LAST DAY OF THE TERM (Bashorun childhood memories)

This piece is dedicated to Mrs. Popoola, the bestest teacher and the most loved Headmistress.

Mummy o.
Thank you for being a wonderful administrator.
Thank you for being an excellent mother to three geniuses, one of which I was unable to displace displace despite my best efforts.
For I will never forget that prize-giving day when Funmilayo blazed the trail with 7 'best student in' while I followed suit with only 5.

Mommy o.
God bless you ma
_________________

"Holiday is coming.
Holiday is coming.
No more morning bells.
No more teachers beat
Teachers goodbye, students goodbye
As I want to spend a jolly Ho-li-day; A jolly Ho-li-day."

This is not a song raised by a comedian who tries to run down his time because his jokes are empty.
Neither is the humming of a mechanic who is working on the engine of a car while his back is against the ground.

This was a song being raised by a set of pupils whose joy was unmeasurable at the time.

This was a song that was being sang by excited pupils donning white and orange check shirts and green shorts.

A rare end of the term song being sung at the top of their lungs, while the teachers also swayed their heads to the beat.

Who could blame the children for being so excited?

Apparently, for the next three to seven weeks, as the terms differed, they would avoid Mr. Alli's best friend who always tagged along with him during mathematics class and never failed to leave his table.

That friend of his was his beloved cane, a smooth and finely straight dongoyaro stick that always helped to restrain the devils that wanted to manifest themselves in the children.

That friend of his also had a twin brother which resided within daddy's room,
The twin brothers name was 'Bulala', and it was majorly used to install every alphabet software into the operating system of every child in every 'ile-keu' (koranic school).

Apparently for the next three to four days, mothers would not wake their children early in the morning.
And the children would be given the opportunity to fully complete all the dreams which they had left unfinished during the school term.

Akeem Olatinwo, dreaming that he was Samurai Jack, would finally have the opportunity to kill the evil Aku once and for all.

Olumide Bankole, dreaming he was in USA, would finally get to visit Barney and hug the big, cuddly teddy bear.

Little Kosi, dreaming that he was Dagunro, would finally get to unleash hell upon foes such as Agbako, Larude and Fadeyi Oloro.

Much more,
He, acting as Abija, would be able to save any king from any koto Aye (pit of evil)
For he planned to unleash a string of incantations that would even make Orunmila and Sango cringe in fear when they see me.

All these children would be spared from waking up very early for the first three days, and would be woken earlier when they begin to attend holiday lessons later
____________

The teachers had also been praying for that time to come.

Who could blame them?

Apparently they too had become tired of formating the memory cards of the children's heads everyday, while the child returns the next morning with the same virus installed the next day.

Beeni

No matter how much Mr. Edetan served Charles a daily dosage of Akara (Mr. Edetan's favorite word for cane), the little boy would return the next morning and still begin to soil his uniform with dirt.

No matter how much little Kosi was warned off playing with 'iso' (nail) during breaktime, he would not stop.
For he was not able to break into the football teams, and the girls also did not like to play 'tete', 'koso', 'tinko-tinko' or 'who is in the garden' with him because he was always prone to cheating.

No matter how much Mr. Alonge peppered Rofiat and Olaitan's backs with the cane, the little girls would never stop talking in class.

Those two were uniquely adept at the art of gossip.

No boy could escape the wrath of their tongues,
For they were no nonsense girls who had learnt to respond to fire with fire of their own.

No girl could withstand the onslaught of their jesting,
For they always reserved their choicest taunts for the girls who boys flocked around more in class

No subject was a forbidden topic for the girls.
As they would keep on whispering, giggling and then feign severe headache whenever the teacher sets a test in the class.


The holidays would also bring new jobs for the teachers.

Mr. Alonge would be able to focus more on teaching at the holiday lessons organized by the popular Mustapha.
Mr. Alli would be able to around to attend to his poultry and take more care of his snails.
Iya Bashorun would have more opportunities to focus on her Turkey business and also put more effort in her masters program which was slacking a bit.

Indeed, thoughts about the coming holidays brought great joy to the pupils and teachers.

_____________

"Good morning Pupils. Let us thank God for the ending to another successful term."
So said the headmistress, Mrs. Popoola as she bowed her head and expected us to do the same in reverence to God.

All the teachers bowed their heads and gave thanks.

While most of the pupils blankly stared at the headmistress.
For Fear and uncertainty was ravaging their little minds.

"What position will aunty give me this term?"
'Will uncle Opeyemi pass me in Mathematics?"
Will I still retain the best in french language this term?"

These were the questions that were being brood upon by the students.

"Mummy will buy me new Kito if I pass"
"Daddy will beat me very well if I come last again"
"Pastor will bathe me with anointing oil if I fail CRK again"
"Mommy would force me to enroll in koranic school if I fail IRS again"

These were the concluding anwers to the questions that the pupils arrived at while the headmistress was still silently praying.

"I pray that God shall answer all our prayers in Jesus name"
The headmistress said as she slowly raised her head and look at the pupils through her ever clear spectacles.

"AMEEEN"
The pupils echoed back.

"Good morning once again to our teachers and pupils. We thank God for the successful completion of another term. As you students go to your classes to recieve your report cards, make sure you remain very calm and obedient. You must also make sure that you show your report card to your parents because I have heard reports that some of you do not show your report cards to your parents."

At the last statement, Ige and Azeez chuckled under their breath and stole a grin at each other.
For they were the prime culprits in that act.

Who could blame them?

Apparently mama and baba Agba, who were their guardians, could not read and it was futile to show them the report cards.

Apparently the teachers blue pen was always shy to visit their report cards while the red pen was a regular visitor that slept over at the boxes next to the subject.

To be continued in later posts
#BASHORUN

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