New Allies

When Naomi noticed the scared look on the face of the junior who bumped into her, she had so many questions. "Was she spying on the Deaconess and Edith like she was?" "Who was she?" "What was she doing here when everyone was at the fellowship hall?" 

But she didn't ask her any of those questions, Not yet! She told herself. Listening to what the Deaconess and Edith were discussing was more important than questioning the junior.

When the senior she bumped into didn't harass her with questions, Anna was so glad the senior wasn't interested in questioning or reporting her. She was just about to sneak away before the senior changed her mind when suddenly a hand gripped her tight and gestured for her to "Shhh". She quietly obeyed as they both squeezed in the corner and continued to listen to the Deaconess scold Edith, whose head was bowed in shame.

"I cannot have you spoiling my business with Mr. Godwin. I gave you specific instructions to follow, yet you go there every time and embarrass me. I cannot have him complaining about you over and over again. Edith, Buckle up!" The Deaconess barked at Edith.

"But, Deaconess… I am trying my best. His demands are too extreme… I," Edith muttered.

"Shut up your mouth! Do you know the privileges you are enjoying working for me? And all the things I offer you that your family can't afford? And here you are complaining. You are such an insolent little brat." The Deaconess shook with anger. 

She just couldn't understand why she was working with little girls who had no experience dealing with men. And it was all because of Pastor Jude and his so-called gang of lascivious men who preferred teenage girls. She was so tired of having to explain the intricacy of Mr. Godwin's desires to Edith.

"Look, you have to do better. Mr. Godwin is complaining really badly about you. You are not giving him maximum satisfaction. Do you know how much he pays to spend just how many hours with you during the weekends? I taught you better than this." The Deaconess lectured Edith, feeling exhausted about having to scold her all the time.

"You must do any style and anything he wants you to do. Even if he wants you to spread like a butterfly, bend your waist, or bleat like a goat. You must do it! Edith, I need you to promise me you won't disappoint him next time." The Deaconess said in a softer tone.

From their hiding positions, Anna and Naomi were bewildered by all the immoral stuff spilling out of the mouth of the so-called Deaconess of a missionary school.

"This Weekend, I need you to go see him again. This time, you have to be ready to endure whatever he does to you. If he wants to tie you, flog you… you need to submit all of yourself to him. Obey me this time for your own good or… You should know what I can do if you are no longer in my good graces. Do you promise to impress him this time?" The Deaconess asked Edith, who had a pitiful look on her face.

As she stared at Edith, the Deaconess twisted her lips, the disgust on her face hard to disguise.

She just couldn't understand why Edith couldn't deliver a simple task. Well, she was just an inexperienced little girl and Mr. Godwin was demanding too much from her. The Deaconess thought as she stared at Edith's pretty face and felt a pang of sympathy for her. She would have had shown her mercy if the case was different. But she couldn't because her business and relationship with Pastor Jude, even her reputation, were all dependent on the girls accomplishing their tasks well. Her life as a prominent Deaconess of Bishop Evangelical College would end the moment she stopped delivering girls to Pastor Jude. That was the deal.

 And she wasn't ready to lose all that.

 "Yes ma" Edith nodded in agreement, even though she was itching to disobey the Deaconess. Her mind was screaming at her to refuse the Deaconess' request and walk out on her. But she had no courage to do so. Because she knew that messing with the Deaconess could ruin her life forever.

"Good girl, now you can go back to the fellowship. And remember to put the school in prayer. Every student of Bishop Evangelical College must be prayerful." The Deaconess announced before dismissing Edith. Her face suddenly switching from the bossy pimp to that of the strict Deaconess the world knew her as.

 Edith held her head high as she walked back to the fellowship hall, even though she was dying inside. Visiting Mr. Godwin was a nightmare she never wanted to relive again, but the Deaconess wouldn't just let her be. She kept pushing her to go to that very traumatizing place because Mr. Godwin was crazy about her. And she was fed up with all. She could no longer bear the pain he inflicted on her anymore… she just couldn't.

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Still huddled in their hiding place, Anna and Naomi watched as the Deaconess got into her car and drove out of the school compound. Naomi shook her head in disbelief as she watched the car disappear. Dressed in her modest Ankara gown, massive head-tie that covered her ears, no-makeup or jewelry, no one would ever believe the Deaconess was such an immoral person. How was it even possible that a Deaconess was also a pimp? She wondered.

Anna saw Naomi's distraction as an opportunity to escape. She was about to sneak off again when Naomi tightened her grip on her wrist.

"Where do you think you are running off to? I need you to tell me everything you know about this school, particularly about the Deaconess. Right Now!" she ordered a terrified Anna.

"Senior, I… don't know… I wasn't listening…" Anna muttered, afraid of what the senior had in mind for her.

"Shhh… we have to talk privately. I have a feeling you have a lot to tell me. You didn't just happen to be here, spying on them. You know something, and I need you to tell me all about it." Naomi insisted, still clutching Anna.

"The art room should be empty now. But we have to hide to get there so that none of our teachers can catch us." Anna stated reluctantly before they both half-walked and half-ran to the art room, hiding behind pillars and trees to get there.

Gradually, they opened the art room door and walked into its emptiness. The room was quiet and just the perfect place they needed to hide for Anna to spill all she knew about the secrets happening at her school.

"Tell me what you know about the Deaconess and her business with Edith. Tell me why you were spying on them." Naomi didn't hesitate to ask Anna as soon as they entered the room.

"I wasn't spying on her…" Anna lied, still afraid.

"Shhh… you were spying on her and so was I. So, let's cut the crap. Tell me why… I can't let you go until you tell me what I need to know."

"Why were you spying on the Deaconess?" Anna challenged the senior with a trembling voice.

"You don't get to question me, youngie. I do the questioning!" Naomi retorted, making Anna tremble in fear of incurring her wrath.

" Look, I am not your enemy. And I don't plan to report you to anyone. Tell me your name?" Naomi inquired in a kinder tone when she noticed the junior's fear. 

Her brother had mentioned some names to her the few times he had been conscious, and every night before she went to bed she memorized each one of them and who they were to him.

"I'm Anna Kingsley White." Anna answered as she wondered who the new girl was and why she was so interested in what the Deaconess and Edith were up to.

"Anna…" Naomi murmured, "You were Stanley's friend?" her eyes widening in realization. Stanley had mentioned Anna's name the few times he recounted what happened to him.

"How do you know Stanley? How did you know we were friends? What is your name?" A confused Anna asked.

Anna was left utterly shocked when the new senior revealed she was Stanley's only sister. And she felt a heavy weight on her conscience when she described how her family had been crushed by what happened to her brother.

" It was even worse for us when the news about Stanley being a notorious gang member went viral. They dragged my parents both offline and online. It was a nightmare for us. But deep down, we all knew Stanley wasn't a member of any secret gang. Bishop Evangelical College destroyed my brother's life and ruined my family's reputation. That is the reason I came here for vengeance. And today I just realized there's so many secrets I need to uncover and I must do that." Naomi stated with determination.

"We need to uncover it…" Anna restated.

"Tell me what really happened to my brother." Naomi asked.

At that request, Anna's eyes clouded with unshed tears as she recounted everything that happened, from her discord with Senior Gloria, Sylvia getting raped and Pablo and Clinton brutalizing Stanley for fighting for Sylvia. Naomi clenched her lip, her body vibrating with anger as she listened to Anna's tale and Anna knew she was trying so hard to hold back her tears. And it broke her heart. She didn't want to continue with the painful story, especially when she got to the part of the story where she lost the courage to tell the entire truth to the school board.

"I don't blame you, Anna, and I understand why your mum did what she did. There was no way you could fight the school alone." Naomi exhaled after listening to all the ugly incidents that happened at Bishop Evangelical College. She couldn't blame poor Anna for anything. She had no quarrel with her. Her mission was to destroy the so-called Prestigious school filled with hypocrites, and she needed allies to do that.

"So, this was all about protecting the Bernard boy who is the primary suspect in all this? The Deaconess protected him at the expense of my brother's life." Naomi said in a shaky voice.

" Anna, I need your help to expose the Deaconess and every hidden secret in Bishop Evangelical College. I still can't believe all we heard the Deaconess say to Edith was true. How can she call herself a woman of God while she is busy ruining the lives of her own students?" Naomi growled as she paced around the quiet art room.

"That is why we need to take her down. I have always suspected she was a hypocrite, but I never knew it was this bad. The Deaconess is dubious. She silenced the truth about what happened to Stanley for her own benefit. She's absolutely wicked…and evil. And every day I see her preaching at the assembly ground, I feel so bitter." Anna spat.

"And I will make her pay! She can't get away with what she did to my brother. None of them will go scot-free. We will take them down one after the other. Are you with me?" Naomi asked, stretching her hand out in alliance with Anna.

"It's the Deaconess we are talking about here. Can we really take her down? Just the two of us?" Anna's doubts rang in the quiet room.

"Anna, do you know I left my life, my school and everything for this mission? Getting revenge for my brother means everything to me. My poor brother is still lying at the hospital while everyone in this school is living their life like nothing happened." Naomi stated bitterly.

Anna's heart broke as she listened to Stanley's sister pour out her anger and frustration. For months, she had been devastated by what happened to Stanley, but never had she imagined how terrible it must have been for Stanley's family.

"Are you going to help me, Anna? Let's expose the secrets in Bishop Evangelical College together. And get my brother the justice he deserves. "

Anna watched as Naomi narrowed her eyes, her face squeezed in determination. And she knew she was just the partner she needed to expose the villains in her school. She hurriedly nodded in agreement, Naomi's words fuelling her desire for vengeance. For so long she had wanted to take down Gloria, Pablo, Clinton and the Deaconess. This was her chance and she had to seize it. She slapped her hands with Naomi's own to seal their deal. And right there, they promised to destroy the school together.