telling the same story i edited and cut out some details from over and over again.

My first school, which was a day and boarding missionary baptist school, was a very good school until, due to the impatience of the principal, it started generating debts. The principal wanted to install some new facilities in the school, but the school funds weren't sufficient enough to sponsor the change. Instead of realising this and keeping the project for later or installing the facilities little by little, she bought all of them at once, causing great debt to the school.

After a term, the school fees doubled in amount because the school needed more money in order to pay off the debts. Many parents complained bitterly, and some even withdrew their children. My parents really wanted me to stay, but they couldn't afford the fees anymore. I myself didn't want to be a burden to them. So they withdrew me and put me in a school they could afford, and here I am.
But that was not the whole story.....

"Long story, but you are welcome to this school," they said, looking and sounding bored.
Hehe, so now you know how I felt when you first came to disturb my peace, "I said in my head.

It looked like most of the things I said these days were in my head. They'd better stay there.

"One little thing though, there are rules in this hostel that you have to follow, and there are ways we do things, so observe carefully, and you'll be fine."

I smiled in affirmation, but deep down, I knew exactly what they meant, even though they were trying so hard to water it down.
They must have thought I was a noob.

I had seen some seniors sending the junior students out of their well-deserved bathing space this morning before they even had the chance to bathe. The spaces were well deserved because some of them had woken up before everyone just to get a space, just for them to be sent out because of some 'rule'.