It was early Monday morning around 6am on the day of resumption, after their first term holiday. The birds and the crickets were humming sonorously, giving Sophia who was a 17 year old teenager every single moment to enjoy her sleep while voices were echoing in the kitchen with the sounds of the kitchen utensils. She turned swiftly over and over again on her bed, which seemed obviously that she was having a sweet dream in her sleep. She kept on hearing steps are approaching which hinted her that her mother, Linda who is a professor in surgery is already awake. She groaned, covering her ears with the pillow beside her as she heard her mother calling her from the kitchen.
When Sophia’s mother saw that Sophia wasn’t answering, she undressed the Apron on her body and picked up a napkin from the cabinet to clean her hands, and then she came out from the kitchen and made advances towards Sophia’s room.
“Sophia!!!” she knocked and called out three times, but when she saw that Sophia was not responding yet, she opened the door and entered her room. Sophia was still in bed and as she noticed her mother inside the room, she used her blanket to cover her head, pretending to continue with her sleep.
Her mother who stood still, scanning all her movement with her eyes burst into a deep laughter. “Lazy girl, will you not stand up from there?” she questioned rhetorically.
“Not now, Mom…” she cried out.
“Come off it, my friend… You always wake up early during the holiday and now that school resumes today, you are still in bed by this time” she queried.
Sophia who has been disturbed from her sleep by her mother retorted back, murmuring “Mom, it is still early for this…And now you’ve distracted me from the sweet dream I was having”.
“Hey Girl, What are you murmuring about?” she asked, coming towards her direction. Sophia rose up, stretched up herself while yawning and looked at the wall clock in her room. She turned to her mother and uttered sluggishly while covering her mouth "There is still more time left, Mom”.
All what was going through on Sophia‘s mind while in bed was about her schoolmates who bully her in school. “Mom, can‘t I stay at home today… And even we are not going to anything at school today because it's our first day of resuming for second term" she complained to her mother.
Seeing the expression on her daughter‘s face, her mother sat beside her and held her hands. “This is unusual of you, Sophia. Tell me what‘s wrong?”. When Sophia noticed the expression on her mother‘s face, she hesitated for a while before she uttered “Nothing, Mom… I‘ll go and have my bath now”.
Sophia stood up from her bed and murmured, stamping her feet on the floor to go inside her bathroom. Just then her mother rose up to the kitchen to continue what she was doing earlier before going to meet her daughter inside the room.
Few minutes later, Sophia came running down the stairs to meet her mother in the kitchen. She screamed “Mom, I am here”. Her mother turned to face her and hugged her “Yeah! That‘s my Girl. I wonder where that attitude comes from earlier!” she exclaimed.
“I‘m sorry, Mom…” she apologized while hugging her Mom tightly.
“Okay dear. Go and sit over the dining table… I‘m coming to set the table for you” she patted her lightly on the back and Sophia went to sit in the dining room while waiting for her Mother to bring the dishes. In few seconds, her mother entered the dining room with a tray, containing sliced bread and tea.
“Here dear… Eat up fast so you wouldn‘t be late for school” she told her while helping her to set the table.
“Okay, Mom. I‘ll eat all without leaving anything for you in the plate” she chuckled
“That sounds better” Her mother teased her back and they both laughed it off while her mother excused herself to clean up the kitchen and pack her lunch.
Within some minutes, Sophia is done eating and she packed her plates over to the kitchen and neat her dress. "Am I good to go like this, Mom?" she asked her Mother, turning around for her to check out.
"Yeah... Good to go, Good to go" her mother replied her with excitement, then continued "You are always looking beautiful baby girl that I wonder sometimes that the right person who is yet to come would be very lucky to have you to himself" Her mother teased her and Sophia jumped unto her to bade her goodbye.
"Awn... I'm flattered. Thanks Mom" she blushed.
"You are getting late for school already...so you can be on your way now as for you not to miss the bus" she warned her while patting her back playfully.
"Okay, Mom... Bye, Bye" she said, waving at her Mom.
"Oh! You are forgetting your lunchbox already" Her mother told her, pointing at where her lunchbox is.
"Oh my! Thanks Mom" Sophia went to pick up her lunchbox while bidding her mother Goodbye.
"Okay, bye Sophia" Her mother replied her, blowing her kisses.
Just as Sophia came outside of their house, she put on her glasses and ran to catch up the school bus at the bus-stop and waited for some minutes before the bus showed up. As she waited for the bus to arrive, she scanned the other students with her four eyes and saw them being excited over their first day of resumption at school. She looked at them giggling at each other through the glasses she puts on. She was still in her thought when the horning of the bus jolted her away, making a halt at her front.
Upon entering the bus, she sighed as she remembered another trauma that is waiting for her in school. She passed beside the other students who have sat down and while looking for a seat to sit on, she got a hold of her friend, Emily. She ran to meet her and they both hugged each other while Emily gave her a gist of her holiday, after they found a seat inside the bus.
Meeting Emily again after their long mid- term break made Arianna felt back alive, even though it was only for some time as the memories of her being bullied in their first term in school struck her and the incident became so fresh in her head like it was yesterday.