The dangers of school lurk under the desks or when your teacher launches a surprise pop quiz and is graded. Or when there's a devil that goes to the same school as you and is in the same class and whose purpose is to make your life a living hell until your life has lost its meaning and it's no longer worth living and to make it worse, the devil has turned all your friends and loved ones against you. Just imagine all that and yet you're still in one piece!
As I stepped into the building known as 'school', a sense of worry and agony washed my face. It felt like my life was going around in circles; meeting the same people, doing the same subjects, doing the same assignments, eating the same lunch (which was mashed potatoes BTW) and bumping into the same bully that always made my life nothing less than a living hell. Last semester, she poured water over all my assignments, lied that I cheated in the tests and stole things from the teacher's lounge and placed them in my locker. I got suspended or detained for at least thirteen times that semester, so I wasn't going to be optimistic or excited for the new semester, no, I was paramistic, the perfect way to start the semester, yes, with dread and disappointment. Oh how I missed the summer holiday, where I could escape from the tortures of school and teachers who sometimes cracked lame jokes and then mean people who would constantly pour water over your hard worked assignments or put hate comments on your locker, vandalizing it at the same time. I hung by my locker putting my stuff in there when, Diana, the school queen bee and AKA,the devil in human form, walked over with her Gucci bag and high heels and lipstick on her small pink lips came over, and as usual, I was subject to the worst of everything.
"Hey, loser, funny to see your face again. Thought you carried yourself out of here."
I wasn't in the mood for her insults and besides, it was just the start of the semester, and it was too early for her trouble again.
"Look, if you're jobless, the janitor's job is always available. You know what, it'd even fit your personality."
That made her red with rage.
"Be careful how you speak to me."
"What're you going to do about it? Run crying to Mummy?"
She didn't say anything again, she just swung her hair in my face and walked off. At least, I had won this round of her bullying, but it wasn't over yet. With that girl roaming around the streets of the school with high heels, lipstick and gucci bags, I should be bracing myself for the troubles that would unfold, starting from tomorrow...
Oghene Bassey
