The Star Child

CHAPTER TWO: THE JOURNEY TO SECONDARY SCHOOL

Ime strolled into the sitting-room sleepily from her bedroom in her pink strawberry pajamas, rubbing her eyes and yawning as if she had done a lot of work the previous day. She yawned with her mouth widely opened, the biggest one, as she fell on her knees and greeted her parents. Her dad was dressed in his army camouflage and ready for his next trip to Maiduguri, he had said goodbye and was on his way out when he saw Ime in her sleepy and tired state and went for a hug, patting her on the back, "always be a good girl". Ime's mum sat her down and they began to talk as her dad left, Ime developed a strong affinity overtime for her mum than her dad because she sees her mum more often than her dad. As her dad left they began to talk as friends they've always been. 

"Ime, now you are about to start secondary school (JSS1) and it is not a joke. It is not like primary school, the work is tougher there and you need to work hard!" advised Ime's mum.

"But mum, last time I took first position." Ime protested still in her sleepy and confused state.

"Yes, I know you tried but you ought to try harder in secondary school, okay?"

"Yes mum, I will".

Ime's mum always intimated her to open up to her if anything bothered her so that they could both discuss it. But this, Ime withheld, she was worried if she would be a boarder or a day student. Her mum noticed an odd look on her face and said "are you worried about your secondary school?", "me?" replied Ime in shock. Her mother laughed and said "you are so predictable." she advised Ime not to worry which made her quite worried the more. She said they will move to Calabar where she will start boarding school. "Boarding school is tough" cried Ime, "well it is not" said Ime's mum trying to make Ime a bit relaxed about going to boarding school. But the fact is, if she behaves well, abides in God and conforms to the laid foundation set for her, boarding school will be as easy as day school. Not up to a micro second, news came that said Emem was sick with WHO KNOWS WHAT? This was not much of a surprise because no one had seen her for days. It was like a mystery everyone was trying to crack now it is like a bombshell expected to have blown any minute. Ime, now in a full sane state, felt an urge to go and pay Emem a visit. She ran out of the door after promising her mother that she would be back at exactly an hour, her mother was trying to tell her something but she was such in a hurry so that her one hour will be enough to go and come and still have enough time to see Emem at her house. But when she got to the gate, she looked down and noticed that she was still in her pink strawberry pajamas. She immediately ran into the house, brushed her teeth and had her bath. Emem's house was quite close to Ime's house, so it was not such a journey after all. On her way, she stopped to buy some oranges for her ill friend. "Good morning, ma" greeted Ime as she walked past the fascinating sitting-room, dining and all. A good life was good but all we see in this world is vanity, thought Ime.

My parents always told me not to worry about tomorrow that God will take absolute control.

Ime had to wait a bit long for Emem and when she got back home they both shared greetings and hugs.

"Emem, I thought you were ill, where have you been?" asked Ime with a rather anxious look on her face.

"I went with my dad to the hospital for a check- up" answered Emem weakly.

"So, what was the result?"

"It's whooping cough"

"Sorry get well soon"

"Amen"

"Here, I bought you these oranges"

"Thank you, Ime" said Emen giving Ime a warm hug.

Emem showed Ime round the house, they also used a router to roam the internet. Ime searched about the school her mother planned to take her to in Calabar, while Emem accompanied her. 

"Emem, don't bother yourself, even though you are convalescing, you should be sleeping by now, I just came for a visit" said Ime affectionately, 

"Ime, it is just cough" said Emem trying to hide another incoming cough, 

"It is not just cough, it is whooping cough and it's quite dangerous". 

When it was almost an hour, Ime had to leave because she had made a promise to her mother and her mother never liked her absence too long outside the house except when she was at school, she also hated her breaking her promises. Emem and her mother escorted Ime to the gate, while Ime left wishing she had asked for more time to stay at Emem's house but deep down inside her she knew that her mother would have never allowed her to stay for more than an hour outside the house alone, even an hour was too much to ask. Well, she had learned that when you make a promise, anybody with integrity will keep it. So, it thrilled her to think that she had integrity for keeping her promise to come back home at exactly an hour. When Ime got home, she began studying hard for the common entrance she was going to write in Calabar. The next week, Ime and her mum took a speedboat to Calabar. All their friends and family wished them safe journey and greeted them goodbye. There was a particular cousin, Ime liked very much due to the fact that she was the only child, she was like a sister to her and it was very hard for Ime to say goodbye to her. Ime waved from the back of the boat looking back at all of them. When the ride was about to start Ime felt terribly frightened she clenched her fist tightly and held her mother's arm so tight because she thought if she let go she will fall into the water, so, she was given a life jacket. After a while, she noticed that she was the only one wearing a life jacket which made her feel timid.

FOLLOW ME, AND I GUARANTEE YOU A FOLLOW BACK!!!