When my sister Lulu joined me at Holy Child School, she was three years behind me. It was during my time at Holy Child School that I truly got to knowmy elder sister, Janis, who had already started her life in London. We shared a special connection through the letters we exchanged. I delighted in writing to her, narrating the tales of my experiences at the remarkable Holy Child School, which made me appreciate the importance of family even more. As students, we were quite mischievous, and I have vivid memories of us making fun of our teachers – chewing paper much to the consternation of one of our teachers, Brother Monk, who would exclaim “Africans always chewing slut!” In my ‘O’ levels, I performed exceptionally well. Although I can’t recall receiving an offer letter after that, Mummy was determined to get me back into Holy Child School. Throughout my school days, my mom had a profound influence on me. I studied not just for myself but to excel and make her proud. She was the driving force behind my academic endeavours. Sixth Formwas amazing, and I became the Assistant School Prefect and Our Lady’s House Prefect. Little wonder then, that our house always came out on top in inspections. I was strict, always ensuring that the dormitory was spick and span. I would literally look under every bed and inside every wardrobe. Then again, I was very firm, always keeping an eye open to catch latecomers. I was so strict that my little cousin got badly “homoed” when she gained admission to Holy Child School years later, and people found out she was related to me. “KimDickson, you are very good at literature; I hope you will read it in the sixth form,” my Literature teacher told me. That’s how I found myself studying English Literature, Maths, and Economics. However, one day, after returning frommy Maths class, I was surprised to find my mother in the Administration Block. I was puzzled. What had brought her here unannounced? She wasted no time and said, “Kim, I have changed your subjects. You always said you were going to be a doctor, so why have you chosen Literature, Economics, andMaths?” I couldn’t recall ever telling my mom about wanting to be a doctor, but I didn’t protest. I simply switched to the science class, which turned out to be enjoyable because my friends Victoria and Cate were also science students 10 The Birthday Journal
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