NOSTALGIA

So school resumed earlier this week, and seeing students and pupils alike going to school in their neatly ironed school uniforms, I couldn’t help but reminisce; I was once there…

Watching them from afar, I could perceive the mixed feelings in them. Alot of them were happy about resuming school, especially the fact that they’d be resuming a new class, most especially those resuming PRY 6, (or its equivalent as apex primary school class) JSS1, SSS1 and SSS3; one could practically see how high their shoulders were, marching the roads to school with the confidence that comes with attaining these new heights.

Why some were happy about resuming school, others weren’t feeling Funky about the idea. Top on this list were those going to school for the very first time; creche, play class, daycare or whatever it’s called. My little nephew happens to fall into this category.

Photocredit: Google

Baba is a year and 6months, and he looked really smart and gorgeous on his pair of new school uniforms, lunchbox, water bottle and backpack, whose content I couldn’t help but wonder (…during my days, we resumed school with a black slate and a white sackbag… Oh! The good old days😂). He seemed cool with the whole idea until his mum bade him goodbye after dropping him off in class, and seeing his new seat partner was already in full-blown weeping mode; that was when it dawned on him that status had changed. Baba immediately called out for tears from his lacrimal glands which responded swiftly and in no time, he’d joined his mate, but he was also consoling himself alongside, with the contents of his lunchbox 😂 which were exhausted within the first 45mins of resumption. How he survived the rest of the day, only God knows.

On the other hand, parents also had their share of the mixed feelings as some were happy that school had finally resumed and children would have to leave the house every morning. But again for others, most especially those having more than one ward resuming school, the financial burden on them at the moment is quite enormous; from paying of school fees, to buying of books, to getting new school uniforms and sandals (our sandals back then were always a bit extra large, so they could serve for more than one session… It’s called NATIVE WISDOM…)

Seeing all of these, I couldn’t help but wonder; so I was once here (a pupil/student) and I’d someday be there (coughing out fees upon fees)… Las las ehn, this life na turn by turn. “Rice Wey De bottom of pot today, go De ontop for cooler tomorrow”. – Warri proverb