But before she could say more, the bell rang. Everyone rushed back to their seats.
By the end of the day, Ariana was tired. Her head was full, her hand ached from writing, but she felt a small joy, she had survived her first day.
When she came out of the gate, Adrian's car was waiting. The moment she saw him, her face brightened. She ran and entered the car.
"How was it?" he asked.
Ariana breathed out. "It was hard… but I think I can do it."
Adrian smiled, starting the car. "That's my girl."
The next day, Ariana woke up very early. She spread her uniform on the bed and touched it again and again. She could not believe it was really hers.
Adrian came to check on her. "Are you ready?"
She nodded.
He dropped her at school. This time, she entered the class with a little more courage. She sat in the same seat as yesterday. When the teacher came in, Ariana opened her book and wrote carefully. The letters were not perfect, but she tried.
At break time, Grace, the girl she met on the first day, called her.
"Come and sit with us," Grace said.
Ariana followed her shyly. They shared snacks and laughed about one boy who was sleeping in class. Ariana did not laugh too loud, but her heart was glad.
That night, when Adrian asked her how school was, she smiled a little.
"Better," she said.
On the third day, things were still hard. The teacher gave classwork, and Ariana did not finish on time. Some students laughed. Her cheeks burned. She wanted to cry, but she swallowed her tears. After class, Grace patted her shoulder. "Don't mind them. You'll get better."
That small kindness gave Ariana strength.
On the fourth day, she tried to answer a question in English class. Her voice was very low, almost shaking. The teacher smiled and said, "Good try." Ariana felt warm inside.
On the fifth day, she began to know the faces in her class. She started to greet some of them. She was still quiet, but at least she was no longer invisible.
By the end of the first week, Ariana could not believe she had survived five whole days. It was not easy, she still struggled with reading, still feared the laughter of some students, still felt small sometimes. But she also discovered new things: that Grace and Tolu wanted to be her friends, that teachers liked when she tried, and that Adrian was always waiting at the gate, ready to hear her stories.
That Friday evening, as she removed her uniform and folded it, Ariana sat on the bed and whispered, "Thank You, God. This is a new beginning."
By the time Ariana entered Primary Three, she was no longer the small shy girl who used to hide at the back of the class. She had started to find her voice.
In the first week, the teacher asked the children to introduce themselves. When it was Ariana's turn, she stood up slowly, her heart beating fast.
"My name is Ariana," she said. "I like reading stories."
The class laughed softly, but not in a bad way. They were surprised she spoke so clearly. Ariana sat down with a small smile on her face.
This year, the work was harder. They started writing longer notes, solving bigger sums, and even learning about history. Sometimes Ariana would get confused and her head would ache, but she refused to give up.
Every night, after dinner, she would sit at the small table in Adrian's sitting room. He would place a lamp beside her books and say, "Let us go through it together." When she made a mistake, he didn't shout. He explained slowly until she understood.
One day in the second term, something special happened. The teacher gave them a writing exercise: "Write about your best friend." Ariana wrote about Adrian. She wrote how he helped her, how he encouraged her, and how he made her feel safe like a father.
When the teacher read it, she called Ariana after class and said gently, "This is beautiful. You really love this man, don't you?"
Ariana nodded and whispered, "He is the only family I have now."
At the end of the term, her essay was placed on the school notice board as one of the best in the class. Children stopped to read it, and Ariana felt shy but happy.
By the third term, Ariana's confidence had grown. She started raising her hand more in class, answering questions boldly. Sometimes she even helped her seatmate understand difficult sums.
When she brought her report card home, Adrian smiled wide. "Number four in the whole class!" he shouted, almost dancing. He hugged her tight. "Ariana, you are making me proud every day."
That night, Ariana wrote in her small notebook: "Primary Three is the year I learned I am not small anymore."
When Ariana entered Primary Four, she felt more sure of herself. She no longer walked into class with her head down. She greeted her teacher with a small smile, and she sat beside Clara, her closest friend.
The work was harder again. They started learning bigger English words, new science topics, and longer maths problems. At first, Ariana's head would ache after class. Sometimes she wanted to cry because the numbers on the board looked like they were dancing.
But every evening when she came home, Adrian sat with her. He never shouted at her when she made mistakes. He would just say, "Take it small, Ariana. We will do it together."
One night, she almost gave up on a maths problem. Tears dropped on her paper.
"I cannot do it," she said.
Adrian touched her hand softly. "You can. Just breathe and try again."
She wiped her eyes and tried again, and this time she got it right. The joy on her face made Adrian smile.
In Primary Four, Ariana also joined cultural dance for the first time. At first, she was shy to stand in front of the class, but Clara held her hand and said, "Don't worry, we will dance together." On the day of presentation, Ariana danced with the group. She moved her legs in rhythm, and when she looked up, she saw Adrian in the crowd clapping for her. Her heart was full that day.
Another special moment came during second term. The teacher gave them a class test in English, and Ariana scored the highest mark. When the teacher announced it, some children turned to look at her with surprise. A girl who once used to sit quietly at the back was now one of the best.
At the end of the year, Ariana's report card showed she was third in the class. Adrian hugged her tight and said, "You are going higher. Step by step. One day, the world will know your name."
That night, Ariana lay on her bed, holding the card close to her chest. She whispered, "Thank You, God. I will not disappoint Adrian."
When Ariana entered Primary Five, she was a little afraid. People used to say, "Primary Five is very hard. The teacher is very strong." But Ariana told herself, "I will try. I will not be afraid."
On the first day, teacher wrote one long story on the board. Many children complained, "Ah! Too long!" But Ariana just bent her head and copied everything. Later in the evening, she read the story to Adrian.
Adrian smiled and said, "Good. But don't just read fast. Read slowly, make it sweet." Ariana read again, this time with small action in her voice. Adrian clapped for her.
In that same class, the teacher picked Ariana to join the debate. Ariana was shaking small when she stood in front of the school. Her heart was beating. But she remembered what Adrian always told her: "Don't be afraid. Just talk so people will understand you."
She started talking slowly. Her voice was clear. When she finished, everybody clapped. Ariana felt happy inside her heart.
That evening, she told Adrian. He carried her up and said, "I told you! You are strong, my Ariana."
Her best friend Clara was still close to her. They always shared food and books. One day Clara said, "I wish my papa cared for me like Uncle Adrian cares for you. You are lucky." That night before sleeping, Ariana prayed, "God, thank You for giving me Adrian. Please keep him alive for me."
At the end of the year, Ariana took first position for the first time in her life. Adrian bought her new black shoes and a small silver wristwatch.
He said, "This one is for my brilliant girl."