Days after Visiting Day, the school returned to its usual rhythm of tension and survival. One afternoon, Kalu Egbe missed his morning sanitation duty—a mistake that never went unpunished.
As evening fell, Kalu trudged back from night prep, sweat trickling down his neck. Just before he reached the hostel gate, a fellow junior darted in front of him.
"Kalu, hide o! Senior Ajayi dey look for you. He talk say today, you must kneel down with bucket till your leg bend."
Kalu's eyes widened. "He still dey hostel?"
The boy nodded urgently. "Him never go anywhere. Him say he go wait you tire."
Kalu didn't wait to think. He spun around and dashed toward the school farm, his feet pounding the dry earth. Behind the block of classrooms stood a lone mango tree—tall, sturdy, its branches thick and welcoming.
He climbed swiftly, heart racing. Nestled on a branch, he lay low, trying to steady his breath.
From his perch, he could see the glow of the dormitory lights and the faint silhouette of Senior Ajayi pacing near the hostel door.
Minutes turned to hours. The moon rose, casting shadows across the yard. Crickets sang, and night wrapped its arms around the school.
Fatigue pulled at Kalu's eyelids. Despite the hard bark and his cramped limbs, sleep overcame him.
He awoke at the first crow of the cock. The sky was still gray, the world quiet. Carefully, he climbed down, wincing as his legs protested.
By the time he reached the hostel, the morning bell had not yet rung.
Inside, Nedu stared. "You dey where since?"
Kalu grinned, wiping dirt from his shirt. "Tree branch. Best sleep ever."
Fireboy laughed. "You dey mad. But you dey wise."
In Old FGC, wisdom lived in the trees, in the shadows, in the heart of every boy who refused to be broken.
To be continued...