"Son!" My mum calls out.
"Yes, mum." I shout and run out of my room, stopping at her front.
"What are you still doing, ehn?!" She asks calmly. "You never finish, abi?! (You're not done, right?!)" She asks, her voice, a little strict.
"I'm done O!" I say in a defensive tone. "I was just about to put on my shoes, before you called me, ma."
"Ok, then. Put your shoes on and come for breakfast." She says. "You're already late on your first day in a new school!" Her voice is a little stricter now.
"Ok, mum." I say calmly. "Anugomu! (I have hear!)"
I dash to my room, put on my shoes quickly and rush straight to the dining.
On the table, is a nice big plate of jollof rice and beef and a cold bottle of water.
"Mhm! Mum, nligi nwai isisi oma. (Mum, your food have a nice aroma.)" I say and laugh lightly.
She chuckles. "Dalu, nwamu. Now, nlie nli. (Thank you my child. Now, eat.)" She says and go.
I dig into the meal. In a matter of minutes, I'm done. I drink the water, finishing it completely.
I quickly take my plate and rush to the kitchen. I wash it well, before drying and keeping it well.
"Are you ready, son?!" My mum asks from inside her room.
"Yes, ma'am!" I shout and rush to my room.
I spray my perfume and make sure I look good in front of my big room mirror, before rushing out of my room with my school bag.
My mum is already waiting for me in front of our house enterance. So, I quickly walk out of the door and straight to her car, waiting for her at the front passenger side. She locks the door and walks to her car, entering it and starting it instantly.
I get in and she presses the car horn to alarm the gateman.
I laugh as the funny gateman, comes out and opens the gate.
My mum drives and stops at the gate.
"AH! MADAM! GOOD MORNING MA!" He shouts and salutes. "SMALL OGA, HOW YOU DEY?! (SMALL MASTER, HOW ARE YOU?!)" He shouts again and salutes.
"I dey! How, you, dey?!" (I'm fine! How are you, too?!)" I ask with a smile.
"I dey o! I just dey thank god! (I'm fine! I'm just thanking God!)" He says and laughs.
"Ok." I say quickly.
"Take this." My mummy say as she brings out some money from her purse and hand it to him.
"AH! MADAM, THANK YOU O!" He shouts and salutes, causing me and my mum to chuckle.
"Mubarak. You too funny. Abeg, I don dey go. (Mubarak. You're very funny. Please, I'm going.)" My mum says and drives out of our compound.
"Son." She calls as we drive pass cars on the road.
"Yes mum." I answer weakly, already knowing what will come.
She sighs. "You know I love you and I want the best for you, right?" She asks calmly.
"Yes mum." I reply, already feeling uncomfortable.
"Good." She sighs and turns, looking at me with a warm expression, then turning to face the road again. "I want you to do something for me. Can you do it?" She asks and I nod, although I don't even want to do it.
'Oh God! Please don't say it!'
"I want you to..."
'Of course...'
"... Socialise." She says calmly, but I feel like my heart have been stabbed with the word.
'Thank goodness! It wasn't that bad!"
I fake a laugh. "Is that it?! Is that all?!"
"Should I go on."
"Pfft." I chuckle. "Plllease. Like there are others."
'WHAT AM I SAYING?!'
She laughs and turns around to look at me with an amused expression, before turning back to face the road.
"Okay, then." She chuckles. "I want you to stop being rude to your classmates. I want you to stop picking up fight with them just because they're trying to associate with you. I want you to stop reporting them to teachers just because they're socialising with you. I mean, it was so bad that the teachers were complaining to me." She sighs.
"Wow! You make it sound bad."
She chuckles. "That's because it is. I do wonder where you got this your side from. I and your dad were both socialists. In our school days, we were famous people, because we socialise alot. Now, I'm not saying you should be a bad boy, no! All I'm saying is you should be good, kind, supportive and so on. Just do things that will help you and people around you and make you guys happy. It's not that hard." She laughs. "But you make it seem like a mission impossible movie." She says, causing me to laugh aloud.
"Mum?!"
She laughs. "What? It's true."
"Ok. I'll try for your sake." I sigh.
"Yeah. Like you ever would."
"Ouch!" I say jokingly and fake a wince.
We both laugh.
"I can read your mind." My mum says.
"No, you can't!" I say and scoff.
"Ok. Say anything in your mind!"
'Oh, I'm so gonna not socialise today!'
I smirk. "Good luck." I say with a laugh.
"I bet you said you are so not going to socialise today." She chuckles.
I turn and look at her, speechless. 'Damn she's good.'
"Am I right?" She asks in an innocent tone.
"Uh..." I scoff and face the road. "No."
"No?!" She says, a hint of surprise in her tone. "Yeah sure!"
"You don't believe me?!" I ask dramatically.
"Oh, I believe, son. So much believe you."
"Ok. The sarcasm is now obvious."
She laughs. "Don't get me wrong. It's just, I don't want people to see you as a psychopath or a sociopath."
"WHAT?!" I shout in disbelief.
"Well, some of your classmates in your last school assumed that. That's why I change your school, so you could start afresh. Besides, this your new school is a special school. I believe there aren't much classmates in your department." She says, the sentence sounding like a symphony to my ear drums.
To be sincere. I'm only holding on to "I believe there aren't much classmates in your department." It sounded like a melody and it's still tickling my ear and filling me with joy.
'The lesser, the better.'
"I'm sure you're happy and you're obviously saying the lesser, the better." Mum says and chuckles.
"Mum?!" I shout, staring at her in disbelief.
"What?!" She laughs. "Am I wrong?!" She chuckles.
"You bet you are?" I say awkwardly.
She turns and faces me. "Was that a question or a statement." She asks, raising one of her eyebrows and raising the right corner of her mouth.
"No." I mumble and she laughs aloud.
"Oh, I'm so right!" She says and faces the road.
I laugh. "How is dad?!" I ask.
"He said he'll be back anytime. So we should be expecting him anytime soon."
"YYYEEEESSSSS" I shout happily. "I can't wait!" I smirk. "Dad and his surprise landing never gets old!"
"You said it, son!"
We both laugh and continue talking about different things.
She stops the car after some few minutes on the road.
"We have arrive." She says in a happy tone, while I feel dread cover me.
"We have?!" I ask and look at the big but breathe taking school in horror. I was so carried away that I didn't even know when she drove in.
She looks at her watch. "Yup. Thank goodness, it's just a ten minutes ride. Now go down and away or you'll be late!"
I open the door, slowly. "Ok."
"Son." She calls me gently and I pause, turning to face her. "I love you, okay? Just do your best for me and your dad. Make us proud. We know you are smart, so don't prove us wrong." She leans close and kisses my forehead. "Good luck, obim. (Good luck, my love.)"
A wide smile appears on my lips. "Thanks mum. I feel better now." I say and open the door, leaving the car. I bend and look into the car.
"Oh, before I forget..." She pulls out money and gives me. "You can have this two thousand naira. I'm sorry I won't be able to come and pick you after school." She says in a worried tone.
I shake my head sideways and smile. "It's okay mum. There is nothing to apologise for. You know you're my one and only EZIGBO NNEM. (MY BETTER MUMMY.)" I say and we both chuckle.
"Yes oo! I know, nwamu oma! (I know, my good child!) Go before you'll be late!"
I turn around and begin walking away slowly.
'Atleast she doesn't know I brought my phone!' I smirk.
"Son..."
'Oh shit!'
"... Your phone!"
I turn around and give her a confused look. "What are you talking about?" I ask in fake confusion.
She scoffs. "You can't fool me. I was once a child." She says and chuckles.
I groan and walk to her slowly. I open my bag, bring out my phone and hand it to her.
"Good bye!" She says and laughs.
"Wait! What if there is an emergency?" I ask in a fake panicky tone.
"Like what?" She chuckles as if reading my mind.
"Well... Uh... A..."
'... Panic attack from socialising or over socialising!'
"Never mind!" I fake a smile.
"I won't be surprised if you had said panic attack from socialising."
I'm shocked. "MUM, I NOW KNOW YOU CAN READ MINDS! YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH ME TODAY, AFTER SCHOOL!"
She laughs. "It's actually just a lucky guess."
"Then I'll have the lucks. All!" I say and we both laugh. "Bye mum. I'm going into war. Wish me good luck." I say in a dramatic tone, causing my mum to laugh lightly.
"Oh, you're such a drama king! Good luck! Make sure you don't fight at all! But, also make sure you survive!" She says and chuckles.
"This is why I always ask you to watch war movies with me, whenever I'm watching. How is what you said possible?"
She grins. "It is, my love!" She blows me a kiss and I smirk.
"And I'm the dramatic one!"
"Duh!"
"Bye, mum!" I say and quickly wave her goodbye, turning around and walking away.
"Bye!" I hear her shout.
The starting and moving of a car tells me she is gone.
I sigh in relief and laugh. If I hadn't leave, we would have continue talking for God knows how long.
I walk to the principal office, still remembering the direction it is in. Why won't I?! My mum used it as an everyday song! It was so much that I still remember the song she made up for me, so, I'll be able to know the direction to my class and the one to the principal office.
I knock and I'm told to come in. I enter and my oh my does the office look like a very cool place. Who knew a principal's office could look so cool.
It is big and spacious. A big glass table and a big comfy office chair behind it. Before it, are three comfy office chair. There is a big ceiling fan, above me. A big standing fan some few meters beside him and a nice big AC by the right upper most part of his office. The whole inside is white and the floor is tiles. And his table is loaded with all sorts of stuffs.
"Ahem!" The principal says, startling me and bringing my mind back. "If you're done fantasising on overthrowing me and becoming the new principal, have your seat."
I flinch and quickly sit down. "Sorry, sir!" I say in an apologetic tone.
He laughs. "Nah. It's okay. Your mum told me she wouldn't be able to make it today."
"Ok, sir."
"So, let's get down to business, shall we?" He asks and I nod. "Well, I am Mr. Benjamin Chinedu." He stretches his hand for a hand shake and I shake him and leave the hand.
"I am Chukwuemeka Noah, sir!"
"Oh, that's a nice name!" He says with a smile.
"Thank you, sir. Same."
He begins talking about different things. From rules, to punishments, to events that got some students expelled.
"... I hope you'll be a good student and not disappoint me!" He says and I nod.
He hands me a brand new laptop and it's charger and a special book with the title; "RULES AND REGULATIONS OF BLOOMING KIDS SCHOOLS."
I take it and thank him.
"You can go." He says and I leave the office and move straight to my class.
On arriving there, I enter, ignoring the new faces and walking straight to the locker a girl is pointing at.
"Thank you." I say dryly and sit on my locker's chair.
My locker is the last one in it's role and it's at the left side, beside the classroom wall. The best position ever!
'I wonder how much, this school, fees is. Mum and dad really tried.'
I drop my bag beside me on the floor, placing my laptop on my locker and placing the rules book inside my bag.
"HP! Cool!" I open my laptop and on it. After some seconds, it is done with booting.
"Let me see the windows." I mumble to myself and check the windows, my eyes widening in surprise. "WOW! IMPRESSIVE! Windows thirteen! Cool!" I mumble to myself and continue searching through the laptop, ignoring my staring fans.
A teacher enters the class and everyone stands up.
"Good morning, ma'am!" We all chorus.
"Good morning my great students! I trust you all are okay!" She says with a warm smile. "You may all sit."
We all sit down.
"There is a new student among us today and I'd love him to introduce himself."
'WHAT THE FUCK?!'
I stand up. "My name is Chukwuemeka Noah." I say dryly and sit down.
"Okay. That's a nice name you've got. I am Mrs. Evelyn Lin and it's nice to meet you."
"Yeah. Same." I say dryly.
Someone smirks. But as usual I don't care.
A white boy turns around and grins at me. "Hey, what's the meaning of your name?!" He shouts and laughs, some students joining him.
"Frank! That's enough!" Mrs Evelyn says in a strict tone.
"I'm not doing anything, ma'am. I just want to know." He says in an innocent tone. "It sounds very gibberish and meaningless." He laughs.
I glare at him. "I'm sure your parents are the perfect examples for the words!" I snap, causing Mrs. Evelyn and some students to stare at me wide eyed and in shock, while the boy glares at me.
The whole class erupts into a loud laughter. While Mrs. Evelyn gives me the look.
"To my office." She says calmly, causing everyone to gasp and leaving the classroom.
I put my laptop and it's charger into my locker, bring out the padlock in my bag and lock the locker. Dropping the key into my pocket and placing my bag on my locker chair, I leave the classroom too and follow Mrs. Evelyn to her office.
We finally arrive and we enter. Thankfully the office is empty.
She sits down, a very serious look on her face.
"I'm sorry Mr. Noah, but we'll have to expel."
My eyes widens in shock. "Excuse me?!" I say calmly.