So, its 0510hrs.
I am from watching a sad drama. Today’s post is definitely sticking to that theme. This is the prototype of a really bad day for a junior at the great school. For reference, a junior is a student in their first or second year of high school while a senior is a student in their third year or final year of high school. This is staged in Rebecca Karanja house/hostel which I am more familiar with. The day is Wednesday, more specifically, the Wednesday where there’s smokies (smoked sausages) for breakfast.
Normal waking time, or the standard time is 5am. (We never had dawn preps. Hallelujah for that.) The house captain goes to both the junior wing and the senior wing telling people it is time to wake up. But you stayed up the previous night trying to get hot water for showering but did not manage to, from 10pm up to past 11:30pm. 10pm is when the evening prep for juniors end while seniors stay up to 11:30pm latest. You queued with your pail there for that long but since you couldn’t run fast, there were a lot of people who got there before you and booked slots for other people. Its never your turn. And because it is almost always drizzling randomly, you got rained on while waiting since you didn’t want to leave. As soon as there is only two people to your turn, the seniors arrived and of course out their pails directly under the running hot water. There goes your hopes of showering with hot water, down the drain. You therefore decide to hurry and take a cold shower before the showers are also occupied and inaccessible. After that, you were in a bad mood and ignored everyone and just slept knowing very well you didn’t finish exercise 14.1 on KLB Math and Math is the second class on the timetable.
So, this morning the ‘junior wing wake up’ from your house captain sounds like the sweetest lullaby and you burrow deeper into your blankets. Your petty room mate is holding a grudge from being ignored yesterday night so they only half-heartedly try to wake you up then stop the second you stir. Guess what else is making you extra sleepy? Congratulations. You caught a cold due to being rained on last night and adding a cold shower on top of it. As soon as it is 5:30am, the captain walks around pouring soap for the house cleaners. She meets you asleep and you wake up to a scolding with clogged nostrils and a very runny nose. You’re in a panic and run around like a headless chicken trying to get dressed. You stub your small toes on the dresser in the middle of the room and fight back tears. You have to stop every now and then to blow your nose and because you’re worried that your handkerchief will be soaked too soon, you start using pocket tissue, which is only making your nose more irritated.
You can not use the sinks inside or outside the house to wash your face or brush your teeth because its cleaning time. So, you use wet wipes on your face and decide to brush your teeth later before leaving for breakfast. You can’t seem to find a complete pair of socks so you wear tow mismatched ones, fold them and hope they look the same. Your tie is not tied because you removed it in a hurry yesterday and you, have never learnt to do it. Your petty room mate of course will not do it for you so you’re stuck. The bell for breakfast rings at 5:45am and you’re 15 minutes late to your work station. The captain comes looking and upon finding its you again they immediately brand you a trouble maker. There will be a house meeting later and the house mistress will definitely show up, so you’re assured of more trouble coming your way. You dejectedly walk to the under stairs to pick your cleaning materials, only to find them missing. While getting up in shock and anger you hit your head against the edge. Now on top of a raging flu you have a throbbing head.
In the allocation of duties, juniors get the worst. At least in my opinion. Its either toilets or the showers. Talking of toilets, we used to call them Georges. Apparently, there was once a cook named George. I don’t know what he did with the food but quite a number of people got running stomachs. Public health hazard. Long story short, he has the honor of having the school name toilets after him. I think that’s an honor many would be happy without but anyway. Washing public toilets is not fun. Dealing with poop isn’t exactly a good way to start a day. But it has to be done, either way. There is no way to get used to it either. Unless you’re a mother, or someone who changes bed pans. I’d have to ask first. I don’t really think there’s a common ground you find with dealing with it, regardless of time though. Mad respect to all cleaning staff.
Oh, my 6am alarm just went off.
So with missing cleaning materials and only your heavy duty rubber gloves that you hid elsewhere in a rare burst of wisdom, you go to the washrooms to find that there’s no water. Despite that, the flushing system tanks of your two assigned toilets are leaking, but remain unflushable. Everything looks so messy you want to cry again, but can’t. You have your rubber gloves on so you can’t even blow your nose so you just sniffle. You hear something like a stampede and realize the last batch of people is leaving for breakfast and the dining hall doors will soon be locked. You decide to go with them so you run back to the room to pick your unmade tie and change into school shoes. Maybe a kind stranger will be willing to tie it for you on the way. Back in the room, your petty room mate has your shoe brush and of course is nowhere to be found so you make do with wet wipes again. You pick your school bag with the untouched homework and go out, dreaming of hot coffee and sausages to soothe your battered heart.
You rush with the rest.
There’s no kind stranger. There’s no breakfast for you too with no tie too. But you hope. At the door, the dining hall captain slams the doors closed on your face. Unwilling to give up easily, you follow the group of seniors to the back door. They successfully enter and you let out a sigh of relief. As soon as you stretch your hand to pick the bread, a new loaf has just been opened so you aim for that so that you can get the crust. But immediately the captain notices that you’re not wearing a tie.
“Where is your tie?!”
She demands angrily and you can only raise your undone tie in a silent plea hoping she will let you serve first. You are so close. The dining hall is so warm. Everything smells so good. You say a silent prayer.
“Go back and wear your tie!!”
The verdict is passed and people in the nearby tables are looking at you with pity, others open mocking laughter. The dam bursts and the tears you have been holding back rush out as if summoned. You take your walk of shame, head lowered, shoulders bent and decide to pick your bag from where you threw it and sulk to class. The bag is missing. No, it must be the tears. Yes, it must be the tears. You wipe them away to no avail. Your bag is still missing.
Just how bad can this day get? Oh, this is just the beginning.
Stay tuned for more abuse.
Blue's world 