Learning to eat in full view of the block 2 dining hall

What this blog is all about

I joined Lenana barely five months after the most traumatic event of my life—the passing away of my mother in August 1977. I went to that school totally by accident. Or shall I say a stroke of fate. Here is what happened.

I have always believed that I am a tough boy but my mother’s death had its’ toll on my life and one of my wise teachers (bless her) noticed that life was going to be difficult for me unless I got some toughening and so she changed my first choice school from Alliance boys (where my dada wanted me to go) to Lenana School.

The primary school I had attended, (Lavington Primary) was not too badly off as far as facilities went but I was awed as we drove all the way from the school gate to Kirk in block 2, going through the swimming pool and squash courts. I was excited and sensed that I was going to be very happy in this place. Little did I know of the horrors that awaited me in the coming days. In retrospect I am certain I would have had an easier time in Lanet doing military training for six months. I kid you not.
It was a Sunday and so we went into the dining hall dressed in our blazers.

But I must admit that I was made to feel very welcome. At least I knew Fred Ochieng in Form two from Lavington Primary. We used to play a lot of soccer with him. I also knew fellow rabble, Christopher Ngovi who was also from Lavington.

The bell rung and we were ushered into the huge Block 2 dining hall where Form twos were still serving. Nesbitt Wesonga (whom we were to play rugby with up to national team level was there hurrying around with a huge tray of spaghetti, which was what we had for our first supper at Changes).

And then my first embarrassing incident at Lenana happened. We occasionally ate spaghetti at home where I usually preferred a spoon. But here we were with only a fork and knife as the sole tools to maneuver those slippery things into the mouth. I ended up putting my knife in my mouth at one point. The second I did that, there was loud laughter all around me on the table. I had not noticed that everybody was looking at me. Opposite me Memba Muriuki (now a lawyer cum boxing promoter) was the other first former on the same table with me. He had been at Nairobi primary and also had an elder brother in fourth form and so he knew exactly what to expect. Obviously he had been much better prepared for all this. Hen the others laughed I remember he smiled. As if to say “at least I am not a mshamba like that big guy opposite me on the table.”

We exchanged a few words with Ngovi after supper and before we went to bed. He told me that we would have to brace ourselves for the worst because the school had a reputation for serious bullying. I didn’t really feel frightened because I had no idea what was coming. But also because of the death in the family the previous August. I told myself nothing worse than that would surely happened to me. Ignorance is bliss and sometimes it is good that we are not able to glimpse into the immediate future. There definitely would be more suicides around if we had that ability.

What was your first day in form one like?

Post 1: What this blog is all about
Post 2: I was laughed at on my first day in Lenana
Post 3: Eric Ayodo's side step
Post 4: Lenana Mean Maroon 1st XV 1978