A SEARCH FOR HOPE.

1.My first step, welcome

                    CHAPTER 1

              As soon as she entered the classroom, Lynda halted in her steps. Every one raised their heads and stared at her from head to toe. Without knowing how to react, she smiled. Unfortunately, none of the students returned the smile. Infact, some were amazed at her her reaction. Most of the students bowed their heads and continued copying notes from the white board.What a welcome .She thought. Of course, what did she expect? An applause for standing before the class?
             
St. Verona Rilka high school was a highly reputable one. It had the best teachers. It was one of the top schools in the country. It always produced the best medical students and chemists and being a St. Verona student meant pride. It was affordable only to the rich. For a lower class or middle class child to attend Verona, it was more of luck. St. Verona students always stood out even among their fellows. It always won national debates, quizzes and spelling bee competitions and if it didn't, that made the news headlines for it happened once in a blue moon.
            
St. Verona was built on a hill and some people called it "Verona hill." It's classrooms were painted ocean blue, the administration block, main hall, dinning hall were painted dark blue and the sickbay, white. It had very many buildings well defined in function and tall. It had a very clean kitchen painted orange with logos that clearly stated the use of the place. What a beauty!
 

            St. Verona play ground was the biggest in perspective to those of it's competitors. It was always green. Trees surounded it and a cool gentle breeze always blew. At break, lunch time and physical Exercise period, Verona uniforms decorated the green lay out. It provided a condusive environment for it's students to acquire the best grades in the country indeed. Verona students wore different uniforms on different days of the week. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday were casual wear days. To be a St. Verona Rilka students was pride indeed.  Lynda stood before the class with her head down. Suddenly, Mrs. Beatrice turned to look at the human pole by the door.
             
"Hey,are Lynda the new student?." The woman asked with a nice accent.
               
Lynda smiled before she answered,"yes." She continued to smile at the lady who did not return her smile.
               
"You seem to be so excited , aren't you?" The lady walked across to the other end of the class and put her books down onto a desk.Lynda did not answer, "Have no answer to that?" Mrs Beatrice leaned on her desk.
              
"Of course, I am excited "
              
"Good, do you love biology?
             
  "Yes, very much." all the students raised their heads to look at her.
              
"Wow , okay, Lynda, I have a simple question for you " She nodded in agreement, welcoming the question. "So you are not scared young Lynda."                                                                   
              "Of course lam scared, but I can't say no when you ask." All the students laughed at her answer, and later stared at her like a fool.
             
"Stop laughing, nothing is funny. Lynda , Name the four Chambers of the human heart." Mrs. Beatrice paused the question and all the class shifted their eyes towards her.
             
"That's a simple one," a boy on the second row said to another.
            
"Not to everyone, Maurice," his friend replied.
             
"Am waiting for my answer Lynda." Mrs Beatrice called her attention and she answered.
               
"Right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle and the left ventricle." She smiled again.
               
"Every one, let's clap for Lynda." Mrs. Beatrice asked and all clapped once. She was amazed at how organized they seemed.
              
"Introduce yourself, Lynda." Mrs. Beatrice demanded.
             
"My name is Lynda Makoni."
              
"Former school?" Mrs. Beatrice asked again.
              
"New horizons high school. It's..."
               
Before she finished her sentence, everyone was laughing. She looked at them with a hundred questions displayed all over her face. What are they laughing at, is that even funny, is that even funny?. She thought.
              
"Are you done laughing everyone? Maurice, queit." When Mrs. Beatrice had put the class to order, she turned to Lynda, mockingly. " Lynda dear, you are most welcome to the real new horizons. This is the real school. Forget about all the former schools you have attended and pick on the pace. Forget how you used to do things in your former horizons, here we do things in a more academic way. Answering, talking, expression and many other things may differ from the ways you are used to. I am afraid that you may have to get new book s. I don't trust the information from Horizons. So just change inorder to fit in perfectly well."
             
Lynda looked at Mrs Beatrice with her brows raised high. These people are mean baffoons. She thought.
             
"Am l clear dear?"
             
" Yes Mrs. Beatrice." She answered coldly.
             
"Do not get offended dear, that is the real truth. Okay, come l show you your seat." Mrs Beatrice led her to the end of the second column on the last row. A seat was reserved for her. She smiled at her neighbor.
              
"Feel comfortable, " Mrs Beatrice said before she walked back to the front. " Before evening, l need my work with correct answers. Lynda , you are free to or not to hand in your work for now. Good luck everyone." Mrs Beatrice walked out of the classroom.
             
Suddenly, everyone turned towards her, "what." She asked causing everyone to laugh