Second Term
First things first, my results came during the vacation, and I aced everything — even that chemistry paper that threatened my sanity the previous term.
The other thing was that I would finally get to see Akua again. 😍
I couldn’t wait to hear her sing out “Kodzoooooo” again. Lowkey, I’d been doing a countdown to reopening because of her. It was like this this girl had bewitched me or something.
Now of course, there was the small issue of how I would explain not being able to speak with her during the vacation. But she would understand, right? Right? 😅
The first few days saw us doing a lot of clean-ups.
Before global warming was very evident, you could trust the harmattan to coat all the tables and chairs with dust. We had to sweep and scrub our classrooms; sweep and scrub our seniors’ classrooms; sweep and scrub our dorms; sweep and scrub the dining hall… you get the picture, we swept and scrubbed anything that could be swept and/or scrubbed.
I promise, form 1 is a disease if not a curse.
All this time, the easterners worked on the eastern compound, and the westerners worked on their compound. For two whole days I didn’t see my Akua, and these seniors were still annoying me, but hallelujah, classes were scheduled to start on Thursday!
Wait, that came out wrong.
I can’t have you thinking I enjoyed academics. My ampedu levels were significantly up there, but I was just waiting for class as an excuse to see Akua.
No, seriously, I should really consider this bewitchment theory.
According to Obodai, I mentioned her name in my dreams. Twice.
It’s not easy oo, it’s not easy.
Ladies and gentlemen, Thursday finally came, the official first day of class, and I was ready. Oh, how I bathed with that icy water that cold cold harmattan morning. I pressed my shomi — deodorant — unsparingly, filling the dorm with the aroma of “AXE Dark Temptation”.
I put on my uniform (ironed and re-ironed the night before) and walked out of the house feeling like a million cedis.
In the chapel, at morning assembly, I was looking out for her gidigidi.
I saw her, but she didn’t see me. Chale, as if she wasn’t fine enough last term, the vacation change-in-diet had brought out this glow all over her. Also, because of the dryness of the harmattan, lip balm was allowed, so her lips were glistening, sokyee.
Hey! Kodzo! Get a grip, chale.
She was too far off anyway, and she was giggling with her friends, four other girls I’d noticed around her on a few occasions. I decided to wait till break time to go and say hi.
Arts 4 was just above Science 4 anyway.
Azotobacter
That morning, we didn’t have lessons straight away: we had a meeting with our form-masters to evaluate our individual performances from the first term.
There are no class-teachers in Motown. The closest thing is a form-master or form-mistress, a teacher responsible for the ‘academic well-being’ of your class. Think of them like your academic babysitters, who do their babysitting once a term.
Science 4’s form-master was Azotobacter, a macho agriculture teacher. He was a really chill guy. His favourite example of nitrogen-fixing bacteria was Azotobacter, and that’s how he got his name.
If you called him Azotobacter to his face, it was at your own risk.
Some people had not received their reports in the mail like I had, so that morning was the first time some would be seeing their results. We’d walk up to Azotobacter at the front of the class, one after another and stand next to him while he mused over our results.
It turns out I was the only one in my class to make straight A’s that term. Azotobacter was impressed.
I got an enthusiastic “More grease to your elbows” and a handshake out of him.
The next time I would have straight A’s was three years later in my final WASSCE exams.
I got back to my seat and was doing my own thing when I heard, “Foolish boy!!” followed by what sounded like two punches. Yup, someone’s results were really bad, and the macho man effected instant justice. For the sake of avoiding a lawsuits, I’ll not be mentioning any names.
The problem with doing well publicly is that you can’t celebrate while others are sad.
While I had my good results, others had two or more red circles, and would not be going home on account of Atico.
It was a sobering moment, but I was determined not to let anything put me down. I had to have a smile for Akua.
Break Time
DUM! DUM! DUM! DUM! DUM! The old school bell rang.
My people, it was time.
My hour had come.
My moment was here.
I began to feel a little pressure building, but like King David, I encouraged myself in the Lord.
Obodai was the only one who knew my plans. I looked at him with all intensity, and uttered these fateful words, “It’s about to go down”.
Little did I know how true those words were.
I got up from my desk and began my walk upstairs.
Why were my palms and armpits suddenly so sweaty?
AXE Dark Temptation was failing me. But chale, I couldn’t turn back now.
Sooner than I expected I was in front of 1 Arts 4. This was the moment. This was my time. I stepped into the class…
Something was off. Akua was not at her usual seat.
I quickly scanned the classroom and noticed her sitting in a corner with her friend. I think her name was Ama. Both their eyes were red, like they had been crying.
Every fibre of my being screamed, “LEAVE!!! Save yourself!”
I could. They hadn’t seen me.
I walked right over. Foolish boy.
My mind raced. Had the worst happened? Could it be? Did my Akua drop Atico?
My heart pounded with every step.
I got to the desk and she finally saw me. Sorry, they saw me.
Akua didn’t even smile; that was a first. She must be really upset, I thought.
“Oh, Akua, what’s the matter?” I asked with all the concern in the world.
“Ama dropped Atico”, she sniffled.
In the next eight seconds, I attained the height of stupidity.
First of all, Ama seemed kind of annoyed that Akua just gave me such privileged information, however, if that was all I had to deal with I would have been fine. It’s what happened next that killed me.
“Oh, thank God! I thought it was you.”
You see, I told you. Foolishness.
To be fair, I thought I was thinking it. I don’t know how my tongue decided to speak those thoughts.
I wish I could have swallowed those words. I wish they had remained in my mind. Heck, I wish I just stayed put in my class, because what happened next…
I need to take a break. I’m shy. 😕
To be continued…