🎀Chapter 9: “Family means no one gets left behind” 🎀

Quote of the Chapter:

"Crying doesn't indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has been a sign that you are alive."

Song(s) of the Chapter:

✓WYD Now- Sadie Jean ft. Zakhar
✓Good 4 u- Olivia Rodrigo
✓Alarm- Anne-Marie

Chapter 9- 'Family Means No one Gets Left Behind 🤍''

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

My dearest daughter,

Momma loves you, you know that right? Please believe me, it was hard, all I had to do was hard. Everything I did, I did for your sake because I want you to be happy. I may not always be there every step of the way hovering over you, keeping you safe or making sure that you are fine. However, I want you to know that I'll always love you, till my very last breath.

My love, please remember to always stay happy for me. Do not forget, Momma's got your two.

With so much love that I could muster,
Mom.

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"May I have your full attention everyone" The Vice Principal said over the P.A systems

We were currently writing our last paper for the day which was Civic Education and it was almost time for us to submit

"This is to inform you that you are all to be in school by 7 o'clock, tomorrow morning. As you all know, your exams will be ending tomorrow."

At this reminder of the fact that exams will be ending, a lot of cheers and sounds of relief could be heard round the whole school and in all the examination halls.

"Please remain quiet and remember, you are still in the examination hall. As I was saying earlier before you all interrupted me, the Director of school will like to address the college tomorrow on some issues. Ensure that you get to the school hall on time, that is by 7 o'clock. That is all for now, more details will be given at the address tomorrow. Please continue with your exams, I wish you all best of luck."

A lot of groans especially in my exam hall could be heard at that announcement. I felt the same way too.

Hearing that I had to wake up early on the last day of my final exams in SS2 to listen to an announcement when I did not even have any paper tomorrow morning was very infuriating.

That means that I have to wake up at 4:30am instead of my regular schedule when I wake up at 5:00am.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely still hated staying home,

but my sleep.

My precious sleep.

My beautiful, calming sleep.

I am in a relationship with sleep and I did not like to be woken up or even wake up that early in the morning.

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"Attention please" A voice said over the P.A. system for the second time today, this time my Literature teacher

"Another announcement? Wow, this is so surprising. The school never makes more than one announcement in a day" Demi murmured

"All SS2 Arts students should wait behind after the completion of the exams. Please meet me in the Drama room for Literature revision in preparation for your papers tomorrow. Also, the Lagos bus will be available for all hostel students going to Lagos to prepare for the End of the Session Party provided you have informed your parents. You may continue your exams. We're so sorry for any inconveniences."

Groans and sighs of relief could be heard in my hall. Groans from SS2 Arts students like myself and sighs of relief from hostel students going to Lagos. I, on the other hand, was very greatful that I would still have to wait behind instead of going home to face the shedevil.

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Immediately after my paper, I slung my bag over my shoulders and made my way to the drama room where I met some of my classmates who had already finished their exams early.

"Yo, you guys" I said with my voice commanding attention. At this, everyone quit talking to listen to what I had to say.

"Please settle down, Mr Joseph is on his way"

"Alright everyone, settle down so that we can start this class. Remember, the earlier the better" The Literature teacher, Mr Joseph said while strolling leisurely in to the drama room which currently contained about 20 arts students.

"Today, we will be revising 'Unexpected Joy at Dawn' by Alex Ageyi-Agiri. As you all know, this book was chosen by the West African Examination Council for this year's WAEC examinations and I expect that you all have read the book thoroughly as it is a great work of fiction. Moreover, you will be asked questions on it tomorrow."

"Great indeed" I muttered sarcastically

"Yes, Omolola, I didn't get that. Please come again"

"No offence though, but why is it that WAEC picks books like this?" I asked, facing my teacher

"I don't understand you" He replied, confusion marring his features

"Although the book points out the evils of xenophobia, the greedy nature of the government officials and how that led to economic depression in Ghana, there's no denying the fact that the writer needs to work more on his writing." I said trying to explain myself

"How can you just discredit someone's literary work just like that?" My classmate Tofunmi asked

"The beginning of the book, the first five chapters, I think, were very dull and boring. The conversations and narrative seemed forced. This did not make a good impression, not at all." I answered

I looked to my teacher to ask for permission to keep going and I received my reply in form of a nod

"Thank you sir, I am a literary critic myself and I'll have you know that I recognize a good work of fiction when I see one. Also, the long narratives were a huge turn off. I had to suffer through reading long 'essays' on the situation of the Ghanaian economy, an information that could have been made into a conversation, thereby leaving the characters to slowly uncover the mysteries and at the same time include suspense. Another thing I noticed was that the political views of the writer kept seeping into the book. The mentioning of the various heads-of- state showed the ones he supported and the ones he did not."

"But these are all bad things, I mean for a book that won the award of one of the best books in Africa, there has got to be something that the panel saw in the book" Tofunmi said trying to find a loophole

"I was getting to that Tofunmi, and you would have known if you had waited, after all, no literary criticism is complete without praise for the book."

"Okay, go on" She said looking pained

"The book, 'Unexpected Joy at Dawn' highlights the evils of Xenophobia and how it affects each of the characters. Moses Nii Tackie, one of the major characters in the novel for example, was regarded as a foreigner in his own country of origin" I said fully facing her with my stance daring her to challenge me further.

"But he embraced the Ghanaian way of life. His name was enough to prove that," She countered

"Well, he also had papers to prove that he is a Nigerian- Papers that were ripped because someone did not want to accept the fact that he is a citizen of Nigeria by descent, papers that proved his identity and the fact that he had Nigerian blood flowing through his veins. I mean, no matter how far a person goes, no matter how far a person journeys, no place is like home, where you belong and where you should be accepted."

"We still can't deny the fact that his identity was misplaced along the line" she said still trying to counter my point

"His identity wasn't misplaced, hell, no one ever misplaces their identity in the first place. Discovering who you are? That I know of but misplacing identity? I don't think so. No one ever misplaces their identity in the real sense. Nii Tackie always knew what he wanted deep in the corner of his heart, and that is to be reunited with his sister, Mama Orojo. His determination and his perseverance proved that."

"Well, you both have succeed in wasting the time meant for revision." My Literature teacher said

"I'm so sorry sir" Tofunmi and I said in unison

"No problem, at least you have educated the class, especially those who have not read the book yet. You all should make sure that you read well for the examination tomorrow. There's not going to be anything like a makeup test if you fail."

Choruses of 'Yes sir, no problem sir' could be heard from the majority of my classmates.

"And also, I don't know if the school has informed you but you are to come to school during the long holiday"

"Which long holiday sir? Hope it's not the one in August?" Demi asked voicing out the question we all had

"Which other long holiday do you have? Of course it's the one starting in the next two weeks."

"Ha, No o, holiday wey I already get plans for" David exclaimed

"Are you sure of this sir?" Chiamaka, another classmate asked

Unlike my other classmates, I was very happy and in fact grateful for the holiday classes, it meant I won't have to stay at home and endure rounds after rounds of insults and beatings

🎶🎶God is good, He has done me well

I sang internally,

🎶Oh my soul rise up and praise the Lord

This was literally the best news I have had in a very long time

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Immediately after my Literature revision, Lase came to drag me from the drama room claiming to have very important news for me

"Lola, Lola, you won't believe what happened to me today" Lase said talking excitedly

"For real? I'm so curious, what happened? I need a distraction in form of a hot gist. That Tofunmi girl almost made me loose my temper this afternoon."

"Ehn ehn" Lase said "What happened?"

"Wo, leave that one alone, I want to listen to correct gist."

"Okay, no problem. Let go to our spot. I don't want anyone knowing what I want to tell you."

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The library was our spot, where we met to talk about our day, discuss and argue. It was the library we came to when Lase lost her grandmother she was very close to, when we lost a very close classmate and when I lost my uncle and his family.
Also, reading is something we have in common. It's one of the things that even brought us together.

Lase dragged me by my arm to the library without even giving my brain time to process the sudden movement. Eventually, we got to the library where we met the Librarian reading a book by Francine Rivers titled 'Redeeming Love' and the library empty of students

"So o," I drawled "What exactly do you want to tell me?"

"He talked to me" She said jumping about excitedly

"I'm sorry, who?" I asked confusion marring my facial expression

"Who else? Tolu na"

"Wait o, you mean Tolu, as in the Tolu in SS2 Science, the same Tolu Olaleye, Damola's best friend and the school's second best football player talked to you" I asked for clarification purposes

She nodded immediately, so fast she could sprain her neck

"How? When? Where? What in the world are you waiting for? Start talking joor"

"Well," She said taking a dramatic pause

"What are you waiting for woman? Continue talking naa"

"Okay, okay. Chill tiger. So o, This afternoon, when I went to pick my bag in my exam hall after my lessons, he walked up to me to say hello and also ask about my exams. I was even wondering what he was even doing there o, until I remembered that he does lessons in that classroom."

"Ehn ehn, what na happened after that?"

"Nothing"

"What do you mean by nothing? I asked my previous excitement disappearing already "You meant to tell me that you dragged me from the Drama room in the other building to the library in this building just to tell me that?"

"Well, if you put it like that, it sounds kind of off"

"Of course it sounds off, I even thought you had a full blown conversation with him"

Unlike me, Lase is a hopeless romantic and when I mean hopeless, I mean really hopeless. Unfortunately, despite being social, she has almost never talked to Tolu Olaleye, a guy that she had been crushing on for a long time.

"Well, those are like the first words he has ever said to me. Don't I have the right to feel giddy?"

"You can, you can feel and act giddy all you like. My own is sha that the next time you want to do what you just did, you must have already had a full blown conversation with him. Sho ti gbo?"  I asked pulling my ear for emphasis

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" She said "I am sha happy and that's all that matters to me at this point"

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Author's Note

Heyyo

How have y'all been? How's life, school, work and everything in general sha? Life has been moving pretty slow for me. I've been very busy and as such I really have little to no time to update. I'm really really sorry for this. I also lost someone really close to me last month 😔😔😔

Please forgive me
.
This is it. Another chapter. Another Milestone. And a filler Chapter, unfortunately.

Lase can be so dramatic sha 😂😂

So there's gonna be a holiday, who else is excited? Cos I am!🎉
It means more drama, more interactions between our two favorite and major characters.🥵🥵

Who is your favorite character?

Question for the Chapter: What do y'all think about a man beating up his wife as a form of discipline?

Anyways, show your girl some love,

Vote 🔥🔥
TURN THAT STAR ORANGE 🧡🧡

Comment, I wanna know your thoughts and your answer to my questions

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