The punishment left a long-lasting mark

School days, especially secondary school days, are probably one of the most eventful moments of our lives, filled with loads of memories that cut across different spheres of life, our behaviors as someone gradually walking into adulthood, and several others. As a student, I'm not the type of student who disobeys the rules and regulations because of my introverted traits, but I can remember indulging in an unbeliever act that almost got me expelled from the school.

If I had been told that I'd do what I did or be caught where I was caught, I would have disagreed. Well, it happened several years ago during my secondary school days. I was being warned by my guardian to either come home early after school or sleep in school and not bother coming home. The warning was due to the fact that I mostly don't arrive home until about 3 hours after we've closed school, and the reason for the lateness was because I regularly spend my transport fare on Goodies and thereby walk home.

On that fateful day, I already spent my time as always, and I decided to follow some of my classmates who are notorious for running out of school during school hours. Unfortunately for me, on the very first day I followed them, we walked into the waiting hands of the teachers, who have been positioned to catch students indulging in such acts lately.

We were all taken back to the school premises, and our parents were called to inform them of the new development. By the time each parent arrived, most of the students with whom I followed through the jungle out of the school were expelled from the school. I would have been expelled as well, but I was fortunate that the afternoon attendance being called in the past all shows I've always been in the class except that very day.

The actual reason they were expelled was because it has been alleged that those students who left the school premises during school hours usually indulge in stealing, betting, and fighting outside, and one of their stealing victims was in the school to identify them. Fortunately,  none of them picked me among those involved, and that's why I escaped that severe judgment, but something terrible still awaits.

They wanted to give me a week's suspension, but my guardian pleaded since it was my first misconduct. They agreed, but I was flogged mercilessly by most of the teachers that very day. If I'm not exaggerating, I'm certain I was flogged with nothing less than 50 strokes of the cane, and up until this very moment, I still have some of the marks of those floggings on my back.

Aside that. I was also asked to join the school cleaners in the students toilet for that week. Believe me, it was a terrible experience. Students regularly mess up the place, and having me do such a thing is so disheartening, but my guardian said those are much better than me missing an entire week in school.

For that reason, I've so much despise for the students toilets at any school that I don't even want to have anything to do with them, so that punishment has had an impact on me till this very moment, and like I also said, the marks of the canes with which I was flogged still reside in my back, and most times when I take my clothes off, people can't help but ask what happened to my back.

That's about all of the punishment I went through during my school days. Although I know I did something very wrong, I think the punishment was way too much for my offense because I was flogged like a criminal. It's so disheartening, though I would have humbly gotten punished but not as much as I got.

Thanks so much for your time, have a blessed day.