It all started with the sounds of basins being pulled out, metal boxes being banged and whispers of people here and there.
"Shasmi, get up! We just have 5 minutes before the matron comes" says a girl waking up her friend who was yet to wake up.
Yes, it was a boarding school, a girl's boarding school.
Shasmina was having a wonderful sleep and did not want to get up until her bestfriend Tiana woke her up.
"Is it already 4:30am?" Asked Shasmina or Shasmi as everyone called her, in a sleepy tone as she slowly pulled out her blankets.
Before Tiana could answer her, the voice of the matron could be heard moving closer towards their dormitory.
"Hehehe! You girls are joking with me! It's already 5am and you are still in the dormitory? Let me find you still in there! Let me find you! You are going to slash the whole school and make it clean!" Said the voice of the matron who was moving really quick along with a huge stick in her left hand.
Panic was written all over Shasmi's face.
Her bestfriend, Homemate, Dormmate, cubemate, bedmate and also deskmate Tiana, was already dressed up ready for class.
She quickly rushed out of the dorm as Shasmi took a small paper bag, packed up her uniform, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, shoe polish, shoe brush and locked up her metal box.
It was an offense to jump through the window but at that moment, she wasn't ready to get caught by the matron so she quickly jumped out of the window in her night gown.
The bell sounded to alert them that it was time for the morning prayers commonly known as the morning glory that was handled in the school dining hall since it was huge.
Shasmi rushed towards the back of the Dining Hall(DH) where most of the students had filled in and began to dress up.
She had not showered but she had to dress up since the school principal should not find her in her night gown.
The school principal always attended the morning glory since she was a prayerful woman and she was the one who kept conducting the prayer session.
She always made sure that everyone attended the morning glory for 30 minutes before heading to class for the morning prep which would run as from 5:30 to 6:30am.
Only the Muslim students were exempted from the morning glory as they would be at the school's mosque having their prayers too.
Shasmi was almost done dressing up when she realised that she dint carry her school shoes.
She knew she would be dead if the school principal would find her like that.
The worst of all was that it was on a Monday!
"This is going to be a long day for sure!" Said Shasmi to herself heartily.
The praise and worship had started and the students were singing but Shasmi was not at peace.
She looked at the corner and saw Tiana who was dozing off already even before the prayer session began.
Before she could call to her, The principal caught her.
"My daughter, you are sleeping during morning glory?" Asked the principal to Tiana who got woken up from her sleep.
She could not even answer.
"You are joking with God young lady and I will never allow that in my school. See me after morning glory" said the principal to Tiana who knew she was up for a punishment.
Other students who were dozing off quickly woke each other up after they heard her speaking to Tiana.
Shasmi had to pretend that she was enjoying the praise and worship not wanting the principal to notice that she had only socks on without school shoes.