Terrors Of The Past – episode 2

TERROR OF THE PAST
(REAWAKEN LIFE)
WRITTEN BY CHIBUIKE SMART
EPISODE 2
***********
The next morning at the assembly ground. The
assembly was quite massive in size as it
contained over a thousand students in it yet
their population didn’t as much as look overly
huge. The students filed up according to their
classes and genders. They stood in neat files like
a regiments of soldiers in a match past. At the
front stood a podium colored green and white,
with two tiny poles, which stood er-ct as they
upheld the country’s national flag and school
flag in their own respect.
The students stood in an attention, with their
sparkling white and blue uniform, they sang out
the school anthem flawlessly and in rhyme with
the school band.
After they were through with the activities due
for the normal assembly routine,the principal
came up to the podium. He is by name Mr.
Paulinus Collins.
The principal stood all smiles as he faced the
students, his smiles were priceless. He is a man
who could be funny at times and at the same
time strict. He trained his eyes at the students
as they went through the different classes and
he smiled in satisfaction.
“Good morning students.” He spoke out in his
British accent.
“Good morning to you sir.” The students
chorused in unison.
“First and foremost, I will first of all apologize
for not being in school yesterday. I was out on
an important meeting meeting., hope you all
understand.” He said more out of protocol. “This
is the second week of the new term and it’s
normal that school activities swings up properly.
I will be advising you all to be serious with your
studies and avoid any nefarious act that might
implicate you. The schools inter house sports
competition would be holding this term so the
house masters, house mistress estate and house
captains take note.” He said and dropped the
address system that he was using and made his
way down.
The students were happy at the prospect of the
interhouse, as they could be seen chatting up
excitedly about the activities they are going to
take part in as they made their way to their
different classes.
Jeff and Smart were in the same class, while
Gab is a Science student and Dave a commercial
student.
The four of them talked as they made their way
to the SS1 class which was at the third stair.
“Guy today na your day no dull ooo!!” Jeff said.
“True talk, any girl wey cross your path, show
am say you no be jew guy ooo!!”
Smart and Dave only smiled as they walked
forward with their hands placed in,side their
pockets as they strolled clumsily, as if they have
the wh0le world to themselves.
Smart was only thinking of the impression, that
he was going to make today in class. Jeff had
told him earlier that as expected of a new
student in their class, he would have to explain
himself to the class. The worst thing he hated
was being the center of attraction, but he knew
he couldn’t evade it this time. He had taken his
time to rehearse his speech, but still found
himself quivering like the staff of an old woman
in a walking stance. They approached their class
as Dave and Gab shook hands with the duo and
headed for their classes. His heart raced as they
made for their class which was at the extreme.
Jeff noticed his uneasiness and smiled, placing
his hands on his shoulder.
‘Free yourself bro.”
“Sure I will.” He said smiling stupidly, equally
cleaning the sweat on his forehead, with a
handkerchief he found in his pocket.
They entered the class and both made their way
towards the seat that Jeff do normally occupy
but a new student was already occupying the
space meant for Smart. He turned to Smart and
looked at him.
Understanding the situation Smart told him not
to worry that there was a space over there. It
was a space between two girls.
“Shit!!.” Smart muttered under his breath as he
understood the full implication of his decision,
having to share a seat between two girls for the
rest of the term, but he could not do a thing as
that was the only available space in class.
The class was quite an expansive one, with the
walls painted blue and every facility necessary
for learning in it.
Smart braced up and moved towards the girls,
on his way he felt a pair of eye fixed at him
from the side, as if by instinct he looked
backwards only to see one of those girls, who
were looking at him the other day when he was
discussing with Dave, starring at him from her
seat, he quickly averted his eyes and made to
continue walking to his destination, when he
made the worst mistake that spoilt his first day
in class.
He was holding unto his bag, which was slung
over his back, he held unto the bag for support
as there were too many books in the bag, his
left hand was unconstrained as it swung
leisurely without control, while he walked. He
mistakenly hit over a pack of blue ink which was
at the desk of a young girl, who was busy trying
to fill up her pen with the ink, the ink knocked
over and sprayed all over her dress. Smart
turned immediately to apologize, when his
apology was pinned back to his lip, a resounding
slap which radiated across the class like a
thunder clap closed up his l-ips.
The wh0le class were drawn by the noise as it
was like a volcanic uproar, the wh0le class went
into pandemonium.
“Are you mad? Are you blind not to see where
you are going?? Don’t you see my dress?” The
girl shrieked off in anger, her fair skin turned all
red.
The wh0le class went quiet, as they expected to
see the reaction of Smart. Smart held unto his
right cheek which was desecrated by the young
girls palm.
She made to leave the class angrily and Smart
dragged her back, holding unto her arm. The
pull made her turn as she came in a face to
face contact with the girl. They stood face to
face.
.
*************
Smart dragged her back, holding unto her arm, the pull made her turn as she stood face to face staring at each other. He smiled and said.
“I’m sorry.” He spoke out, he left her arm and turned making his way to the seat he wanted to seat on.
The girl hissed and left the class angrily like a wild bull, charging against a pretty. The wh0le class went silent as the sound of a pin, if dropped could be detected, the class was in a daze at the reaction of the new guy, as the reaction, he displayed was the opposite of what they expected. Smart walked towards the seat occupied by the two girls, they made way for him as as they eyed him cautiously to avoid being the scapegoat. He didn’t look at anyone as he delved into unpacking the books in his bag into the locker fixed to the desk.
     Jeff walked to Smart while, he was still unpacking, one of the girl left the seat and Jeff sat down. He Crossed his hands over Smarts shoulder.
“Hope you are not angry bro?”
“It’s nothing.” Smart said still unpacking his books.
“Don’t mind the battle axe of a lady, she is always rude. Sorry your first encounter in the class was her.” Smart smiled and said.
“It’s no problem, the deed has already been done.”
“Let me help you, hope you don’t mind?”
“Sure I will appreciate.”
          They had jointly arranged his locker, his books stood in a neat and well sorted out form.
Smart placed his head on the desk as the event of the earlier squabble that occurred in the class surged into his mind like an electric current.
What gave her the morale to slap him? How dare she slap him? This thought perched unto his consciousness like a pest that won’t let go. Had it been the former him, if she had known who he was, would she have even have the effontery to look into his face not to talk of slapping him across the face. His anger rose as the event of the played like a movie in his mind. Jeff had long gone to his seat, when they were through with the sorting, seeing that Smart was not in the mood for a chit chat.
He was still lost in thought, when a loud thud on the desk by the class prefect, which signified the emergence of a teacher interrupted his thought. He got up to join the others in chorusing a greeting. The teacher waved them down and they sat down.
The teacher was a male, their Government teacher and equally their Form teacher. He is Mr. Ezeh Linus.
“Goodmorning class.” He said smiling.
“Good morning sir.” The class echoed.
“Today is the introduction of the new students for the week, so if you know you are new please can you do the class a favor of stepping out here and introducing yourself to us?”
Five students came out, Smart included. He was still wearing an angry look.
He took a side glance at the young girl and saw that she had replaced the wear to a new one. Her face was bent to her desk as her maximum attention was fixed to a voluminous novel placed on her desk. He looked away, when he felt she was a kind of raising her head up. He looked at the back as of coincidentally his eyes collided with the same girl that made him knock over the ink. She quickly averted her eyes and with a furtive attempt raised up her locker as if looking for something.
“What is just wrong with this class? Having an aggressive witch and a moron who can’t just mind her business and stop starring.” He said.
The introduction had been on and before you can say Jack Robinson it was over and they went back to their seats.
The teacher delved into the lesson proper.
” Who can please tell me what we discussed on last time we met?”
The class went quiet for a while, until a hand could be see raised mid air. It was the girl who slapped him earlier.
“Yes!! Sandra can you help the class?”
“Ohhh!! So that’s her name?” Smart muttered rhetorically.
“Sir we stopped at the features of A Sovereign State.”
“Yea, correct, have your seat please.”
The teaching had continued, until the teachers period was over, he gave them an assignment and left the class.
During break period, Smart and Jeff joined up with Dave and Gabriel, they headed towards the canteen, on their way they taunted him, with the incident that occurred in class.
.
.
 TBC

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