This week we would continue where we stopped last week, please open to page 502. Mr. Orumor instructed the students. Make it quick I don’t have the whole day, there’s going to be a general meeting at La Grande salle in 40minutes from now, so I’d round up shortly.
We’d be reading “All the World’s a Stage” by Williams Shakespeare. Hey! New girl! Pointing towards Georgina. Read for us. Everyone bursted into laughter because no one has ever pleased Mr Orumor in terms of recitation, he was a cynic with high class and never tolerates anything average but excellence.
Quiet! Raising his eyebrows, he looked again towards Georgina. What’s your name Miss?
Georgina Sir.
Good, Georgina can you read for us all in a quick and soft tempo, gracias!
Yes Sir, she flips the page a bit and coughed… I read
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
The whole class was quiet for awhile as she rounded with a heavy sigh, waiting for Mr. Orumor’s response, everyone gazed on him and like one who had just seen a full opera, blown away, he voiced out!
Fantastic! Majestica! You darling have just become my favorite. He started clapping and in no time, the whole class joined!
Alright! Ladies and gent! Class over for now. Georgina see me in my office after the meeting. Good day!
• • • •
Georgina! Georgina! Jide walked towards her. We need to talk
Jide, what else do we need to talk about? Your plans with Motunde and Chinyere or the meeting at La Grande salle, which?
I’m sorry G.G but I’ve only been finding a way to get you out of all this not put you in it and why do you have that pendant on your neck? Jide asked surprisingly as he spotted the golden, tiny necklace on her neck.
Oh this, looking at her neck. Deeglobe gave me as a parting gift.
No, no, no, no, this is what have been trying to tell you about. The initiation has begun already, has she told you this word and said she’d get back to you? ‘Yang Yang Pidrin, Ying Ying Pidrin’.
Yes, what does that mean and which initiation are you speaking of?
‘Yang Yang Pidrin, Ying Ying Pidrin’ simply means ‘Once you’re in, you’re in’.
Georgina laughed briefly and got Jide confused. I knew all about that even before I stepped in here, who steps into a strong man’s house and would not be strong enough to bound the strong man first before looting the house?
A strong man’s house? I’m confused G.G
Yes, my friend told me about everything going on in this school, even more than what you know and about you too.
Me? Your friend?
Yes, Jide after sleeping with Roseline in form 2 because your friends pressured you, you lost your intelligence, brilliance, balance and everything about you changed. That night, it felt as if something inside you was taken that led you to becoming Motunde’s dog just to survive school and make your parents proud. Am I wrong?
How? How, how do you know all these things? Who are you? Jide stood almost frozen and tearing up.
but I told no one about that, who is your friend? How…
Jide, calm down, not here. Come with me….
THE END.
For Now….
