Humiliation of Debt
"Tell your teachers that they should exercise little patience with me till tomorrow,’’ Wole would tell Rolake whenever she was going to school. "I will pay tomorrow, unfailingly.’’
After awhile, the teachers became tired of Wole’s tomorrow which never came. The headmaster has given Rolake so much grace because she had never owed school fees before; and also because she was the most brilliant pupil in the school. But most importantly, she was a Prefect. Apart from the pupils in primary 5 downwards, Rolake was the only one owing school fees. The school’s rules concerning debtors were to flog them on the assembly ground disgracefully and then send them back home. The headmaster who initiated the idea thought that would make their parents pay quickly. He thought no normal parents would be happy to see their wards so humiliated. So that would compel them to pay the school fees on time to prevent such disgrace for their wards. He forgot that nobody can give what he doesn’t have, even at a gun point.
But for a celebrated pupil like Rolake to be so treated, it would be an untold shame to bear for her. That was why her teachers had been patient with her for that long. Many days and nights have passed by. Even the date for the expiration of school fees payment has long passed; still Wole couldn’t raise the school fees. All his efforts to get the money came to naught. He even went to labour for some fellow farmers but the money they gave him wasn’t enough. Wole as well as Rolake grew more worried.
One Monday morning, after the assembly ground has closed, the pupils were about matching to their classes. A teacher made announcement that the headmaster wanted to talk to the pupils. They all stood behind, waiting patiently, including Rolake.
"Good morning, sir!!!’’ The pupils greeted the headmaster in a thunderous chorus like an army regiment on a parade. He matched towards the front of the assembly ground gallantly, like an army general inspecting a battalion on a parade ground.
The smart fifty-five years old Mr. Ahmed, the headmaster, was a short and dark man. His bald head was glistening under the morning sun. A no-nonsense man to the core, his small eyes were always red, casting terror into the pupils’ heart anytime they looked into them. Even the teachers feared to look into them twice. Because he has a big voice, when he speaks from a hidden place you would think he’s very tall and big. He was dressed in oversized white long sleeve-shirt and black trousers, matching them with unpolished black stiletto shoes. His red long tie is done in a very long knot, covering his old leader belt. Mr. Ahmed hardly ever addressed the pupils except when the case has become critical and very important to him, most especially when the matter is about school fees payments. He would charge the pupils exorbitant school fees but would send peanuts to the government's purse.
And when he comes out to address the issue of school fees payment, the debtors must be punished. "Eye for eye, no sinner goes unpunished,’’ he would say, casting great panic into the hearts of the indebted pupils. No wonder, the pupils, spearheaded by Kunle, nicknamed him: "Eye for eye’’ because of his famous slogan, and perhaps his permanent hot-coal eyes.
"It is good morning for the good pupils who had paid their fees,’’ said "Mr. Eye for eye’’, smiling wryly. After a little pause for effect he added slowly, "And bad morning for the debtors who haven’t paid their fees.’’
There was a general murmuring among the pupils. Some were having unshed tears, glinting in their eyes, others were smiling.
"Keep quite!’’ the teacher who conducted the assembly that morning shouted from the back. "If I catch any of you murmuring like pigs while the headmaster speaks, you will be made the scapegoat,"
The muemee didn't stop, so he continued, "It will be better for you if you can fem and hold your lips now! Your fingers on your lips now!’’
Mr. Dada had never failed in his threats. A conk disciplinarian who the pupils believed loved flogging more than food. Immediately after his warning, the pupils became quite, holding their lips with their fingers. And the assembly ground became silent like a grave yard.
Exceptionally tall, broad-shouldered and ebony dark man of about 40, Mr. Dada’s intimidating physic was very much feared by the pupils and respected by other teachers. He had an unformed wide "w’’ nose, bulging eye balls and thick smoker’s lips that made the pupils, no matter how stubborn they were feared him. The pupils had nicknamed him "Kingkong", after a gorilla character in a children fable story book, but most of the feared to call him so, even behind his backs.
"As I was saying,’’ the headmaster continued, clearing his throat, his voice rang around the school compound like a large drum. "This morning will be a memorable one for the debtors. We’ve added not less than a week to the actual date which the promotional and common entrance exams fees were slated to be paid. But to our greatest amazement, some unscrupulous elements are yet to pay. We will not condone such act of impunity in this school any further. Those who had paid had no two heads and are not stupid.’’
"Mr. Eye for Eye’’ stopped talking for a while to see the reactions of the pupils. Many had already started wailing. Some were trembling in panic like a leaf in a Harmattan morning. So, assembly ground became like the biblical judgment day.
"I’m warning you again, I don’t want to hear any noise at all,’’ Mr. Dada thundered again, walking briskly between the assembly lines, holding two long atori canes, "just let me set my eyes on your lips moving!’’
As if the sight of the attractive canes gave "Mr. Eye for Eye’’ an inspiration to flog, he ran to collect one from Mr. Dada sharply and resumed his speech.
"It is already late to cry when the head is cut off. Come out now if you haven’t paid your school fees.’’ Mr. Eye for eye thundered but none of the pupils came out. He continued his speech; the smile on his face was a grimace. "It is better to come out now and receive your twelve lashes of the cane. If I call you out from the lists in my hand, it’s twenty-four lashes. It is an eye for an eye, no single sinner goes unpunished!’’
All the debtors came out now, terrified. Most of them were in Primary Three to Five. Rolake was the only student in Primary Six and a Prefect. The embarrassing stares from the pupils show how disappointed they felt, seeing their prefect among the debtors. Lola was among the first pupils who have paid. Even though all her numerous efforts to make Rolake her close friend had proved abortive, she still saw her as a sister. Haven't they come from the same village? She felt a great pity for her and wish she had the money to pay for her and save her from the embarrassment staring her in the eyes. "Mr. Eye for eye’’ instructed two big pupils to bring two long benches from his office. When the benches were brought forward, he instructed Rolake to prostrate flat on the bench before him. The second bench was for Mr. Dada. The pupils we have to lay on the benches one after the other while they received their 12 strokes of the cane each.
"Mr. Eye for eye’’ was very disappointed at Rolake for not being able to pay her school fees despite the grace he had given her. He decided to cane her first, being the most senior among the pupils. Some teachers who couldn’t bear to see being so Rolake embarrassed, came out to plead with "Mr. Eye for eye’’ to tender justice with mercy. He ignored their pleading completely with the waves of his hand.
"If she is a Prefect and couldn’t distinguish herself and lay a good example for her juniors," the headmaster insisted, "she should be punished as a deterrent. It’s an eye for eye, no sinners go unpunished!’’
Thereafter, he and Mr. Dada laboured on the buttocks and backs of the pupils for about half an hour. Some of the pupils, especially the stubborn boys, didn’t feel much pain from the cane; it clearly showed on their actions. After receiving their lashes, they would jump up and pretended as if it was painful, robbing the spot with their hands vigorously but would smile and make comic faces to their fellow pupils. They’ve gotten a strategy to protect themselves from the pain of lashes. How? They would wear not less than three shirts and shorts under their school uniforms whenever they’re going to school, to shield their backs and buttocks from any lashes that might come their way.
After the flogging, "Mr. Eyes for Eyes’’ sent the indebted pupils home to their parents. When the debt-free pupils were about matching to their different classes, Kunle the son of Alade and two other pupils were seen by "Mr. Eye for Eye’’. They were just coming to the school, bouncing their ways into the assembly ground. All the pupils on the assembly ground began to roll on the ground for laughter. They were well known notorious boys in the school as a whole. Kunle was in Primary Six while Dayo and Jide were in Primary Four and Three respectively.
"Hey you chronic truants, come over here!’’ "Mr. Eye-for-eye’’ thundered, his eyes popped out and redder. "If you dare run away you are in hot soup. I recognize your faces and names: Lakunle Alade, Dayo Banjo and Jide Kolawole!’’
Mr. Dada went to meet the boys where they were standing and dragged them by their trousers like criminals before "Mr. Eye for Eye.’’
"What made you late for school this morning again?’’ "Mr. Eye for Eye’’ asked the boys, staring at them with his small, red eyes, having the looks of the dread government paramilitary tax collector men who were known as WAI brigade.
The WAI brigade would come to a creditor’s house very early in the morning when he had least expected, so that he wouldn’t runaway. Majority of the farmers, mostly the low-scaled ones, were known to always evade the government tax collectors by jumping into the bushes immediately they heard the rumours of there arrival from the Local Government Head Quarters, Ilutuntun. Consenquently, the tax collectors had devised a means of hoodwinking them. They would come to the villages unannounced at a very early hours in the morning when they might still be on their beds, snoring. Then they would force them to pay their tax with their money or some worthy properties equivalent to the tax or risk being dragged to the police station in Ilutuntun.
"Sir...Sir… I went to do run some errands for Chief in Damiro village,’’ Only Kunle, their ring leader was bold enough to reply.
"You’re a chronic truant…and a lazy liar!’’ Mr. Eye for Eye’’ shouted angrily. "It’s everyday that your father sends you on errands before coming to school, right? Chief Alade that I know too well has servants and wouldn’t need your services, not when you’re coming to school! Again, rack your dull brain for another cheap lie.’’
"I’m not lying sir,’’ Kunle tried to look more serious. "You can ask Dayo and Jide here, we went to the place together. They accompanied me.”
"Keep shut, you little imp!’’ "Mr. Eye for eye’’ shouted at Kunle, turning fully to Jide and Dayo. "Let’s agree to Kunle’s lie that his father sent him on errands, why did you follow him? What is your own concern about a father-son's business?’’
"Sir…sir...the road to Damiro is so dangerous, full of dangerous wild animals. We couldn’t bear to see our friend tread there alone, so we accompanied him,” Dayo said, summoning courage to be bold.
"Hmmm...’’ "Mr. Eye for eye’’ hummed in disbelief.
"Yes sir, Dayo is right,’’ Jide supported, looking serious too, "Kunle’s father sent Kunle to beg us to accompany Kunle so that nothing bad would happen to Kunle on the way…’’
"Keep shut! Liars! Insolent escorts!’’ "Mr. Eye for Eye’’ vokitted out. "Your parents or guardians sent you to school to study but you chooses to be roaming about the villages aimlessly…’’
"Not roaming about, sir. We were…’’ Kunle interrupted.
"Keep shut! How dare you talk when am talking?’’ "Mr. Eye for Eye’’ asked Kunle, raising his cane up to scare him but he remained bold and unshaken. "I know that you this stubborn goat have been the one disturbing the peace of this school with fighting, bulling of junior pupils ,truancy and examination malpractices. Anyway, I’m not so amazed to know you have recruited new gangs under your mentorship to terrorize this school after you might've…’’
"No, sir…’’ Dayo and Jide interrupted the headmaster, they wanted to defend the allegation.
"Shut the gutters you called mouths, you brats!’’ "Mr. Eye for eye’’ snapped. "Lakunle, you’re now in primary six and may leave the school soon, that's if you can pass your exams. Wasn’t that the reason you are training this kids to take up your bad ways after you might have left? To complete the act of wickedness you've started in this school?’’
"No, sir!’’ Kunle grumbled aloud, looking dagger at Mr. Ahmed. "Perhaps, I am not a bad boy. That is a false allegation…’’
"Keep shut you silly boy!" "Mr. Eye for eye’’ ranted again. "Lakunle, you have really bitten more than you can chew in this school. If it’s not because Chief, your father has been kind to us, I would have rusticated you long ago. Now, am sending you three little devils back home to your parents! If you don’t bring them here tomorrow, consider yourselves no more pupils of this school. Now, clear off my sight! Nonsense!’’
Dayo and Jide wanted to plead with the headmaster but Kunle made faces to them that they shouldn’t. The boys left the school as the assembly ground closed for the day. The pupils on the assembly disappeared to their different classes.