A: You cannot go to school with a rumpled uniform.

My mother if you iron your uniform,

you will iron your pant. You will iron your tights. You will iron your socks. So, my father does
not buy one uniform for you. When I was in Ijaniki, JSS 1, JSS 2, the uniform I used, I did not
throw them away. I kept them. They were not in great shape as at jss3, you understand, but
I made sure that when my mother made a uniform for me, I used to supplement it on some
days, you understand? On some days, you bring out the old uniforms and wear it. Nobody
will notice that. And we were still dragging for neatest girls.
T: The person that got the neatest student in my house, it was shocking to everyone. It was
my younger brother. Everybody was surprised.
A: Why?
T: Because he’s not neat.
A: Oh. Some people are not neat at home.
T: It’s not as if he’s not neat o, but the thing is. Oh, exactly like you said, he’s not neat at
home. Yes, that’s it.
A: But they don’t joke with their school uniform.
T: Yes, his uniform, his things are always clean. Everything clean. That’s true. Yes. So when
he won neatest boy we were always looking at him. And he always wears cardigan.
A: My mommy used to say how are they giving you neatest girl?
[Laughter]
A: Because they used to do first three neatest students. My mother used to say how are you
inside?
T: At home he used to throw everything up and down.
A: I was serious. I was focused. They used to call my parents then in Ijaniki. Anytime they call
my parents for me, it is to tell them that speech and prize giving day is coming up, and I
have some awards to collect and, to tell you to even make matter worse, I now ran. I now
still collecting running award. See, my mother was beaming. My mother used to beam when
she comes for speech and prize. She used to beam. You know when they are calling your
set, it is class by class.
T: Yes.
A: When they are calling maybe SS1, my mother does not go back to her seat. Because she
will just be waiting that okay, they have already given you how many are you collecting, just
be waiting, and so, when they say best in government, my mother will go and come back,
best in English language, go and come back. So she just collect everything, and be keeping
everything. She will now go back to her seat. She will be beaming with joy.
T: Aw, I am just remembering primary school and secondary.