Back into Time

I went to some place over the weekend to catch a few drinks and deep into the night, the dj played a session of the 90s. Come monday, am going through the blogs and got to this post that made me feel I should share part of my primary school life of how closing days used to be like in primo.

Heeeere we go. Once upon a time not too long ago, when we wore pajamas and lived life slow………………Thursday, the eve of closing day. Visiting Day and Closing Day shoes are well shined, the shorts and shirts for the special days are well ‘ironed’.  The ‘ironing’ involved folding them properly after visiting day and placing them under everything else in the box. On the eve of closing day, we would air them in the sun admiring the star shaped designs on the back of the shirts formed by the ‘proper folding’. Those who had not taken a shower since Saturday now wore of scents’ of Rexonas, Imperial Leather and Panga. Smiling faces shinning after being oiled with Yolanda.

The Ceremony

After meticulous preparations, we would head to the assembly hall for the official school closing ceremony. The ceremony involved parading the best ten from every class infront of the entire school community. Later on each class teacher would hand over report forms of their respective classes and holiday assignments. This was a forum where once being a school celeb and get donned with badges with inscriptions ‘Best in G.H.C Standard 6′ , Best in Science & Agri Standard 4′ ………I got a number of these blings in that life time.

The After…Party

After the ceremony, it was time for ‘mu-enjoyo‘ we would rush to the dormitories and prepare blue-band mixed with Roiko (Not Royco) or Haria and at times with tomato or chilli sauce. This was added to the special closing day meal of boiled pishori & beans. The meal would later be washed down with sodas that included Coke, Sprite, Babito and Fanta orange (there were no fanta remixes at the time). We would then line up and take anti-malaria tabs under the watchful eyes of the two school matrons, their assistants, the deputy and the headmistress. The Parish Priest who was the school patron  would later bring his boombox and a collection of his casset tapes to the dining hall. His collection included happy nation, all that she wants, coco jambo, macarena, maddy maddy cry,

The Sound Equipment

At one time, yours truly sneaked a mixed dance tape to the priest cum dj and it became the official closing day dance tape. From then on till I left school, the tape was be played over and over and over. It included,

David Morales – The Program (nicknamed Anzauza Maprogram or Anauza Maboza)

The program was however the most popular and got a classmate nicknamed “Nara nanana nara” because he was the best dancer of this song.

Then there was this one. 69 Boyz – Tootsie Roll

There is this thing that the 69 Boyz did with their knees. Check seconds 17-19. If you didnt know how to do that ulichekwa.

There were many more on this tape which were coincidentally played over the weekend.

The Sneaky Ones, Retirement & Heading Home

As people danced the night away, the naughty ones would sneak to have privy moments with their boy/girlfriends. By then the music would mellow to Till the end of the road . We’d later retire so we could wake up early the next day for the daily 6.30am Mass. After the mass, we’d rush to take that final shower and put on the fresh clothes and shoes saved for this day. There would be a final assembly for a prayer after which everyone was at liberty to leave.