CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR;THE IRONY

Everything changed when I resumed in Osa community Secondary School.

The teachers that used to like me stopped liking me. They didn't even look at me when I greeted them.

They avoided me. They didn't give me notes to copy again or register to mark.

I was happy about this, but sad about the cause of it.

One time, Rebecca told me that she overheard a teacher calling me the Sister of a bastard when I walked past him. He said it in Yourba, So, I didn't understand it.

This was very sad and irritating because, this were the same teachers, the same School, that took me out to represent the school for competitions right from when I was in JSS 1 and I never let them down even though they never thought me what I was supposed to know before sending me out to represent the School!

I can't count the times I'll work in one teachers office and work in the others .

One time, Mrs. Arinola and Mrs. Dele almost got into a fight because of me.

I was working with Mr. Dele fist and then Mrs. Arinola called me out if the hatred she had for me;I really don't understand that woman, she doesn't like me, but she would always send me on errands. She would always give me an assignment to s

do for her.

That day, I ended up helping the both of them out. This is the first School I've been too Tay I've seen students mark examination Scripts and write down scores on the register.

The assurance of the lazy teachers was"oh! they are not doing for their class, so, they can't manipulate it. " I thought so too but I was surprised when one time, Mr. Dele gave us JSS 3 Social studies script to mark and a girl called Florence who was marking too, manipulated a prefects score. She said she came to mark so she could get the opportunity to deal with him.

I was amazed my small mind couldn't comprehend her actions.

She didn't even batt an eye she just write down ten for him instead of twenty, and guess what, It was ten over sixty.

Now , I can see that the world is indeed wicked and cruel. I can see that Florence's heart is not as pure as her eyes.

I was still thinking and Soliloquizing when someone called me. I turned and to my surprise I saw Rebecca and Asake standing there behind me, close to the shelves. I was in the library now. It's where I spend most of my time and Mr. Adesola wouldn't treat me as he would because of his God mother-Mrs. Yejide.

"oh! Asake, how are you?you haven't been in School for two weeks now, since we resumed-".

"Yes, I'm fine, I had an asmathic attack."

"what? you have asthma?"

"Yes, it comes and goes. "

" Um sorry, sit down quickly please.Yku look so thin...you must have lost a lot of weight ."

" You too. " She said before sitting down.

Rebecca sat by my right while Asake sat by my left. By their facial expression, I knew something was wrong.

I was about to ask when Asake held my right hand and squeezed it gently.

"Um..winner,I have something to tell you ..please promise you won't be angry."

"You knew she can't promise that." Rebecca Chimed in.

"okay.. you can get angry but forgive me, and don't tell anybody, because, it might cause some family issues."

"Okay?"

"promise."

"I promise."

"Um.... I ... know who gave Chibuikem his jazz, it was his .. his Father. "

" okay. " I responded calmly.

" What?! "

" Yes. I said okay because.... I know. "

" wow! but but ... how? "

" My dad knows.. how did you .. who told you?"

"Me?"

"Um.. he told me."

"who?"

"Your.. Cousin." I noticed how she couldn't say his name, how she tried to hold back her tears.

"And you did tell me?!" I shouted and the students in the library gasped in shock.

"Winner please calm down -"

"Shut up! What else are you hiding from me?"

"He told me not to tell, you-"

"And you didn't! what is it? are you.. please get out."

"I .. I ..."

"Hey, what's wrong with you girls if you want to argue about your boyfriend, you can leave this place! " Mrs. Yejide chimed in from her desk. At that moment, I didn't know what came over me. I walked up to her and said calmly.

" Is not every boy that a girl talks about that's her boyfriend.. they could be their brother. "

" Shut up your mouth. I know you guys are not as innocent as you look so-"

I didn't listen to her rubbish, I walked out on her even though Mr. Adesola kept calling me repeatedly.

I didn't stop I continued until I got back to my class.

After a while, the principal sent for me. I went to her office and to my surprise, she didn't flog or insult me. She sat me down and told me a very long story of how she reacted when she lost her twin Sister.

She even got me lunch.

When school closed she asked me to leave her office, not without giving me a math set, School bag and some sanitary towels even though I didn't need them.

I left her office in shock and disbelief.

I thought she didn't like me. I thought the other teachers liked me.

THIS IS INDEED VERY IRONIC!