Harmattan Morning: Surviving Boarding School During "African Winter"

When I think of boarding school, so many memories flood my head.

I remember what it was like in jss1. I remember every single emotion. I remember the smell, I remember the sounds. The first time I slept without dreaming was in boarding school. And now I can't sleep for a month straight without dreaming about boarding school. I guess this is what bullying does to the mind of an adult. I am not a psychologist, I know not the accurate diagnosis. A nine year old, left in the cold world of boarding school. Trust me, that’s horror.

Here’s what a typical morning during the harmattan period was.

We would be awakened by a loud bang on the dormitory door by the house captain as early as 4:30 - 5pm. The house captain would get everyone to the quadrangle. We would have morning devotion.. In our underwear or pajamas for those who hadn't had their pajamas stolen. The dorm captain would go round to wake up by spanking anyone who was still sleeping on the line..

After that, a morning roll call would be taken. After the morning roll call, everyone was given a period of time to go take a bath.. Hmmm. You see that bathing, there’s a whole other essay on it.

After the bathing period, the dorm captain will give JSS 1 students a number of seconds to get ready and get out of the dormitories. It could be from 10 - 50 seconds… that rushing you experienced in NYSC camp? Yeah, worse than that.

When jss 1 students are out, then jss2 and 3 students will begin their morning chores– we called it “jobs”...

Now that early, the entire hostel gate will still be locked.. So jss1 students will have no choice but to camp around the cold. We would sit on a pavement close to the gate, which was more like squatting on the floor. Knees closed, your bag packs on your thighs and your head bent forward, resting on your knees.. In this position, you'd be shivering from the cold. The cold that penetrates the lousy uniform cardigan provided by your school. It would penetrate your clothes and go into your bones. In a bid to warm yourself up, you blow hot air from your mouth into your palms but for where… the cold will be standing on business.. Then you just get the rest of your sleep.

But the cold is not the only reason you are shivering. You are also shivering in fear. You see, sitting close to the gate like that, in that position is very dangerous. You are exposed to a potential morning and entire day ruin. You are an easy target for a senior to come and “nab” you. Someone from SS1 can just walk to the gate, and select about 10 to 20 of you and order you to run a chore for them. Which could be lifting buckets of water… or even cleaning something or worse, getting rid of trash.. Getting nabbed for any chore could trigger a butterfly effect that could potentially cause you to have a horrible week.

So you sit there, sleeping or pretending to sleep.. Scared of getting nabbed, shivering from the cold. You try to get as close to the gate as possible so that when the gate opens, you’d be the first to skedaddle.. And after hours of tension, voila, the gates open and you run like your life depends on it to the dining hall, grabbing the best table, grabbing the best plate or cup. At that point you are just grateful you didn't get nabbed.

And in those days when the dining hall isn’t ready for occupancy, you camp outside the dining hall, shivering in the cold once again..

Those dreaded mornings are needed to make you stronger, they said..

But it’s been 2 decades, you remember the smell of sand and water and the sound of yells and water splashes, but you don't know how that memory makes you stronger.. But you shrug your shoulders and enter your danfo in peace…

What was your dreaded morning like? Tell us..