Foreign: Faith or fear (Cont'd)
Hi!
Before you read this, have you read the previous part?
Also, I forgot to add this in the last post. This is a sequel to my book Scandal of Grace. It can be read alone. But I STRONGLY recommend you read that first.
Okayyyy! To the series!
Turning the door knob, the door didn't open. But voices were coming from within. Petra knocked on the door.
It had a large sign that read: Assembly. It had a clock showing how many minutes and seconds to go. Currently, it showed: Assembly in 00:20:45.
"I think the students are getting here already." Someone said. Footsteps could be heard from inside the hall. Then, passwords being punched into the door and a click.
"Come in." A lady's voice rang out to them.
Petra opened and they both walked in.
"Good day, Mrs. Davies." Petra greeted the fully white haired, black skinned woman. She was one an Administrative Assistant.
"Afternoon, Miss Oboh. And Miss Wilson?"
Sharon acknowledged her with a slight bow. Her mother taught her to always respect old age in such little ways, because it matters.
"Yes ma'am."
"You're welcome here. Miss Oboh, Can I speak with Miss Wilson in private?"
"Oh. Of co-"
"No. You can say anything you want to say in front of her. It won't be a problem."
"Shay, are you sure? I can leave."
Mrs Davies stares back and forth at them.
"Ma'am please go ahead." Sharon says.
"Alright. I'm aware of your health challenge and due to that, you'd have to be visiting the school's counselor every week."
"Every week?!" Sharon's eyes were twice their original sizes.
"Yes please... Your mental health is our concern and visiting the counselor once a week shouldn't be a huge deal, honey. I suppose you've gone through the school's brochure to find out today would be the last day you would be stepping out of the school's compounds when it's not generally approved by the school's calendar."
Petra's hand found its way to Sharon's arm, rubbing it soothingly. Sharon didn't say a word any more. She stared down at the tiles.
"However, we have a new counselor who is yet to resume. She should be here before the week runs out anyway. Then, you'd get to meet her." Mrs. Davies explained with a motherly smile.
Sharon looked up slowly and nodded, sensing she had finished speaking.
"Excuse me ma'am, Can we get our semester schedules before the assembly starts?" It was Petra who did the talking.
"It's been emailed to all students. Haven't you two seen your messages?"
"Oh, we've not. We'll ensure to check our mailboxes. I guess we'll just wait for the assembly then."
"Okay honey." Mrs Davies replies and leaves to attend other affairs.
"Good afternoon Mr. Roberts." The two friends greeted a middle aged man who was setting up the projector and sound system. His wave at them was accompanied by a toothy grin.
The two early birds found themselves seats and waited in silence for others to arrive.
Sharon brought out her phone to check her mails. The notification was right there. Her phone had been on silence. Petra saw hers in the spam folder.
Sharon scanned her timetable for the courses she registered for. The courses she would be offering were well spread through the week. Two courses a day with a lunch break in between.
So much difference from her first year in her previous school.
I should have yielded to coming here in the first place.
"It's the same time table as last year..." Petra was saying as she scanned through her phone.
"Really?" Sharon whispered. Petra's head shot to the side as she nodded.
Except...
"Timeout at the dormitories is now eight pm instead of the previous ten? Really? Now, how do we adjust to that?"
Sharon raised her head at the strong male voice. A student who just walked into the hall was chatting loudly with his group of friends. It was Feranmi Coker, the star football player at Olive Towers. Sharon kept staring at him until he turned to get seated. Behind his jacket, his name was written in full.
Mrs Davies stepped in front of the students. Like that, the meeting begun.
"It's for your safety, Mr. Coker. And there will be no further explanations." She voiced and drew Sharon's attention away from the football group.
There was an uproar among the students already seated in the hall.
"Our parents should hear about the abrupt change!"
"They'll fix this!"
"With the huge money we pay?!"
A girl sitting on one of the seats in the first row made to pull out her phone from her shiny, obviously expensive purse. "I'm calling dad right now."
"Miss Richards. I suggest you won't have to do that. Your parents wanted it that way."
"That's ridiculous." Toyosi Richards muttered but kept her phone back in her purse anyway.
After the assembly ended, everyone started leaving. Sharon and Petra did the same but were stopped on their way to the door. Mrs. Davies stood before them.
"Can I have a word with you now, Miss Wilson?"
"Uh. I suppose."
"Good! Miss Oboh please wait around for your friend? Thank you." Petra nodded and left to sit down four seats away before Mrs Davies continued speaking. Sharon didn't object this time. Mrs Davies removed her glasses and dropped it before her on a table.
"In the course of the meeting, Igot the therapy report." Her voice was a little above a whisper.
Sharon waited.
"In summary, it says you're not doing so well. I know your first year's grades in your previous school didn't suffer but are you sure you can cope now that you're in a higher level, in a new environment?"
"Yes..." Sharon mumbled.
"What? Please say that again."
"I said yes. I'll cope. So, don't worry about me."
"Alright. I hope you won't give me a cause to worry."
"Yeah. I mean-no, I won't. Can I leave now?"
"Sure. That's all I wanted to ask. So, take care and have a nice semester."
"You too, Mrs Davies."
Quite interesting, can't wait to Know what happens.
ReplyDeleteVery engaging. Hoping for something good for Sharon
ReplyDelete