Dora is Mr. and Mrs. Nebo’s last child. She is about seven years old. She is restless and outgoing. The only time you can find her stay calm is, perhaps when she falls ill or hungry. She is not a heavy eater, though, but whenever she feels the hunger pangs, she must feed.
During the Easter holidays, little Dora traveled to the village with her parents and sister, Nky. She was running around with her sister and cousins who also came for the festivity. They visited family friends and relatives. The highlight of the season was the mass service she attended with her parents at the Catholic church in their village.
The church, built about five years ago boasts of the state of the art equipment. It is air-conditioned with all the trappings of a high brow church. For everyone in the community, its always a delight to attend mass and other ceremonies at the church. Dora particularly enjoyed ot with other little ones like her when the Parish Priest hosted the children to a little get together later in the afternoon on Easter day. It was a day for all of the fun you could ever imagine.
But just as they were by the pool side enjoying their chicken barbecue and drinks, a thought flashed through Dora’s mind like a flash in the pan. And all the fun was about to end. She suddenly had butterflies in her stomach ad her countenance changed
She grew cold and suddenly stopped playing. Her mum is quite sensitive to everything around her, especially when it concerns the children. She had noticed her little girl’s mood swing.
The thought of going back to school had flickered through her mind.
“What is it, dear” she inquired as she moved closer, but careful not to spill her glass of fruit juice.
“Nothing/” she said
“But you don’t seem to be alright, Dora” Should we go home now?”
“No”
“So, what now?”
After much inquiry, Dora opened up
“Mummy, are we going back to Lagos tomorrow”?
“No dear, not tomorrow. We shall leave on Tuesday because I and your dad will be going to Onitsha to buy some few things for grandma and also visit aunty Lilly.” She said
“Would you allow Nky and I to go with you?”
“Until then but is that why you suddenly stopped playing?’’ I noticed that you are sulking, why?”
“But mummy, when are we going back to school, sef”’?
All now began to make sense for Mrs. Nebo. The sheer thought of waking up early in the morning, backpacks, binders, pencils, glue, teachers, home works was the issue. Everything that leads to one place… School!
Naturally, every child shivers as each school item piles into their back pack… ready to go again. This feeling is not peculiar to Nebo’s child/
Going back to school after such amount of fun can be scary for many children
How can someone be so brave and not be afraid of going back to school? One was supposed to be enjoying the time of her life, jumping about and just watching all the kiddies’ channels on. And suddenly, you are reminded that you have to paxk up all your play toys in preparation for school.
Can’t this school even wait at all?
Now, just after four days of holidays, you must look for those hideous items that lead to homework and tests. You must wake up as early as possible to catch the school bus otherwise, aunty will spank you
The night before is the worst. You toss and turn like salad in a bowl. All you can think about is school. All the tests that lie ahead, homework before almost every day and the fact that daddy has placed an embargo on watching of TV. It takes forever for your eyelids to finally meet. And even in your dreams, all you see is where you had kept your school shoes. You don’t remember where you left your pair of socks and that lousy PE uniform that was distributed to those whose old ones had gone bad. You just cant understand why this fun had to stop.
It takes a great effort, determination and because it beyond your control for you not to go to school, you brave it up. You will also enjoy every bit of the new term eventually. You would meet all your friends again. You would compare notes on your adventures and thrills during this brief but exciting holiday
The exact day comes. You are still struggling with not having enough sleep and as long as you wanted. You want to wear something comfortable, but you have to wear something your school uniform. You have to remember to take along all of the stuff for your school work. And now as you stand by the corridor, you hear a loud rumbling noise outside. There is the school bus. “Here I go,” you say as you make your way into the bus. As it starts rolling it feels strange but familiar. As the people pile in, you shiver and try to hide your face. Slowly you lift it up to see your friends.
Suddenly, the bus parks in front of the school. Slowly the bus doors creek open. “Creeeeeekkk!” Step by step you walk out of the bus and in front of the school. It feels strange but familiar too. You take a deep breath and tumble inside. You look around at all of the faces. Finally you reach your classroom and fall inside. You look at everything and everyone. You smile at the teacher and hug your friends again. You are glad to reconnect with your school pals again.
Playing outside and laughing together again. Gradually, the memories of the Easter festive season, the chicken and jollof rice begin to give way to accommodate your homework and your class teacher. Those are just a few things that kids forget to remember as they resume school.
Soon you start laughing and having fun. At the end of the day you wonder,” I was scared as we were resuming for this term. Not to worry, Dora and friends. It will be fun again at school just as it was before the Easter break. And what was all that drama for, Dora?”
