HER ADVERSITY: Chapter 1 – 10
By Obianke Prosper
Chapter Three
GRACE POV
By the time we got to the school,it was already 8pm and a man could be seen closing the gate not with his hands but with a remote.
Dad had pleaded with the man who was the gatekeeper to open the gate widely for our car to pass through and he did that after dad’s pleadings.
After dad parked the car at the school parking lot filled with lots of cars,we all stepped out.
“Your school ID cards?”.A man on black had requested and I and Dave showed him our school (Springs Academy) ID card and he allowed us walk into the school.
Searching for the principal’s office didn’t take too long as we expected cause dad asked a woman who I guess to be a teacher for the direction and she directed us there without wasting much time.
It was an office and on the door some words were written boldly in gold letters, the letters were ‘THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE’.
Dad knocked on the door and when he heard the words ‘come in’ we all walked in.
We saw a bald headed man who must be in his late thirties typing on his laptop,he wore a suit and a eyeglass which looked medicated.
“Please take a seat”.The bald headed man sitting on a arm chair removed his glance on his computer system before resting it on us.
His voice sounds authoritative.
“Good morning Sir, am Mr Uchenna and these are my kids, David and Grace.I want them to be admitted into this school and if you don’t mind,you might want to check into their grade in their former school”.Dad said after we all sat on some seats.
“Oh! There would be no need for that. If you want them to be admitted into this school then you have to do few necessary things. Firstly, you will have to sign some documents and your kids will also sign some too”.The principal said and pass some papers to dad,Dave and I.
An empty gap was in the document passed to me for my name,age,gender,class,phone number,signature and home address.
I filled the gaps with the correct answers before handing to back to the principal who took it with a smile.The other gave theirs to him and he took them all in smiles.
“Um. Mr Uch..”.He couldn’t pronounce dad’s name.
“Uchenna”.Dad helped him out and he nodded.
“The school fee for every student both the activities they will be grouped into is a total of $5000 dollars. Hope you will be able to pay immediately cause that is the rule, once a student is admitted into this school the fees of that student must be paid that same day”.He said, staring closely at dad maybe to see if dad would say he doesn’t have the money.
“That isn’t a problem”.Dad said and I almost gasped.
$5000 dollars converted in Nigeria currency is 2062500.00 naira and just imagine,plus Dave’s fees too. Well dad is one rich man.He owns a company here in the US and two in Nigeria,he is a popular businessman in Nigeria.
“Oh! And we don’t pay in cash,we transfer”.The principal added and dad smirked, bringing out his iPhone from his briefcase.
“What’s your account details?”.Dad asked and after the principal was done telling him everything he needed to know,the principal’s phone beeped.
It was a message or should I say an alert.
“Welcome to Springs Academy, David and Grace”.The principal beamed.
“Thanks sir”.I and Dave said almost simultaneously.
The principal brought out two backpack from one of shelves close by, he handed one to me and the other to David. It was already stored with books and every other things we needed.
“You will need this”.He said.
“Thank you sir”.I and Dave said again.
“Mary!”.He called and a girl dashed inside.
“Yes sir”.She responded.
“Take the girl to grade ten and the guy is grade eleven,okay?”.He instructed and the Mary girl who looked so skinny nodded.
Dave followed Mary out of the office,I was about doing same but dad stopped me.
“Grace!”.Dad called and I turned back to look at him. “Someone will come pick you guys up from school,his name is Lucas.He will come with my white Benz, understood?”.
“Yes dad. Understood”.I said with a small smile before walking out of the office to meet Mary and Dave.
“Sorry for keeping you guys waiting”.I apologized but the Mary girl frowned.
“Have always known blacks for that!”.She retorted angrily,putting so much effort on the word ‘blacks’.
“Hey! Don’t talk to my sister that way”.Dave retorted back angrily.
“Am so sorry”.Mary apologized looking so intimidated by Dave.
Of course who wouldn’t get intimidated. Dave is a handsome guy with beautiful chocolate skin,pale pink lips,lustrous hair and this charming smile.
What’s intimidating about him is his deep manly voice,broad chest,broad shoulders and his height which is hardly found in an eighteen years old boy.
“It’s okay Dave, she is just angry”.I knew that wasn’t the complete reason for her action but I said it anyway just to calm him down.
And finally he sighed with an eye roll.
“Fine! Let’s get going”.He said and the Mary girl lead the way.
HER ADVERSITY: Chapter 1 – 10
The Mary girl had directed me to my class first and as soon as we reached my classroom door,I realized that the classroom was quiet only a masculine voice could be heard in the class.I guess a teacher must be in,teaching already.
“Bye Dave”.I said to Dave who winked at me.
“And bye Mary”.I said to Mary but she scoffed and walked away while Dave followed after her.
I sighed nervously and walked into the class after hesitating but immediately I got into the class,all eyes were on me,not all eyes though.Their was this guy whose head was under his desk but I couldn’t see his face.
The teacher who was teaching became aware of my presence and turned to me,obviously surprised to see me.
“Good morning Sir,am a new student”.I said lowly with my eyes glued to the floor.
I could have said ‘hi’, ‘hello’ or ‘hey’ as most Americans does but I consider that as a rude way of greeting.
“Um…hi. What’s your name?”.The teacher who seems to be in his forties said. Gosh! I wonder what he is thinking..
“Am Grace….Grace Uchenna”.I bit my lips as a way of suppressing the nervousness building up in me.
“Oh Grace,welcome to Springs Academy. Your surname sounds African,I guess you must be an African”.
“Yes sir. Am partially African,my dad comes from Nigeria and my mum comes from America”.I said and he smiled a little.
“Nice! Kindly go sit with somebody, there isn’t any empty seat in class”.He said and I nodded staring back at the students nervously.
“Please can I sit with you? Please”.I begged some student to sit with them but none of them agreed and they were all sitting alone on their seats. What wickedness!
I scoffed and approached a girl who was jotting something on her notebook while her eyes were fixed on the laptop on her seat.
She was pretty. She got a long blonde hair, pink lips and a beautiful slender body.
“Hi,can I sit with you please? Only for today?”.I asked hopefully as I stared at the pretty girl.
She turned to me,her lips forming a very beautiful smile.”Yep sure”.
I felt my heart flutter as she poured out those words.
“Thanks”.I mouthed as I went to join her in the seat enough for two.
I dropped my backpack on my thighs not knocking what next to do.Maybe I should just introduce myself, isn’t that a good way to start a conversation with a stranger?
“Uh..am Grace”.I said but she didn’t answer me,she was so engrossed in her notebook and her laptop.
I shrugged and brought out a notebook from my backpack and getting bored, I began jotting down whatever the teacher was teaching but soon enough,I heard a sound.
She turned to me with a smile. “Am Jeanann”.
HER ADVERSITY: Chapter 1 – 10
After few hours of different teachers coming in and going out of the class,the school bell finally rang.I guessed it signifies lunch break.
I smiled and packed my books which I brought out when the teachers were teaching into my backpack and after I was done,I wipe out the tiny beads of sweat which was forming on my forehead as my gaze dropped on Jeanann.
She was sitting on her desk gulping water from a can filled with refreshed water.
“Jeanann,please can you direct me to the cafeteria? Am hungry”.I said to the girl but a frown appeared on her face after she finished with the caned water.
“Please Grace, call me Jean or Ann. Jeanann sounds annoying”.She said with disgust and I nodded.
“Am sorry. So Jean, can you direct me to the cafeteria now?”.I asked almost feeling the urge to roll my eyes.How can someone hate her own name?
“Sure. That wouldn’t be a problem,I was about going there. My friends must be waiting for me”.She smiled and stood on her feet.
Friends?
I wanted to ask her but I wasn’t given a chance to cause she began walking away while I followed after her.
After passing some buildings, we got to a building with some food images decorated on the top.
Below it were words written in bold star shaped letters, ‘Springs Cafeteria’.
We walked in and I followed after her wondering where she was heading to. There were lots of tables and lots of student occupying them so I kinda thought which table Jeanann was heading to.
And finally she stopped at a table with three girl sitting on three different chairs around a table,their was only an empty seat left,kept for Jeanann I guess.
“Hey guys,meet my seatmate, Grace”.Jeanann chirped and they all turn their glances to me.They were glaring at me and at that moment I realized one thing.
They didn’t like me!
HER ADVERSITY: Chapter 1 – 10
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