THIS STIGMA: CHAPTER 1 – THE END
WRITTEN BY MOMOH GIFT
CHAPTER TWO
I couldn’t sleep well the night before my first day in school.
I woke up many times to check if it is dawn already but I really don’t know why the night just choose to crawl.
I was very restless.
Am I really going to be happy in school?
I really can’t wait to meet with new people and to feel that warmth of being in their midst because since I was born, everyone has despised me just like a plague.
Even my neighbors never allow their children to play with me at all. My mummy has been my one and only playmate.
Since mummy would have to go to the farm every morning just to get something for us to eat and the ones she would sell in order to buy other things needed in the house, I would remain inside the house for hours without coming outside because I was afraid that my neighbors would abuse me and call me all sort of names.
So you can imagine how excited I was to finally attend school where I would meet with other children of my age and possibly have new friends.
Oh! I really wanted to feel as a normal human being in their midst. But what would be the reactions of the children when they see that I have no arms and look very short?
Are they really going to like me at all? Would they want to be friends with me? These and many more questions were running through my mind.
THIS STIGMA: CHAPTER 1 – THE END
Finally, it was dawn and I quickly ran to mummy’s room with a beautiful smile on my face.
Mummy was surprised to see me fully awake and feeling very happy as well.
I quickly knelt down and greeted my mum but instead of responding to my greetings, she asked me if I really slept at all.
She never expected me to be awake all by myself this early as it was just some minutes past six.
I told my mum that I really can’t wait to attend school because due to my disability, for almost nine years I had been at home while most of my mates were almost through with primary school.
My joy knew no bounds as finally I would be a pupil as well.
Though due to my height, I still look like a five year old kid but I wasn’t disturbed at all.
All I wanted was to go to school.
I really can’t thank my mum enough for her care and love towards me.
Throughout my stay at home, mum made me believe that even if I don’t have hands to write that I can still use my toes to write.
She made me understand that everyone was never born with that ability to write with their hands from the womb rather they learnt how to use their hands to write.
So mine was never an exception. Since there was no money to enrol me in school before then, mummy took it upon herself to teach me how to write with my toes.
At first it was really very difficult but mummy never gave up.
She continued teaching me until I became very perfect holding a pencil or pen with my toes.
THIS STIGMA: CHAPTER 1 – THE END
After about forty-five minutes, mum and I were fully prepared.
Oh! I looked so pretty in my beautiful gown mummy bought for since am yet to be given my school uniform.
My long hair was combed and styled neatly.
Wow! My face was just beaming with smiles. We boareded a bus to the school and within thirty minutes drive, we were already at the gate of the school.
I could hear the voice of pupils singing loudly inside the school from the gate and I began to wonder if they do sing in school or read and write.
I couldn’t hide my thoughts anymore as I quickly asked my mum why the pupils were singing instead of reading or writing.
She smiled at me and told me that they just finished the morning assembly and are matching to their classes.
Well I never understood what mummy was actually saying but I decided not to ask further questions as she was busy answering some questions from the gateman.
We entered the school compound and headed straight to the headmaster’s office.
After about what looked like eternity, I was finally asked to go to my classroom while my mum was told to go back home.
A female teacher instructed me to follow her as she directs me to my classroom.
Oh! As I stepped into the classroom…
To be continued…
THIS STIGMA: CHAPTER 1 – THE END
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