MISCONCEPTION

The corridor is too quiet than usual. The walls were decorated in calligraphic writing of alphabets and numbers, the chirping birds fill the air. The pupils where on holiday and also the nannies where less busy, therefore everywhere was very quiet. The crystal tiles match the lines on the ceiling forming a rhyming design. A fair skin woman of her late twenties dressed in a marine corporate blouse and skirt walks towards the headmistress office. Her first knock on the door was answered by a woman inside the office. “Ms. Jane you’re welcome, please have a seat” the fat middle age woman invites Jane into the office. The office has sofa that are meant for the visitors. The fat mistress stood up from her swivel chair to the left side of the office where a well oak carved shelf stands and pick up some files before heading back to the sofa. “Oh! My bad, you are Mrs. Jane not Ms. Jane right?” she inquired after going through the file, “your discipline again please” she asked me, “I studied mass communication in Bayero University Kano ma” she answer the question. “Are you married?” another question, “yes ma”. “How many kids?”, “two of them; a boy and a girl” she respond. She took a glance at the file she’s holding and asks again “may I know your spouse occupation?”, “he died as a lieutenant colonel” she reply. “My sincere condolence” she gave me a warm smile, ‘I know how hard it is to be a single mother”, “thank you ma” Jane reciprocated the smile. “Have you…” before she could complete her sentence, her phone rang, ‘sorry I got this” she says to Jane and head towards her table to get the phone. Jane carefully scans the office with her eyes; the wall is painted in a white color that rhymes with the ceiling. Picasso’s artwork hangs freely above the headmistress desk. She glances through the head mistress table and her eyes saw a wooden tag with an inscription “Headmistress Temilola Kayode”. There is a small desk at the center of the office full with newspapers and magazines. The air conditioner is station above the small fridge near the oak carved shelf. “Ok, you will go back down stairs and wait for my call” the headmistress voice bring her back from her little world, “I will call you so you should wait” she completes. “Ok ma” Jane followed the instruction. The stairs were another thing Jane found amazing, it was design in a cyclical way that made it look like a straw and will aid the children when climbing up. Jane walk carefully back to the iron chairs that were meant for visitors, she sat earlier between a woman with muffler and the other with big water bottle. The one with muffler was a bit friendlier than the woman with the flask; she was fair skin just like her and Jane guesses she will be older than them. “How was it?” the woman with the grey muffler asks her, “It was fine” she answers. “Were the questions hard?” she asks, “no, just more about me” Jane shrugs. “I fell bit relief” the woman reply.” I really need this job” she speaks almost to herself, Jane smiles. They all sat here and one after the other, they were all called. After about thirty minutes, the messenger comes down the stairs and calls some of them to an empty class while others were dismissed. They were all agitated and wonder what will happen next, the headmistress enters the class and stands in front of the class with some files in her right hand, “congratulations, all of you here have pass both written and oral tests’ she says. The woman with mufflers couldn’t contain her happiness and gave Jane a very tight hug. “We made it” she exclaim like a cute happy puppy. At first sight, one will think they know each other. All of them were handed a forms that they filled and return back. “We resume together with the children next Monday, punctuality counts, wish you all luck” the headmistress declares as she exits the class together with her messenger. Jane heaves a sight of relief and follows the crowd out of the class. The happy faces begin to exchange pleasantries as they also head out of the class. “Nice meeting you, I am Fatimah Abubakar” the woman with muffler raise her hand for a handshake, “nice meeting you too, I am Jane Odochie” Jane accepts the handshake with warm smile. “I thought you two know each other, by the way I am Precious Aikoyi” the woman with the water bottle introduces herself. “Are you Idoma?” Fatima inquires, “No, am Igala” she says. “Am Hausa” Fatima voluntarily reply. They walk through the long corridor painted in a creamy color, with portrait of nationalists and great leaders hung on the wall. They stop at the portrait of Sir. Herbert Macaulay which happens to be at the edge of the corridor and Fatimah speak up first “Let sit at the cafeteria and learn more about ourselves”, “another time for me, my kids are waiting for me” Jane speak up. “You are married?!” the two ladies exclaim in astonish, “but he is late now” she replies. “If am right I heard you saying kids, so how many?” Precious ask her. “A boy and a girl; Kingsley and Ada” she respond. “Wow! You have a nice skin; you look like sweet sixteen, care to share your recipe?” Fatimah teases her, Jane chuckle. “Bye I’m going” Jane heads towards the gate. “Let just go together I have somewhere I need to go” Precious speak up as she put back her big water bottle and phone inside her leather bag. “Precious are you also going for your kids?” Fatimah asks her. “I will love it if you call me Princess, all my friend do” precious strains. “Ok That means we met when school resumes, right?” Fatima looks at both ladies with some bit of dismay written in her eyes. “Don’t worry, we will have ample time” Precious assures her. They separate ways; Jane and Precious lived in the same area. They hail aycle and hoop in. As the vehicle began to move, Jane gave the school one last look and her eyes caught the large inscription of the school name on the top wall, “Virtuoso Academy Kano”. The distance between precious and Jane residents were five poles. “Wow! We live on the same street? Bet Fatima will be thrilling to her that” Precious jokes as she drops first. “My parent flat is third if you come in, you are always welcome” she points to a red gate on the other side of the road. “I bet fatima will like it” Jane smiles as the though crosses her mind, the tricycle moves away.Jane opens the door to her flat as silent as she could. She did not want her kids to know she is back so she could take a nap. “Mummy welcome back” she hears her son’s voice Kingsley, before she could answer his greetings; she receives a warm embrace from her three years old daughter who was also just coming in. Ada angelic voice spoke “mummy welcome”, “oh! My little angel thanks you and if I may ask where are you coming from sweetie?” Jane cleans the greasy hair of her daughter as she raises her from the ground. “I visited Mama Musa house to play” she giggles, “and you?” she directed the question to the boy. “On Monday when school resumes I will present a speech on the assembly ground, therefore I’m rehearsing” Kingsley replies. “Mum since you are back can you help me out, please?” he begs his mum, “am so exhausted” Jane explains but he cuts in “please mum”. She looks towards her pretty bundle and Ada gave her nod, “ok let’s go guys”. Ada was the first to open the door of the living room. The living room gave them a welcoming breeze that came in through the window. The sofas well arranged by the right side of the room, with pack of scrabble and Ps game scattered on the floor and sofa. The flat TV is expertly place on the wall with black wires neatly tied to the wall. The centre of the room was decorated with rug covered in a red motive design. The dinning table was arranged next to the kitchen doorway by the left. The family picture hung opposite the toilet door near the door to the living room. All the room was painted in light blue and a thick creamy color tiles. The door that leads to the corridor of their bedrooms was adjacent their sofas. A small shelf stood firmly back of sofas. “Mummy how was the interview?” Kingsley raises the question as they enter her room, “I got the job” his mum responds to him in a happy voice. “Wow! That excellent, what’s the name of the school?” Ada asks in a happy voice, “Virtuoso Academy Kano”. She hung her handbag where it supposes to be and walk towards her inner toilet to take a shower. “Mummy what about the revising?” he asks, “just a minute sweet heart, let me take a shower” she answers and closes the toilet door behind her. The cold shower really helps her to refresh her body. She wore her blue towel that covered from her cleavage to mid tight and head towards her mahogany wardrobe. “Mummy makes sure to buy me a new teddy as you promise” Ada reminds her. “I remember and I will fulfill my promise no matter what” she salutes her daughter and Ada sheepish smile ascends on her face. She wore her white shirt and blue short for the evening; moreover almost all her dresses were bluish. She lie next to Ada on the bed, “shall we began?”She asks, “Yes mum” he answers. “My name is Kingsley Ola, I am here to present” he start but Jane cuts in “you should look straight at your audience with a smile, look above their heads not into their eyes and lastly stand erect”. Kinsley effects the correction and continues, Ada look straight into his face, hoping to meet his eyes but he tries hard to avoid it. Jane listen to her son reading his script off hand, “am lucky to have such a brain box” she whispers in his ears immediately he finishes with the script, he giggles with his puppy eye. Her phone screen light up, someone is calling her. Ada pop her head on the screen and look at her mother, “mummy uncle Tunde is calling you?” she asks. Jane pauses for a while before answering her phone. The voice wasn’t too clear but she can denote that the environment is crowdie. “Hello! Jenny is you there?” the voice asks, for sometime her mouth refuse to corporate. She is unsure whether to answer, “Hello Tunde” her mouth final