A Punctuality Wake-up Call.
Growing up with my parents was a beautiful experience, as I never had to go to school late.
My parents would ensure we were all up by 5:30 am as we said our morning devotion and began our daily routine of house chores as they were both civil servants who had the intent of beating morning traffic, and that became a lifestyle for us too.
One day, they both had to travel for the funeral of my maternal grandmom and left us with our aunt around the hood.
My aunt was a housewife who woke up very late and had to ensure the house was taken care of before leaving for school. "It's 5:30 a.m.; why are you up so early? Go back to sleep, please; we will be up by 6:30 am," she reprimanded me and my siblings when we tried to wake up as early as we did when we were at home.
One Monday morning, I remember going to school very late, even after waking up so early to prepare for school.
"Get down on your knees," the punctuality prefect commanded me, and being a junior student, I had no choice but to obey.
"Please, I am sorry. I waited for my friends; that's why I came late." I pleaded, hoping Zainab the punctuality prefect would be merciful; unfortunately, the more we pleaded, the more furious she became.
"Shut up all of you; today I'll teach you a lesson." Zainab came closer with a little cane in her hands. "You, you and you... get up and follow me," she pointed at me and two other students behind me.
We got up and followed her to the school field, which was looking so untidy. We had our inter-house sport the previous day, so the field was filled with so many biscuits and sachets of water wrappers.
"Pick up all the litter on the ground; you have just fifteen minutes to do that," Zainab said authoritatively.
She began walking around to ensure we all joined hands to clean up the school field, and anyone found lazying around received two strokes of the came on their buttocks.
I quickly picked up the biscuit wrappers and sachet water nylons I found around because I dreaded canes so much. I ensured to pick up a reasonable amount of dirt as I showed her my hands. "Senior, see what I've been able to pick." I innocently called her attention in my direction.
"Okay, that's enough. Go wash up your hands over there and hurry up to your class," she replied as she continued inspecting other students.
Twenty minutes later, the school field was looking so neat as I could see it through the glass window in my class. "If anyone comes late tomorrow, I'll ensure they weed these grasses, and then I'll top it up with six strokes of the cane each," Zainab's voice resounded, and then I knew it was about time I began my house chores on time, even if my aunt didn't see the need to be punctual to avoid coming late to school again. I kept praying my parents arrived on time so I wouldn't have to face the consequences of coming late to school ever again.
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Thank you for stopping by, till we meet again, this is Amie Geoffrey.
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