The day I had dreamt about quietly arrived no drums, no wind, no sign from the skies.
I stood at the entrance of the school, holding my bag tight. I didn't expect luxury, but I had imagined something more. The building was average, neat but plain. Still, it was better than anything back home.
But what caught me off guard wasn't the place it was the tension. A quiet one. Not fear. Not panic. Just something sharp in the air, like I was walking into a space that hadn't yet decided whether to receive me or reject me.
Inside, a woman with thick glasses introduced me to my class and handed me a sheet of rules and regulations. I nodded quietly, not wanting to draw attention. My eyes moved fast around the room, searching for somewhere to sit. Every seat felt claimed not just by bags, but by friendships I hadn't been part of.
POV: Being the new girl is less about being seen, and more about being tested.
Then I saw her Anna. One of the girls I had met during my evening walks. She raised her hand a little and gave me a soft smile. I felt something loosen in my chest.
A seat opened beside her. I walked there quickly, relieved. Around me, the other students were polite. They greeted me with quiet hellos, soft stares, but I could feel the distance like they were waiting to decide what to think of me.
I didn't blame them. I was still learning what to think of myself too.
Anna whispered, You'll like it here. Don't worry with excitement.
Her voice was light. Familiar.
The lessons were new to me, but not overwhelming. The teachers introduced themselves one after the other, some with smiles, others with plain eyes. One of them a woman with short hair and firm speech looked directly at me and said, You'll do fine here. It might take time, but we'll help you catch up.
Her words settled something in me. A quiet relief.
I wasn't just in a new school. I was in a different system one where teachers didn't shout before speaking, where students were allowed to breathe.
POV: Sometimes, kindness feels like a new language. I'm still learning how to speak it.
During lunch break, Anna helped me navigate the canteen. The food smelled strange but nice like oil and spice and something unfamiliar. I watched other students talk and laugh, some throwing their arms around each other, some standing quietly in groups. It felt like watching a world I didn't know the rules of.
We sat in a corner with a metal tray between us. Anna dug in like it was a festival. I picked at the rice slowly, trying not to look too out of place.
Then she turned to me and smiled with full cheeks. Purity, do you like it here? she asked. "Do you like the food? Her puppy eyes were glowing with excitement.
I nodded, then laughed. Not because the food was so good, but because her joy felt honest. It wrapped around me like a soft cloth.
She wanted me to like this place. She wanted me to belong here.
Later that afternoon, she took me around the school showed me the different blocks, the art corner, the staff room, and finally the library. When we stepped inside, I stopped walking. I just stared.
It was quiet. Cool. Rows and rows of shelves stretched from one end of the room to the other. I ran my fingers along one of them. The scent of books hit me old paper, polished wood, ink. My head spun.
Next to the library was a small crafts room. Neat tables, art supplies arranged by color, and a wall filled with drawings.
Students made these, Anna said proudly.
I nodded slowly.
POV: I'm going to fit in here. I won't hide or disappear.
We walked home together that day. She talked the whole time, pointing out where she bought snacks, where she once fell while running, and which gate led to her street. I didn't say much, but I listened. Carefully. Gratefully.
At home, the house was quiet as usual. Uncle Benny wasn't back yet. I dropped my bag in the room and leaned against the doorframe for a while, letting the silence hold me.
Later in the evening, I heard a knock on my door. When I opened it, I saw Josh standing there with his hands in his pockets.
Purity how are you doing? How was school?
For a moment, I couldn't speak. It wasn't just the surprise. It was the way he asked like he meant it. Like he was trying, even if awkwardly.
I smiled. It was… okay. Thank you.
He nodded once, then added, You'll get used to it. Everyone does.
Then he turned and walked off. That was all.
But for me, it was enough.
POV: Some people don't open the door wide. But even a crack is enough to let in light.
That night, I opened one of the books I had borrowed from the library a short story collection. I didn't get past the second page. My eyes kept drifting. My mind was still holding onto everything the school corridors, Anna's laugh, the crafts room, the unexpected kindness.
Maybe I wasn't fully settled yet.
But something had started. And this time, I wasn't scared of it.
That night, I stared at the ceiling long after the lights were off. The room felt warmer than usual, maybe because someone had finally asked me how I was doing. I didn't know what Josh's question meant or if it meant anything at all but it was something.
A small shift. I wasn't sure if we would ever talk deeply, or if he would return to silence by morning. But for now, I held on to the feeling that something in this house was opening, even if it was only a crack.
staring at ceiling is becoming one habit of mine.