The day I died

The next day, was a beautiful Wednesday, I remembered that day vividly, it was a day that I just can't forget, the day that exposed me to my true personality, the day I thought would be my last. Well, it happened that we got to school very early that day. As a matter of fact, Cynthia came to my house very early to wait for me so we could go to school together, I wondered how she actually woke up that day for her to have been done with her preparation and even came to my side to wait. Mom always loves it when she sees me and Cynthia together, little did she know that I love it more than she. Well, Cynthia could not wait for us to go to school so she could break to surprise me, she felt she had done me a very great favour. But think of it on the brighter side, she actually did me a favour, for if not for her act of kindness I won't have known who I truly am, Mom would have hidden it till I probably die, and dad won't have even known of my existence. Mom had lied to me that I have a rare allergy and that whenever I swim in any water I will die, for that I had always made sure I don't have any contact with water until today and it was because of Cynthia.

So when we got to school, we realized that we were extremely early, there are only but a few students in the school, so, we had to look for a place to and wait for the assembly session. I was still thinking why Cynthia would want us to come to school that early, I notice she was waiting for us to get to school and fast, but, why? That is what I don't know. Even the super Cee was not yet in school, and bright and his crew? Those are chronic latecomers on their own. Sometimes they come to school during the break period, what they were doing that might warrant their coming to school that late is something that only they can explain. Well, we were literally there until the assembly session, before then, the super Cee were already in school, and they all told me how much they missed me the day before. I noticed that Chinwe wanted to tell me about a favour that Charity did for me, but she quickly shot her up and escorted the Super Cee to a little distant place where I will not hear what they were saying. Later when they came back after the little gossip they went to do without me, I asked them what they said, but they did not answer, they only laughed, saying that they have a surprise for me. Poor me, growing up with my mom, I've learned to love surprises, my mom loves to give me surprises, and I love it because all the surprises I got from my mom had always been something I wanted. Like the PlayStation 4 that my mom got for me, she actually made it a surprise. It was on my sixteenth birthday, mom had earlier told me that she had no money to celebrate the birthday for me, so I actually did not bother about it, I know my mom, if she has she can't ever say that she dont have to me. So, on my birthday, which is on the sixteenth of every August my mom came to me and asked me to bath and dress up so that she will like to surprise me, that was how we drove to a game shop where she asked me to pick any game of my choice, I was dumbfounded, I can't explain how I felt that very day. So when the Super Cee said they had a surprise for me, I was actually expecting something good, and not a death trap. Though I can't say that I was expecting another game, at least, not a death trap.

So, I was with the Super Cee before, during, and after the assembly session. After the assembly session, we all went to our various classes where I still anticipated the surprise which never came soon. The class was rowdy because no teacher was teaching in the class, for a whole week there will be swimming training among the various houses so that they can be able to pick the best that will represent them in the swimming competition. Well, I never gave the swimming a thought because I believed that my trick the other day had saved me, little did I know that the girls have a dubious plan against me.

We were all there in the class together with the Super Cee when Bright and his crew passed and said;

"So this is the clown they say can defeat me in swimming, hahaha, well we will have to see about that in the swimming pool."

He said and bounced along like a basketballer. When I heard him say that, I became a little bit scared but I waved that away because I believed that I dont have to prove myself since I was not in school yesterday to enlist for the swimming.

"He won't even know what awaits him, a great shock! He will be so surprised at how he will lose today."

Charity said behind the bully clique. I know that I was supposed to read the connotation into the comment of Charity, but I just did not, I think that maybe because I had a lot of faith in my move of pretending to be sick so that I cannot be in school and miss out of the registration, little did I know that everything I planned had been jeopardized by Cynthia. So we were all in the class when the house Masters came into the class and the other students who were outside quickly rushed into the class in other to get a seat. The house Masters stood before the classes calling names one after the other. Before the name-calling, the hose captains said:

"If you hear your name you come out, please we don't have much time, you guys know that we have only less than a week to pick the representatives of each house, so, you should listen and listen very attentively."

So they said before they started with the name-calling. They called many names, house after house, and when it got to the yellow House turn the Super Cee got even more excited and funny enough, it was only Cynthia that was in the Yellow House, whose name were they expecting to hear? Was it Bright's name? Or who? So I thought to myself. It was to my greatest surprise when I heard my name. What is happening? I was not even in school when the registration went on, common, there must be a mistake somewhere. So I thought before the girls shouted;

"Surprise!!!"

Oh! Now it all became so clear, so this was what Cynthia had been hiding all this while. But I did not understand why she must do that to me. I thought we were friends, as a matter of fact, I could have sworn that she loved me, or could I have read the wrong sign? But If she truly did love me she won't want to kill me. So I thought to myself as the girls pushed me out to the front where other people whose name was called stood. As we all stood there, I felt my heart beating very fast, I could even swear that I can see it beat through my shirt.

"Now please, you all should join me at the swimming pool, we will start our training and selection today, as we have heard earlier, we have less than a week before the competition. So please let's go now."

So did the house Masters and we all followed them like goats for sacrifice. As we strolled to the poolside, I kept thinking in my mind about how or what can I do to escape this death trap. I just can't tell these girls that I've got this stupid allergy and that I lied when I said I can swim, how can I possibly do that? So now I'm trapped between my dignity and my life, which should I take? Now I remembered what my mom will always tell me about reputation. She will say:

"Damian. As you fair through Earth's way, you might come to the false conviction that money is the highest thing of value in life, my son, be not deceived, for money is not the most valuable thing a man can have, instead, the valuable thing a man can have is his reputation, if you have a good reputation, please guard with your life, for it's worth is more than gold or diamond."

Now I have found myself in a situation where I literally have to choose between my life and my reputation.

Now when we got to the swimming pool, the whole students separated to their various houses, Bright, Cynthia, and myself were in the same house, later the rest of the Super Cees which is Chinwe and Charity joined us even though it wasn't their house, according to them, they wanted to see how I will defeat the arrogant Bright and put him to shame.

Because of the number of houses in the school, the house Masters decided that a particular period and time should be given to each class to practice and make way for the other houses, and my house which was the yellow house had to commence first. We were ample in our house, we were twenty in number, so the house master had to split us into two groups, I fell into a different group from Bright's. And Bright had to swim first, so I was actually happy I thought that after Bright and his crew will swim then our time for the day will elapse then we will give way for the other house to practice, and I will have to not come to school the next day under the pretext than I'm probably sick again. But I was surprised that the first crew which was Bright's crew finished pretty fast and we still had lots of time. Well, the winner of the first crew was unsurprisingly the head of the bully, he started confidently and ended with more confidence, he bragged to be the best, and he also spoke about how he could not wait to defeat Kunle and become the school's merman, a title he had always hungered for. Kunle was the guy who had been winning this competition like it was his father's property, he had retained the title for a good three years. Bright believed that he deserve to win it before he left the school, and this was his last school year. So, after the first set, it was then my own set's turn, we were ten in number, so we had to swim from the start of the pool to the end and back. The distance was alarming. How did they expect me to do that? Common everyone here is so rootless, what did I do to deserve death, I thought as I stared Cynthia deep in the eyes, the annoying Cynthia thought I was actually using grateful, little did she know that I was only cursing her.

Now the whole members of the Super Cee we're out there shouting go Damie go Damie. Now the ten of us were already at the edge of the pool from where we will start swimming. Now I noticed that Bright and his crew noticed that I was scared of swim, so they started making fun of me and laughing at me, but the Super Cee who had a lot of trust in me paid little or zero attention to their stupidity.

Now when the whistle was blown and the other boys jumped into the water, I alone was the one who did not start with the boys.

"Damian go!"

So they shouted but I could not just kill myself because of pride. So, I thought about accepting the shame and disgrace, common, nothing is bigger or better than life. Now I turned to tell her the truth but Bright saw me and belied that I was about to forfeit the swimming because of fear.

'Look at him, he is so scared of the pool, let's go and push him inside, let him just Drink more water hahaha."

So this Bright said as he ran to me and pushed me into the pool. What a life! Why would these boys be this wicked?

Like a scared kitten under the rain I feared do my life, I curled myself as I made contact with the water, I feared that day was my last day on earth. But as I fell into the pool, a very funny thing happened. I was supposed to keep popping up and down of the water in fear as I drew, but I did not, instead, I just sank deep down into the pool curled like an earthworm.

Something strange happened to me here I sank into the water, and I did not drown, even though I was filled with fear, I only had this feeling, this feeling of peace and comfort, for a moment I forgot everything about life, I forgot myself, the only thing I could feel is the aura of the water, its a feeling I can't explain, it was like I was deep into love, the whole water was like a liquid passion. Oh, how could I have been missing this feeling? I felt like I heard a song, and an opera song, I turned round to see the singer, but I found no one, it had been the water all along, now I realize that I was even breathing what a feeling, all my fears have been washed away by this liquid passion of love I found myself In.

Whereas up on the surface, everyone was wondering about my well-being.

"Why is he not out since? what happened? Hope he is safe."

So did the Super Cee say? As I was down in the pool, I heard my name from above the surface, it was Cynthia's voice, she shouted in fear.

"Damian!!"

Then I started hearing other voices which suggested that someone should dive in to rescue me. Immediately I heard Cynthia's voice I quickly caused myself to spring up, the gracefulness of my beautiful gold-coloured hair glittered exposing my inexplainable beauty.

"Go Damie. Go Damie."

So I heard from all the girls who stood there looking at me so lustfully. But the other nine boys who I was to compete with were already swimming back when I was yet to even make a move from where I fell. As I heard this, I sand back into the water, I haven't swum my whole life, but my instincts told me to kick my legs which I did and before I knew it, I was at the edge of the poolside, I sprang up again, now when the people saw me at the other end of the pool in such a short time, they all had a jaw-dropping experience. But my competitors were already on the returning side. Now I really love myself, I sank back into the water and kicked my legs again, and just like a water jet, I found myself at the finishing side which was our starting point, then I sprang up yet again, and this caused a great wow from among the crowd, I came first, even though I started late, I still first the others, our house master gave me a hand to point me out, and I come out of the water, everyone was just chanting my name, I felt like a true celebrity. Now the super Cee rushed to me with the towel which I used to dry myself. I truly love the feeling.

But all the while I kept wondering about all the feelings I had in the pool, the fact that I could breathe underwater, could it be a symptom of death? No, that felt nothing like death, mom must have made a mistake somehow, but I still will not tell her that I swam, she might have a heart attack, and it might lead to me changing schools and her hating Cynthia.

Why is mom so scared of water? What could be so bad about the sweet and embrace liquid? So I thought as I watched others practice.

On the other hand was Bright and his crew, discussing and gossiping, looking at me with this eyes of detest. It's obvious they have evil plans against me.