SS2 resumed with their trouble and their immediate juniors were their major target. They always come to the SS 1 to execute trouble. That morning they came to select girls from the class so they could go and clean up their own class. The girls were hateful and reluctant, not knowing that it’s not every situation the staff will intervene and even if they do the SS 2 are capable of attacking them even outside school.
Later that day they came to warn the SS 1 not to make noise otherwise they will face their brutality. What guys finds most annoying is that in the midst of all the students in the school premise they are only the people SS 2 Sees to send whatever they want. Including the unimportant ones among them and again, they have eyes on their girls.
“Those guys are just trying so hard to make us react to their barbarism, and if they don’t restrain they will surely get what they are bargaining for” That’s one of the biggest boy in the class speaking. His hearers supported with noisy angry words.
“We are keeping quiet shouldn’t make them think we are scared of them or anything. We just de avoid to get problem with school”
“But if they don’t relent we will give to them what they seek. For those girls that have began to consider their advances, be careful how you do it. We are not stopping you but know it that when the conflict begins you are one of them”
The class was noisy, everyone contributed. Everyone spoke their minds angrily. Both the girls, in fact the girls showed more hatred.
“Did you travel this holiday?” Peter asked Godwin. They were strolling outside during break.
“No, I have stayed here for only a few months, not even a year so it’s early thinking about going. As a matter of fact I want to stay here till I am through with my secondary education. So, you travelled?”
“Yes, To Abuja. My uncle stays there. He’s a politician. His children that school abroad came back for Xmas. Christmas was fun if not that in some cases I look odd among them. They are too good with words and their ascent is admirable. They know many things I don’t know, like names of foreign food and other things. They are very smart I must confess, I like their company. I learned a lot from them. And I wish to be with them when next they come”
“That will be next Christmas”
“Maybe not. Maybe till after three years. They don’t come every year. And their coming is very irregular”
“It’s not nearby, the frequency won’t be as when it’s close by”
That day, three lessons were received. Being first lessons of the term and also being subjects most of them doesn’t like the lessons were dull and unusual. They had mathematics in the morning before break which lasted almost two hours. Followed by physics and computer studies.
“Mr. Stones called me to his office this morning” Lovett said to Godwin.
“What for?” Godwin’s countenance changed.
“That he just wanted to see me”
“That man won’t respect himself. He has resumed again” The initial interest they had for the conversation declined.
As they strolled along the JSS1 block, two small boys ran out of the JSS1 class, running after them. One was holding a big hard cover exercise book. When they got close the boys stopped them.
“Good morning school parents. Happy new year!!” They said smiling. Godwin recognized them. One was the one he once bought food for and the other was the one that demanded to be their school son.
“Hey boys, how are you?” Lovett responded smiling at them.
“I got this for you” one said offering him the hard cover exercise book he was holding. The other gave him brand new wireless earphones which he forwarded to Lovett. “Keep that one”
“We really appreciate. Thank you so much” immediately the boys ran back to their class happily.
The two lovers returned to their class after break. The atmosphere was breezy, the sun looked mild but only someone under it can tell the effect. No one knows where the breeze discovers those papers and leathers it blows into the premises. In their class Peter was going round with a sheet of paper listing guys that did not had their bath that morning. He would walk up to someone and examine them for a while if the person’s skin is not shiny he concludes that the person did not bath.
“Girls claims to be neat but this is just the time to find out” He said jeering. As he went close to one of the girls to examine her she stood up and chased him outside.
“I will really miss school after three years” David said to Godwin. They were sitting on the same seat with some other guys who were playing card game (whot).
“I know how I felt just for this three weeks holidays we went, let alone leaving school entirely”
“The reason I specifically said three years from now is that I don’t think I will enjoy higher institution as much as I enjoy secondary school. There everyone is a big boy. As a guy you’ll have your studies to think about, what to do to earn money and make life easier, how to get a particular girl, how to become successful and take care of mom and build your personal family. But here, it’s not like that. We live a very free life. We don’t have much to bother about”
“Very true. Secondary school is the best school. And what you cannot learn here you can’t learn it anywhere”
“This is where we learn the most. There is just extension and enhancement of most of what we have already learnt here”
“Will there be a place as cool as school?”
“No place, not even celebrities catch fun this much, on daily basis”
“I will like to be meeting our mates from time to time after here”
“Me too. But after here everyone will scatter”
“Old students meeting can bring us together again, at least once in a while”
“Will they come? You will see just few of them. Most of them will travel far away and some will be too busy with something. So, there’s no way to bring back the fun. Those you will see will change characters, behaving like they are different people. They will come just to show their difference, what they have achieved and how far they have gone in life”
“You’re absolutely right. Everything ends in school after school. Some will pass you without greetings, they will act like that don’t know you just for the fact that they are now married and you are not or because they are into universities and you are not or because they have started seeing money and you are not”
“Mostly the girls. What I hate most, ignoring me after I have already made up my mind to greet or hail them” while still talking somebody came in and called David to the staff room. He stood up and left.
Peter returned to the class. He did not cause more trouble, he just went straight to his seat and sat. Godwin was there with another guy from the class.
“What happened now reminds me of a guy who ran from army” The guy with Godwin began. “He did not go home, he relocated to somewhere else to hustle without his people knowing, so they all believed he was still in the army. Whenever he’s coming back he brings home fake army wears to show off. Whenever he wears it and go out, people respects and tremble before him so he saw it as an opportunity to oppress people. He began to misbehave. He takes your thing by force, without paying for it or seeking your approval, beat people on every slight mistake or misunderstanding. Even me, we once had a serious controversy. That day I was charging my phone in a barbing salon. He just came in and removed my brother’s phone from the charge and plugged his. Leaving my brother’s phone there when I wanted to talk he slapped me. I didn’t react because I already knew what soldiers are made of. He can beat me for my right and nobody will intervene, instead they will blame me for everything. I let that go.
One day, he went to the street to get something, he unfortunately bumped at real soldiers so they showed respect as anyone else would do when they see somebody in the same field or specialization. The guy wasn’t responding to any of that. What he was interested in was to shake them and ask how far? But since that wasn’t their usual way of greeting, they ignored him and that was how the guy was humbled. They assailed him, giving him the beating of his life and after then if he sees khaki anywhere he detours to another path”
“That serves him right. Most people today becomes soldiers just to oppress people. If you have ever offended them then expect their coming some day” Peter said.
“Same thing with cultist” Godwin added.
During preps two SS 2 students came. None of them was a prefect. They were one of those trouble makers.
“Who is Peter Ezike?”
“He didn’t come to school” Peter replied confidently from the back. The class was surprised at how quick and confident he answered them as if he has been expecting the question.
“Who then is David?”
“He went out. Called by our form master”
“What about Solomon Eke?”
“I am here” Solomon identified himself. They asked him to follow them and he did.
As they left, the class began to talk about Peter’s response to the question the senior asked that what if they were sent by a teacher to call him but he said teachers can not send those guys to call him. He argued that they came on their own. After a short while they saw Solomon pass, heading straight to the staff block. His face was cloudy and saddened. Everyone kept asking what happened to him. The class was rushing to the window to see him.
“Did I not say it?” Peter said. “I knew their intention was not of good but of evil, and to bring whoever is unlucky to unexpected end. See now they have done so to that nit wit”
“He did not even care to know why they wanted to see him. He just followed” A girl added.
“That is for you to see the mistake his parents did by giving that sodomite that name. Instead of that name they would have given him Zerubbabel, Nebuchadnezzar or….” The class busted into laughter. As they were laughing and contributing shortly Solomon passes again with Mr. Stones.
“There is going to be trouble” somebody said.
“What really happened?” Another asked. Questions began to sprout out.