WHEN THE BELL MUST RING AGAIN

 

WHEN THE BELL MUST RING AGAIN

By 

Ikechukwu Frank 

We came in uniforms too big for our fears,

Books thin, dreams thinner, voices ignored.

Broken chairs, cracked walls, mocked hopes—

From rags, we sat at the back of the class,

Learning not just maths,

But how neglect feels.

Yet in the dust of that classroom floor,

A question rose: Must this be all?

Then power arrived—

Badges, prefect titles, loud laughter in corridors.

Some climbed fast, forgot faster.

From riches, they mocked, bullied, ruled with noise.

What lifted them became their fall—

Respect drained, trust collapsed,

And the school learned how quickly honour

Turns to rags when pride leads.

Still, a few refused silence.

We began the quest—

Not for trophies, but truth.

Why the abuse?

Why the fear?

Why the broken toilets, stolen lunches,

And teachers tired of shouting into storms?

Each step met resistance,

Yet courage grew louder than excuses.

Then we entered a strange place—

A school where cheating was normal,

Cruelty was comedy,

And wrong wore a smile.

We survived that voyage,

Returned changed—

Knowing what we must never become,

And what we must repair.

There were moments almost laughable—

Rumours exposed, lies tripping over themselves.

Enemies realised they were victims too.

Through awkward meetings and honest apologies,

Comedy did its quiet work—

Confusion softened,

Peace peeked through laughter.

But not all listened.

Some chose anger as a crown.

Warnings ignored.

Lines crossed.

Their fall was slow, then sudden—

A tragedy written by stubbornness.

Talent wasted.

Names remembered for the wrong reasons.

Then came the crisis—

A fight stopped.

A tear seen.

A voice finally heard.

The school paused.

And in that pause,

We chose rebirth.

We cleaned walls and hearts.

We spoke up, not out.

We chose respect over ridicule,

Care over silence,

Leadership over noise.

We learned this truth:

A school changes when students do.

Now when the bell rings,

It no longer calls us to chaos—

It calls us to responsibility.

The ugly is not hidden;

It is healed.

And the lesson remains:

Every school can fall—

But every school can rise.