Pleasant Surprises ~ Ink Well Creative Non-fiction #23

Every 19th day of April is my birthday and until recently, I would have forgotten that it's my birthday before it occurred to me. That particular year, in 2017, my birthday coincided with the Easter celebration. I was away in the field with other friends giving out a helping hand to the needy in a remote village, far away in the midwest state. And as usual, I had forgotten it was my birthday. Throughout the period of the outreach, I couldn't make any plan in how to celebrate my birthday because it didn't occur to me in the first place.

Pixabay

Soon, the Easter celebrations were over and work resumed. April is the month that the senior secondary school students would begin their final external examinations. So, preparations was in top gear. We arranged extramural classes for the learners with teachers as supervisors to see that all of them are well prepared for the examination.
On the day of the first paper, which was my birthday, I went to address the students populace as they gathered in the assembly ground.

Good morning school. Welcome back from the Easter break. I said with a kind of smile on my face.

It was like the students became to calm. There was no noise coming from the junior arm of the assembly which was something I had to deal with anytime the assemble was on. This attitude of theirs made me kind of proud of them.

Wow ❗ I see that you all are calm today. This is what I have always wanted you to do, to painter perfect decorum when your tutors are talking to you. I continued

As I was about to say my purpose of addressing them that morning, the next thing I heard was a shout!!

Happy birthday, sir!!!

At the top of their voices, they echoed it. A was so dazed with amazement that I did not know what so say next. I just stood there, speechless.

Then, the class captain of each class came forth with a wrapped gift in his hand to present to me. Believe me, it was a surprise that was unprecedented.
You know that euphoria that comes with such surprises. I couldn't just contain it.

I got worried because I did not expect the children who weren't working or earning any income to buy me gifts for my birthday. So, after Inhad addressed the students and appreciated their good gestures, I invited all the class captains to my office.

Where did you get money to buy these gifts?

Every one of them said how they came about it. Some had informed their parents about it while other made contributions from their personal savings. I still thanked the captains specially for considering to celebrate my birthday with me in such a special way.

I soon dispersed the class captain so that they can join their classes for the day work. Then, called for a staff meeting where the examinations committee will be announcing the names of teachers who would be involved in invigilating the external examination.

At the meeting, when we were still discussing the rudiments of the examination and how the invigilators should conduct themselves, the vice Principal excused herself from the meeting for a moment, only reappear with about three learners who carried a box of cake, a piece of table cloth and a stool.

At that moment, it seemed that I was lost in thought. The students, led by the vice principal, started to set the stool with the table cloth and placed the cake on it. Then, all the staff rose from their seats and started singing

For he is a jolly good fellow…….

Everything happened like the flash of light. I have never in my life anticipated such surprises, not in my birthday because I don't take it that serious. I believe that birthdays are just like every other day of the week or month, or year. But these guys proved me wrong.

Cottonbro studio

What more can I say? I had the best birthday celebration of my life with the learners and staff. Surprises are good when you do not expect them, of course, it not a surprise when you are already expectant.