chapter 30

The next day in class, James was seen to be doing nothing but crying. Everyone tried to calm him by saying it wasn't his fault that the accident happened. Some students like Sadik even found it surprising that James cared for her like that despite what he has been doing for her.

When class was over, Sadik waited for Peter under the accustomed tree Peter used to wait for him for several minutes but he hasn't appeared."Hey have you left Peter behind in the class?" Sadik asked a girl from Peter's class while she was going to hostel."No he is in the clinic since morning" the girl responded."Oh really? What happened to him?" Sadik worriedly asked."It looked like he has a very serious headache" the girl responded."Ok let me go and see him" Sadik concluded and walked his way to the clinic.

He went to the room which Peter was in the clinic and found him laying unconsciously on bed."Good afternoon Ma" Sadik greeted the nurse."How are you doing?" The nurse requested."I'm doing well. What's wrong with him?"Sadik anxiously asked."He's suffering from head pain, is he your younger brother?" The nurse asked."No he's my friend" Sadik replied."Don't worry, he'll be okay" the nurse assured.

Sadik sat there beside Peter without going to the dining hall, even though is compulsory for all prefects to be present. After the students had their lunch, Sarah went to the clinic and found Sadik sitting beside Peter on the bed."Can I come in?" She asked by the door."Of course" Sadik replied. Sarah came in and sat on chair opposite to Sadik."How's he feeling?" She asked."He's been in this condition since when I came" Sadik responded."Oh that's very bad, what's wrong with him?" She inquired."The nurse said is a head pain" replied Sadik."I wish he would recover soon" Sarah replied."Okay let me go to the hostel" Sarah said standing up from the chair she sat on."Okay Sarah, I will meet you later" Sadik answered."I'm so sorry about what happened Sarah" Sadik said when Sarah was about to go out of the room."Is okay" she replied and left.

Some minutes later, one of the prefects came to Sadik with a message from the boarding house Master."He said you are to see him immediately" the prefect delivered. Sadik stood up and went to the office of the boarding house master around 4 O'clock. When he got there, the boarding house master was on the verge of leaving."Good evening sir" Sadik greeted."Good evening, I have been looking for you. Where have you been?" the boarding house wanted to know."I've been in the clinic Sir, my friend Peter is sick since morning" Sadik proclaimed."You should have left him with the nurses there, is not your job to take care of the sick" Mr Waba nagged."I don't want you to miss any event again in the school routine" Mr Waba added."Okay sir" Sadik replied.

When Sadik went back to the clinic, he found a girl who was unconscious in the morning due to sickle-cell was finally awaked. She was calling out the name of the nurse, but the nurse was upstairs and couldn't hear her. Sadik walked into her room to help."How can I help you?" Sadik asked her."Can you please get me some water to drink?" the girl requested."Is okay, let me go and get it for you" Sadik walked out of the room. He went to the clinic refrigerator and brought her bottled water."Here you go" Sadik said as he handed her the water."Thank you head boy" the girl appreciated.

"So what is your name?" Sadik asked her."My name is Zara" she responded."Oh you have the same name with name with my younger sister" Sadik happily announced."Oh really? How old is she?" she asked."You are just a bit older than her" Sadik said."So what class are you?" Sadik continued."I'm in JSS1 A" she responded."Oh I wish you a fast recovery" Sadik concluded and walked out of her room.

When Sadik was close of Peter's room, he heard the doctor discussing with the nurse about Peter."I really pity this boy, he will hardly survive" the doctor predicted."Are you sure is cancer as you suspected?" the nurse doubt. "Of course it is, all the sign had shown that it is" the doctor explained. Immediately Sadik heard that, he ran out of the clinic. His heart was beating fast like a beating drum. He wished he would wake from the nightmare he found himself. He went to the school field and sat there alone. Tears started dropping from his eyes, and at the end he started crying. He continued to cry there until the place became completely dark. He heard the bell of the dining hall ringing, but he wasn't in his right mind to go.

When it was 8 O'clock, he finally gained the courage to go to the hostel. His body was weak due to the fact that he hasn't eaten since breakfast."Where have you been Sadik? The boarding house master has been looking for you for a while" one of the acting prefects said to Sadik."Where is now?" Sadik asked. I think he's in his office" the boy responded.

Sadik walked out of the hostel, when he was going to the administration building, he met Sarah trying to go to night prep."Where have you been? Peter's parents came to pick Peter, they looked for you but you were not found anywhere" Sarah informed. "Let me go to the boarding house master, we will talk tomorrow" Sadik concluded.

Sadik went to the office of the boarding house master and met him trying to leave."Didn't I warn you not to miss any school event?" Mr Waba angrily shouted."I'm sorry sir; I was sick that's why i couldn't go the dining hall" Sadik tried to defend himself."Okay go to the clinic and bring a report to verify if you are telling me the truth" Mr Waba argued."Okay sir" Sadik replied and he walked his way to the clinic.

On his way to the clinic the clinic, he noticed that all the street lights were not functioning which made the place to be completely dark and he thought maybe it was just an electrical problem. He entered the clinic and found only Zara sitting close to the record book with a cup in her hand. "Hey Zara, are you alone here?" Sadik asked."Oh yes, the nurse went to get some food for me from the dining hall" Zara replied."Oh really?" Sadik asked, remembering that he was supposed to be the one to send the food to the clinic."Ok let me go and look for her" Sadik suggested. When he got out of the clinic, he suddenly heard a girl screaming and heavy footsteps of people running away. One of the people running passed closed to Sadik, but he couldn't recognize who it was. Security men of the school started appearing from all directions with their touch lights. In a short time, the place was filled with people and the girl was seen crying with her clothes badly torn up. One of the security men quickly covered her body with a blanket."Who is the devil that did this to you?" One of the security men asked and the girl pointed at direction where Sadik was. The security men went in the direction she pointed and found Sadik there. They started beating roughly instantly without even asking him anything. Sadik started shouting for help."Who do you think will help a devil like you?" the boarding house said when he arrived at the scene."So this is what you have been planning throughout by not going to the dining hall, I've talked to the nurse and she said she has no record of you being sick" Mr said."I swear I'm innocent sir, you can even ask the girl in the clinic if you don't believe me" Sadik pleaded.

When they went to the clinic, the found Zara who claimed to be his witness lying unconsciously on the ground, and she was taken immediately to the hospital."So you decided to make her your witness just because you know she is not doing well" Mr Waba suspected."No sir, I swear I really am telling the truth" Sadik begged. The boarding house master left Sadik with the security men."Just take this criminal to the security office, he in case he will think of running away" the chief security said and the security men took Sadik to their office and locked him.

In the morning, Sadik was called by the principal. All the students had gathered in front of the administration building watching as he walked to the office of the principal. He was crying while walking. He came across Fatima walking in opposite direction to him."Fatima listen to me" Sadik called out, and she ignored him without even looking at him. "You have just made the biggest mistake of your life, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life" Sadik said and walked away. When he was about to enter the administration, Sarah came to him crying."How could they do this to you" Sarah cried."Don't worry Sarah, I will be okay" Sadik replied.

Sadik entered the office of the principal and found the Vice principal and the boarding house master in the office."Good morning sir" Sadik greeted the principal."I don't want your greeting" the Principal rejected."You have surprised everyone, if I had known that you were such an animal, I wouldn't have allowed you into this school" the Principal said with regret."I swear sir, it was me" Sadik tried to convince."Shut up you criminal. If you are innocent as you claimed to be, then why are all the evidences pointing at you?" The principal asked."Can ask you something Sir?" Sadik requested."I'm listening to you" the principal replied."Do you remember you first appoint me as the head boy? I said I don't want to be the head boy, but you promised that you are going to protect me" Sadik explained."That was before I discovered that you are a savage like this" the principal answered. "Look, we have unanimously agreed that we are going to expel you" the principal announced. "We have already expelled you'' the boarding house added. The principal called for the school driver."Take this boy back to his village, I'm tired of seeing his face" the principal instructed.

Sadik and the driver walked out of the administration to the one of the school car. He looked around and saw Sarah crying. He waved goodbye to her with a smile and entered the car... to be continued