The memory of that fateful Monday is as vivid as if it happened just yesterday. I spent the previous night worrying about how stressful the next day would be. Growing up, I've always disliked Mondays. They'd been a source of apprehension and trepidation. Hate is a very strong word, but I think it is the right word to use in this context (or maybe not). I try my best not to use the word “hate,” but sometimes it just slips out. During my high school days, Mondays were the absolute worst because they were the strictest days. I went to a Catholic high school, and the principal who was also a priest was extremely strict. Mondays were like his hunting days, the perfect days for him to hunt down his prey. Every Monday, he’d always be on the lookout for students to punish.
On that Sunday night, my mind whirled with the thought of the coming day. I couldn't help but think about how the first day of school would go. Somehow, the sweet embrace of sleep eventually won the war. I woke up the next morning with the usual Monday rush. After getting ready, I waited outside my house for the school bus. Throughout my elementary school days, I always went to school and came back by myself since our house was not too far from the school. But when I got to high school, I had to change schools, and my new school was really far from home. So, I had to rely on the school bus since my parents were too busy working from morning till evening.
After waiting in front of my house for about 20 minutes, I saw the school bus with "St Mulumba Catholic College" written on it. Mr. Leke, the bus driver, parked in front of me and welcomed me with a big smile, which I returned. I was the last student to get on the bus, and then we had a straight ride to school with no stops. When we arrived, it was that typical Monday atmosphere. The school principal was there, with his eyes darting around, looking for someone to catch. After the praise and worship session, we said a few prayers from our handbook. And of course, the principal entered in his usual white cassock. He gave his speech and started complaining about the cleanliness of the school. It's like I knew it was coming! He made us all kneel down and punished us for not cleaning properly.
That Monday was a terrible one. Things kept on happening. Everything that could go wrong, did. The school closed early because it is normal for high schools to close early in the first week of resumption. As students heard the closing bell, we all rushed to the school bus. I noticed something weird about Mr Leke- he was off. Not only was he smiling weirdly, he walked haggardly. The unmistakable stench of alcohol clung to him like a shroud. He reeked badly. I told my friends about it, but they all laughed about it and got on the bus.
Time slowed to a crawl as Mr Leke started the bus, and we all began our journey home. His hands weren't stable as the bus kept drifting. In a twinkle of an eye, Mr Leke lost control of the bus, and it drifted off into an uncompleted building. It happened so quickly, that we couldn't react. It was as if the bus flew. For seconds, everything fell into a deafening silence, darkness clouded my vision. Then all of a sudden, I heard screams. The next moments were a blur as I gradually regained consciousness, but when I opened my eyes, I saw huge men breaking the bus windows and rescuing people. The windows were sharp, but they still entered forcefully. Some of them got hurt by the glass and their hands started bleeding, but that didn't stop them. They made sure to save all of us.
Many students got injured, and some got rushed to the hospital immediately. Luckily, no one died. Surprisingly, I and some other students came out without a scratch. Things wouldn't gotten worse if those huge guys had not rescued us. Truly, not all superheroes wear capes. Mr Leke was sacked the next day.
