Life of Jiji

All Rights Reserved

2020 ©Tena Ifiemi

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ΛŦТΞЯ ÐłЛЛΞЯ, ł ШΛŁКΞÐ back to the hostel with just Ayo (The twins walked with some other girls). We didn't say much, she just asked me how I found the food and that was all. What about what one of the twins said when I went with Reya? What was the big deal if I was 'Ovieya's sister'?

At the hostel, the hostel parents conducted the night devotion and they shared some brief information before we were finally allowed to retire to our rooms. I was exhausted! Today has been a very tiring day and I'm definitely not anticipating tomorrow. Tomorrow is Monday, and that day is the worst day of the week to a lot of people for a reason. Gathering all my toiletries, I left for the bathroom after asking for directions from my roommates.

I can certainly say that the bathroom was what made me realize how much I would miss home. Call me vain if you want but I'm going to miss relaxing in a bathtub. Here, I had to use the shower all the time or fetch water into my bucket and use it to bathe from there. One thing was sure though, there would be no relaxation; just get in, scrub, make sure you're clean and then leave. There might not even be hot water. I shivered even at the thought of pouring cold water on my body. I entered one of the spacious stalls and set my bucket on the floor before going on to slide it towards the faucet and turning it on to let hot water—if there was any—to flow out.

Turns out, there was actually hot water and my shower was not as bad as I expected. When I got back to the room Ayo was already sleeping. I guess she was as tired as I was. What if Nini was the twin that made the comment...

I got dressed in one of my new night clothes and wondered if I should say anything to Nini or just keep quiet. Nini still wasn't sleeping but she was lying down. Maybe she was about to sleep...I shouldn't disturb her...

"Ejiro?" She called and I turned to face her. "Ovieya is your sister?"

"Yes... I'm sorry I didn't say so earlier. It just never came up."

"Hey, It's nothing to do with you. We were just shocked... I don't know how you will take this but, most of us girls don't really... We don't really talk to Ovieya. It's something to do with Dami though... let's just say our sisters don't have the best relationship." She said pausing many times during her speech obviously feeling very awkward about what she had to say.

"I understand. Reya being my sister doesn't mean my classmates have to like her. I can handle it." I told her.

I came to Meliora to start over. I did not really have a good relationship with people in my former school and I could not have Reya ruining my first chance at friendship or at least...people to talk to. I grab my eye mask from my wardrobe and make my way to my bed. A few minutes later, I pull the sleeping mask off my eyes and rest it on my forehead. I knew Nini wasn't sleeping yet and I had one more question to ask her.

"Nini?"

"Hmm?"

"What did Reya do?"

"It's not my place to tell... You can ask Dami tomorrow."

"You and Dami are still the same person in my eyes."

"Very funny Ejiro" She laughed shortly and I joined in. "But seriously, I'd rather Dami tell you."

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"Ejiro!"

"Ejiro!"

"Ejiro, wake up!"

Couldn't they get the hint and leave me alone? I turned to the other direction and used the pillow to block my ears from the noise.

"Ejiro! You have to bathe for school." I heard again and like I heard them calling for the first time, I abruptly jumped off the bed and fell on the floor hearing sounds of stifled giggles and gasps beside me.

"Sorry!" I could hear clearly now and I knew it was Nini that spoke.

"Come, let me help you stand." And I groaned as they helped me stand up from the pain on my jaw where it hit the ground and the pain that immediately shot through my skull. That tends to happen when you don't wake and get up well.

When I stood, I noticed that Ayo was already in her uniform and Nini had a towel wrapped around her body.

"You guys already bathed?" I asked willing myself not to believe that they really left me to sleep, when its probably almost time to leave the hostel.

Ayo winced at the look I was giving them as I stood.

"Mmm, yeah... we have." She said and I huffed and grabbed my towel and toiletries bag before leaving for the bathroom.

When I was done bathing, I went back to the room and they were both fully dressed in their uniforms. I know it was irrational to be mad at them but I was anyway. Yes, it wasn't their fault that they tried waking me up a hundred times and I didn't get up but I still couldn't help feeling betrayed in some way. I walked straight to my wardrobe and started rubbing my lotion all over my body.

"Get ready to leave the hostel!" A voice boomed from outside and I sighed. Guess I have to hurry up.

Thankfully, I was fully dressed when they called for us to start leaving the hostel, I picked up the Cantu edge control and toothbrush sitting on the top shelf of the right side of my wardrobe. I started to brush my hair back with the edge control but Nini soon appeared beside me and took the items from my hand shaking her head.

"Style it. Don't just brush it back." She said and I sighed as she started brushing my baby hairs, styling it into beautiful curves.

"Wow!" I said when I saw her finished work in the small mirror everyone had inside the doors of our wardrobes. "I don't know how to style my edges like that." I admitted. "I usually just brush them back."

"Well, I can be doing it for you now." She offered. "I'm an expert." She said whipping her head and I couldn't help a small laugh as I shook my head at her.

and I realized, I wasn't mad at them anymore.

"Ejiro, you've forgotten to dress your bed." Ayo called out and I groaned.

Breakfast was toast and tea with one flimsy hot dog... and when I say tea you have to understand that I'm talking about milk, Milo and sugar. After breakfast, Ayo, Nini, Dami, Amarachi and I walked to class together. After just seeing her face yesterday, I was properly introduced to Amarachi and I must say, she's actually pretty nice. In fact, everyone has been nice so far and I wondered if some of them were actually putting up a façade and their true colors would surface after some time.

Someone threw his arm over my shoulder and my whole body tensed. The grip whoever-it-was had on me definitely wasn't feminine. I turned slightly to check and just as I thought, it was indeed a boy. I might have passed out from the way my heart was beating inside my chest if Amarachi did not pry his arm off of me.

"What? Can't I talk to my new classmate? Or are you just jealous." He smirked at Amarachi before turning to me. "Ejiro. Right?" He asked me and I nodded giving him a small polite smile.

"I'm-"

"Merde the idiot." Amarachi cut him off and some of the girls laughed.

"Um... yeah? But its actually Mide, not merde." Mide said looking confused.

Dami spoke up, "Mide, do you know what Merde is?"

"No." He said looking uninterested.

"Its French, for shit." Dami told him and this time I had to laugh along with them.

"So I'm shit now. Huh? Amarachi?" Mide asked now wrapping his arm around Amarachi. He looked amused. "Why are you acting jealous boo? You know my heart is only for you." He said and my eyes widened as he pulled her away.

"Are they... you know, together?" I asked.

"Who? Amarachi and Olamide?" Nini asked and I noticed that the girls were trying to contain their laughter.

"What?" I asked confused. Did I say something funny?

"They're not dating Ejiro. That's how Mide behaves with everybody." She explains.

"Besides, Amarachi and Mide have been bestfriends since like forever." Nini added and I nodded.

It was when I got to the assembly that I realized how big Meliora Academy really was and I'm talking about the population. Probably because now the 'day-students' and teachers have added to the amount of people I've seen twice at the cafeteria.

After the normal formalities literally every Nigerian schools have at the start of a morning assembly (opening prayer, hymn, national anthem, school anthem...), it was finally time for the school principal to address everyone. I applauded along with everyone before realizing that I wasn't actually applauding along with everyone but with the junior students.

"You don't have to clap, Ejiro." Dami said beside me and she pushed my hand down. I looked at her and she shook her head. "We're in Year 11 you know, It's weird." She said and crossed her legs. Um... okay?

I turned back to the stage and took a glimpse of the principal for the first time. I wasn't expecting it to be a woman. Before I could further access her short figure, a very unfamiliar voice boomed into the microphone.

"Year 11 and Year 12! So you are now to big to clap? All of you stand up and start clapping until I say you can stop!" I turned and saw a middle aged man with short messy beards covering his face holding the mic and I knew he was the one that spoke... he was looking at the area were Year 11 and 12 sat like he wanted to kill us with his eyes.

"This Mr. Bamidele is a bitch." Mide stated as we all stood up and Amarachi who was beside him dissolved into a fit of giggles. Even I laughed but I was careful not to be so loud about it and so were the others but Amarachi really had to go full blown.

"Amarachi Ejike! Do you not have any respect?" The man fumed and I wondered if he was paid to defend the petite principal. Amarachi immediately kept quiet but she still looked like if she opened her mouth her loud laughter would come pouring out again so instead, she raised her hands and began to clap soundly and the rest of us joined her.

It was obvious that Mr. Bamidele was not satisfied but the principal turned to him pleading on our behalf and he let us all sit.

"Good morning students and welcome to the first day of learning for the 2019/2020 academic session." The principal began and this time everyone clapped but I think the only reason my classmates clapped was from the excitement of starting a new session, in a higher class... at least I know that's what urged me to applaud.

"I want to say a special welcome to the Year 7 students and all the other new students in the other classes. I hope you enjoy your stay in Meliora International Academy and of course, strive to be the best. I don't want to say much because we have a lot of settling down to do so I'll leave you to go to your classes now. There would be an orientation for the Year 7 students so they can get to know their way around the school. As for the new students in the other classes, if you want you can join but if you'd rather not, I hope you can trust your classmates to do the job." She said bowing her head a little and pushing her glasses up to rest on the bridge on her nose rather than on the tip before she went and took her seat.

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