PROM/SOSH MEMORIES: TAKE ME BACK TO CHAAPA

Hello, i know you guys love these tales so why not throw it back to the golden days of my teenage years, the first time i ever grooved with a guy! Now this is about to get hot, i'mma sip on my lemon and take you through a flash back, right here.

So for starters, i'm one of those homegirls who went to a single school and if you have never been to one or even heard of the tales therein, Prom or Sosh as it's usually referred to in Western Uganda, is a pretty big deal. It's one of those events you start looking forward to when you witness your senior buddies making arrangements for one- first time.

This was JO-MIL Sosh

THE BEGINNING

When i set foot on the Emerald Campus (Maryhill High School-MH) compound, i knew a lot of things were going to change and while i anticipated some, i dreaded the idea of all things unknown to me, that would sooner or later unfold before my face.

Two months later, in the first term, our termly school calendar read 'Chaapa Sosh'. Trust me, i had never seen a busier weekend for the girl child who anticipated seeing a boy(probably not known to them) and they had to spend some good hours together.

Usually, the boys' school hosts the event, meaning the girls would finally be out of the 'blue gates' as we usually called them. Friends to my then Form 4 roommate came around looking for nail vanish, lipstick, a cuter pair of shoes, an anklet and all those things. It was amazing!

I wanted to know how that felt and be the one who would be lying on someone's son's shoulder as we grooved the day away. But alas! I was only a 'nyongo' as form One's were called, barely well versed with the workings of such fairy tales and what was crystal clear, is that i still had three years ahead to be able to go for sosh.

FAST FORWARD

2012 dawned on me sooner than i thought, after witnessing two more or six more Proms(my school had prom arrangements with 3 boy schools; Chaapa, Ntare, and Jovoc). I thought i would feel normal about it but guess what! When my day finally came, everything changed. I had a black dress with fake pearls aligned across the cleavage area and some short silver heels, accompanied by a silver necklace and a matching bangle.

I was ready to meet my day's date,....whom i had never met and had zero idea who it would be. It was an adventure that i went all in for and it gave me an experience that i have loved since then. After all the nail dos, the mascara, the too much deodorant, it was time to get on the bus and head to Mbarara High School for a day i would never, like ever, forget.

Malik and I, MARY-CHAAPA Sosh

ARRIVAL

At around 10 am, after a 30 minutes drive, the gentlemen ushered us into the Chaapa gates (well i dont recall what color they were),...pardon m,e i was too excited to master anything. Lined along the lane, the boys wore warm smiles, nice blazers and the air was filled with various scents. Hands clasped to the front, they said hello, you are welcome...you are smart...all those things.

Now, the first part of the walk to the hall came with girls tripping over nothing but their own new platform heels. And some of these were the 'oh so heavenly, classy individuals' ...let me stop at that. I remember one who fell and her dress split at the side hem....tragedy, right? Yeah, it was a roller coaster of happenings.

As for me, the guy who walked me to the hall didn't have to worry, i wasn't one to go tripping because my shoes weren't that fancy anyway. After this moment, i honestly don't recall much about the happenings of the day, i guess my adrenaline rush was past the charts and here i am!!! Hahaha.

However, i remember clearly that it was 'guys' choice' so, we entered the hall, sat, leaving a vacant chair next to us. The boys had to come in and choose where to sit. It was like the scramble and partition moment where everybody must get somebody, lest they "FLOAT", i'mma explain that in a bit.

The term 'floating' referred to failing to get something, be it a meal or whatever, but as far as sosh was concerned, it meant failing to get a date. It was horrible, it would make news back at school, it wasn't a good thing,....now you know, let's proceed.

I waited for my would-be date, i didn't have a prior arrangement with anybody so, that was even more scary. But hey, in a moment, this good looking guy with a sweet scent came by and he was like; May I? I looked up and made no haste in signaling him to sit, "Please do", i said.

JO-MIL Sosh

STRANGER THINGS

You guys, he smelt so fucking good. If i am not mistaken, it was the Naomi body splash, Vanilla flavor. I have loved that scent since and i use it all the time. The introductions came through and in a bit, we were jazzing about "US"... what the fuck.

Oh, BTW, he came through with some beautiful fake/plastic flowers that had the same masculine scent as his, ...you know what that means, right? I kept the flowers till i finished O'level. I sprayed them with my pixie deodorant every once in a while,...just so i could smell them after class. (Yeah, i am that into things, i am so sentimental)

AFTER LUNCH

So, fast forward, after the speeches and all that, we had lunch. My lunch date was a different guy, muscular enough to carry two plates of food and two bottles of soda while i twirled around with my small clutch purse and fake flowers(they were all i needed then....sigh...sigh...).

When lunch was over, my first date was at my side almost immediately. It was time to dance!!!!
Okay, i am not one who knows how to dance, shake, or any of those things so i persuaded him to sit and chat till my kind of music started playing.

My darling seato, Joanitah

SPEECHLESS

I love slow music, country, a bit of RnB, and all those nostalgic oldies that remind you of the first time you kissed a boy or a girl. We were talking about how good the deep fried irish tasted at lunch when Micheal Jackson's soothing melodies filled the air, Speechless was playing!!

I have never seen myself act so fast like i did then, telling this guy, "It's time, let's get grooving." Ululululu,.....He offered his hand, "Shall we?" he asked. "Absolutely," i replied and off we went, joining all other couples who were leaning on each other, grooving to the ballad.

When he put his arm around my back and pulled me closer to him, i must confess it was the first time i got to understand the meaning of "feeling butterflies in the stomach." It was a feeling like no other, it felt warm, and as if things wouldn't get any better, he leaned closer to my neck, "are you comfortable?" he asked!

I wanted to tell him that "this is the most comfortable i have ever been," but i restrained myself for God knows what. "Yeah, i am good," i said. He signaled me to lay on his chest,....you guys,....he had loosened his black necktie a bit, it still complimented his burgundy shirt and well,...i couldn't resist the offer.

Just as speechless faded out, i think Jennifer Hudson's "If this isn't love" kicked in and mehnnnn, there is nowhere else i would rather be, but right there, in Malik's warm embrace. I was kinda feeling awkward at first but looking over his shoulder, i saw some of my 'chapel girl' buddies in a kissing range from their dates and my heart went, "damn, i guess it's all okay." I let my fucking self enjoy it all.

At one moment, we weren't really dancing or grooving or anything, we were just there, right where we both wanted to be, for eternity. Everyone was,....at least as per my recollection, calm, busy with their partners.

The afternoon flew by so quickly and it was about time for the "last song" as announced by the day's DJ. I didn't care how long the song would be, i wanted to make it count. I can't remember what song it was, but i enjoyed every split second of it, my arms clasped at his back, his on my waist. It's all i ever wanted and till this day, its been one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Abel and I JO-MIL Sosh

TRAGIC ENDING

After the last song, our buses were waiting, to ship us back to Maryhill, and it was sad. The day had lasted only 3 hours,..well, at least that's how i felt. The last hugs were sad, emotional. And while we were sealing off the day's fun, someone shouted; "BEEs, run!"

Guys, this ruined the moment for many. Bees appeared out of nowhere and everything got crazy. Two of my buddies got stung, unfortunately, the MH ladies were zooming to the bus,....hahaha,....MH ladies don't run!!!! As for me, Malik got his blazer off, put it over my head and, "we need to get to the bus ASAP," he said.

We took a longer route behind a certain classroom block but we safely got to the bus. Our Entertainment Prefect was yelling at everyone, asking us to get into the bus. Well, Malik handed me what belonged to me, my flower, a purse and an apple(God know why it was only one) and we hugged,..for the last time. He held my hand as i climbed up and waved as i took a seat.

The engine was roaring back to life and my fairy tale was over. The journey back to school was full of mental replays and everything was flashing before my eyes like teen romance movie scenes. I must have been grinning all the way through.

MY ROOMMATES

This is me in Form Four, photo taken by Rhona, my then roommate

As i got off the bus, my roommates, Comfort and Rhonah were waiting for me. They are the best people i ever met in school. Comfort grabbed my flower as we headed to our room; SHELL HOUSE, WING B, ROOM 5. That's where i had to unpack the day's events as the two couldn't let me be.

It was magical, it was sweet, it was emotional, it's a memory that nothing will ever erase from my mind.

To Malik, thank you for making my day a fantastic fairy tale. To the MARY-CHAAPA solidarity, may you live to give other girls such nice experiences.
To my teenage self,....you are a mystery that i still hold close in my all grown heart, and i don't regret anything!

Thanks for reading, i am waiting for your experiences in the comments down below.