The
motorist applied emergency breaks and the vehicle halted
immediately.
He
disembarked from his vehicle and confronted us. He beat a hasty
retreat when he noted that we did not fear him.
He
attempted to point a finger at us but courage deserted him in that
crucial moment of need.
He
surveyed us, not saying a word, we looked at him waiting patiently
for his next move. He must have realized that he was up to a losing
battle because he went back to his vehicle and drove off.
We,
the students, had gone to look for water for school kitchen at the
nearby stream. The school had gone without water for days on end and
the school water tanks had ran dry. The principal had directed the
teacher on duty to supervise us as we went to the nearby stream
almost a kilometer away to look for water.
We
used to fetch water in dining hall bowels. The whole ritual was a
tiresome affair since one had to carry the bowl using two hands.
Woe
unto you if you did not have a trouser belt. The trouser kept on
falling down because both hands were busy hold onto the water bowl.
Every
student was supposed to go to the river and deliver at least three
bowls of water to the school kitchen. Prefects were on hand to
monitor and register students as they delivered water.
This
task fell on form one and two students because the senior students
were supposed to be busy preparing for their exams.
The
situation was so dire in school that most students took upon
themselves to go and take bathes at the stream.
It
was always a spectacle to see boys taking baths in the early hours of
the night down stream as others were fetching kitchen water
upstream.
The
jokes that went on down stream are not fit to be repeated here. But I
can tell you one thing: each class had its own area it used to bath
from. It was treasonable for a form one student no matter his size to
go near where form fours were.
On
our way back to school boys would be so rowdy you would be forgiven
for thinking their lives depended on it.
Bathing
was allowed only once in every four days so the rest of the times
form two and and ones would be busy fetching water for the kitchen
duties.
The
routine would start at 6.30am and go on until about 8.00am and resume
after afternoon classes.
Carrying
that bowl would eventually get into our nerves. At first it looked
and sounded enjoyable but after a few weeks with no water showing up
at our school taps it was time to let go of our frustrations.
On
this day students were tired and frustrated. We were closing the the
tarmac road when this motorist came speeding.
Students,
either by design or by fault refused to give way despite repeated
horns.
In
response students splashed water on his car in unison. Luckily he had
pulled his car window so he was not splashed.
He
was however angry and opened his car in visible anger to confront us.
All
students came and formed a circle around his car.
We
were charged beyond measure.
He
read the mood and interpreted the signs. He beat a retreat and
slowly, in a panic mode got to his car and drove off.
The
incident was perhaps reported to school authorities because the
ritual was stopped and the school hired people to be fetching water.
The
students however retained the right to go and bath at the stream in
the evenings.
Ends
