"Serena ! Wake up,mum's calling you".
I heard my third brother Kingsley popularly known as "King"call on me but I didn't budge . It's a Saturday morning and like every Saturday morning, is clean up day and trying to keep the environment clean but I didn't feel like it. I felt heavy maybe due to the amount of fufu ( A popular Nigerian food ate with soup) I had last night but that wasn't the problem, the problem is that I didn't feel like working this morning and knowing my mom she wouldn't hear it.
"You are still lying down, wait till mummy gets up here".
King said as he roughly push himself out of the small room I managed myself. I have three siblings and I myself,to be more detailed three brothers. Imagine living with three brothers, hell right? My first brother Wisdom, is having his NYSC( National Youth Service Corps) in Kaduna State. He is the child of my parents youth age if you know what that means. My second brother Precious,is in his finial year in University of Nsuka (UNN). Studying Chemical Engineering and my last brother King ,as I earlier introduced is in his second year at Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) studying Biotechnology or whatever that is. Then you have me Serena, sixteen going to seventeen which is a few months ahead and also in my final year in high school (secondary school).
Am brown skinned ( not too dark,not too fair),5'8 inches tall. Am not thin neither am I too fat am just normal or should I say moderate. Cat like eyes,one sided dimple also not to forget that am not curvy nor flat just okay I could say.
I made my way to the living room expecting to see my mom seating on the couch counting her steps as she marched the floor repeatedly while frowning at no one in particular just being her moody self I guess. But she wasn't there so I made my way to the kitchen somewhere I know she would surely be and that's when I heard her voice nagging about the leftover food that wasn't covered as instructed by her yesterday night. Mothers and thier dramas.
"So madam, you've finally decided to wake up"?
My mother,a fair pretty lady in her late forties glared at me.
" I thought I would bring a cow to wake you up today, you've forgotten that today is Saturday and there's work to do".
I sighed internally, there's always work to do. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the household chores type I preferred to cook than to wash and do other things but being the only girl I had to deal with it .
"Mum, Good morning".
Was what I said instead and didn't dare to respond or comment on what she said earlier because I know were it would land to.
" Oya,oya carry yourself and start work, I have to leave before it clocks nine".
And that's how I spent my Saturday morning working my ass to death and my mom who said she would leave by nine left by ten claiming that she had to make sure the house is clean and blaming me for her lateness, typical mom.
And today finally, being Monday am in school sitting on my chair, looking out of the window thinking about whatever floats through my mind.
" Babe, how far? You don come school already"?
(Babe, how are you? You are in school already)?
That's one of my friends Emmanuella . Always late to school, I've never seen this girl meet morning assembly.
" Babe , this one wey you dey like person e husband no give money for food wetin the sup"?
( Babe,this one you are like someone the husband didn't give money for food what's wrong)?.
" See time wey you use dey come school the first thing wey you go tell me be say babe how far ,as if you go give me money make I chop"
(Look at how late you are to school and the first thing you tell me is babe how are you doing as if you would give me money for food).
I sighed and move my gaze to some of my classmates trying to busy my eyes.
" I know you are a punctual human being, you don't have to rub it on my face. So tell me , anything"
She said expectly and I rolled my eyes
" Nothing, life is just normal no new thing toy with or put interest too".
I said plainly, my expression could show how boring I find this topic to be.
" This is you, indirectly saying that you've not found any scholarship program on the internet".
"You know me too well"
I chuckled and leaned on her while she pushed me away putting on a disgusting face.
" I've told you a number of times that those things aren't real the are all fake, scammers looking for people to scam. Don't be a victim because I won't sympathize with you".
I frowned at what she said but didn't comment on it. She threw her bag at me as I watch her leave the class to God - knows -were probably, trying to go brew up trouble like she do. Since I entered my senior year all I do is to surf the internet looking for scholarship grants but I've never gotten one even if I applied for it but I never gave up hoping that I will get one. This is ss3( senior secondary school three or twelevth grade) and every normal teenager would be trying to enjoy there last year in secondary school but not for me instead I felt pressured. I had WEAC( West Africa examination),NECO(National examination council) and JAMB(Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Examination ) to think about so why should I enjoy when I had books to read.i know what you would be thinking, that am the "all serious type" you are not wrong ,I preroritize my education more than anything probably why my life is soo boring.
You know, even though I want to study Abroad that didn't stop me from pushing ahead of the one I had in hand which is Nigeria schools.
I wanted to study in Abia State University (Absu) and I wanted to study Theater Arts precisely script writing. So even if I couldn't study Abroad, I could at least study here. Although my parents didn't see my course as something worth the money the couldn't let there only daughter be an under graduate so the still had to see me through.To my parents, Theater Arts is something anyone could come out and do and you don't even need to read to gain it. Maybe all Nigerian parents saw it as the same thing but not for me , because to me there's a huge difference between something you read and have the certificate to boast and brag about it, not some talent. Moreover, it's script writing we are talking about here not acting.The rest of my first term went normal with nothing much happening except teachers making emphasis about our WEAC and NECO and before you know it first term was over. All final year student were given newsletter which contained details of our next payments and how it shou
I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice someone tapping me or should I say, I was dreaming that I didn't notice. "My love,my love, why are you sleeping? Wake up"I repeatedly felt someone calling out to me but I didn't budge not until the tapping got worst that I woke up to see a tall fair skinned boy standing beside me with a high afro hair cut. His hands raised up probably getting ready to tap me again. "James"I said drowsily and positioned myself well in my chair while he sat down on my locker,placed his palm on my neck probably to check if am sick before removing his hands. He stared at me for a moment before asking. "Why are you sleeping this early in school"?Trust James to know when things aren't going well with me. James is the only male best friend I had in school,we became friends our tenth grade (senior secondary school one) during our school end of the year party. In all my friends,he is the only male am extremely close to t
"OMO, only this short two or three weeks break they give us , you don fine finish"(Just this two or three weeks break that we were given and you've become this beautiful).I laughed and pushed her a little. " As if you don't know you are the most beautiful girl in our group if not our class".That is the honest truth, Linda, is an epitome of beauty. She is tall, slim, brown skinned,curvy and has a nice flat tommy,infact ,she looked like a model. I am beautiful but compared to Linda ,I can't even get five points. Sometimes I wonder how we became friends because people like her are who we describe as"classic babes". I and Ella's relationship are quite relatable due to the fact,we both started schooling at Albert High school at the same time. So we kinda bounded fast, it's normal between new students. My school Albert High school (AHS) is the second best school in Lagos and also in Nigeria at large. I transferred from Imo state to Lagos,back then in Imo State,my family were
"So Linda,all you are trying to say is that all your stay in London, you didn't get any white boyfriend".Ella said smiling cheeky at Linda because she knew she has hit her weak point. "That side is nonsense,on offense,I wonder what Serena sees in that place. It's just that if you live there you will die single".We burst out laughing at her comment " It's not funny ooh, if you see the way people were just minding there business eeh,It was as if,I was an unwanted fly even after all the make up I did and seducing clothes I wore yet no fair boy looked my way".I kept on laughing, seriously, this is priceless. I wonder how she stayed that long over there . Linda stood up and showed us the walking step she used over there just to get a boy to ask her out and the step itself was hell. To crown it all, today's school is the best and I pray other days would be like this.Two weeks went by fast and currently am in the administration office about to pay half of my fees. I watched
After what happened at the hallway I decided to go to the library and rest but not to read, I can't read with all these mess on my head ,all this frustration is getting a better of me these days, maybe it's the frustration of the scholarship that I applied which e-mailed me asking to pay a specific amount (five hundred thousand naira) for scholarship advancement and the worst part is that I don't even know where I would get the money from,am not even sure if it's legit or scam. "No, I don't have to be all negative about it instead I should be positive if I want it to work out". I ruffled my hair in frustration "I can't back down now, at least, not when I've gone this far,that would be insane and disturbing". The worst part is I can't ask my parents for the money, not with my school fees being incomplete,I can't work either, at least not now , even if I get any work now,my parents won't let me go for it. I don't even have enough savings ,what a shame.
The door opened reviewing three boys. One with low cut and the other two with afro high cut hairstyles. Upon seeing the scene inside,the boys at the door were staring at the two with mouth agape, it's not like it's every day you come across such scenes. Adiguin had to coughs before speaking. "James so you've been here and we were searching for you all over the place". James is backing them to cover Serena's flushed face. "Why look for me when you know am somewhere in the school. Why do you always have to act dump all the time ?". Adiguin immediately facepalmed himself. That's expected of James, to always act stupid when he is with Serena. So he instead shifted to not disturb their moment. "so, you were here doing love"? This time it's Kelvin that spoke up since no one wanted to talk and Golden is just there smiling cheekily. "Who is the girl sef"? Golden finally spoke up still having that cheeky smile on his face.
"So next week is February "? Is that a rhetorical question or what, I asked myself. We were outside since it was break taking a stroll. "This one you are talking about next month, do you have plans "?. Emmanuella asked while keeping quiet listening to them. "Are you guys that dump, don't you know what normally do in February ". "You are the one who keeps the tag of that". Ella rebuked her and immediately they both began to argue. "Serena, won't you say anything "? Linda called out to me but I pretended not to hear her. They are not dragging me into their childish argument. "Fine, you win, what's so special about February that you won't stop blabbing about it"? " Am also interested in knowing Linda". I finally joined the conversation. Waiting for Linda to explain the big month. "Well, ladies, February is the month in which we celebrate Valentine's, and the school always through a lavishing party f
"Attention everyone " Kelvin's voice rang through the room intending to grab everyone's attention and sure he did cus in no minute the room is as silent as a graveyard with just a few murmuring here and there. He talked about the Valentine's celebration that is fast approaching and what they plan on doing on that particular day. He urged James to come to take over from where he stopped since James is the Social prefect. "Good day everyone, hope you guys are having a splendid day as I am ". He smiled and just at that moment noise erupt from everyone mostly from the girls in the room. "How stupid " Serena suddenly said, she didn't seem to understand what the girls in their school see in James he is not even handsome enough to be compared to Golden Smith who is biracial. "Show off" Alexander said in unison with what Serena said. They both turned to face each other and immediately burst out laughing not knowing