FEGIDO TALES (Episode 1): The world after the gate

‘The world after the gate’

 Going to a boarding school for me was like going into another world. To me the air on the outside of the gate and the air inside the gate smelled differently, one was suffocating and the other tasted like freedom. Freedom from teachers, from seniors and portions, freedom from the sound of the bell and endless school work to do. But I’ll have to admit life wasn’t all bad and suffocating in boarding school though, there were a lot of fun moments that made all the bad ones worthwhile. My name is Moyin Clegg, and I hope you enjoy my Fegido tales.

Most students in unity school as at 2011 started at Js1 or Ss1, I on the other hand, started my journey in F.G.C Ido-ani in Js2. When I gained admission, I wanted to feel on top of the world and shout that I have arrived but everything about Fegido then didn’t make me feel an ounce of excitement. I wanted to go home, I wanted my mommy, this school in the middle of the forest felt too much for me. But my uncle wasn’t having any of it. So there I was a bonafide student of F.G.C Ido-ani. The school as I described earlier was another world, the hostel … the hostels were the inner worlds or my new world. I was introduced to my guardian, who sent for my house captain. The house captain of green house, popularly known as Alani house. Other houses were Ose house (red house), Owena house (blue house) and Olaniyan house (yellow house). Each name as I got to know later on signified something very important.

My house captain welcome me, she sent for some juniors to help with my load and before I knew it, I was really all alone in this new world. My uncle left, my guardian also left. My house captain in all her niceness helped my find a locker for my provisions, and also a bunk space above an Ss2 student, who also became my first school mother, Senior Yeni.

In my first week in Fegido, which I’ll like to term the honeymoon phase, I got to understand a few things;

1. Ss3 students were the gods of the school, they controlled everything thing. They were the government and they could do anything and get away with it, oh.. and they were also the coolest. Everyone wanted to be an Ss3 student.

2. Ss2 student suffered the most at the hands of the Ss3 student. It was a class of hardship both academically and in the hostel. But it was also a necessary phase to go through to become gods.

3. Having a boyfriend was also the next coolest thing to being an Ss3 student. It made you look mature, even if you’re still very much a child.

4. And last but not the least, having seniors as school fathers and school mothers, especially prefects was your only way of escaping labour and the hardship of boarding school life.

Some might agree with me on the points, some might not but it was how I saw it. After my honeymoon phase was over, things got real and I found myself wishing for home again.

Written by Chidiebere Ogbonna 

Add me on IG@Ebbiedavies

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