Chapter 3

• ***
• That week passed by and soon it was the weekend. Great!
• As expected, I got a positive letter from the university. I was granted the scholarship. A three year scholarship to precise!
• Yes, I was going to finish and graduate with the school taking care of my education.
• My mother and I were so happy!
• It was a dream come true, and to be honest, I knew I'd be taken.
• From junior high, I'd always been an 'A+' student. My lowest mark was a 'B-', no kidding. I might have been poor but I was very intelligent. God had blessed me with that along with my drawing skills.
• In two weeks, I was gonna have to travel back to Manhattan with my stuff, to settle in the campus's dormitories. I was so excited. But at the same time, I was sad to leave my friends, my love and most especially, my mom.
• **
• The Friday before the Saturday I was to travel, I sat in the living room with my mother.
• "I'll miss you so much my darling. Places will quite be lonely around here without you around." my mom told me that night.
• "I'll miss you too, momma. But don't worry, I promise to come visit often. Every weekend."
• "That'll be great."
• "Yeah. And I'll try to find a little job that would fit into my school timetable. So I make a little money which I would hand over to you the days I come visiting."
• I looked at her eyes water.
• "Thank you, my dear. What would you do?"
• "I don't know yet. But don't worry, I'll find something decent to do."
• "Okay, my love. Please as you go, concentrate on your studies. Do not join bad friends. Don't try to act like the people you'll meet there. Remember they're from a different world. They're rich, we aren't. Their parents paid their fees, you are on scholarship. Stay true to yourself."
• "I promise, momma. You know me."
• She smiled and wiped away some tears.
• "Yes, I know you. Be careful honey. Peer pressure is strong."
• "I'll be careful."
• "And avoid fights and quarrels. I know you're always involved in those but please, for the sake of this opportunity, do not ruin it. Else you might be dismissed."
• "I'll avoid them, momma."
• "Good."
• -
• For the rest of that day, I had a good time with my friends. Yazz, king, Davey, yazz's bother and my other friends. We hanged out as a group and had fun one last time. I felt awful leaving them, but I'd be back every weekend.
• *
• Saturday arrived. I got my only travelling bag, full of all my clothes, little belongings and shoes.
• Yazz and my mother accompanied me to the subway.
• I kissed them one last time before boarding the train.
• **
• I reached Manhattan that afternoon. I got a cab and headed for Greenwill.
• While we drove through Manhattan, I admired the people and other places. This was going to be my town for a while. I was really gonna miss Brownsville.
• *
• We soon reached Greenwill. I was in awe! It was just as I'd imagined it.
• A big classy university with a huge campus, perfect dormitories and clean streets. It was gonna be fun.
• The taxi dropped me at the entrance of the administrative building. I paid and got out.
• It seemed to be the reopening day. Yup, I was now a Greenwill freshman!
• I got my heavy bag and managed to make my way into the administrative building.
• There was a main table with a woman sitting behind it. And also, a long line of students in front of the table. I read the sign on her table, it said:
• 'All freshmen here.'
• I kept my bag aside and joined the line.
• I waited patiently. Luckily the line was moving a little fast.
• I looked around at the other students. Yup, I was odd alright.
• Both the guys and girls looked expensive or well bred. You could tell from the brand of shoes they had and from their bags (for the girls).
• Most boys had stylish shoes like yeezys, Reebok and all the rest. I didn't know all those names because I wasn't at all interested in things I could not afford. Most had Rolex and Ice watches on. If I wasn't there to study, I would probably think of how to steal and resell them.
• As for the girls, extravagant. Not all but most of em.
• Short squirts, make up, designer shoes and clothes, little diamond earrings and blah blah blah. Good for them. I was okay in my old vans and ripped jeans. I was into my own vintage fashion.
• "Next." the woman said.
• I was already at the table.
• "Good afternoon, ma'am." I greeted. The lady looked at me from above her glasses. She frowned a little. The look she had on wasn't a pleasant one.
• "Let me guess..." she started, "...you're on scholarship."
• "Uh, yeah."
• She scoffed.
• "It's evident." she said sarcastically, looking at my clothes. "You're from?" she asked, dryly.
• I looked at her. Wow. Surely one of those empty heads that worshipped only the rich.
• "Brownsville." I replied with the same dry tone.
• "Hm! Sign here and get a copy of the school map from these files."
• I tried my best not to say something mean.
• Silently, I signed and got a map.
• "You're name."
• "Harlem Rahim."
• "Harlem. What a name." She said, searching through another file.
• People mostly had the same reaction on hearing my name. Normal. Harlem is the name of one of the most ghetto or dangerous towns in New York.
• But my dad had a reason behind that name and I wasn't gonna allow anyone to judge me through it.
• "Here. Your room number and other information. Use the map to locate the girl dormitories."
• I took the file from her.
• "Thanks."
• I left the line and made my way towards my bag. I felt some of the other students looking at me. I ignored them and left the building.
• *
• I finally found the girls' dormitory building. I was on the third floor. Luckily, we had elevators. The campus was really beautiful.
• I reached my floor. To my surprise, I met both boys and girls in the hallway. Apparently it wasn't forbidden for boys to visit the girls' dormitory and vice versa.
• Some boys had come to help other girls to pack in and others just came to visit their friends. The dormitories were mixed with freshman to senior year girls.
• I found my room number, 28.
• I dropped my bag and got the key from my pocket. I opened the door and got in.
• The rooms were beautiful! My room was as big as our living room back in Brownsville. And plus, it was a room for one person.
• There was a little arranged bed at the corner, a reading table, a TV, a little fridge and a one person shower. The toilets were probably outside.
• There was also a little drawer. I closed the door behind me. I felt all excited.
• It was now time for me to pack my clothes into the drawer.
• This was a good beginning.