Celebrated TV47 news anchor Anne ‘Paula’ Odida has recounted a hilarious incident when she jumped out of a window after she was busted dodging classes in high school.
Reflecting on her time at Moi Girls High School-Vokoli, Paula told Maskani47’s Mbaruk Mwalimu and Billy Miya that she made the daring escape from her dormitory after she was busted skipping morning preps.
Paula shared that she was cornered when teachers, led by the deputy principal, set a trap to catch students who were avoiding classes to sleep.
“We were trying to dodge morning preps. So the deputy principal, matron and teachers lined up in all corners to nab those who had stayed back to sleep. So we were trying to escape the wrath of these teachers. All of us were jumping out of the windows to try and find a way to class,” said Paula.
She narrated that she leapt out the window and hurriedly concealed herself at the clotheslines by cleverly disguising her silhouette to look like a dress hanging out to dry.
“When I jumped out of the window, I stood by the hanging lines. Nikajidefine kama nguo. I placed my arms across the hanging line to look like a dress hanging out to dry,” she said.
The business journalist was, unfortunately, spotted by the matron who attempted to foil her disguise by reaching for her sweater.
Paula, however, wriggled out of the sweater and fled.
“I don’t know how she saw me. She came my way, then nikaskia tu footsteps. Kidogo kidogo nikamwona. Nikijaribu kutoka, akanishika sweater. Kunishika, nikatoa hio sweater nikamwachia hapo. Unfortunately, my name was written on the sweater. So, while running, nikijaribu kujiokoa, akaniambia, “Paula najua hiyo kichwa, rudi”,” shared Paula.
She, nonetheless, fled to the washroom where she remained hidden for an hour to avoid the deputy principal, who had been informed of her escape.
“I did not attend that class. Instead, I went to another dormitory and hid in the loo. Nikajificha humo ndani kwa corner… The loo was very stinky. I stood there for an hour huku nikiskia deputy principal akishout. I think the matron alimwambia they spotted one [student], Paula from Form 4 Yellow. The deputy principal patrolled all the dormitories akisema, “Paula, from 4 Yellow, we know you are hiding somewhere, and you are feeling cold – come out”. I did not,” she explained.
When she finally came out of hiding, Paula said she was singled out during the 8am parade as one of the school’s most infamous morning preps skivers.
She said she was ordered to clean the school’s pavement for one week as punishment.
“At 8 o’clock tukienda parade, I was the topic of discussion as among the most notorious and indisciplined students waliobaki kwa dormitories asubuhi. I was told to step forward. The punishment I was given was to scrub the pavements for one week,” said Paula.
