NIGERIA: Diaries Of a Boarding School Babe [GOODBYE] by Linaabelle [P4]

Image Credit: www.jewishjournal.com

I cannot believe that my dad is here. Wow! Talk about a surprise of a life time. To say I am shocked is an understatement of the century. I suppose this is the point where I jump up and down like a crazy person and give him a big hug. But I am too much in a shock to even utter a word. "What's the matter? Don't you remember your dad?" Asks my uncle. I think to myself, "of course I remember him, I just did not expect to walk out of class and see him standing there."  

We all bundle back into the vice principal's office. My dad tells the vice principal that he came to see my sister and I. He will be returning soon to take us with him. We will be leaving the school and will not be returning. He wanted us to have the opportunity now to gather our things together and say goodbye to our friends. Wait! What does he mean by we will not be returning? I'm going to leave all my friends? Why?

As we step outside, a bunch of teachers have gathered outside to greet my father and my uncle. I notice he is handing money out to some of them, especially those who claim that they have been taking care of either my sister or I. Then I notice the head house mistress claiming that she too has been taking care of me. In what world? If by taking care of me, she means punishing me for no reason and trying to get me in trouble, then she certainly has been taking care of me. 

Ideally, I would have vehemently disagreed with her and forbid my father from giving a dime to that woman, but I am still in a ball of sadness about having to leave my friends; so I  keep quiet and let her continue to make her outrageous claims. After what seemed like forever, the hoopla died down and my father and uncle left.

****

In the few weeks following my father's visit to the school, everything has changed. This crazy woman now calls for me to ask how I am doing. I have not received a single punishment. In fact, no teacher has been mean or demanding to me. I have even had a couple say, don't forget to tell your dad that I have been taking care of you. 

Wow! If I knew their kindness and souls could be so easily bought, I would have had the man come back a long time ago. But I have been in a zombie state of mind, thinking about what it would be like not seeing everyone anymore. My friends on the other hand have made sure I have tons of their pictures at hand along with other "forget me not" items. 

All pictures of me have been taken by them as well. It is now at the point where I have to cut myself out of group pictures so that I can give them out to people. I have even gotten an address book so that people can give me their email addresses and other means of reaching them. This is just so unreal.

The day arrived. I said goodbye to everyone. I have thoroughly cried my eyes out. I cried while saying goodbye to the bf (yep, he still exists). I cried while saying goodbye to my school guardians, my school daughters, my best friends, and people who were generally good to me. 

I will not miss the bullies, the mobs who accuse you of "crimes" without giving you a fair hearing, the head house mistress, and the punishments. As we left the school campus, I looked back at the place I have spent the past 4+ years of my life and I could not believe that I will not be back here again.

Finally, the D-day arrived. We are in the plane, waiting to take off. I am holding back tears. I cannot afford to let anyone see me cry. This is supposed to be a good day. A happy day. We are finally going to all live together and go to a better school and have a better life. But why does it feel like I am leaving a part of me behind. 

In the last week, my three best friends - Mr. Last card, my best girl friend, and our other friend  came to the flat to say goodbye. To say that I was happy to see them is equally an understatement. We were packing up the flat and sending things home to the village. When it was time to say goodbye, I did not want to let go. I am scared. 

I am truly going to miss them all - my life, my friends, and of course, Mr. Last card. I never did give him that kiss. As the plane went down the run way and finally took off, I looked out of the window and said my last goodbye. Goodbye Nigeria - till we meet again!

EPILOGUE

I rolled over and he's staring at me. "What? Why are you staring at me?" I asked him. "Nothing, it's just I can't believe you are my wife," He responds. "My God, you are so freaking beautiful, you know that?" He asks. "I am?" I feigned ignorance. 

He playfully throws a pillow at me; which I artfully dodge. I cannot believe it has been 11 years since I said goodbye to my boarding school. A lot has happened. I went on to finish high school here; studied civil engineering in college and then continued on to law school. 

I am officially a lawyer now- not bad for an uprooted African boarding school babe right? But the most interesting things have been the events of the past recent couple of years.

And Mr. Last card? Well he and I kept in touch throughout the years (through emails, texts, Hi5, Myspace, Facebook, Skype, Google, and then Whatsapp). It was not always easy but we tried. But it was not until I visited him in Paris [after I left, he moved back to South Africa to live with his parents, attended university, and got a job which sent him to France to work] when I took a post-bar exam trip to tour Europe that things actually took off. 

When I returned from my trip, I could not deny the feelings anymore, I was in love with him. Hence, it was a pretty fast yes when a little over a year later he asked me to be his wife [apparently, he had asked my mom back when we were little if he could marry me and she said he could when he grew to be my height. So now that he is the same height as me, he thought it appropriate. Pretty low standard set by my mother there.].

So here we are - married and all. Who would have thought that the boy who I gave my last "success on your exams" card to would turn out to be my husband? Oh and he finally got that Kiss plus more. [The End]

My Mr. Last Card and I: The last day he came to say goodbye vs. Us as grown ups.

- VikariouzlyTME