INFILTRATION

SCHORLASHIP

Over the next few days, I avoided Jimxabell; in the hallway, outside school, and even when walking home. Once, she even camped outside my class while I was having history and tried to catch my eyes, but I acted like I didn’t know her.

Truth be told - I kind of felt flattered she was trying to get my attention. No one had ever tried that hard before.

Still, I wasn’t ready to be friends with anyone except my books.

I continued avoiding her for two weeks until one morning, during maths class , I needed to take a leak, so I took an excuse and walked into the toilet.

Once I was done, I came out and there she stood, arms folded and looking pissed off. I tried to pass but she blocked my way.

“You are going to tell me why you’ve been avoiding me these past two weeks.”

She looked determined in her mission. Instead of replying, I slid my eyes down to the black sneakers on her feet and worked my way up to the black jeans skirt which stopped way above her knees and up to the black top which bared her belly button.

She sure liked the colour black and it looked cute on her, but I didn’t tell her that. Instead I sighed in annoyance. “This is going to sound odd being a guy and all, but, what do you want from me?”

She let out a huff and this ruffled her bangs, drawing my attention to her eyes.

Were those tears for me?

“I just want to be friends, is that so hard to understand?”

“Look, I’m flattered you want to be friends with me, but as I told you earlier - “

“— you’re bad news, yes I remember, but let me be the judge of that. It isn’t your place to think for me.”

I shook my head, side stepped her and walked off, throwing over my shoulder. “I’ve got a class now, if you’re game, we could meet at the fields after school, and you can tell me, for real, why you won’t leave me alone.”

“Deal!”

I heard her say before I rounded the corner.

I was tense throughout the rest of my classes. I couldn’t concentrate. I was caught doodling on my book - me, Terobe, doodling, ha, what a laugh!

I almost caught detention - twice.

I’d finally figured out what I wanted to do.

I was going to try for a college scholarship in one of the big cities. Some of their representatives were always coming around, trying to poach students with good grades.

All I needed to do was work hard and get mad scores in my high school diploma. I was also going to try for the GED as well.

I didn’t want any issues on my result sheet so I needed to stay focused.

In my former years in school, I never really applied myself, I mostly skipped classes to hang out with the guys who never really went to school except Varag. I always bribed the teachers to give me good grades, so it was a wonder when I began attending classes and enjoying them as well.

Unfortunately, and thanks to Jinxabell, I didn’t take in a word of what any teacher said.

What it was about her that excited me. I wasn’t sure, but I was going to find out today, once and for all.

The end of school finally came and I was already bounding out of my seat and heading for the door.

Everywhere was packed with kids coming out of their classrooms and rushing to the hallway. They were just as excited as I was about leaving the school, but obviously for a different reason.

I had to elbow a few people so I could make it to the hallway. As I opened my locker, ready to transfer all the books in my bag, someone shoved me, and they all fell to the ground. I didn’t see who it was because students were everywhere, pushing each other in a bid to get to the exit, so I knew it was probably a mistake.

I bent down and was about to pick up my books when someone shouted my name.

“TEROBE!”

Who could that be?

I turned, anger uncoiling in my stomach.

Then I saw him. He stood with his hands behind his back and a frown on his forehead.

The principal.

Once he calls you, it’s never a good thing.

My heart gave a loud thump. I passed a hand down my face and noticed it was wet with sweat.

Once he saw he had caught my attention, he jerked his head, indicating I follow him.

I willed myself to calm down by taking a few deep breaths, and walked after him.. By the time I got to his office, he was already seated.

“Come in and have a seat, Terobe.”

He was rifling through papers in a file on his desk, and I wondered what it was he wanted to see me for. I hope I wasn’t in trouble.

He took his eyes off from the file and fixed them on me. That’s when I saw the smile.

“How are you doing, young man? I’m so happy to see you in school attending classes everyday.” His eyes dropped to the file in his hands, and he fingered a few papers. “I see you’re a whizz in Math and it looks like you’re not doing too badly in other subjects as well.”

He dropped the files, clasped his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Now listen here, you try to get much better grades and by the end of the year I’m sure you’ll be able to get a schorlaship from some of the colleges in the city. I want you to take a look at these.”

He handed some papers to me and continued speaking. “Hold on to those forms, keep looking at them and keep working on your grades and then we can talk better at the end of the school year. Does that work for you?”

My mind was blank for some seconds.

A scholarship?

Me - get a scholarship, as in no need to pay tuition at college?

“Terobe!”

I heard my name as if from far away and blinked, only to see the principal staring at me with a concerned look on his face.

“Are you okay, Terobe?”

“Yeah- yes sir, thank you very much, I’ll try not to disappoint you.” I was beside myself with excitement.

“You do better than that, son, you get that scholarship and make me proud.”

There was a warm feeling in my chest as I thanked him once more and walked out of his office. It felt like I was walking on clouds. As I got to the hallway, students had thinned out. I picked my books that were still lying on the floor and put them in my bag.

The feeling in my chest stayed with me as I walked out of the school. I realized the reason for this.

He called me son. The principal had called me his son.

He wanted me to get a scholarship. He cared.

I was so elated, I forgot I was meant to meet Jinxabell at the fields. I walked home instead, the forms the principal gave me clutched tightly in my hands like a fist.

Maggi was at the stove when I burst into the kitchen. I narrated what the principal said and she hugged me tightly, said I could take the day off from working on the farm, seeing as I needed to study harder now than ever before.

I was grateful for her understanding. As I got to the room I was staying in, I noticed the papers in my hand were getting crushed, so I let go of them and smoothed them out on the bed.

Two words caught my eyes.

CARLTON UNIVERSITY.

My eyes almost bulged as I looked at the form.

I had heard of Carlton university. It was a big university in the city. If I got a scholarship, all I needed to do was look for a job that could pay for my books, housing and feeding.

My heart sunk as I realized the enormity of what was ahead of me.

It was one thing to get a scholarship, but how was I to go three years in school without a very good job?

My initial excitement fizzled and I became instantly unhappy. However, my heart became lighter when I realized how far I’d come, especially since I wasn’t raiding homes with the guys.

I didn’t come this far just to give up. I’d prove it to everyone, most especially other guys, that one could live a better life without having to steal from people.

I would make an example of myself. I perked up as I looked at the forms carefully. There were three of them; all student application forms to three different prestigious universities, and all I had to do was work hard on my grades and make sure I entered one of these universities with a scholarship.

I brought out my English text book from my bag and opened to the page that read ‘Expressions and adages.’

Whew!

It was gonna be a long night.