Visiting day

It was on a Saturday, after the sanitary inspection, they were all free to go stand by the school gate. They stood there waiting , the turning up of their parents, a fact they aren't sure of yet they held on to faith.
Dauda had called his father last week to inform him. He plans on telling him his wish to leave the school, and this time, he must win the argument. He kept reciting his defense speech.
Parents were showing up one after the other, each student jumps in jubilation once he/she sees their parent(s). The end to every other person's wait sickens the heart of those yet to meet their parent(s). Dauda and Ebuka kept gallivanting around the school gate, their patience was fast diminishing. By evening, Dauda had began to sob. Ebuka kept convincing him of his father's arrival. relief came to Ebuka when his mother finally showed up. He introduced Dauda to her. She told them to eat together and also share everything she brought equally.
Dauda's resentment towards his father gained momentum. He wondered if he will even come to take him home when they vacate.

To be continued
Ade Richards

Pages77.

​ THE BOARDERS (PART FOUR)
MONDAY MORNING

It was very early in the morning, dauda was the first on the junior student's queue. He watched as senior mike lashed some boys mercilessly with a big cane. He imagined himself receiving a cane that size, he wondered what the boys must've done, he was terrified. His heart sank when senior mike asked him to come, he approached slowly as he tried to figure out what he must've done wrong. "How are you?" The senior asked to his surprise. His heart grew hot in relief. "Why are you afraid smallie? I won't beat you" promised the senior. He placed his arm on his shoulder, then began addressing other boys. After his speech, he looked down at Dauda again, and remarked, "Nna, this boy small oh......" "What is your name ?" senior zai, "Dauda" he announced.
The quadrangle got lively as everyone got amused. "How old are you?" senior mike enquired. Everyone was stunned when he announced, "eleven!"
At the class that his ugly short form teacher changed his seat from the back to the front, right in the middle of two girls. Not even a word transpired between him and the girls throughout that day. After classes, Ebuka took him to the staff room-he had informed him of how dangerous it is to keep money in his tinker box. Mr Akintunde (ebuka's guardian) was a tall mean looking man, Dauda kept looking into his eyes. He handed him the money which the man kept in his drawer. "Boy what is your name?" He asked . "Dauda!".
Ok, you can go" he dismissed them. On their way to the hostel, ebuka told him all about Mr Akintunde.
#aderichards
To be continued!
More at

THE BOARDERS (PART TWO)
Anybody that touches you, just come and tell me but don’t disrespect your seniors”.
Well, it worked on dauda. He went to the field that evening, he was chosen to join a football team of five boys from his room to compete against room two boys. He had fun doing what he loves but never had the chance at home. He liked the sight of many children playing on the large field. Some were running but most were playing his game. Girls were gathered together towards their hostel doing what he couldn’t figure out. He unleashed his great skills. This made him new friends and a new status in the eyes of all.

On getting to the hostel, there was a long queue at the tap, he noticed that the queue consisted of only junior students. Seniors would come and ask them to leave the tap, they stood some distance away from the tap and watch while the seniors take their bath.

That was the day he met Ebuka who offered him half bucket of water from his reserve.

He even accompanied him to the big bathroom they call laundry. Dauda turned away from Ebuka as he was about to strip, he stopped half way leaving his pants on, he bathed with it on.

Ebuka laughed at him, as they retired to the room, he told him he would soon get used to school life.

When the bell was rung, he asked, “Ebus what is that sound”? Ebuka told him ” it’s time for dinning, let’s go! prepare” Dauda started getting into his white shirt, He got annoyed when he heard Ebuka laughing. Ebuka opened his tinker box, handed him a checkered shirt and khaki shorts, “that’s what you should wear” he said.

At the Dinning, Dauda watched everybody eat, he couldn’t eat with everybody looking at him like that. His eyes caught Ebuka’s who motioned to him to eat. The beans was very appaling, he stopped at the fourth spoon and stood up to leave. Ebuka motioned to him to sit down. Suddenly he heard, “bow your heads” which he obeyed

“For the food we have eaten we thank you oh Lord!”

To be continued

#aderichards

Pages77.

Published by Ade richards

I know he’s too young but we have no choice, we cannot keep him home for one whole year, it would be detrimental to his brain.





That was my father in a discussion with my uncle. My case has become popular. At the age of eleven everybody believed I was too young to go to secondary school- talk more of living there. But my father refused to harken to them. As the headmaster of the only primary school in the local government area, this qualifies him as the spring of wisdom in the village. His decision to send me far away to boarding school at a tender age was the final, not just as my father. His bald head gives him that look of a wise man, age and poverty have shrinked him physically but not mentally. I take his big eyes, round face and most of all his gentle look. The idea of education appealed to him a lot. My good grades never surprised anybody. He forced his formulas, theories, definition and so on down my throat. Perphaps if my mother hadn’t died during my birth she would have saved me from his tyranny. I have no choice, I must go! I wonder what it looks like to remain within a compound and never to see home and watch movies; though under his supervision, play with bello and other kids from the next street on Sundays, then count the cows being driven by those men with rags around their head. I won’t forget that day when one of their cows ran off, he went after it and while running his rag felled. We laughed so hard tears came down our cheeks. Whenever I remember that incident, I laugh just like I’m doing now. He finally got what he deserved for beating those innocent cows. I’ve heard stories of ghosts tormenting kids that live in the hostels. Maybe I should tell my father about it, he might change his mind because of it. Though there will be many children to play with at the hostel but I don’t know them. I have no choice! Federal government college, Nise; I don’t even know why he loves the school that much.

That was Dauda, he passed the federal common entrance examination in primary four. Like he said, his father doesn’t joke with education- science and mathematics to be precise. He looked eight at the age of eleven and has been condemned to the boarding house. He knew none of the kids, even his roommates seemed to avoid him for weeks. By the third week, he became home sick. He would go away from prying eyes just to cry. Senior Nzube shocked him the day he asked him why he likes crying.

“I want to go” was his reply. The room head did his usual job of convincing every jjc that the place would appeal to them soon enough. “Anybody that touches you, just come and tell me but don’t disrespect your senior oh”

To be continued!!!