Peer pressure, if blindly followed, can lead to mischief which, in turn, may attract dire consequences. TIMOTHY KAMBILIMA narrates how he and his school mates survived expulsion from school one day after they went astray and imbibed a forbidden drink. Read on …

I HAVE always heard people say that school life is the best, though I don’t fully agree with the notion. I think school life is the most delicate part of one’s life. Having scored enough marks in the 1987 grade seven final examinations I sat at Kakoso Primary School, I was selected to grade eight at Chililabombwe Secondary School — the dream school for any child and parent at that time.
I’m saying so because some parents would insist that their children who were selected at basic schools repeated until they made it to Chililabombwe Secondary School, an institution that is proud to have produced Wusakile member of parliament and mines Deputy minister Richard Musukwa, the late Chipolopolo hard -tackling defender Eston Mulenga who perished in the 1993 Gabon air disaster and many other prominent Zambians.
Life at Chililabombwe Secondary School in grade eight went on very well for me, although, on a few occasions, I was punished for minor offences here and there.
Academically, I enjoyed learning history and English, which were nicely taught, respectively, by Mr Sipula and Mrs Mubita, who has since retired from the teaching service and now settled in Luanshya.
Well, while doing grade nine in 1989,, we were informed on a day I can’t recall now,  but I am sure it was in the second term, that the minister of education would be visiting the school. We were further told that only senior pupils from grades 10 to 12, would attend the meeting to be addressed by the minister.
This ultimately meant that, all junior pupils, including this author, were free to go home and report to school the following day. We were very excited to be released and started leaving for our various destinations. Some pupils could be seen playing football on the football pitch, while others were chatting. It was at this point that I noticed some grade 11 boys who had sneaked out of the school premises.
The more than six boys approached me and my two other classmates and suggested that we go to a certain place in Kakoso township for adventure as it was too early to go back home. Spurred on and encouraged by my classmates, we went to the chosen place and when we reached Kakoso, the big boys managed to convince the guard at a tavern to buy jars of opaque beer-Chibuku. Though dad would give me a small cup of Chibuku mixed with milk at home, I didn’t like taking the drink.
But the big boys were adamant and, after much insistence, we were persuaded to feel free and take the Chibukku saying, “This is just a food drink, guys”. Meanwhile, the grade 11 boys produced some cigarettes they quickly lit up and begun to smoke. Under the influence of the brown beer, I also joined in smoking. Just as we were about to leave, however, a fight ensued between two boys in our group which attracted a lot of people. Anyway, how I found myself home remains a puzzle up to now, but I paid the price- a swollen and painful body after a very good beating from both mum and dad for the misbehavior!
Thank God, in the United National Independence Party (UNIP) government it was very normal for parents to beat up their truant children badly. If it were today, my parents would have been behind bars. I missed school for two days.
Upon reaching school, our misdemeanor had gone ‘viral’- some boys were seen drinking beer in school uniforms the previous day. By 10:00 hours, we were all summoned to the office of the deputy head teacher who quickly sent for our parents.
I went home and informed my mum of the breaking news. Back in the office, charges were read out before us and it was very evident that we would be parting ways with our  school places immediately. The deputy head teacher, in full view of our parents, made it clear that the school was not ready to keep drunkards.
My mum knelt down, crying and pleading for me as tears also rolled down my cheeks. “This is my only son I have”, my mum continued to plead, though deep down my heart I knew it was not true because our family had six boys, namely; Raphael, Collins, Alex, Emmanuel and Obed. The meeting was discontinued, but the other boys and I were told to go back home and wait for our fate in three days.
Ordinarily, three days is a short period of time to wait for anything. Not when the odds are about your school future.
Anyway, the judgment day came and, when it did, the blow was not as crushing as we had feared.
We were reprieved. Instead of being expelled, we were all severely reprimanded and ordered to work in the orchard for two days as punishment under the supervision of the teachers on duty and school prefect.
I thank God that we were saved the ultimate punishment.  From that day, I vowed never to involve myself in such mischief again while at school. And since 1989, I have hated smoking like the proverbial plague.
I appeal to pupils to be wary of peer pressure and avoid doing things they will regret the following day.
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