Chapter 2

Mr Moss is well known in his church as a man of records. He is fondly called by youths Paul the writer while some follow men call him secretary to Rome. He can take minute records of events and can easily recall dates and times events took place. On the social platforms, he is the one always referred to when birthdays are required. There is also a room in his house referred to room of records, that is where you will get the real history of the church and all that happened in time past, both his personal and family. Yesterday wouldn’t be different from his normal record life. Of course, he had written down the mighty point he got yesterday from the words of Glory so as to buttress on it to have Daniel sent to seminary.

“What were you writing dear when I entered the room yesterday?” Mrs Josephine asked struggling to investigate the more on the note she had seen after the husband left for bible study that same yesterday. 

The note had it boldly written that “on this day, 6 girls visited my house and I concluded that Daniel would go to boarding school.”

“Is it not better we tackle the fire raging from within now and separate this young man from the vicinity and take him to where he will focus? “He asked expecting an answer.

“I support you dear just that I am afraid if he will cope with the emotional requirements and physical strength, not forgetting the mental strength.” She said in a more pitiable tone.

“Of course, he will. Let’s give it a try. If he ends up not coping, we retrieve him back to another day school.” Mr Moss responds.

For the first time without arguments without quoting of scriptures and counting of laws the couple agreed speedily.

 So, the next work to do is how to make it known to Daniel, they concluded.

******

  Daniel had days returned to his full health, not many changes in him with regards to his flow with girls, but there was much improvement to management of his time. The father refused to be confused with the immediate turning of him into a new leaf.

After the night meal, the father summonned the family to have brief meeting with them. 

The most important and urgent matters were tackled and summarized very quickly because all were agreeing to all the decisions taken by the father. However, there was a sudden period of silence and tranquillity as the head of family had announced that Daniel will be doing the next terms and remaining terms of his secondary school life in a seminary.

The night was like vigil for him, the thoughts of the scary black book all came back to his mind, soul and spirit. Within few minutes he is in order, in the next few minutes he recalls that the scary black book is a property of the seminary. At some point he broke into tears, many thoughts ran through his mind, he would have said to the father that he is young, but its not a good reason because Shola started from Jenior secondary school one.

**** 

 Weeks after the announcement to the family, Daniel's school ended the term and the holiday was just a month holiday, Daniel has gotten better within these weeks gone, it became clear and clear that you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, it became clear too that it was no more a taking of piss from the father that he would be going to seminary. Therefore, he had made up his mind to face the challenge and adapt to the new environment. He had started staying afar from some bad friends, started avoiding some of the girls but all were not easy for him.

On one occasion he called for a meeting with most of his friends to inform them of the change in school, it was like a funeral. Faith couldn’t stop screaming on top of her voice, calling the name of Daniel´s father. Daniel promised never to forget them, that they will still be in touch, moreover every midterm break, he would visit. The friends also promised that they will be in touch. The boys also jokily promised not to touch, disturb nor befriend Faith. Claiming that Faith is the send forth gift they can offer to him.

“Hope it is legit?” Daniel asked them with a huge smile over his face.

“Yes of course nah” they chorused...

So, they hugged themselves and of course Daniel spent extra time talking with Faith.

*******

       Mr Moss, a diligent man had already started buying many boarding school materials, the day dress and school uniforms were sown ready, the Sunday white upon white too. The wife had gone to the school on the visiting day to see Shola who is now the new discipline prefect of the school. Therefore, she used the opportunity to also pick the prospectus form. The cutleries and the toiletries meant to be submitted to the school were ready, the six-spring bunk too and the bedsheets of white colour and black were all ready before opening weekend. There was appearance of joy on Danny face when he saw the provisions, two different types of beverages and golden Morn and many more. He had begun to think that boarding school is all about enjoyment. Yet many times the fear of living in one compound, not meeting ladies and most scary, the black book always takes him to land of fear.

“Danny, you won’t be alone there you know, your elder bro will very much take care of you” the father told him caressing his round ball-like head.

Daniel takes few seconds, thinking of how it will be if he opens on the scary black book. He finally answers back.

“Yes dad, I have missed him too”.

“I also went to a seminary” the father started a discussion.

I did all my secondary school in a seminary; it was not what I wanted at first, but I got to adapt to the point I once stopped travelling back to my parents’ house.

 Seminary is feracious, but when it comes to merriment, it is wonderful. Aside the brutality from the higher senior students, seminary would have been best place to be. In our time, there wasn´t any act of cultism, no indecent dressing, not much disobedience, and the teachers were staying in the school premises. We were few but dedicated to our pursuits and focus. The trainings were stressful but through obedience we enjoyed every bit of it. Most joyful aspect of it was that we were being respected much in the society more than the current students of the seminary. We were respected because we have been seen as the un-corrupted seeds and impact makers of the generation. We were of many examples to other students most especially on issues of obedience, neatness, humility and seriousness. In those days, our attestation letters to the Universities were referred to as the most truthful without much query, because other students do go to their kings in villages to get attestation that must always be positive. In my life I have never seen an attestation letter that have said bad about the person.

“Wow!!! I cannot wait to get started in the new school” Daniel exclaims excitedly

“Indeed, you will enjoy, most importantly, there is less distraction in seminary compared to your former school, the level of learning is multiple times better than that of your old school”. Mr Moss continued with a cute smile.

“You know you are handsome small?” Daniel jokes with his dad, shifting a distance laughing out loud.

“You are a bush boy, I was handsome and remains handsome, ask your mom how she was sick because of my cuteness, she couldn’t even hold it to herself to the point that she told her friends, and they enlarged my picture in their hostel room. “Mr Moss replies, walking proudly. 

“Hahahahaha, kill me Dad!!!” Daniel kept laughing.

“It is well. I still know I resemble the most beautiful being on earth, Josephine the angel of God”. Daniel hits back at the Father, laughing.

******

      Daniel had also made visits to few of the neighbours who would miss him. He also visited the shops around telling them of his next move which they were all happy to hear about. The neighbours who were very kind to him also bought some provisions for him, some brought milk, some brought bedsheets and some clothes.

Daniel has been a well-known boy; he helps the neighbours to fetch water and, in some errands, especially to widows and widowers and the aged.

The neighbours also encouraged him to drop some of the recent characters he learnt within few months ago, admonishing him that they won’t help him in the pursuit of life. One of the neighbours Mr Johnson called him in one of the Saturdays and spoke at length with him.

“Danny, you know how much we love and cherish you; you know how we desire that our children follow your footsteps; though you are young, yet you have been a rare gem in this keystone yard, lives have been corrected using you as example. With regards to all these we can’t either be quiet when we notice some deviations from the path of good. Recently we have also noticed few bad exhibitions from your angle, most disheartening is in the relationship with girls. “Mr Johnson muttered, before entering his room.

(Places cups on the table with a bottle of Eva wine and pours into the two cups and continues).

“Female friends are good and fine, but one has to be careful not to raise eyebrows concerning his life”

“There is a saying that says do not live a life of not caring what people say about you, you might not have same angle of view they have” “Nothing may be going wrong with the girls but keeping late nights and frequent meetings at old places have already painted it corrupt and bad. So, Danny my boy, I believe you would be much careful from the little I have said”.

“Thank you a lot Sir, am grateful. At least you have done better than the few that decided to gossip around than talking to me”. Daniel replied.

(They hugged and Daniel put on the shoe to leave).

Daniel also visited his church pastors, he also received words of advice and prayers to finish well and probably end up being a priest in years’ time.

“May the Lord of Host whom we serve preserve thee, save you from bad friends and make you a priest after His own heart.”. The minister Rev Callum muttered. 

At this point of last words Daniel opened his wide in surprise and ended up not saying amen.

“No Sir!! I can never be priest; I want to be an engineer”. Daniel frowning up his face responded.

“Don’t worry boy, who knows the future if not God?” Rev Callum said again.

Glimpses of joy and happiness were all over Daniel as he was heading home. He was dishing out his dimples in an enticing manner to the point that one of the street girls, Kindness was astonished having always had lot of love on Daniel, ad she whispered to her friend saying, 

“This is the guy I always tell you am crushing on, can you imagine how handsome he is?“.

Her friend confirmed and the two concluded by wishing atleast Daniel would be friend to any of them so that they can share the friendship and the handsomeness of the young boy. Meanwhile Daniel heard some words from the discussion when he branched to get a bottle of water. He gave the young girls a smile that can win a relationship competition and the girls were over the world. Daniel on the other hand has kept an eye on kindness for some time but he always think he is too young to be in a friendship with the big girl. Quite clear too to Daniel that he is just a boy that just finished his first senior secondary school class, he concluded that if it was to be in years past he wouldn't be thinking so of a friendship if not that more corruption have entered the world even to little folks. Daniel concluded within himself that by the next time he will be back, he will show more lights to kindness to see if things can work well.