Dabira's Diary

1

Monday, 9th September 2013

Dear diary...

“Dabira are you ready to go? all your things are in the car” My mom shouted from downstairs,

“I’m coming mummy” I shouted back, I picked my school bag and ran towards the door.
I stopped at the mirror and looked at the 10 year old girl staring back at me, she was dark skinned, she wore a white shirt and black leggings, her hairstyle was a very nice two step made by her mum and she wore the brightest smile,

“Dabira, you can do it, you’ve been waiting for this for the past one year and finally you’re in secondary school” I let out an excited squeal and ran downstairs to meet my parents and brother.

“Won’t you eat before going?” My aunt asked handing me a slice of toast bread and a cup of tea; my favorite food,
“I’m too excited and nervous to eat anything”
“You should still eat something even if it’s just one slice” I took the bread because I knew she wouldn’t let me go if I didn’t take something, my aunt was the best at making sure I always ate, she never let me skip any meal, I knew she was worried about my going to a boarding school because we heard news about students in boarding schools being malnourished, but my school wasn’t like that; it was a Christian secondary school that takes proper care of their students, or at least that’s what their website said.

“Thank you aunty tutu, I’ll miss you” I gave her a big hug and ran to the car while munching my toast bread,
“You don’t want to go again abi?” mummy said when I finally got into the car,
“She definitely wants to go” my brother, iyanu said while trying to steal my bread, I quickly put everything in my mouth so he won’t get anything “she was the first person to wake up today, someone that we usually have to drag out of her bed”
“That’s not true, I always wake up early, and you’re the one that wakes up late” I stuck out my tongue at him and he tried to pinch my nose but I dodged and everyone in the car started laughing,

“My big girl, don’t go and be sticking out your tongue at everybody in school ohh” daddy said while laughing,
“If she does, her seniors will discipline her very well” brother Iyanu said teasingly, I knew he was teasing but that still scared me a little bit,

“They don’t do that in her school” mummy scolded, “Don’t scare your sister” she looked at me “Don’t mind your brother, he’s just teasing you, you’ll be completely fine in school” it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than she was assuring me, so I smiled at her to calm her nerves and show that I wasn’t scared “But yes, don’t stick your tongue out at people” she added lightening up the mood making us laugh.

We entered the gates to Bright minds academy, my heart was pounding but this time it wasn’t out of excitement, I was getting very nervous about this whole thing, it was finally real, and I was going to be away from my parents, my brother and my aunty. I was scared but I didn’t want to ruin the mood.

“Are these all her things” a tall dark skinned, elderly woman asked mummy, I didn’t really register what mummy said because I was busy looking at every other person that looked like me, black leggings, white shirt, two steps and a very nervous look on their faces, it was a bit comforting that there were other people like me, I was lost in thought so I didn’t hear what the tall slim girl in front of me said, she looked relaxed and happy and she was wearing a blue checkered gown and brown sandals, I assumed she was a senior girl’
“Are you ready to go?” she asked again, I turned to hug my parents and my brother while avoiding direct eye contact with them for fear of them noticing the scared/nervous look on my face,

“Please take care of her for me” mummy said to her, she replied with a small laugh, and with that, I turned back to the senior girl, nodded and carried my school bag, she called some other girls to help with my other things and led the way to my room, I didn’t turn back to look at my parents because if I did, I might’ve burst into tears.

“I’m Daniella, but you’ll call me senior Daniella because you’re my junior, I’m in jss2 and I’ll be your bunkmate, what’s your name?” she said as soon as we got into the dorm, I noticed on the wall it was written, block 2 dorm 4, “My name is Oluwadabira Adeyemi-Davies, I’m 10 years old” I told her stammering a bit, which surprised me because I was quite the talkative,

“Welcome to dorm 4 Bunkie”...