I 'LL TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

AM I STILL LIVING? (3)

With all I heard from my father, narrating to his visitor, regarding my falling incidence, I came to realize the 'destiny and covenant child' meaning my father used to call me. According to him, I was not supposed to be alive, going by the height and the concrete floor where I would crash, had God not intervened using a divine wind which blew and slides me into the next available balcony downwards.

My self perception began to change. l no longer wanted to get near the balcony. I had to restrict my movement within our seating room and my father's bedroom. The appetite to go and play with my mates had diminished somehow.

At my 5, I was almost getting prepared to be enrolled into the primary school. I had no opportunity to be enrolled into the nursery school, for my father took it upon himself to be coaching me on identifying and writing of the alphabetical letters. He start this with me at my earlier stage of infancy. So, nursery education was partially made available for me by my father at home. Knowing that I was almost ready for the primary education, my father started arranging for my joining my mother in the hinterland to be enrolled in the available good school. The arrangement was concluded, mother came to Enugu and took me down to Imo State where i would got enrolled in a school.

Leaving my usual environment where I had some measure of freedom to play and be curdled by my parents was not mild task to me. For the first one week I was taken away from my father, I kept missing my father. Afterward, I had to deal with the situation. I gradually embrace the reality that I have come to stay with my mother in order to join my mate in the school.

Getting me registered in a school was my mother had to do then. She got all enrollment items ready. Early in the morning on the day she would take me to the school for the enrollment, she got me dressed, gave me food to eat and took me on her bicycle. We rode till we got to the school. Arriving at the school, my mother took me in her hands as we walked into a room meant to be the office of the registrar of the school.

Getting into the office and meeting the registrar on seat, the registrar gave us seat to sit down. It was then my mother began to tell the registrar what we came for. The registrar happily and orally welcomed us once again. He then gave my mother a list that contained all it would take to get registered in the school. At this juncture, my mother had to provide the listed items, with a certain sum that accompanied them.

After the registration was over, my mother pleaded with the registrar to give grant me allowance to follow her home so that I would start my class attendance the following day. That the registrar granted me. I followed mother go home.

On the following morning, I was woken up by my mother. She reminded me that that day would be my first class attendance, that I should not be late to school. She got me dressed, gave me food. Feeling that i needed some company to go with me, she took me to her friend's son within the neighbourhood, who was a little older than me. His name was Paul. He was in Elementary 2 class. I was very happy that I got a company. Together with Paul, we went to school.

Fortunately, there were few pupils who came earlier than us. So, we felt happy that we got to school on time. Shortly after we got to school, Paul took me to a place within the school premises where he he took a broom and swept. Some other strange pupils were joining him in the sweeping activity. It was later that Paul told me that I would soon be allotted a part of the premises where my classmates and I would sweeping. According to Paul, failure to sweep any part of the School premises attracted a penalty for the class responsible.

The pupils had almost done sweeping when a sound of a bell was heard. It was in a continuous ringing mode. Looking towards the direction of the ringing bell, I saw a number of grown-up adults who tended to be gathering with good number of pupils at a designated ground. Hurriedly, Paul finished sweeping, dropped the broom and ran towards the designated ground. I had to follow him up. Other pupils ran to the ground as well.

As all the pupils gathered and fell in queues, one among the adult male and female, began to sing a song when meant for the pupils to repeat. From the song, he switched into prayers. The prayers led us into a recitation called the national pledge. Then they sang a song called the national Anthem. In concluding part of the section, the adult that was moderating the section made some statement of advice,gave Information, and warned the pupils on the dos and don'ts of the school, after which he ordered the pupils to go to their various classes and wait for the lessons of the day.