boarding school

"Shirley Shirley!! ", called her mother. ''Yes mum " she answered from the kitchen. congratulations! You passed the metropolitan common entrance exam ", Mrs. Benson said hugging her daughter Shirley was too excited and overwhelmed to talk. "I went to your school to check your result. I was told your score was 599 which means you clearly passed cutoff point which is 350. Shirl, I'm very proud of you ". "Thanks mum, I am very happy. I least expected a wonderful result like this, because when we took the the exam, 1 didn't finish the objectives before the invigilator collected my paper" " This is the work of God oh! When your dad comes back from work you'll tell him the good news. What you have to do now is to read seriously for the interview, if you pass you will go to either metropolitan Girl's secondary school umuahia or Owerri." "Yes mummy, I'll try my best, trust me "she said, winking her eye. Shirl, is there anything for me? I'm famished and totally spent." Your food is already on the dinning-table." later that evening, Mr. Benson, Shirley's father, a tall, trim and hardworking young man came back from work. Metropolitan secondary school Owerri was one of the best school in Nigeria, so when he heard the good news, he was very happy. He also advised her to keep it up and work like a Trojan for the interview. Shirley is a tall, slim girl of twelve, she looked younger than most of her age mates. she took after her mother in complexion. she is fair and has a very long, dark hair and two dimples on her chubby cheeks which appeard whenever she smiled, making her radiantly beautiful. Above all she is an intelligent, assiduous and hard working student. She lives with her parents and four siblings in a bungalow at uratta, a small town in Owerri, IMO state, but hailed from mbano local government Area in IMO state. Her mother, an elegant and fairly beautiful young woman of thirty five is a principal of prestigious International secondary school Owerri, while her father is an electrical engineer at power holding company of Nigeria (PHCN) Owerri. Her school was on mid-term break and her brothers travelled to Aba to stay with their aunty but she decided to stay with her parents and cease the opportunity of her brother's absence to read for the interview. At last, the long awaited day came, Shirley took the interview, with first choice as Metropolitan Girls' secondary school Owerri while second choice was Metropolitan Girls' secondary school Umuahia. Before the long vacation ended the results were out. she came out of flying colours but against her wish, she was posted to Metropolitan school Umuahia. In no time, Mrs. Benson started preparing for her school. She paid her school fees, boarding fees, and bought her provisions and toiletries. Three days before her departure she was very happy. She could recall vividly when we tried the entrance examination from primary five and passed. She had insisted on entering, but her father refused vehemently, saying that all his children would read all the classes sequentially, without jumping any class. Throughout that day she was sulky and even refused her meals. She smiled as she arranged her school uniform which was an ash coloured pinafore and light blue shirt with navy blue socks. "Shirley, I want to talk to you", her mother called, she was standing near the door of her room. "Is there any problem mum?" "No there isn't, just come to the sitting room, let me talk to you." "Okay, let me just tidy up my things, I'll be there in a jiffy. When she finished, she came to the sitting room where her mum was already waiting for her. "shirl", began her mother. "when you reach the school, make good friends. Don't make bad friends that will influence you and lead you into doing what is wrong, for evil communication corrupt good manners. Read your books and always pay rapt attention to your teachers during lessons. If you don't understand any topic, go back to your teachers for more explanations or to any of your classmates that understood the topic better than you did. She paused to drink water, "And another thing is that I don't want to hear you left the school compound for any reason. We will make sure we come to visit you on your visiting days. Respect your seniors and be friendly with them." "Yes mum". "Beware of boys, don't you ever mess around with any boy. Is there anything that you need that your father and I have not provided for you?" "No" "So, I don't want any flimsy excuse for any wayward behaviour". "Yes mum, I've heard. I'll stick to your advice." "Yes better do so oh!, because when the ear doesn't hear, when the head is cut off the ear follows it". "Ha! mummy, you and your proverbs ". "And also remember to pray every morning when you wake up and every night before you sleep". "I already know all that you are talking to me as if am still a child. Em..... please can I go to Chika's house and tell her that I'll be going to school next tomorrow? I haven't seen her since the result of the interview came out, I don't even know the school she would attend. " Chika was her very good friend who lived in a stone throw from their house. She was the only child of her parents. Although they were wealthy and made sure she never lacked anything, she wasn't pampered, but properly brought up. They attended the same primary school. "You can go but come back before 6 O'clock to prepare dinner. How much did you say aunty yemi is charging for your hair " "One hundred and fifty Naira ". "Remind me to pay her tomorrow. " "I will". Chika's house was a very big duplex, surrounded by beautiful and colourful flowers. When Shirley came to her house, her parents weren't around, she was alone watching a T. V programme; 'inside-out with, Agata '. When they learnt they were going to the same school they were very excited laughed gleefully. "Shirley, I thought you have forgotten the way to my house. Today you remembered me. What happened?" "look at who's talking, I can count the number of times you have visited me this year. You are complaining of me; don't let me start with you, " she smiled. Any way it's not my fault. You know how tiring it could be, preparing for school and all that stuff. You can't believe it, I just finished packing this evening, so I decided to pop in and see you. "You know that Dora of a girl, remember her, that trouble shooter, Uncle chimamkpa used to call "Onu type writer ". "Oh! Oh! That girl? How can I forget our class 1 basket mouth? So what happened to her?" "I learnt she is also attending our school." "I've never seen a girl like her before, always looking for trouble here and there. The worst part of it is that there isn't an iota of truth in her. Always bragging about what she doesn't have ". "please let's talk about human beings because if we talk about that witch I might have nightmares tonight ". "Wait a second ", Chika said heading to the kitchen. "I hope you are not getting anything for me. I can't eat anything because it hasn't been long since I ate". "Okwa I bidola ozo (You have started again). Every time, I am watching my weight, I just ate, I am filled up, I am this, I am that, " mimicked Chika and at the same time feigning vexation. "please don't be crossed with me, because the day I will come here with an empty stomach, I will clear the whole cooking pots in this house you will be the one to beg me to stop eating", she joked. "That's what you always say, that day never comes, at all ". They chatted for two hours, talking about there friends, those the will miss, those the dislike and how boarding school would look like. they talked for a long time that she almost forget, she was supposed to be home before six. "Whoops !" she exclaimed, looking at her wrist watch, "Chii, i've got to go now, it's already fifteen minutes to Six and I promised my mum to be home before six O'clock, please I don't want anybody to scold me". "But it's not up to six O'clock." "Oh, you want me to go by six on the dot, then by what time do you think I will reach home? I don't need to remind you I walk as slow as a tortoise, if not a snail". "Just stay a little longer, you know am alone and sick of boredom, if not for the Television and computer that keep me company ". "Your Own is even better, by the time you stay with those warriors that call themselves my brothers- for just a week, you would prefer staying alone". "You are even supposed to be....... " "Chika!" Interrupted Shirley, "if I continue 'gisting' with you I will not remember that am supposed to go home and prepare dinner. Greet your parents for me. Bye!" "Wait for me, let me escort you". "Hurry up, time is not on my side". Chika quickly tidied up the sitting room and ran after her.