“So you had the nerves to go about fighting people, accusing them to be responsible for your mischief?” Mr. Stones asked.
“Who said I did that?”
“Oh! You are even questioning me. You really have guts. I thought I would handle this alone but I will see myself making the greatest mistake. I will let the principal know about it and before that I am giving you twenty four strokes. If I don’t do that I will be guilty for not disciplining you”
“Sir, I didn’t do anything”
“That is I am lying? No, I am lying. That’s what you are trying to call me, a liar. Don’t worry. When I’m through with you, you will know that I am not the kind of person you play with”
He began to flog Godwin. Whoever passes demands to know what Godwin did, Mr. Stones narrates it the way it would sound terrible in the ears. Fortunately the principal passed before he could beat up to twenty and was inquisitive too.
“I came to school this morning and I saw a written note on papers pasted all round the school walls, it was about him having sexual affairs with his class mate-a fellow prefect”
“So, who and who did you confirm from?”
“Sir, it was perceptible. I myself have been suspecting it”
“All right. So have you discovered who pasted those papers?”
“No, I think the person was scared that if he or she reveals himself they will attack him later”
“You are already defending the person without knowing who the person is, and what intention has the person for that?”
“No sir, I can’t be bias. You see this boy want to bring shame to this school. This thing is not something we should prolong. It’s clear already. If we linger over it they will not take us Serious. We better block the holes before the entire ship sinks”
“You said he is having a romantic affair right? With who? Himself?”
“No. His mate sir. A fellow prefect for that matter”
“Why is he here alone? Are you through with the other person?”
“No, I want to handle them one after another. You know if I call them here once they will agree on one thing. But if I do it this way the truth will come out easily. She will not know what I have discussed with him”
“Hey young man. Stand up and go to your class. See me when lessons are over”
Godwin stood up and left. The principal was not happy with Mr. Stones but they allowed him go far before they began to talk. When Godwin got to his class his mates ran to him to ask questions. He told them all they needed to hear. Nobody was happy about the situation. They hated Mr. Stones and whoever was working for him.
The temperature was unconducive for Godwin. He sweated profusely. It was as if the air ceased. His buttocks were scorching. He could neither sit or stand. He was placed on a difficult condition. He had never received such number of strokes and it pains him most receiving it on no genuine course.
The case at hand made Lovett careful. She reduced their closeness for a good reason. It was Godwin’s agreement with her, however. This time if she has a message to deliver she either sends someone or she would go herself and make it hasty.
“Lovett said she can’t find the letter you sent to her” Amara said to Godwin in whispers. She was careful so that another person doesn’t hear their conversation.
“Did she not remember where she kept it?”
“She knows. But she couldn’t find it there. She have searched it over and over”
“Sometimes she would think she kept it in a particular place while she did not”
“No. On this, she’s sure. Her fear is for it not to enter the hands of your enemies especially now that this case is hot. They will use it as an evidence to torture you”
“God will not allow that. I pray God uses the principal to resolve the case. As you go, tell Lovett not to panic she will find it. It will surely be somewhere safe”
“All right. I’m sorry. You will be fine” Amara left.
Godwin laid his head on the desk and crashed. He dossed longer than he ever did in school. His friends waited to see if he could wake by himself but he did not, so they had to wake him. They woke him for the purpose of seeing the principal. Definitely if he fails to see him it will give rise to another trouble and reasons to doubt his innocence.
“I am so disappointed in you. I liked you more than anyone else. If anyone had told me you would do that I will kick against it with all I have, but see it, you have rubbed shame on my face. I wanted to defend you not knowing I was fighting what I don’t know. I thought it’s something framed up against you but he showed me an evidence-A letter you wrote to her. I was embarrassed. I couldn’t speak further. I had to walk away.
But here you need to listen, stay away from that lass. Whatever you have with her cut it off. This is indeed a serious issue but I want to press it down so that it doesn’t explode. I don’t want to grow it big by inviting your parents or whoever you stay with. I don’t want the outsiders to know about it. So if you know what is good for you avoid her. The junior are learning from you. It’s the direction you give them they will follow. If they learn bad things from you that’s the beginning of the school’s downfall.
And as for this particular person that went pasting papers all over the school without permission from any of the staff will surely be fished out. I will make sure I deal with him or her. I must get to the root of this. I will know it from the beginning.
Just go. Return to your class and do as I said. I will be working it”
Godwin plodded back to his class refusing to answer anyone. He got to his desk and sat faced down. His friends could not leave his side even as he wasn’t willing to talk to them.
“let’s have this discussion after school please” Peter told the other guys. They all returned to their position fuming, talking about Mr. Stones in a hateful manner. They swore to deal with the person that exposed Godwin to the teacher when they catch him.
“I keep believing the person is from our midst” One of the guys said.
“Yes, I feel so too. He or she should pray we don’t find out”
“That could be one of those juniors he bullied” Solomon said as his contribution to their discussion.
“Did you say bully?”
“Don’t say that again. Godwin is not that type”
“Then saying it’s from this class, who do you think would have that heart to frustrate him so badly?” Solomon asked.
“I am not sure he quarreled with anyone”
“Then what about Lovett?”
“What makes it difficult to identify is that everyone claims to be on their side”
“It could definitely be somebody who is either jealous about them or…..”
“Surely, what do you think of Nkechi and Mma, Sarah’s friends? I suspect them. They may be angry Sarah left them” somebody whispered.
“No, I disagree. If they should react over it then not against Lovett and Godwin, but to Sarah herself”
“Maybe they never thought it would turn out to affect Godwin more”
“This is really complicated”
“That is why I suspect the Juniors instead. Let’s trust ourselves for once” Solomon cleaved. They could no longer doubt him since no one was sure of what to believe.
“But you made a mistake” One of them said to Solomon.
“About..??”
“Reporting that you were harassed”
“See guys I have good reasons for that. I didn’t do it to expand the heat. I tried saving my self. Do you know what would have become of me if I was reported for this?”
“You wouldn’t have don’t it that way”
“Who knows all these will swell this high?”
Peter sat with Godwin. He found out he was weeping. He could hear him sniff hard and his breathe seizes.
“Are you crying?” Peter whispered. “This is not necessary now. You need to be strong and not like this” Godwin wasn’t responding. It was as if Peter speaks to an abstract human.
“I know what you feel. It severely hurt to be separated from someone you love. Especially at the early stages when both partners are crazily in love”
“That devil incarnate makes me feel like a notorious cultist who have murdered many” Godwin said gasping with his head still down. He removed his handkerchief from his pocket and absorbed his tears. “Actually I feel like I have committed the most abominable crime, one never committed before”
“Don’t feel like that. The truth will definitely be revealed. You will be vindicated”
“How possible is that, when nobody has cared to ask me just one question about the matter? They’ve completely condemned me when they know nothing about what they accuse me of”
“Don’t feel worse. People are killed for what they don’t know. People find themselves in worse conditions. Unbearable circumstances befall people but yours, to me is not worth dying for. Be strong, cheer up! If they see you this way they will be happy that they have hit you where it pains. But when you stand to defend yourself they will get weak and defeated. They’ll become losers. What we should do rather is get to the root of this matter….”
“Do you even know that the letter is with Mr. Stones? The one I sent to her”
“Who could have taken it to him?”
“I’m not sure somebody did. Maybe she aligned the paper in her note book and submitted it not remembering to remove it”
“That is possible too but if that’s how the letter got to him who then wrote those things and pasted? Mr. Stones can not be so jobless to have done that. Somebody is working with him. He has an informant in this class. An agent is here among us”
“Guy, everything is base on guessing and assumption. Nobody knows what to wrap his head around….”
“Your employees are waiting on the window. They look scared” Those were the two junior that calls him school father. That recently work for him.
“Please, tell them to go. I will see them tomorrow”
When school dismissed, Godwin and Lovett met outside to talk about what they could not discuss in the class.
“It’s high time I told the principal the beginning of this whole thing” Lovett said.
“No, don’t even try it. It’s late” Godwin warned.
“So that they don’t put the whole blame on us”
“You will be kindling the fire instead. Nobody will believe you. They will think you just want to bring that up to implicate Mr. Stones. And also they will be convinced that what we are accused of is true, for you to have had the courage to stand by me. Then it will worsen the whole thing for us”
“Should he get away with his countless atrocities? Should this not be the right time to expose all his hidden secrets?”
“The right thing at the wrong time. Just don’t bring anything up, let it squeeze down gradually. I don’t want my aunt to hear this”
“Will she believe them instead?”
“Maybe not, but she will start having doubts about me”
“It is true. I will avoid you Godwin, for a while but I will not stop loving you. I want this to go as you have wished, besides they made you suffer it alone. They can do anything, say anything but they will not hamper me from seeing the best in you. I will always stand by you”
First time Lovett has been so enthusiastic and hearty. She has said a word Godwin so longed to hear. She loved him. She’s just saying it after so many weeks he has wished for it. Should he see that as her way of saying yes to his request?