I 'LL TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

AM I STILL LIVING? (4)

There is always a first time in the life of every individual. It was my first day being in a formal class. To me, learning had taken a whole different shape, ranging from who was to teach me, the strange learning environment, the formal time observations, sounds of bell at intervals, formal recognition and greetings of class visitors, punishment of classroom noisemakers, and so many strange phenomena. As time and days went on, I kept getting accustomed to the new phase of my formal life in the school.

Paul my friend had noticed how fast i started making new friends both in my class and in the school in general. He no longer cared for me, knowing that I would always follow those of my mates whose home were in same location with mine, when the school dismissed. Paul and I only walk together while going to School in the morning. We would part for our various classes as we got to school. All was with the spirit of fun and joy.

On weekly basis, the school had a culture of handwork exhibition. On the designated handwork exhibition day, each pupil was mandated to show his or her teacher what he or she could construct, design or do with his or her natural hands. According to our teachers, the essence of hand work exhibition was meant to inculcate in us the ability to create with our barehands, irrespective of the main western education we were in school for.

Considering how little I still was, mother never felt comfortable seeing me going to the forest in search of palm fronds that would give us broom when we gather them from the bush, process and arrange them in handy form such that it would be easily handled to sweep an environment clean. My tenderness kept giving her much concern till I outgrew the stage when she stopped caring again.

The things we used to present as handwork to our teachers in school varied. Some of the pupils could chose to make basket from palm fronds too. While some of the pupils who could not make up any thing to show would be denied of certain marks from the continuous assessment in the class, and that would really reflect in their class academic performance report card. Owing to this fact, pupils tried their best to earn that mark through good handwork presentation.

The young, they said, shall grow. This was truly factual to me when I kept going through the hurdles of class promotion via examinations. I was unfortunate to fail in my elementary 3 class. This resulted in demotion. I had to repeat my elementary 3 class. That became a reality to me when that academic session's holiday was over. We came back for the new session. My experience and countenance was entirely a different thing. While other mates of mine were happy with their new class where they were promoted to, I found myself in the midst of pupils whom I was supposed to be ahead of. Though the environment was the same, but was not I should not be in the same Elementary 3 class. I kept

having this internal conflict till after a number of weeks. Then, the feeling gradually began to leave me. I started giving my new set of mates a chance to blend with me. At home, my mother never scolded me much. She then began to monitor my mode of reading and playing. She became more concern in calling me to go and read my book whenever she saw me over playing with my mate.