A Loner's Journey Through Lemonade Making

Chapter 33| Harvest

The next day, everyone showed up in beautiful outfits for the most anticipated event on the school calendar- the graduation ceremony.

Most females wore dresses. Others wore either jumpsuits or blouses on different bottoms. Their footwear were mainly heels and sneakers. The boys dressed nicely too, in regular male attire. People had gone all out to look as good as they could.

I put on the floral wrap dress from the last time we went to church and my platform sandals. Aunty Toyin let me have her silver purse on the condition that I brought it back in good shape. My hair was in twists, so I only brushed the woven part and wore a butterfly hair clip.

My classmates looked ready to walk any runway. Some girls had even fixed artificial nails. Their assurance of not getting into trouble was that we were free to do whatever we liked because the term had ended.

Downstairs, finishing touches were being added to make sure the whole school was picture ready. The graduating students were taking pictures with their parents and mates. I had seen and spoken to Tekena that morning and I must confess, he looked strikingly handsome in his suit.

Safia's vanilla scented perfume filled the air around me. I sniffed and turned towards her. She was spraying it on hef leg pants. My other friends and I coughed simultaneously. She gave an apologetic look and ran out of class, bottle in hand.

I shook my head and lowered my eyes to the page of Little Women I was reading. A shadow appeared on the page, and my nose was forced to inhale Leilah's Body Shop raspberry body butter. I knew because I'd asked what it was. But now it was too close to my nose.

"Leilah?"

"What's up?" She came and sat on Kari's laps without a heads-up.

"Please oh, the one who took more bum than necessary, stand up before I faint." Kari pleaded while trying to get Leilah off her.

Leilah giggled and got off her. She donned an apple green shirt and blue wide-leg overalls. On her feet were a pair of red corset heels. She wore a hairband over her hair which was packed into a low bun.

Leilah had come to drain our energy because she kept talking and making us contribute. She talked about celebrities, the seniors' outfits and how she would 'rule school' in SS1. Somehow, she brought Joju into the conversation and kept looking at me and asking for my thoughts on things she said about him.

We went downstairs about thirty minutes later. The hall had been decorated nicely. Parents had dressed up in mostly native attires, expensive laces and beads. Photographers were all around, ready to take pictures of any and every thing. The graduands sat majestically, looking regal and joyful.

The ceremony started when Mrs Adelana arrived. We took the opening prayer, then the national and school anthems and pledges. Speeches were given, photos were taken, tears were shed and prayers were said. Scholarships and awards were given out. Evey year at graduation, the graduands sang a song of their choice. This time, it was A Million Dreams. The hall was silent while they sang. Goosebumps sprouted on my skin. I shivered and at a point, a tear rolled down my cheek.

It made me realize I would miss TK more than I'd thought I would. He had been an amazing friend in the past few months. Hopefully, we would meet again, someday.

They descended the stage with teary eyes amidst claps. Parents got up from their seats to hug their children. When Tekena looked in my direction, I gave him wide smile, which he reciprocated.

Mrs Adelana took another round of prayers. She encouraged parents to pray for their children and gave them prayer points.

After certificates had been collected, more prayers had been said, more pictures had been taken and more tears had been shed, the graduands threw their hats up and that was it, that was the end.