Letters to Simi: Episode 2 by @Kbaronn

Woke in the morning, and in my heart was ignited an idea, one I needed courage, strength and a great fortitude to exhibit. I was cordial with my secondary school principal, even though it wasn't a well laid bed to lie on. While still in school, I would after classes on Fridays tread through the ridiculous terrain that inhabited the route to his abode, a terrain which I often thought about as I walked through every weekend to be a major cause of the "rickety rickety" sound that often pops! out of his bicycle as he rode it. I would engage in house chores, cleaning of his always dust stained colonial-looking louvers that filled the space crafted for a window, sweeping as well as tiding up his laundry. The principal was unmarried, but yet married to a carefree attitude. So I mounted upon myself a cloth, a conviction that just maybe if I could narrate my situation to him, he would help out somehow, anyhow.
I hurriedly stood up from my bed, made out of bamboo sticks and rushed out of the room to the small hut not far from the main house which served as our kitchen. I dip my hands into the bucket filled with water which I had fetched the previous night from the bore-hole which is the only source of clean water to my community. I washed my face and legs, and off I ran to the principal's house. Coming up at his front door, I knocked faintly twice and I could feel the enormous built up fear residing in my heart move through my arm into my fingers, for even though I was cordial with the principal, I couldn't forget how stern he was. After my knock, I waited patiently for a reply, hoping it comes soon so I wouldn't have to go through the scaring ordeal of knocking again. "come in, the door is open", was the reply I heard from the principal with his voice as coarse as before just while my thought were bouncing around. I walked in, with a little confidence and a lot fear. "Good morning sir", I uttered more faintly than my knocks, and he answered "Good morning Abubakar, what brings you to my house this early". My mind couldn't find an answer to his question, fear had extinguished my thought. After a few seconds had passed, I mustered up words and explained my predicament to him, a story most of which he was familiar with. He took a deep sigh after my lengthy utterance, and told me he has heard all that I have said. Shortly before I arrive, he was planning on coming to see my mother and I, so he stipulated. He said the state government had given my secondary school one slot for the state sponsored scholarship into tertiary institutions in the country, and that he had decided to give the slot to me based on my predicament and academic suitability. I sat on his couch, aghast, staring at him, struggling to utter words of appreciation, but all I could feel were those words colliding in my mouth. I was glad, happy, joyous, and the wonderful feeling that existed in my body system knew no limit. He then told me to go and prepare very keenly and intensively, because clinging successfully to that slot necessitated my verification, which would be done in the next two weeks through an aptitude and written test. I had barely heard all he said, when I stormed out of his house running back home, probably faster than I ran to the principal's house. I imagined how joyous "mama na" would be when I disseminate the news to her, that finally , I have a realistic chance and opportunity of furthering my education, just the way she had hoped and prayed for. Then again, I thought about how intensely I was going to prepare for the verification exercise. Life intends to start with this next phase of my life ready to come in play, and the things that follow suite, became the basis upon which the feeling I had never admonished grew...
Next episode comes up next week.
Written by: Oladeji Mayowa O.