Primary School Graduate

My Lil Miss...

She started school pretty early although she was lucky that I had a nanny as well as a maid when she was born and so she started later than her elder sister who started at 3 months  (I also had a maid then who attended school; Glory). She was however unlike her sister, loving it. She never cried, was always happy to go and happy to return. She welcomed you with outstretched arms but always left with a wave. 

She started out at a day care center that had done only that exclusively for years and that I felt was best at this particular service. In about a year or so, the day care center got the big idea to transition into a primary school and while I didn’t think it was a bright idea, I had no serious misgivings.

My work was easy then, I worked at the hospital, I was Principal Vet Officer and there were not that many cases but I had that heightened sense of duty that made me rush to work early and refuse to leave till the time I was supposed to. Which is how I began to feel the effects of rushing around in the morning, dropping big sister off at All Saints’ and rushing back to Bodija axis to drop her.

I was alone at this time as the other half was away getting a degree overseas so I reached the end of my strength one day. I wanted to pay fees and rushed into the Day Care and no one paid me any mind. I waited a while and when someone eventually came to attend to me, she couldn’t find the receipt booklet. I had actually handed over the money but was uncomfortable with not getting a receipt right away so I collected the money and left to go and get big sis from the other side of town. 

On getting to the school, I was led to inquire about pre-Nursery there and they apparently had just finished fixing a place to start and that is how I walked to the Accountant’s office and paid same fees to All Saints’ Church School for my younger daughter.

She is such a carer that upon resuming, she always ensured everyone is settled before settling down to her day in school. This earned her the nickname ‘No Bumbum’ and a prize at her first Speech and Prize-giving day for ‘Most Caring Child’.

She needed encouragement to do her work but she was a hard worker and was making steady progress. I noticed that she struggled a bit with the simplest words but aced the harder words and she could sing songs verbatim after listening to them once. She also loved to dance and had great rhythm. Whenever she was upset and I couldn’t calm her, all I had to do was spin her around and the giggles would appear. Such a happy child. With a fierce tongue but immensely kind heart.

Padi Mi, Lil Miss & my mum circa 2010

She had Mafioso tendencies though. I once watched her command her troops.

Lil boy: ‘can I carry your bag for you’

Lil Miss: ‘no, you carried it yesterday’

another lil boy: ‘you promised that you would let me carry it for you today oh!’

an older girl: ‘why are you the one who always wants to carry her bag, we nko?’

Lil Miss: ‘ehn, okay, let her carry it today, you will carry it tomoro, okay? Shey you won’t start crying?’.

I happened upon this conversation once when I went to pick her.

There was that one time when a boy tried to beat her when she was in Primary 2 as well. She gave a good account of herself. Unlike her sister who had required coaching to deal with kids who attempted to bully her, my Lil Miss had no such problems. This boy who picked on her got a thorough bashing and ran ‘under the shed’ (afterschool waiting area) to wait for his mum so he could report her. When the mum arrived and heard he had been beaten up, I heard she demanded to meet the opponent and when the boy went to my daughter and she saw her size, she asked again who had beaten him as he had started to cry again. When he confirmed that it was my daughter, she slapped him and told him if he ever embarrassed her like that again, he would ‘see pepper’. Said boy was twice her size and in Primary 3 or 4.

The period of time I was away in the US was a difficult one and it caused a change in her. She became disinterested in reading altogether and it probably set us back a few years. She was told too often that she was ‘too like her mother’ and she in turn had a response for every cruel behavior she witnessed. She did not believe like her sister in towing the path of least resistance, she fought but she was only a tiny 7 year old at the time.

In the past 3 years, a lot has changed. Quite a lot and I am happy to report it has all been for good. My baby has re-discovered reading and learning and has blossomed. She is inquisitive again and soaking up knowledge. 

I remember visiting the Zoo and Aquarium during our last holiday and how she knew more about the animals than my Veterinary self. She watches The National Geographic Channel incessantly and asks questions that task me daily.The most gratifying thing is that recently, she wants to be a Vet. She asks questions and imagines scenarios. I guess she had seen enough to convince her that this is what she wants to do. Only, she also wants to be a ballerina and go to space. 

In all, I am too grateful. See, the thing is she graduates from Primary School today and this ends my relationship with All Saints’ Church School as a parent. It started as a rich experience and then, only a strong sense of fortitude saw us through to the end.

I am super proud. I made the decision to have her study Primary 6 cos of the issues with her reading. The spelling bees, the reading contests we had, the writing she did, all convince me she got an education. And this is the sole reason I am partaking in this….this…this….graduation whatsmacallit.

Yup! My baby did the work! She passed through Primary School and Primary School passed through her and she came out tops! Congratulations babes!