C3 Three

(Family loading bags into the family bus, everyone is busy remembering and gathering all that has been bought)

“Hope the provisions for Shola are all already in the bags packed?”. Mr. Moss asked.

“Yes, they should be “. Replied Gift (Mr. Moss' first daughter).

“So, who and who is joining us on the trip?” Mr. Moss asked, cutting his eye on Gift.

“We don’t need many people since it's Saturday, let the last three kids do the chores”. Mrs. Josephine cuts in.

“Uhmm, Dad!!“. Gift shouted, Moving towards the Father.

“At least let me witness what a seminary looks like please”. She pleaded.

“Beloved, please we don't need her, she should organize the house since we won't have many hours there”. Mrs. Josephine angrily sounded.

“Ok, that’s good”. Replied the husband.

“Gift my love, please understand what Mom is saying, we will be back as soon as possible”. Mr. Moss said to her, brought out some cash, and handed it over to her to get some drinks and snacks for the siblings.

******

(Having been on the road for close to an hour)

“Daniel, we will get there in an hour; it's just a 2 hours journey”. Mr. Moss uttered hoping that Daniel understands.

Already Daniel has made up his mind never to be distracted from his target of being conversant with the road at least 60% so that if he doesn’t like the school, he can run back home. Thanks to God he muttered within him that the road is more of a straight road with not many sharp bends.

“I am not ready to suffer much if it doesn’t favor me, if I get any mistreatment, if I see things that frighten me, I will run home and that’s the end”. Daniel whispered to his Spirit.

“Danny boy, you know I will miss you, especially as your 16th birthday is next month”. Mrs. Josephine said, looking at Danny eye to eye.

Daniel smiles.

“You people have concluded your plans and it is working out to your satisfaction”. Daniel replies, smiling more.

Mrs.. Josephine laughs out loud. “Not as you think Danny, it is expedient we train you well”. She replies.

(Finally entered the school main gate, meanwhile, that’s the first gate)

Daniel's eyes widened as he noticed that the school has three compounds, the first gate being the church compound.

“Who knows if the second is the school?“. He asked himself as they approached the second gate.

As they entered the second gate, his heart increased in beating as the second compound instead of his expectation was the teacher's quarter comprising the principal’s building plus that of the vice beside it, then the chaplain and a two-story building for the other teachers. Each building has an inscription of the occupants at the front.

Finally, they entered the main school compound. Since it was a Saturday, Daniel had already guessed it would be a sight of scattered environments. Indeed, it was as he guessed, boys were scattered all over the compound, some playing ball, some jumping, some washing, some just moving around. It was a good sight to behold.

For the first time since he entered the bus, he had a relief inside of him.

As they were off-loading his properties, a hand tapped him from behind.

“Hope you are aware you are required to take an entrance exam to test if you match with the level of student they accept in the school”. Shola muttered, smiling.

“That one is never a problem, let me show your school that I have arrived”. He replied and laughed loudly.

****

The exam was not as easy as he taught, especially the chemistry but he did very well. He scored 75 out of 100. The principal of course had informed the dad that he (Daniel) is a sensational prospect.

Daniel spent much time discussing with the elder brother Shola as the parents were still clearing the prospectus requirements. The whole uniforms had been approved by the bursar and patron, just the payments and submission of the toiletries and the agricultural tools. Daniel also spent some little time with his prospective classmates, of course, he is not the only new student in ss1 as there had been some who joined last week from other different schools.

However, when he wanted to follow them around the school, he heard a call of his name by his father.

“Tell your friends to join Shola your brother to carry these properties to hostel C2”. His father told him.

As they were still discussing, Shola, whom the students had already told Daniel of his being jovial but wicked, had already used his veto power to gather boys and within a few minutes, all were taken to the hostel. The parents were marveled too as they beheld their son demonstrate power and authority.

“I hope Daniel doesn’t turn and follow us home having seen how these guys just obeyed Shola´s command notwithstanding that they are older than him?” Mrs. Josephine talked to the husband.

“I will then slap the hell out of him back at the school, didn’t he see his mates?” Mr. Moss replied.

Within a few seconds Mr. Moss finished those words, Daniel ran back to the bus with a black look.

“Danny, hope you are, okay?” Mrs. Josephine asked.

“Yes, mom”. He replies. Just want to say bye.

“Danny, grasp a nettle, have a blast, and win; Don’t take these words with a grain of salt; be dedicated and fear not”. Mr. Moss told him, holding his head and praying for him.

****

Not long Daniel arranged his cupboard, had the bell rang he asked what it meant, and he was told it was for siesta (a nap in a long afternoon). He was told that daily they observe the siesta. He was not bothered by the senior students who didn’t hold back their cane when they saw other students not sleeping. For every sound of a cane, Daniel shook and shivered while arranging his six-spring bunk and putting his clothes in the wardrobe.

He kept wondering if he would be able to survive such a military life called a seminary.

Another rattling of the bell was heard and immediately the boys jumped out of bed with some not wearing their clothes fully, while some didn’t even bother wearing but all were rushing and running out of the hostel down to class. Daniel also noticed that once they crossed the only gate to the three-story hostel, they reduced the speed and hastiness. Amidst all these running, none disturbed him, Daniel himself was also surprised none have disturbed him. Though surprised, he also knew that the seniors may have seen him loading his luggage to the hostel or they have already known that he came new probably because they have not seen him before. He took his time and finished up.

When Daniel was heading to class after he had enquired that the bell was for afternoon study and that it's still a daily event that immediately takes place after siesta. Most senior students saw him but didn’t still mutter words to him. The few that talked to him greeted him by shaking him and calling him Shola.

Daniel and Shola are of the same height, same voice, and very much look like twins but Shola is a year and a half older than Daniel. When he entered his class, some were quiet and afraid thinking it was Shola that entered but few that had seen him before then muttered silently to him, welcome bro.

******

(After the afternoon studying, Daniel walks back to the hostel alone)

“‘Shola, will you play today?” A voice asked from behind.

“Am Daniel not Shola”. Daniel replied fearfully.

“Mad man, okay Daniel, you know it’s today that we are playing the inter-club final?”. The voice asked again thinking it was Shola that was playing a prank about his name.

“Am not Shola, turning towards the guy, to allow him to see with his eyes”.

“Hey!!! Come here!!”. The guy called to him laughing.

He grabbed Daniel's hands and went upstairs to where some ss3 students were and showed them Shola's brother. All were amazed and had to call Shola out of his room.

“You guys should allow that boy to rest, he just joined today, or do you want to blend him already?” Shola uttered from his room while approaching them.

“Woto Woto, and so we go do am” a tall, huge boy replies.

He goes by the name Sanjo. He is a rugged cultist, always dressing decently with ties and shoes but deep within his bags are weapons for war. Sanjo has been from his ss1 that he joined the school, a thorn in the flesh of teachers. He is handsome and doesn’t look like what he does.

“NO!! NO!! He doesn’t deserve early blending”. Said a voice from a window that closes by.

“We will only welcome him to our school immediately”. The voice continued.

“Please just water and normal orientation, don’t be violent about it”. Shola pleaded before he went out to join the match.

As the other guys were still discussing with Daniel, Daniel didn’t know they had already planned with eye contact. It didn’t take seconds when water from different corners was unleashed on him. Then salt and some milk and beverages including ground sugar were also released on him and all he could hear was welcome to seminary!!!

As he tried to open his eyes to see a bit of light, he noticed that many junior students had gathered and were happy seeing the scene. All were shouting, “Welcome to seminary!!!. He was also given cubes of sugar with a packet of biscuits as a welcome gift.

It has been a custom in the seminary to welcome students in different ways. Although the cultists have maximized it for their benefits. They have used it as a period to catch the attention of students through eye-catching events and joyful choruses that entice students. Through this means, many students who end up falling in love with the gyrating and dancing steps and beating of the sounds end up joining the cultists.

*****

Daniel on this first day enjoyed it more than he expected. He had always thought before that seminary would be boring. Meeting new friends and how they welcomed him was much better than he was welcomed in one of the churches he went to at home and even better than how some churches welcome members, he said smiling while sitting alone under one of the trees.

During the evening period after games, all students washed up and picked up their cutleries to the refectory for meals. I

At the place of a meal, Daniel couldn’t eat because he had not yet recovered from the shock of half yam with few beans that can be separated and counted. A mere look at the food nearly made him throw up.

“God forbid evil, what can we call this? Are you guys’ birds?” Daniel asked, still couldn't believe that such a meal could exist. He went too far to even call the meal a detestable one, not hiding his feelings too for the students who were enjoying the meal.

All the boys laughed out loud and rushed for his food. One of them even told him that “time cometh when he will beg to eat the same food, but none will give him”.

“Never!!” Daniel shouted and walked back to his hostel. The scene of the meal restored the fears and thoughts of survival, he would prefer not to eat a week after that disgusting meal.

(While opening his biscuits and one of the milk to eat, he muttered in anger to himself)

“Hmmm, I cannot do this kind thing, that food can cause worms to rise from their hidden joints; hope it won’t continue?”. He asked himself.

After about two minutes, he concluded that he would pack and go if he witnessed such a disgraceful meal. He tried calculating all the money paid and tried comparing the meal but nothing was able to balance in his head.

After eating, he had prepared for night class when one student added salt to his injury.