Nearly Thirty Years Later a Lie Walks Tall, Free and Unaccused (4)

In going to secondary school, I wasn't looking for cheap fame. I was very interested in acquiring knowledge and I didn't owe anybody an apology for being adjudged brilliant. I went to secondary school from primary 5, in 1991, which wasn't a common feat those days. If that had irked my classmates and other contemporaries who would have been my seniors if I had waited another year to do primary 6, I wasn't to know. Many of my classmates were a year or so older than me. However, we had a few others who were also older than all of us. Nobody called them seniors or Sister as we called the senior students at Ovom Girls' High School. Our birthdays ranged from 1981-1977. So, how would you judge when some students should be your seniors while others could be your juniors? As it seemed, everybody came to school and all seemed well.

Ovom Girls' High School, Aba was a model school for girls run by the newly created Abia State Government of Nigeria. Abia was created from Imo State in 1991. That year was also the beginning of the academic session that started in the Fall/Autumn, that is September of every year. The Nigerian school system used to start in January each year until the 6-3-3-4 system was effected. After the National Common Entrance Examination was taken in primary 6, pupils who scored high grades in the examination took the model school examination for boys and girls. The girls who passed the examination went to Ovom Girls' High while their male contemporaries attended National High School, both in Aba. I didn't like to miss the opportunity that I got when I tried my hands at the national common entrance examination and passed. I passed the model school exam too and decided to give secondary school a try. I had no idea that I would meet such antagonism from mere children. I had no idea that evil was as young as possible.

This blog post isn't a memoir so I needn't go into a long explanation of why I chose to attend secondary school at Ovom Girls' High School. Suffice it to say that I wasn't sure age was the problem but it was a possible irritation to many an arrogant classmate of mine. But I would blame my exuberance for why I might have fallen out with many of my classmates. I was vivacious, at least in the beginning, told a lot of stories and dared to ask and answer questions in the classroom. I believed that the only way to learn was to ask questions and the best source was the class teacher or the textbook. I would imagine that school was challenging to everybody. I struggled with Mathematics. I didn't have a nice Math teacher in Mr Azuh but Mrs Osondu was nicer. I think female teachers of Mathematics may yet save this country from mass failure in Mathematics in girls only secondary school. Mr Azuh would tease me and often called me Mrs Ovularia in front of my classmates to my chagrin. I didn't like the nickname and luckily it didn't stick. I was in trepidation of my teachers and in competition with my classmates. The senior students were another species of human beings. 

I didn't want to go to the dormitory. My House was in ruins or at least dilapidated and the girls were shared into other dormitories. All the JSS 1 girls were forced to board. But I didn't want to. Since it was mandatory, I had no choice but to go to the dormitory. It was there that I couldn't believe girls would steal underwear, pants for that matter! Why would you steal anybody pants? For witchcraft, magic or voodoo purposes? I had no idea. I wouldn't wear another girl's underpants. Why should anybody do that? I misplaced my hurricane lantern, plates, cutlass and school clothes. The girls pilfered worse that rats. It was a horrible incident. I went to Chief Orji House in my first year. Chinonso Ohiaeri whom I had earlier recognized from our home Church was assigned to PTA house. My original house was Jaja but I was to start in Chief Orji but in subsequent years and terms that I boarded, I went to different houses but stayed there till the end of the term or until reassigned. When I could afford to, I preferred day school. It has more order and I could control my property better. I only had to worry about my lunch or breakfast that got stolen under my desk during morning assembly. Oh! No! It was a very demented experience and gossip was the only way issues were resolved.

I only reported a theft to the VP Administration Ms Ukpabi who ruled in favour of the suspect. I got a gift of a pair of red slacks from my mother and I took it to the dormitory to wear to bed. There were roving hands from wayward girls who touched others inappropriately at night. Yes, lesbianism notoriously called Supe was the order of the day. Many of the junior girls had lovers among themselves. I was opposed to this practice having imbibed the Mormon doctrine outlined in the For The Strength of Youth. It was ugly that many of the girls came from their hostels to sleep in other hostels to perpetrate evil acts. Many of these girls were in sexual relations with one another. I was loudly opinionated against this practice and a few of my classmates knew about it. Some of the bad girls shed corners with bed sheets and the school authorities frowned upon and disciplined the girls for it. But the practice and lifestyle continued. In this instance, I went to sleep in my red slacks and when it was time I took it out to wash. I put it on the line to dry and on my return from school one fateful day, it was missing. I went around the hostel in search of my missing laundry but it wasn't to be found anywhere. For days, I combed the school hostel in hopes that it was in the pits dug behind the dormitory. It wasn't in any of the pits. I was in JSS 3. Fortunately, for the first time I would find a missing item while at Ovom Girls' High School. A senior student called Ugo who was in the nearby dormitory of Uzoma house and in SS 2 wore it on a weekend. I went to her and asked if I could see the slacks she had on. She obliged my request. I was hoping to see a tear it had on the crotch. Since it wasn't a day clothing I hadn't made the time to stitch it up as it wasn't meant nor used a party wear. I discovered that she had stitched it up with a black thread. I told her that she was wearing my tights and I need them back. She said no and I left to report the matter to the VP Administration.

Ms Ukpabi invited the senior student and me and listened to my case. Eventually, she reasoned that my accusation was unfounded and that second hand clothing called Okirika could have the same tear in the same place. That since the clothing had no mark on it that it was considered unidentifiable. I thought it was the most humiliating and disgusting logic my whole life. I wasn't happy with that school for that judgment till this day. Ms Ukpabi let Ms Ugo walk away with my mother's red slacks. I hated the very life that day. Ovom Girls' High became the epitome of injustice as far as I was concerned.

To be concluded....