Terrors of the past – episode 1

TERROR OF THE PAST
(REAWAKEN LIFE)
WRITTEN BY CHIBUIKE SMART
EPISODE 1

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A young man stood with his both hands dipped into his side pockets as he surveyed his surroundings with his eyes. He walked over and paused, while he took a careless glance at the field which was occupied by few boys in the junior class playing a pass and shoot game, they were quite engrossed with their game as they played around with their feet splashing against the ever green grasses of the field. He smiled and continued his strolling. He walked for a while when he came to an adjacent building and saw some girls chattering away at a class room block, he gave a side glance at them and continued on his mission to get himself acquainted with the school environment.
Well that is Daniel Chibuike but do go with the name Smart for a Nickname and Chibuike for a first name. Today was his first day in MAC CAL’S college, which is a mixture of both boys and girls, which makes it a co-education school. He enrolled into the school at his SS1 due to some reasons strictly known to him.
He is a boy of seventeen years of age. He is 6 ft 4, slim and muscular, with an equally innocent and smooth face, an oval shaped face with a baby face to crown it, he exhumed an air of self confidence, coupled with his ever smiling face which had not yet been affected any adolescent developments. He continued his walk as he came across a large work of art, which the of a man carved on with the inscription of “IN MEMORY OF MAC CAL”.
The school came after the name of a white missionary, who did many meriteous work to help the establishment of the church in a landed crowded and lived on by idol worsh¡ppers and pagans.
He had many many converts to his credits through his ever zealous, gentle and meek approach. This action of his made many to embrace Christianity. In recognition of his work the church decided on naming a school after him for generational remembrance of his great work after his death.
MAC CARL’S College is one of the best school across the state, widely acknowledged for their high educational standards and zero tolerance to indiscipline, it is a school that has produced prestigious and well known old boys and girls to their credit. The school is equally highly stuffed with well equipped laboratories, computer rooms and neat surrounding, coupled with a conducive atmosphere for learning to hit the point home it is a boarding school, both for boys and girls.
That is the school Chibuike Daniel found himself in, through his other years from his JSS1 to JSS3 he had been a day student, but to concentrate more on his studies, he was sent to a dormitory.
.
Chibuike could remember the first day he came into the dormitory. He stood in thought as he remembered the activities that presided over his being in the school.
It had been around 9 o’clock in the morning when Smart marched into the school premises with the luggages that that housed his dormitory and school requirements, with his father’s porch car. They had gone through the rigorous protocols involved in the registration at the Registrars office. When they were through, two junior students were assigned to help Smart carry his luggage to his assigned hostel. The schools hostel was divided into four houses, namely, House A, House B, House C and House D, his hostel was House C.
When they were in the hostel, he saw a long range of bunks, made with polished wood. The hostel was very long as the bunks long range were neatly arranged, with an adjacent cubicle for the dormitory prefect. He located an empty corner and set his four spring mattress on it, which fit in perfectly into the empty bunk, according to the school prospectus, he started packing and unpacking his provisions and necessities into his cupboard and hung up his school uniforms and day wears into a semi-wardrobe at his own corner. When he was through, he saw his father off to the gate, his father gave him some piece of advice. He called him by his native name “Chibuike!!”.
“yes daddy.” He answered.
“you know that through our journey here, I have been advising you and filling you in on my experiences during our days in the dormitory, but that doesn’t deter me from giving one last advice to you. Remember all you have been through and caution yourself, make friends that would benefit and not those that would lead you into unwarranted mistakes, learn from your past and beware of who you call a friend.” He continued with his word of guidance. Till they reached the school gate. His father was not allowed to drive into the school premises, because school activities was already in full swing to avoid disturbing the tranquility that reigned paramount in the school premises.
His father turned and smiled at him as he made his way pass the school gate.
“Take care.”
SMART only waved back, as a sudden surge of loneliness crept in, he was a kind of home sick and felt dejected at the prospect of being here all alone without guidance or parental care, he had thought it out as he walked back to the hostel. He felt that going to class today was already a forgotten issue as he climbed up to his mattress to have a nap.

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Smart jolted out of his thought, when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder, he turned to see a young boy about his age, standing gracefully with a reassuring smile on his handsome face. He was almost the same height with Smart and equally muscular but the difference was that he was fair in complexion, while Smart was chocolate. He was wearing a medicated eye glass, with a gap tooth showing through his smiles.
Smart looked around to see that he was still sitting at the s₱0t he was beside the flower pot, that decorated the exterior parts of the school compound. He managed a confused smile, while the guy nodded assuring him.
“I’m David Brian, but everyone calls me Dave.” The young man introduced himself.
“Oh!! Dave, nice to know. I’m Daniel Chibuike, but my friends call me Smart.” Smart said.
“Smart that looks quite fitting to your features and standing. The name Smart is a nice description of you.” Dave flattered.
“I appreciate, you are quite funny.”
“Lol, that’s how we roll. I saw you lost in
thought and you seem new here so I felt like coming over to keep you company.”
“Oh!! Dave that is thoughtful of you. Just lost In thought.”
“You must be home sick then. That is how it normally is at the beginning, but with time you will adapt to the school system. This school is filled with so much fun, that your home would
be temporarily forgotten in the long run.” Dave explained
“Which class are you in?”
“I’m in SS1C, that is the class for commercial students.” He said.
“Wow!!, I’m in SS1, but in the B section.”
“Then that makes you a pure art student.” Dave said.
SMART only nodded and immediately Dave called his attention.
“Like I said, the school is filled with fun and here is one of it..” Dave pointing to some girls who were pointing at both Smart and Dave, speaking in low tunes which signified that they were talking about them.
“Just in less than six hours of being here in school, you are already drawing the attention of the girls, this would be a lovely and adventurous term for you” Dave said with a crook smile.
Smart equally smiled and looked at the direction the girls were and said nothing but spoke out in his heart and sin consciously.
“I may be all handsome but girls are not my things. If this new friend of mine had known.” He thought.
Dave looked at his watch and said it’s almost 6 o’clock, we have to be on our way to the hostel to get our cuttleries, it’s almost time for refectory.
Smart nodded, not minding that he was not hungry but to get himself acquainted
and not to reject the guys offer. He joined him in his haste to hostel. The bell for refectory was rung, as it echoed through the ears of the students, as they could be seen making haste to
go have their dinner.
in,side the refectory hall, there were chairs surrounding a varieties of tables, with food placed on them waiting for the owner to possess them.
The refectory hall was a long building mainly occupied by chairs and tables for eating, it stood out like a miniature restaurant, but less sophisticated, but neatly arranged. The students
trooped in, in their groups, they located their table and sat down to salvage their meals, the tables were sectioned according to gender, as ladies occupied tables and the boys ike that too.
Dave took Smart to a table and they sat down, there were already some boys already occupying their own section of the table and, Dave ushered him to an empty shirt and sat on another. Dave
looked at the other guys as they throwed him the “what’s cookking look?”
“Hey!! Guys this. This is Smart, he is new to the school and as you can see a green horn, he needs guidance and help to make him adapt to the school system.
SMART here are my friends they are quite funny, you would enjoy being around them.” He said pointing at the two guys who were just mute.
” HI, I’m Daniel Chibuike. I hope on having a nice and adventurous term and time with you guys.” He said extending his hands for a handshake. They all shook hands in turn and introduced themselves.
“I’m Jeffrey, but you can call me Jeff, for short. Amongst the three.” He said pointing and smiling Dave and the other guy.
“I’m known as the funny one.” A tall guy and huge looking guy,
said with a smile radiating across his cute and well fed face.
“HI, I’m Gabriel, Gab for short. Amongst the three I’m known as the gentle and all smiling one.” Gab said through smiles that illuminated his handsome look.
“Smart to clarify you on things, Dave is known as the ladies man, amongst the three, but I don’t think he will still maintain that title, when you are here. Bro you are damn cute.” Jeff said
with an evil grin and eyed Dave.
“You guys are not bad at all, a company of handsome and overly cute guys can get the wh0le girls, drooling over you guys. You have good eyes for good things.” He said referring to Dave.
“Not really, according to the rules of our
association, you stick to one girl, you can only flirt around when the girl is not serious.” Gab said.
“What do you mean, by association and keeping only to a girl. Please explain to me, I wanna know.” Smart said, as he was a kind of baffled and suspicious.
“Cool down bro, it’s not what you think. I will explain to you in the long run. We are not bad.” Dave said.
“Sure, what’s still keeping the students from eating?”
“Waiting for the reflectory prefect. The custom here is that, he would have to make sure that everything is in a good shape, before the eating would procee….” Jeff was cut short when the
noisy hall, turned quiet like a burial ground. “He is here.” he whispered.

The refectory prefect came in and led them in a popular song of:
Some have food, but cannot eat
Some can eat, but have no food
We have food and we can eat,
Glory be to thee oh!! Lord. *2
And they choruses it with an Amen.. A brief prayer was said and the students delved into their food, some ate with the ferocity of a lion, while some like Smart ate like a clumsy snail in motion.
After the dinner, the students trudged back to their hostels to have their evening bath and prepare for their night prep.
.
.
TBC