Morning came earlier than Mike would have liked.
He woke to the sound of movement outside—voices, footsteps, the occasional burst of laughter from other corpers already preparing for their day.
For a moment, he stayed still, staring at the ceiling.
Then reality settled in.
First day.
He sat up slowly, stretching his arms, wincing slightly as his muscles protested. The journey from the previous day still lingered in his body.
But there was no time to dwell on that.
He stood up, got dressed, and prepared himself.
Today, he would meet the place where he would spend most of his service year.
Hossain College.
—
The school gate stood tall, though slightly worn, as if it had seen many years of students pass through it.
Mike paused briefly before entering.
Then he stepped in.
The energy hit him immediately.
Students everywhere.
Running.
Laughing.
Talking loudly.
Some in uniform, others slightly untidy, but all full of life.
"Good morning, sir!" a group of students chorused as he walked past.
Mike blinked in surprise.
Then smiled.
"Good morning."
The respect felt strange… but not unpleasant.
He was directed to the principal's office.
The man sitting behind the desk looked strict—his expression firm, his posture straight.
"You are the new corper?" the principal asked without looking up immediately.
"Yes, sir."
The man nodded slowly, flipping through some documents.
"Mathematics," he said finally, looking up. "You'll be handling JSS1 to SS3."
Mike paused slightly.
That was… a lot.
But he nodded.
"No problem, sir."
The principal studied him for a moment, as if trying to measure something.
Then he simply said, "You can start today."
—
His first class was JSS1.
As he approached the classroom, he could already hear the noise from inside.
Loud.
Uncontrolled.
He stepped in.
For a brief second… silence.
Then—
"Ahhh! New corper!"
"See as he tall!"
"Sir! Wetin be your name?"
The class erupted into excitement.
Mike couldn't help it.
He smiled.
But he quickly composed himself.
"Alright, settle down," he said, raising his voice slightly.
It took a few seconds.
But eventually, the noise reduced.
He walked to the front of the class, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote on the board:
MR. MIKE
Turning back to them, he folded his arms lightly.
"My name is Mr. Mike," he said. "And I'll be teaching you Mathematics."
A boy in the front row raised his hand immediately.
"Sir, we no like maths o," he said boldly.
The class laughed.
Mike shook his head, smiling.
"That's because you haven't met me yet," he replied.
More laughter.
And just like that… the tension broke.
For the next few minutes, he interacted with them, asking questions, getting to know their level, their attitude, their energy.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was a start.
—
By the time school closed for the day, Mike felt slightly more relaxed.
Teaching wasn't easy.
But it wasn't impossible either.
As he walked out of the school compound, adjusting his bag, he felt something he hadn't felt since arriving.
A small sense of control.
Maybe… just maybe… this place wouldn't be so bad after all.
The road outside was calm as evening approached.
The sky slowly darkened.
Streetlights flickered to life.
Mike exhaled and began walking toward the nearby shop to get some groceries.
A normal evening.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing out of place.
Until—
He saw her.
A figure ahead.
Walking quickly.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Mike slowed down slightly, his eyes narrowing.
His heart began to beat just a little faster.
"No way…" he muttered.
But the more he looked…
The more certain he became.
It was her.
Aisha.
From back home.
And without knowing it…
That moment…
Was the beginning of everything.