The first time I saw Elite Light Gate Secondary School, my heart almost stopped.
The school stood like a kingdom behind its tall iron gates, the golden words "ELITE LIGHT GATE SECONDARY SCHOOL" shining proudly above the entrance. The buildings inside were tall and elegant, painted in bright cream and deep blue. Trees lined the pathways, their leaves dancing gently in the morning breeze.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
Wow…
My dream had finally come true.
For months I had buried myself in books, solving practice questions until my head hurt, determined to pass the common entrance examination. Many nights I stayed awake when everyone else was asleep, whispering to myself that one day I would step through these gates.
And now I was here.
"Light," my mother called softly beside me, breaking my thoughts. "Why are you just standing there? Let's go inside."
I nodded quickly, realizing I had been staring like someone who had never seen a school before.
"Sorry, Mom," I said, adjusting the strap of my bag.
My father chuckled quietly. "The boy is shocked his hard work paid off."
We walked toward the gate together. The closer we got, the bigger the school seemed. Students in neat uniforms walked confidently around the compound as if they owned the place. Some were laughing, some carrying books, others dragging suitcases toward the hostels.
Everything felt new.
Everything felt important.
I tightened my grip on my admission letter.
I belong here now, I told myself.
At the security post, a tall guard looked at my documents before giving a short nod.
"Welcome to Elite Light Gate Secondary School," he said.
Those words felt heavier than they sounded.
Inside the compound, the world changed completely. The air was lively with voices of students, the distant sound of a bell, and the rustling of trees. My parents followed a staff member toward the administrative building where new students were being registered.
After signing several papers and receiving instructions about the hostel and school rules, it finally became real.
I was now officially a student of Elite Light Gate Secondary School.
But the excitement slowly faded when it was time for my parents to leave.
We stood near the hostel entrance. My mother held my shoulders, looking at me the way mothers do when they are trying very hard not to cry.
"Be a good boy," she said softly.
"I will."
"Study hard."
"I will."
"Don't fight with anyone."
"I won't."
My father placed his hand on my head gently.
"Remember why you came here," he said. "You worked hard to enter this school. Make us proud."
"I will, Dad."
They both smiled.
Then they turned and started walking toward the gate.
I waved at them bravely, trying to act strong.
"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
They waved back.
But the moment they disappeared beyond the gate, the strength I had been pretending to have vanished instantly.
My chest tightened.
My throat burned.
And before I even realized it, tears began streaming down my face.
I tried to stop them.
I really did.
But I was only ten years old, standing alone in a strange boarding school surrounded by strangers.
Suddenly, the excitement of entering my dream school didn't feel so exciting anymore.
I sat on my suitcase near the hostel entrance and cried like the child I truly was.
Students walked past me, some whispering, some laughing quietly, but I didn't care.
At that moment, all I wanted was to go home.
Then a shadow stopped in front of me.
A calm voice spoke above my head.
"Hey… why are you crying like that?"
I slowly looked up through my tears.
Standing in front of me was a tall, dark-skinned girl wearing the confident uniform of a senior student. She looked older, maybe much older than me. Her posture was calm, almost powerful.
She crossed her arms and looked down at me with a small smile.
"Did someone beat you already on your first day?" she asked playfully.
I sniffed and wiped my face.
"N-no."
"Then why are you crying?"
"My parents… just left."
For a moment, the girl stared at me.
Then something in her expression softened.
Instead of laughing, she sat down beside my suitcase.
"Hmm," she said quietly. "That's normal."
I blinked at her.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"When I first came here, I cried for almost two days," she admitted.
That surprised me.
"You did?"
"Yes," she said with a small laugh. "Boarding school is scary at first."
She stood up again and extended her hand toward me.
"Come on. Stop crying."
I hesitated for a moment before taking her hand.
She pulled me gently to my feet.
"My name is Senior Stella," she said. "I'm in SS2. Just one more year and I'll leave this place."
I nodded quietly.
"I'm Light… I just entered JSS1."
"Well, Light," she said with a small smile, "welcome to Elite Light Gate Secondary School."
Then she looked at my luggage and shook her head.
"You can't carry all these by yourself."
She called out to a few passing junior students.
"Hey! You two — come here."
They rushed over immediately.
"Help him carry his things to the hostel," she instructed.
"Yes, Senior!"
As they lifted my bags and started walking toward the building, Stella looked back at me.
"See?" she said. "Your first problem in this school has already been solved."
For the first time since my parents left, I smiled.
I didn't know it yet…
But Elite Light Gate Secondary School was about to change my life forever.
And somewhere in one of its classrooms…
I was about to meet a girl named Nancy.
A girl I would never forget.