The Irony Of Highlife

BOBBY DESHANE FELLI

"What to do on the first day of school...Wake up, brush your teeth and take your bath...If you have prepared the previous night, dress up, take your belongings and get breakfast...You might need to take a deep breath and try as much as possible to look relaxed"

That is me talking to myself as I dress up for my first day of high school.

It isn't that bad, the first day of school. The teenager just tends to aggravate every first-time situation, just like I am doing even when mum assured me it wouldn't be that bad. I don't hate the fact that I am going to a new school, it isn't me being in high school for the first time that has got me this worked up.

It is the fact that I don't know what today holds. I have heard many tales about senior high school, many interesting and disturbing tales, that make me nervous thinking about the day, also, it is not the school of my choice.

I turn around as soon as the belt of my dress is in place, not too tight, not too loose, just in between as my life is right now. I look at my face in the mirror, I can't recognize the girl in front of me, shaving off my locks has really done the job. I look different from what I am used to. The girl with the long locks that reached her hip was troublesome, stubborn, confused, and rebellious.

Let's see what this new girl with short hair and a defiant look has up her sleeves.

I take one last look at my badass self and leave my room.

I am going to miss home. Deeply.

Not too excited about this day, I walk with lazy moves to the dining room, where my parents and my brother, Ziggy are seated waiting patiently for me. As soon as I get to my seat, I give my father the look I have been giving him for the past three days, I have been trying to guilt-trip him for sending me off to a school in the far west, a journey of no return (It's an exaggeration)

He shakes his head like he also has been doing for the past three days, some of his dreadlocks wiggle and I sit down and sigh with defeat. It is never going to work, I am never going to the school I chose, it is closer to home and is not a boarding school. I just have a feeling that they all conspired to send me off, because of obvious reasons.

"You didn't have to cut off all your beautiful locks you know"

My mum says to me softly, she has been nagging me about it ever since I decided to cut off my dreadlocks. I loved my dreadlocks very much, it is the pride of my family, whenever we go out, that is what is first acknowledged, our dreadlocks.

My family originates from Jamaica, my parents decided to move here, to Ghana, after they got married. They had spent their honeymoon here and fell in love with the country, then they decided to make this place their new home, they said they wanted to change their environment, try something new.

Though we still go to Jamaica during holidays, we used to go to my parent's hometown every holiday, but after the passing of my grandmother, we rarely go there. Her death affected me the most, so my parents thought it safe to not let us visit Jamaica that often.

I tell my mother the same thing, that I want to change. It is partly true. I thought taking off my dreadlocks would make her change her mind about my school, it was to spite her.

"She looks badass"

Ziggy said as he spoons some rice and shoves it into his mouth, he stretches his other hand and reaches for my head, but fails to do what he wanted to do, I grip his hand and twist it violently, he wails in pain begging me to let go.

"Stop being violent Bobby"

My father says to me, I listen to him and let go of my brother's hand, who in turn releases a series of colorful words, it makes me giggle.

"I know that's the reason you are sending me off to nowhere, because of the last term huh?"

I point an accusative finger at my father and mother. My mother flips my hand away with hers and eyes me like she is looking at a lunatic.

"I know I look badass" I turn to Jamiel, he flips me the bird and releases another set of crude words.

"Enough of your childish banter you both. You better take off those rings Bobby. You don't want to get into trouble"

My mother says in a stern voice, she orders me to start eating and warns Ziggy to stop swearing. I do as I am told to, but not after telling her I wouldn't take my rings off, she shakes her head and huffs in frustration.

After breakfast, I help my mother with clearing up the dishes while my father and brother load my luggage into the car's booth. When we are set to leave, my mother tells us to gather up in the hall, we say a little prayer, and then walk out of the house to my father's car. We wait for him in the car as he locks all the main doors in the house. We set off for our journey as soon as he enters the car, I start to feel nervous.

My father had told me the previous night that the school is in the western region, it is going to take us long five hours to arrive at our destination. Five hours. I had looked at him dead in the eyes and asked him why.

He replied that he has his car. As if it makes any sense at all.

Throughout the five hours journey, I chat with my brother mostly, we stick our heads out of the car's window as we watch eye-catching sceneries, we stare at the mundane ones too, we watch cars pass, and we whistle at drivers too. My mother keeps shouting at us to behave like teens and not deranged kids.

Along the journey, my mother talks to me and gives me pieces of advice, I roll my eyes at the ones I know would never do and listen to the interesting ones. My father tells me a few things I need to know about the school as if I don't know them already.

All he keeps saying is that the school is one of the most prestigious schools in the country, first in rank to be precise.

Who cares?

Definitely not me.

My brother also chips in, he tells me I could call him anytime and assures me that they would visit me every time. Nervousness begins to take over my body when we finally arrive at our destination after five hours and a half due to traffic.

The first thing I notice is the change in atmosphere, the school isn't in view yet, but I am starting to feel the school vibe.

I searched on the school last night, it turns out the school is really big, very big, big in the sense that it can be classified as a community on its own.

As I am looking outside the window, there are tall trees and shrubs on either side of the tarred silent road, I could hear the morning birds chirp, I stick out my head looking for them but couldn't see any as the car is speeding.

The woods begin to thin out as we reach a wide car park, there are a lot of cars here, and I hear my brother say 'Woah' as he is also looking outside.

We watch as students like me with their parents move around, some are just arriving, others are about to leave and their kids stick to them with sad faces, others are already leaving. I see students and their families who are just arriving bring their luggage out of their cars.

My father steps out of the car immediately he packs his car, he gestures for me to step out, I make a face at him, folding my arms against my chest, reluctant to move.

The car door is open and he stands in front of me waiting.

"It isn't a big deal Bobby. I trust my baby girl"

He says to me when I finally get out of the car, he places one hand on my shoulder and squeezes it gently, he does that every time he tries to comfort me, it never works, it just adds more fuel to my anxiety. I don't think anyone can help me whenever I get worked up except for myself.

Ziggy is already bringing out my stuff from the booth and my mother is talking to a student, the boy is pointing towards a building, my mother nods vigorously looking at the building, she says something to the boy, I am guessing she is thanking him because the boy nods and smiles politely and then he leaves.

My mother swivels on her heels, she is very petite and looks robust as she walks swiftly toward me. Unlike her, my brother, Ziggy and I took after our father, though Ziggy's height is more monstrous than mine, I took most of my father's facial structure.

"To the administration hall baby"

she sounds like those high school blonde girls in movies, the mean ones. She takes my hand when she gets to my side. She grabs her bag from the car and we walk further, as we walked, the building starts coming into view, I squint as I try to read the bold writings on the top of the building. I can't get it because of my bad sight, but I am assuming it is the administration block.

"Mum? Why are we going to the administration hall?"

I still squint at the writings on the white wall, it is a habit.

"To get your uniforms, the house you'll be in, your room number, your student ID card, and the key to your locker"

My mother answers me with other motives.

"Okay I get it, this school is dope"

I admit and my mother smirks. I roll my eyes.

We get to the building and push the glass doors as we enter into a spacious room, it is a waiting room, there is a lady behind a desk, there are other students here too, some in the same blue and white checkered attire I am wearing and a few in a plain sea blue attire, others too, about ten are sitting at one corner of the room, they are in a deep blue attire and they are staring at the freshers who are moving around the waiting room like they are prey.

I know from the school's prospectus that was shared during registration that juniors wear what I am wearing. It is the attire that we wear outside school hours.

The junior boys wear a blue and white checkered short sleeves shirt and khaki shorts. The sophomore or second-year students wear a sea-blue dress and the boys wear a sea blue short sleeves shirt with khaki shorts.

The seniors wear deep blue dresses and the senior boys wear plain white long sleeves shirts and khaki trousers.

That way, it is easy to tell which year a student is in.

My mother and I talk to the lady sitting behind the desk, the lady looks up from her shiny laptop and smiles at my mother, then she turns to me and her smile falters.

Is trouble written on my forehead?

"Welcome to CHS. Please walk down this hallway and go to the second room on your left side"

She tells my mother in a chirpy voice, my mother thanks her and we use the direction as we are told.

"They are going to make you remove your nose ring and the other several earnings. You saw how the lady looked at you. You should have listened to me when I told you to leave your gothic stuff at home"

My mother says to me in a low voice, she is trying too hard not to laugh at me, I roll my eyes at her and fold my arms.

"Not going to happen"

I tell her as she opens the door, we are greeted by heads turning to look at us, especially at me.

"We'll see about that"