CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: NO FOOD FOR LATE COMERS
"So… well, are you guys planning to tell her today?" Victoria asked, her eyes darting between Morayo and me as she walked closer to our beds with a curious expression.
"Of course, during evening dining," Morayo replied confidently, standing up and walking toward her bunk as if the decision had already been made.
"Yeah, me too," I added, shifting my attention from Morayo to Victoria.
"Whatever," Victoria muttered, turning away as she prepared herself to leave.
Suddenly, the bell rang.
In this school, I noticed that the bell didn't just signal classes or break times. No, it rang for everything: dining, classes, prep, even bedtime, which they call "lights out." The sound echoed through the corridors, sharp and commanding, making everyone immediately adjust their pace.
"Girls! It is time for dining. The cooks have already started serving the boys. They said if any girl comes late, they will not serve them!" a female student shouted from the corridor, her voice carrying across the passage to alert all the girls.
"You better let's go; I can't miss yam porridge because of your slowness!" Morayo said jokingly to Victoria as she hurriedly grabbed her bag.
I stood up as well, holding a spoon in my left hand—just for practice, of course, though my mind was more on getting there before missing out.
"You must love all the foods in this school," I said, turning to Morayo as we walked.
"Not exactly all the foods in this school," she replied, swinging her bag over her shoulder. "Just exclude pap and moi moi, and sometimes even the school beans can be so disgusting. But sometimes… they're actually pleasant to eat."
"Watch your mouth, Morayo. The prefects are nearby; they will hear you," Victoria warned, standing up from her bed and pulling her bag straps tighter.
"Whatever, let's just go," Morayo said, unfazed. She didn't seem nervous at all, even with the prefects nearby. I wondered what could happen if the prefects overheard. Was it a bad thing for students to openly discuss what they liked or disliked about the school food?
"What will the prefects do if they hear what she said?" I asked, curiosity creeping in.
"It's not like a bad thing," Victoria explained, walking beside me, "but they will reduce your food when it comes to what you mentioned you hated."
"Oh!!!" I exclaimed, suddenly understanding. At least it wasn't punishable—just a practical consequence if you didn't like something.
"It is not bad!" I stated emphatically.
"Yeah, it's not bad for some students, but it's bad for me," Morayo broke in suddenly.
"As in how?!" I asked, curious about why she felt it was "bad."
"It's bad for me because I eventually like the food… just like beans," she said with a shrug, turning slightly to face me before looking straight ahead again.
"You and food, eh," Victoria commented, shaking her head with a small smile.
It was true. Morayo seemed to genuinely enjoy almost everything. I guessed she just liked feeling a little different when others complained about certain foods made by the school cooks.
As we walked down the corridor, we started seeing some girls returning from dining. Their expressions were grim, disappointed—like they had faced some sort of injustice.
"Oh God! Hope it's not what I'm thinking," Morayo muttered, already looking worn out. I couldn't help but laugh a little inside at her dramatic reaction.
"Don't yet conclude. Let's ask one of the girls coming from dining," Victoria said, giving Morayo a small glimmer of hope.
I was starting to feel out of the group, confused about what they were murmuring about.
"What do you think happened?" I asked, trying to catch up.
"The looks on their faces… it's not good at all. They look disappointed. Maybe the cooks refused to serve the girls," Morayo explained gravely.
"The cooks refusing to serve the girls? That's brutal! That would make them go hungry," I said, already feeling sympathy for whoever was left out.
"I said don't conclude yet. I'll ask someone now," Victoria replied. She walked up to a girl who was walking back slowly and asked quietly. The girl whispered something before Victoria nodded.
"The cooks refused to serve the late comers," Victoria said as she walked back toward us.
"I knew it! That's why I forced you to be fast with what you were doing!" Morayo said, her voice full of disappointment and annoyance at Victoria.
"It's not as if I was playing. Or did you see me play?" Victoria defended herself, a small grin forming on her face.
"Late comers? But the bell just rang not too long ago," I said, still confused.
"Yeah, it might have sounded not too long ago," Morayo explained patiently, "but sometimes, the bell rings ten to twenty minutes after dining has started. Some girls who go to dining early act as our bell. They inform us when dining started to alert everyone. Didn't you notice the girl who shouted right after the bell rang?"
Wow, that was another thing I had to learn. Timing here was crucial.
"Next time, I'm not going to wait for anyone who delays me," Morayo muttered, walking ahead alone and leaving Victoria and me behind.
"Does she have anything to eat?" I asked, worried for her.
"Yeah, her mom gives her provisions as if she's staying here for a year. No need for her to worry about food," Victoria explained as we walked together.
"Then why did she leave us like that, annoyed?" I asked, still trying to understand her reaction.
"Nah, no worries. She'll get over it. Morayo has never been annoyed because the cooks refused to serve late comers. It will take more than that for her to be annoyed," Victoria replied reassuringly.
I realized we should just give her some space to enjoy her provisions until she was satisfied.
"By the way, Vanessa… she didn't walk with us today," I said, turning to Victoria.
"Maybe she's at dining. She must be eating there," Victoria shrugged casually.
Yeah, maybe. She doesn't really have provisions to fall back on, so missing dining must feel like a catastrophe for her.
"I'm also hungry. I'll go eat from my provisions," I said to Victoria, walking ahead of her.
It seems Victoria doesn't eat much. Maybe that's why she's so slim. Me? I'm neither fat nor slim—I just have a body. Lol! But honestly, I'm somewhere in the middle, comfortably average.
As I opened my provisions and started eating quietly in the corner, I thought about the strictness of the school, the bell system, the prefects, and the lessons I was slowly learning about life here. Every day seemed to bring a new rule, a new expectation, a new reality I had to adjust to. And yet, the little victories—like getting my food on time—felt oddly satisfying.
I glanced at Victoria, who was quietly unwrapping her small food pack. She didn't say much, but I could tell she appreciated having something to eat in peace. Maybe it was our first real moment of calm since the chaos of the bell and the latecomers.
I took a bite, savoring the taste, and silently promised myself: next time, I won't wait for anyone. Being late in this school wasn't just inconvenient—it could literally mean going hungry. And I wasn't ready to starve, not even for a second.