Chapter Six

"The Police?"

"Yes sir. They are with a girl and they are asking for you, sir."

Mr Oloyede, the principal, stood up like he sat on a long nail. His face wrinkled in worry.

"Mr Ebuka, can you stay here for a minute? I will like to see what happened?"

Emmanuel watched his father give a curt nod as the principal left the room. As soon as he left, his dad dragged him to himself.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were been bullied in school?"

Emmanuel looked at his concerned face and wondered why he is pretending to care about him. One thing he had a distaste for was pretence. But he held his tongue, so that his father won't accuse him of embarrassing him.

"We will talk more when you come home." He stood up and walked towards Mr Olamilekan.

"Are you his class teacher?"

Mr Olamilekan responded positively. For the next few minutes they talked in hushed tones with Emmanuel's dad stealing a few glances at him. He wasn't worried. His academics was going well and he wasn't getting into any trouble.

Emmanuel then looked at Taiwo, who had lied against him. He felt sorry for him as he looked at the cuts he had. But when he remembered the lies, he got angry.

The door opened and the principal entered.

" Thank you for coming, Mr Ebuka. You can leave now. Emmanuel, Taiwo go to your class now."

Emmanuel walked out feeling like a champion. He had the right to feel so, after all Taiwo's plans had failed.

As soon as he entered the class, he was accosted by his classmates.

"What happened?"

"They said that Taiwo called police for you."

"Is it true?"

"Taiwo's mummy was here?"

Emmanuel answered all the questions satisfactory, keeping them engaged and asking more questions. He noticed Taiwo entering the class and placing his head on the desk. Whatever that one has in mind didn't disturb him.

The classes went as usual, apart from Taiwo just sleeping in the class. Many students kept a wary glance at him.

Then the bell for break rang.

Emmanuel went to buy some snacks. As soon as he entered the shop when he will get his snacks, Abiodun blocked him.

"You know that you are wicked, right?" His boiled egg eyes bulged even further. "Taiwo will get suspended because of you."

"How is that my fault?" Emmanuel brushed him aside to buy what he wanted to eat. Abiodun held him back.

"You know that Taiwo is struggling with studies, yet you decided to tell on him and Bisi."

"Bisi?" Emmanuel was lost. "I didn't say anything about Bisi."

"Liar! Why did the principal call you then? Why did the police come to our school?"

"The principal called me because Taiwo lied that I used knives to cut him. I don't know about the police."

"Liar! I suppose to beat you. Taiwo can't cut himself in order to beat you."

"Ask Taiwo yourself! Look at him coming!" He pointed at the incoming Taiwo

Abiodun followed his fingers and then looked at Taiwo in surprise.

"Taiwo, Taiwo!" He ran towards Taiwo, who was turning to another direction in order to avoid attention.

Emmanuel moved to get the snacks, then the bell rang again.

"It's not yet break over." He said to himself as other students moaned and complained about the bell.

The bell kept ringing, meaning that there was something important happening and they were needed in the assembly hall.

Emmanuel moved immediately to the assembly ground, joining the flow of students rushing into the hall. The murmuring of the students increased as more of them entered the hall.

"What's happening?" Emmanuel asked Gloria who was talking with a SS 2 student.

"The principal wants to make an announcement. Police officers are also in school."

"Why?" Emmanuel had an inkling why but he wanted to know more.

The student shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I only hear rumours about Taiwo, your class mate and that Bisi girl."

"I heard she is a cult member in school." Gloria said in a hushed tone.

"That's what everybody is saying. But some people said that it has to do with you." He pointed to Emmanuel.

"I don't know o." Emmanuel didn't want to be ambushed about information.

"But everyone knows that the principal called you today and before you came out, the police arrived."

Emmanuel looked at the senior. How comes everybody knows about a meeting when they are supposed to be in class? "The principal only called me to ask about Taiwo's school work?"

"Really?" The senior replied in a tone that suggested that he knew the truth. "Anyways, let's see what happens. I have to move to my class position before we start organizing ourselves."

Emmanuel and Gloria looked at the senior as he left.

"Why did you lie?" Gloria asked once he was out of earshot. "He won't have done anything, you know. Many people don't like Taiwo."

"He would have told the others. Then they will come for gossip."

Gloria was about replying when the bell rang and they went to their respective positions.

When the students had comported themselves, the prefects walked in, followed by the teachers. The prefects lined up in front of the students, just behind the stage used by the assembly prefect, teachers and the principal. The teachers sat on the stage, according to their classes and subjects. The principal came in last, entered the stage with two police officers and stood.

Everyone's faces were stern. 'Something bad has happened. Something very bad.'

The principal cleared his throat.

"Today is one of those days I regret being a principal. I have always tried to teach all of you morals and bring you up in the knowledge of the Lord."

"Jesus had a betrayer among his twelve disciples, so I am not surprised that some bad eggs among you exist. However what I have heard is so shocking and sad that I makes my heart bleed." He wiped the sweat of his head. " Mr Duduyemi, bring them in!"

Mr Duduyemi, who was the teacher in charge of discipline, dragged Taiwo and Bisi to the stage.

"This two students have been caught bullying other students and lying about them. This boy." He pointed to Taiwo. "bullied a classmate with his friends and then cut himself in order to lie against him."

"Ha!"

"She was part of his friends who bullied the student. However, she went ahead to make cuts on her friend's hand so that he will be able to lie against the said student. That is not all. She also went with some cult members and inflicted serious bodily harm on a student of another school, robbing them of their possessions and almost killing them."

"Ha!!" The noise was thunderous.

"These two students have brought shame into this school. I never knew I was breeding thieves and bullies instead of scholars and technocrats."

"For every action there are consequences. What they did is grievous and heavy. Therefore, their punishment will carry such consequence."

"Taiwo Adekunle-Peters is hereby suspended for the session. When he resumes next session, he shall come with a letter of apology promising that he won't be involved in any criminal activities ever."

"Olabisi Oyeyemi is hereby expelled from this school. She shall also be taken to court and charged with armed robbery and assault. This shall serve as a warning to any delinquent character here that such will never be tolerated in this school. Everyone is dismissed."

The dam of silence broke, with the students discussing all that the principal said. Emmanuel felt sorry for Taiwo, despite what he did. He could only imagine what his parents will do at home.

The rest of the day flew by. The students used most of the time to discuss what happened as the teachers were busy discussing among themselves. Obviously what had happened was too much for any type of class to hold.

Once school was over, he took Adaeze and got home to meet his father waiting for him. This time around, his father answered his greeting positively. Emmanuel quickly removed his clothes so as to boil water for eba. His father stopped him and brought out two meat pies and two soft drinks.

"Eat." He urged them.

Adaeze quickly started on the meat pie but Emmanuel looked at him with wary eyes. What is happening? He didn't believe that it was the same man who beat him often at home that is telling him to eat. Emmanuel had half a mind that he wanted to poison him.

Probably his father read his thoughts because he smiled at him.

"Emmanuel, meet me at the other room "

He walked out, leaving Emmanuel with Adaeze.

Emmanuel was very, very confused. What was happening?? He sensed a trap.

When he entered the room, he met his father sitting on the bed.

"Emmanuel, come. Come and sit down."

Emmanuel walked gingerly towards him. His father stood up and dragged him to sit down.

"I know that you have every right to be suspicious of me. Our relationship has always been chaotic but that's because I want to discipline you so that you will be a good and positive person. Today I realized that it was because of how you perceive me that's why you didn't tell me that someone was bullying you."

"I want to make things better. From now on, I will try you as my son, no matter what happens. So I want you to be able to trust me. Do you understand?"

Emmanuel didn't truly understand everything but he understood when he said that he will make things better.

"Yes sir."

"So go and eat your meat pie before Adaeze finishes it, hmm."

Emmanuel nodded, wondering how long this will last.

He hoped it will last for long