We were still making much noise when the Yoruba teacher came.

Olori Oyelade is her name, and her class was always enjoyable

*E wi tele mi Ah, B, D, E, Eh, Uh, GBI..*
*Say after me...*

On and on she continued teaching the alphabets in Yoruba language.
With merry hearts, we all shouted in unison with her.

All except Bamigbade Dotun at least.

For Okewale Akin had just pinched him at his back.
And Dotun was fuming, while promising to fight back after the class.

All except Zainab at least.

For the tall Niger house girl, was secretly opening and closing the locker,
Putting her hands inside while bringing out little crusts of bread anytime it came out.

*Rrring Rrrriinnnng*

The break Prefect rang the bell for break time
All the while standing in front of Mr Adetola's office.

A call all students loved to hear.
Like honey to the mouth,
It sounded very sweet to the ears.

For the bread and tea morning breakfast, like vapor, had been dicipated.
Leaving behind hungry and angry students.

With mixed feelings,
We all left the classrooms.

While some students had pocket money and could afford to buy stuff from the Tuck shop,

Others did not have any money remaining could either tag along with friends with hope and faith to taste something,
Or stay back in class, claiming that they wanted to read when in truth their pockets were empty.

To the staff rooms the buoyant students went.
All praying with a Fervent faith that their guardians were present.

God forbid if the teacher was not around.
For it would mean a dispairing trek back to the classes.

To the Library myself and Yejide went.

All the way looking for Mr Ojurongbe to collect two hundred naira and mark my name in his book of life.

Mr Shittu's wards and students were lining up at his office close to SS3 block,

And they were vividly in tears.
For he had failed to come today and no prior message had been dropped.

Rasak Layiwola cried the most,
My good friend, who needed the money to replenish his provision which Senior Tayo had collected in Benue Hostel.

The queue at Mr Adeoye's table in the staff room was getting longer too,
So long that Mrs Achinze, our loving Social Studies teacher, told them to line up in front of the staff room.

In walked Mr Adeoye in brisk steps with his glasses not firmly fixed to his face,

For with style, he could detect any cheating student in the exam hall.
And administer his favorite tyre cane which was highly HIGHLY painful to the students backs.

Today was not a good day for him,
And so the students quickly got on his nerves and were dispersed amidst their little protesting grumbles.

The lucky students ran merrily to the Tuck shop.

Yejide, Bukola and Zainab walking in elegant strides,

Austa, Sixtus, Bobo and Ijoba marched in big boys strides,

Henry Kc, Ehigie, Henry O, Jeffery, all arguing about manchester united match against Porto.

A argument everyone could see Jeffery was winning.
For he had janded (went into town through the jungle) to watch the match.

Like a affluent yoruba party with many buffets,
The Tuck shop had four women who sold fried fish, moi moi and other foods.

And one tall man,
Whose sole service was making calls to children parents with his 'ancient of days' Sagem phone.

To the moi moi seller, i went.
Buying two ten naira pieces while buying bread also.

The bread, i divided into two halves,
The moi moi contents, i emptied into it,
Thus making a masterpiece meal which never disappointed in taste and fulfillment.

All the while giving thanks to God.
For there were no #Owanmbe students around.

For they were always putting on faces, so innocent,
All in a bid to making you feel like a monster if you did not give them a bit of food you bought.

From my vantage point,
I spied the teachers section.

Those teacher who would load up their bellies with fufu and obe ila (okro soup),
Then return into the class with renewed vigor in beating their students.

A new sight caught my attention.

For it is not always a familiar sight when one sees a lion and a goat playing together.

Yejide, Bukola and Zainab were eating in the teachers section.
And the meal in front of them was NOT rice and beans.

Closer I went,
For the white curtains that covered teachers section still blurred my sight.

Seeing a good spot,
I watched the scene unfold before my *korokoro* eyes.

Yejide had before her three wraps of eba and egusi soup.

Bukola had four fufu wraps with egusi soup.

And Zainab, the best runner who could outrun Usain Bolt and even Katumi on the field, had six fufu wraps before her.


Their eating pattern was shocking too I might add

For the movement of their hands were too swift and not graceful like all boys envisioned it to be.

Obviously, their provision had also finished in the hostel,

Coupled with the fact that they missed the morning breakfast
A reality that delighted Ibironke Tobi the table server that day.

And so they kept on eating.
Blissfully unaware of my watching eyes.

There and then, the mist fell.
The great myth, that girls never ate eba or fufu, was broken by these unsuspecting students.

For all female students never came to the dinning hall to eat solid foods like eba,

And so all boys thought they were so high, graceful and never even passed waste.

With quickened steps,
I raced towards the class.

Hoping to spread this shocking news to my good friend Fatoki Shola, who was obsessed with Yejide.

Osfeam did not believe me at all.
Who could blame the poor bloke?

Apparently he was head over heels in love with this angel who was perfect then and would always be perfect.

Apparently, valentine was coming and he had plans to buy her a card gift and Beske, which they sold in town.

*Rrring Rrrriinnnng*

Break time was over and we all raced into the classes.

To be continued in later posts.
#BASHORUN

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