I remember it clearly. I was in JSS 1, still living with my mom in Ibadan. At that time, my father had already passed away. So, my mom was the only one who could take care of me.

I still remember the day my dad died. I was only seven years old. My dad had been in a bus accident on his way home. He was one of the passengers who died in the accident. When the news reached me and my mom, we were deeply shocked. We both mourned him greatly. I missed him so much. After all, I was Daddy's pet.

After that, my mom struggled to take care of both of us. She did several jobs to bring in a meager salary. She even did some small businesses. She is a university graduate with a degree in banking and finance, but finding a job in Ibadan was difficult.

However, one day, she got in touch with an old classmate from secondary school online. One thing led to another, and soon, my mom got a banking job in Lagos that paid well.

Not long after we had left Ibadan to move to the shores of Lagos, I started attending the school I talked about. It was such a change for us. Lagos was busier and more crowded than Ibadan.

Now, I'll tell you how my mom found out about the school and decided to enroll me. She had been looking for an affordable school that was a good fit for me. She had spent a lot of time after work searching for the right school. She had checked out several schools, but the cost of tuition was prohibitively expensive.

A week after we moved to Lagos, she met a woman on the street who told her about John Felix Academy. She mentioned that it was a good school with affordable tuition and that it was within walking distance of our new home. My mom was convinced by the woman's enthusiasm, so she enrolled me in the school without hesitation.

I know some people might think I was there with my mom, or that I wasn't there at all, but the truth is that I was home alone when my mom came back to tell me about the school. I don't blame her for being so excited. I know it had been a long process of searching for a school for me, and I know it had been stressful for her.

When she came in after opening the door with the house key, she broke the news about her finding a school for me. I could see she was joyful and I was happy too. The thought of going to a new school probably got to my head. So, she told me about the woman she stumbled across on the road while searching for a school for me. She then told me about John Felix Academy, which the woman told her about.

Now, there's something I never told you all about my mom. The thing is that my mom is a complete extrovert - like 100% extrovert - and she is very dramatic. This dramatic side of her makes her super expressive when she is happy or sad. That was exactly what was happening when she broke the news about the school to me. She was so expressive about the news that I thought she had won the lottery. But, she was just happy about the new school she found for me.

My mom actually dramatized the dialogue she had with the woman and that created a scene in my head as If I was present there physically. Now you all know why I said it as if I was there.

Well, Ignorant me was looking forward to start the school. I did miss my formal school back in Ibadan. Afterall, I had good friends there. It's a shame I never got to see them again. But from the way John Felix Academy was hyped and all that, I began to think that I might like it more than my formal school.

My mom told me that we would both go there very early the next morning so that she could go directly to work from there. She also told me that I might start the school that same day rather than taking me back home. She thought it would be convenient if she came to pick me up from school after work

Later in the night after eating dinner, I didn't go to sleep on time even though my mom had told me to do so. Instead, I spent most of my time imagining what the school might look like, what the surroundings would be like, and what kinds of friends I might make there. Before I knew it, I fell asleep and began to dream about the school.

I can't remember much about the dream, but I do remember making new friends at school and becoming a popular kid there. I felt so happy in the dream.

After hours of sleep, morning came and I was still sleeping. I was enjoying my sleep so much that I didn't want to wake up.

My mom came to my room, thinking I would be awake by then, but to her surprise, I was still fast asleep. She went to my bedside and gently tapped me on my back, but I didn't budge. She then tapped me harder, but I still didn't move. I was just having such a nice sleep that I didn't want to wake up. However, she then started hitting me harder on my back, and that's what finally woke me up.

As soon as I woke up, I wanted to grumble, but the thought of starting John Felix Academy made me apologize for not waking up on time instead.

"Paul, you better stop this habit of sleeping late and not waking up early," my mom said in a serious tone. "I promise you I won't do it again," I replied. She then told me to get dressed, eat breakfast, and get ready for school.

So, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a bath. After that, I got dressed and ate six slices of bread with tea for breakfast. I know that some of you are surprised that I said I ate six slices of bread. Well, I'm a bit of a foodie, and six slices of bread just aren't enough for me when I'm hungry. My mom also controlled my eating habits. She kept saying that gluttony is a sin, and I should stop it.

After eating, I was ready to step outside. My mom was ready, too. So, we took a bus to the school. My mom couldn't afford to walk there with me, because she was in a hurry.

The bus ride to the school was quick, and we arrived there in no time. As I got off the bus, I saw a tall building with a big sign that said "John Felix Academy" in big, bold letters of white colour.

The school building was a large, six-storey building, painted entirely in dark green, which brought out its beauty. The school compound was wide enough for different groups of students to play in. I felt nervous and excited at the same time.
My mom and I were stopped by the security guard, who seemed like a school gatekeeper.

After explaining our purpose for being there, the security guard allowed us through the wide, green iron gate.

As we walked through the gate, I saw a lot of students gathered in the courtyard, talking and laughing with each other. What intrigued me, though, was the color of their uniform. The boys were wearing pink sleeve shirts, short for the juniors and long for the seniors, with black trousers. Some even had black jackets.

Meanwhile, I noticed that the girls were wearing pink sleeve shirts, short for the juniors and long for the seniors, and some of them were also wearing black jackets and black berets, with black skirts.

It struck me as a rather unusual color for school uniforms, but I couldn't deny that the design was beautiful and attractive. I wondered if the uniform was part of the school's branding or if it had some special meaning.

Then, I drifted away from that thought and stared at my mom. I noticed that my mom was admiring the surroundings of the school, and I followed her gaze.

The school had several recreational facilities, including a basketball court and volleyball court. It made me wonder, "Could this school really be affordable? By the appearance of the school, one could easily tell that the tuition fees would be expensive. Or could it be that we're in the wrong John Felix Academy?" I thought.

While we were walking towards the school building, I saw a man standing near the entrance to the school. He was wearing a smart, dark blue suit and had a name tag that read "Adebayo Thompson." I assumed he was the principal. He was a tall, dark-skinned man with a bald head and a short, greyish beard. He was wearing a pair of spectacles, which appeared to be prescription lenses. Judging by his appearance, I guessed he was in his mid-fifties. He looked very serious, and I could already imagine how frightening he was.

As we approached him, he looked at us and said in a deep, commanding voice, "Can I help you?" I looked over at my mom, who seemed slightly nervous. "Good morning, sir," my mom said. "My name is Mrs. Ikechuckwu, and this is my son, Paul. We're here because we're interested in enrolling him in this school."

The principal looked down at me with a stern expression on his face and said, "Is that so? Well, you've come to the right place. John Felix Academy is an excellent school, with a rigorous academic curriculum and top-notch facilities. We have a zero-tolerance policy for misbehavior, and we expect our students to be respectful and hardworking at all times. What class are you in, Paul?" he asked.

I looked up at the principal and stammered, "J-JSS 1, sir." He nodded and said, "JSS 1, huh? What school did you attend before this?" My mom stepped in and replied, "Paul previously attended Goldridge International School in Ibadan, but we've recently moved to Lagos and are now looking for a new school for him."

The principal seemed to ponder this for a moment, and then said, "I see. Goldridge International School has a good reputation, so it's understandable that you would want to find a school of similar quality here in Lagos. I can assure you that John Felix Academy is just as rigorous and challenging as Goldridge. In fact, we have many students who come to us from Goldridge and other top schools in Nigeria."

The principal looked down at me again and said, "Paul, do you have any questions for me about John Felix Academy?" I gulped and said, "Well, sir...I'm a bit nervous about starting a new school. Will the other students be friendly? What kind of teachers will I have?"

The principal gave me a reassuring smile and replied, "Let me assure you that the students here at John Felix Academy are friendly and welcoming. We pride ourselves on having a close-knit school community where everyone looks out for one another. As for the teachers, they are some of the most dedicated and passionate educators in Nigeria. They care deeply about their students and work hard to help them succeed. You'll find that they are knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. I'm confident that you'll have a great experience here at John Felix Academy."

After that, the principal took us to his office to discuss the school fees. The fees included tuition as well as costs for uniform, sports wear, and books. My mom and I were happy to see that the school was affordable, so she went to the bank to make the payment and then brought the receipt back to the principal's office.

After that, she left for work, leaving me in the school as I just resumed that day, and that was the beginning of the most crazy part of my life.

*****************************
So, that is the end of the very first chapter. I will like y'all to express your thoughts concerning this chapter. If you sighted any error too, pls point it out. What do you find interesting in this chapter? Pls, vote as well. I find it very encouraging 😊😊 Note: I will be releasing chapters thrice in a week and incase you don't know, this is my second book.