Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

chapter 3: Dara's tantrum

“Riiiiiiiiing!”

The morning bell rang so loudly that it practically threw everyone out of their beds.

A few seconds later, our housekeeper's voice came booming through the megaphone.

“Wake up, sleepyheads!”

I groaned.

I still couldn't understand why she needed a megaphone.

Her voice was already loud enough to wake the dead.

It was 5:00 a.m.

I dragged myself out of bed and knelt beside it to pray. I'd always been taught to start my day that way, and honestly, I couldn't go a whole day without praying. I wouldn't feel right.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dara climb down from her bed and kneel too.

Good girl.

I bowed my head.

“Lord, I honestly don't know what I'm doing,” I whispered. “But You always seem to know exactly what You're doing, so I'm starting this term with You. Please guide me and help me finish well.”

Amen.

After praying, bathing, and getting dressed, I was almost out of the hostel when a group of girls suddenly approached my bed.

Apparently, they had discovered the new girl.

“New girl, what's your name?” one of them asked.

“Doyin. Adejare,” I replied.

Coldly, as usual.

“Nice name.”

“Thanks.”

“What class are you in?”

I resisted the urge to sigh.

Seriously?

Did people ever get tired of asking that question?

“Grade Ten. SS1.”

They exchanged glances.

“Oh, we're in SS2,” one of them said.

“Oh.”

I was beginning to wonder when the interrogation would end.

Then came the more personal questions.

Where was I from?

Why had I left my previous school?

Was Longford my first boarding school?

I sighed internally.

Apparently, I was going to have to tell the same edited version of my story over and over again.

My previous school had been a day-and-boarding missionary Baptist school. It had been a really good school—or at least, it had been until things started going downhill.

The principal had wanted to install several new facilities, but the school's funds weren't enough to cover everything.

Instead of postponing the project or installing the facilities gradually, she went ahead and bought everything at once.

The school ended up drowning in debt.

By the following term, the school fees had doubled because the administration needed money to pay off the debt.

Parents complained.

Some withdrew their children.

My parents had desperately wanted me to stay, but the new fees were simply too much for them.