C1 Chapter 1

If I were asked to introduce myself I would say that I am a young and brave

young and brave 16 year old high school student, beautiful or rather gorgeous. I am a model of corpulence, black of complexion answering to the name of wonder Smith Ekanga.

I live in Nkongsamba a small town located in the coastal region of Cameroon with my parents and my little sister; I am in the final year of high school, I have an older brother named Wilfried who will get his bachelor's degree in biochemistry this year and a little sister named Glinda who will get her BEPC this year if everything goes well.

I am the middle ground hahaha. My parents do their best since our childhood so that we children do not miss anything but it is not enough!

As for studying, they have always encouraged us. I'm not the best in my school but I'm among the best. My father is a farmer and a carpenter. My mother is a housewife.

So since I started high school I began to think differently and especially to look at others differently. I began to envy the material goods of others and to resent my parents' fate and to question God.

I kept asking myself why me? Why am I in this country and in this city? Why did I fall into this family? Not that I don't like it, but out of humility I have to admit that we are in a mess, we hardly eat two meals a day. To go to school we don't have the right to any pocket money, which is already not enough, which is why I am so thin

we don't have the right to nice clothes, bags or shoes. I'm still glad that a uniform is imposed on us because if not I would be the laughing stock of everyone with my style of dress.

I always dreamed to be famous, to have a lot of money to buy me shoes clothes jewels in short to be able to support my whims but alas...

People around me don't really notice that I'm "bad in my skin" but it's not all the time.

Today is the first day of school and I'm not excited at all. I'm neither hot nor cold. God has given me a relatively "immense" intellectual capacity, but I'm not excited about high school. I'm in an establishment of rich kids, sons of the mayor, sons of the governor, sons of civil servants for the most part, and so the harassment is there for the intruders who find it. That's why I don't have many friends and even those who do don't know that I am extremely poor. On a daily basis I have watched my fellow classmates being harassed, humiliated and mocked. There's no reason why it should backfire on me too.

You must be wondering how I got into such a school if I'm always worried about my status. Well, it's because of a scholarship. When you're smart, you get privileges...

So I brush my teeth, shower, apply my cleansing milk (megnianga palm oil) and put on my uniform. I look in the mirror and smile. Woww I look like something I come down from my room and head to the living room

- Good morning daddy how did you sleep?

-Good morning Very well my daughter and you?

-I slept well daddy. And where is mom?

-She is sleeping!

-Ah ok

-And Glinda your sister is also sleeping

-I'm going to wake her up daddy I'm coming

Ah this kid the long sleep is for rich people when you are poor and well you get up early even if it is to count the morning stars

- go go op pop pop stand up miss I say while applauding

-ahhh let me sleep

-I'm warning you if you don't get up I'll pour cold water on you

-hummm

-well, it's as you wish I'm going to the kitchen and get a bottle of water I'm going to count to 3 1,2,3

- ahhhhhh she screams don't tell me you dared

- yes ma'am get up now I say laughing come on let's go do a morning prayer with daddy

During the morning prayer

Dad: Almighty God creator of heaven and earth and father of our lord Jesus Christ thank you for the breath of life that you give us and for the beautiful children that you gave me I pray that you accompany them throughout this school year so that they become future leaders of this country it is in the name of the father of the son and the holy spirit that we prayed Amen

-Amen

-Amen

- Good day my children, may the powerful Blood of Jesus protect you. I go to the plantation

-Thank you daddy, good day to you too, I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. And you, Glinda, better get ready for school soon or you'll be late.

-Yes mom

-hahaha yeah that's right

My little sister and I don't go to the same school which is why I stepped forward.

20minutes later I'm in front of the prestigious Alfred saker high school. Nobody is there yet, I'm the first one there and I like it, I don't like to attract attention especially in this environment. I greet the doorman, walk to a bench at the entrance of my building and take a seat. 20 minutes later the students start to arrive accompanied by big cars. I observe the brands of shoes, the brands of bracelets, the buckles, the styles of bags, the perfumes and as usual my eyes come out of their sockets. The insolent luxury of my classmates fascinates me and fusters me.

-Hello wonderful one, I missed you too much you know? Says Marcelle while approaching me the smile in the lips

- Hello Marcelle, I missed you a lot too

She is my best friend

- so you come, we go?

-yes let's go