Jumoke
“Jummy,” my mother called from the living room, “Aren’t you finished yet?”
I was taking a bath, and had already spent nearly twenty minutes in the bathroom. I deliberately took my time there, finding it one of the best places to think. My sister, Titilayo, often joked that I was holding meetings with the village gods. She might not have been far from the truth.
“Why do you spend so much time in there?” she’d ask. “Your breakfast is getting cold.”
I quickly dried myself with a towel. Mother had prepared fried eggs, bread, and Lipton tea. I wanted to hurry, the thought of cold eggs was repulsive, but I paused to finish the last bit of my routine.
I took my body lotion from the vanity table and applied it generously. The most exciting part of my morning was putting on my uniform.
Father had bought the uniform the day I registered at Crystal High School. It consisted of a navy blue straight skirt, a pale blue shirt, a navy blue tie, and a matching navy blue beret.
I slipped into the skirt and shirt, pulled on my white socks, then carefully polished my black flat shoes. Finally, I placed the beret just so.
“Perfect,” I said, staring at my reflection with a satisfied smile.
I grabbed my backpack and marched downstairs to find my brother and sister already eating breakfast in the dining room.
“You couldn’s even wait for me,” I teased.
“Wait for what?” Tunde, my older brother, retorted. “You were wasting too much time in your marine kingdom.”
I finished my plate in less than ten minutes. It was a house rule to clear up after eating and wash your own dishes immediately.
“I give you five minutes,” Father said from the living room, where he was watching *KaaKaKi* on AIT. He watched it every morning.
The clock struck seven. My brother and I were ready for Father to drive us to school. Mother had to drop Titi off at her school, which was near Mother’s hospital.
“Are we ready?” Father asked.
“All set and ready to go,” I shouted, brimming with excitement.
“Goodbye, my babies. Have a nice day,” Mother kissed our foreheads and kissed Father on the lips.
My brother rushed outside to open the gate. Off to Crystal High School!