The Snitch

"What is it? Who are you looking for? Youngie… How dare you enter a senior's room?" Gloria heard one of her roommates yelling at a junior. It was break time and even though students were not allowed into the hostel during school hours, Gloria and some seniors had their way of sneaking in to relax before the break was over. She was in her corner, just about to change her dirty socks, when she heard one of her roommates yelling at a junior standing outside the room.

Gloria walked towards the entrance to see which junior her roommate was yelling and it was Queen, the famous senior's pet and Junior's snitch. And she was shaking in fear outside as the senior barked at her.

"Senior Gloria, it's you I am looking for." The junior's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement when she saw Gloria.

"Are you stupid, youngie? I am not done talking to you and you are speaking to someone else?" The angry roommate said before squeezing Queen's mouth. Queen whimpered in pain as the senior dragged her mouth.

"Are you okay Linda? Didn't you hear she is here to see me?" Gloria barked at her roommate, whom she was sure disliked her as much as she disliked her.

"Look, any day I see you barge into any senior's room, I will so punish eh you until you regret ever gaining admission to Bishop Evangelical College." Linda threatened Queen, whose head was bowed in fear.

"Do you have any idea that she is asthmatic? And if anything happens to her, you will be held responsible?" Gloria schooled Linda. Linda suddenly kept quiet as she walked away from them. Queen was glad the senior Linda had left and wouldn't bother her anymore… glad that her poor health condition had saved her again from a senior's wrath. It was the sole reason the seniors never punished her and why she was their favorite. And it was the same reason; she loved telling them everything that happened in the junior's dorm and class.

"Come, let's go to my bed." Gloria spoke to her in a gentle voice, making Queen feel like the seniors' pet she was once again. A smile spread over her face as she thought about how happy Gloria would be when she told her about the news she had for her.

"So, why have you ventured into the seniors' wing, and why do you want to talk to me?" Gloria asked as they sat on her bed. She observed Queen's little shiny eyes, as she wondered what news Queen had heard about her this time.

"Senior, I have something serious to tell you." Queen swallowed as she got comfortable on Gloria's bed, like they were friends.

"I was just lying on my bed last night when I saw Anna and her friend going to a corner at night to discuss. I followed them silently to listen to them and what they were both saying about you shocked me." Queen said, her small face coming alive as she watched senior Gloria's curious face. Gloria's heart skipped a bit as she heard Anna's name, her face squeezing in anger.

"Keep quiet… Don't say anything yet!" Gloria shushed Queen's ever blabbing mouth as she scanned around to see if any of the girls were listening or watching them. When she was satisfied that no one was watching, she commanded Queen to continue with her news. Her face squeezed even more in anger as she heard in details all she had done with Clinton from Queen's mouth. She scrutinized Queen from her skinny legs in her school shoes to her small face, suddenly feeling disgusted with her attitude of eavesdropping and gossiping. The urge to punish both Queen alongside with Anna and her friend was strong even though she knew Queen was asthmatic.

"Do you believe any of the things they said about me? Do you think I can do something so immoral? My mother is the Deaconess, and I have been living by example. Everyone can testify to that. I can never do something that bad." Gloria said to Queen, trying so hard not to show her anger.

"No, senior o. Those girls can gossip and tell lies, eh! That's why I came to tell you. I don't believe any single word they said." Queen emphasized, shaking her small head dramatically to show Gloria how much she didn't believe the girls.

"Look, you have done well by coming to me with this, but don't utter any word about this to anyone. Do you hear me? Don't tell anyone about what you heard. No senior! No junior! No teacher and not even your parent! Now, walk back to your class before the break time runs out. Now!" Gloria ordered her, almost on the verge of losing her temper on the poor messenger.

As she watched Queen's retreating figure, she was even more afraid that her secret had been made public. She gritted her teeth in anger as she wore her socks. Queen was the last person to ever trust to keep her mouth shut. Getting information from her was easy and any senior can get her to spill any secret just by being nice to her or buying her something as little as lunch.

Her secret wasn't safe. And it was all because of that silly youngie, Anna, Gloria grunted. Her fists clenched as she thought about how she was going to deal with Anna for not keeping her big mouth shut. Now, maybe more than three people knew about her secret and if her mum were to find out accidentally… then she was done for. She must make Anna suffer the consequences, she promised herself, before storming out angrily.

The Deaconess watched from the corner of her eyes as Edith's mother knelt down, crying and pleading with her not to expel her child. She kept a plain face as she watched her dramatic display. She wanted Edith's mum to beg her more, even though she had already decided not to punish her daughter. That was the consequence of Edith's fighting in public and disgracing their school.

Edith stood at the side of the Deaconess's office, watching and feeling bad that her own mother was groveling in tears at the feet of her fellow woman.

"Madam Deaconess abeg, no expel my daughter. If her uncle wey de pay her school fees hear this one, he no go pay am again. Abeg! Forgive am. You no go kneel down, beg Madam Deaconess?" Her mum asked before dragging her by the skirt and forcing her to kneel.

This was the last thing Edith wanted. Seeing her poor mum in this state was bad enough and having her treat her like a silly child was even worse. As she knelt down pleading, she looked from her mum to the Deaconess, noting the difference in their appearance and skin. The Deaconess was glowing when compared to her mum's dry skin in her worn-out buba outfit. Yes, her mum was a poor woman, and the Deaconess was wealthy, but that was no reason for the Deaconess to humiliate her mum like she was doing, Edith thought bitterly.

After Edith's mum had begged for more than 20 minutes, the Deaconess finally raised her eyes and spoke to her.

"It's enough Mrs. Okafor. I understand that you do not have enough time to handle your petty business and also give your child a proper training. It's normal for her to become unruly since she was trained in a poor and immoral neighborhood. My daughter Gloria, I trained myself and she would never do something so disgraceful. There's always a huge difference between Kids trained in slums and kids trained in good homes." The Deaconess bragged.

"Madam abeg… make she become friends with your daughter so she go learn from am. I don try." Edith's mum said, still on her knees.

"It's okay. My daughter doesn't keep such friends. But I will ask her to consider it. Anyway, because of you, I will not expel your daughter. I will talk to the school board on her behalf. I believe she is valuable to the school. Now, get up and dust yourself. Don't lose your self-worth for your daughter" Mrs. Rachel said in a stern voice to Edith's mum.

"Thank You Madam, you too kind. God bless you." Edith's mum said in a teary voice. "Edith! Edith! How many times I call you? No disgrace me and your dead papa like this again? You hear? You don hear wetin Madam Deaconess talk…" Edith's mum pointed her finger at Edith in a stern warning.

"Mrs. Okafor, you can take it outside now. That's all for now." The Deaconess said, cutting Edith's mother rudely as she dismissed them.

"Thank you so much, Madam Deaconess" Edith's mum knelt down to thank the Deaconess once more before dragging Edith as they left the office. 

With a disdainful look on her face, the Deaconess watched mother and daughter walk off, remembering when she used to be wretched like they were until she met Pastor Jude. She shook her head in disgust at poverty and continued with her job for the day.

Edith had hardly gotten herself just after her mum had left after warning her severely, when Gloria suddenly approached her, looking devastated. She was suddenly angry as she remembered how the Deaconess had praised her daughter while insulting her.

"What is the problem, Gloria?" Goodness asked as she joined them at the corner of the class passageway.

"Guys, I have to tell you people something because I am in a huge mess right now. I can't keep hiding it." Gloria said as she paced around.

"We should be in class now, and not stalking around the school compound. If we are caught, we will be punished." Edith said, apprehensive about getting into yet another trouble.

"Oh please… it's just silly Mr. Jonathan's class that we have. He won't do anything if he doesn't see us in class. What I have to say is serious!" She snapped, still pacing around.

"Calm down, and tell us why you are worked up. Whatever it is, can't be that bad. I mean, you are the good one amongst us. You never get into any trouble. You always keep to the rules." Goodness said as she watched Gloria's long skirt swishing to and fro as she moved rapidly in anger.

"I will be in trouble if my mum hears this. It's really bad" Gloria bit her lips as she thought about the lie to tell her friends without having to reveal the actual truth. She couldn't reveal tell them about her and Clinton because of Edith. And her pacing around the corridor was just a way for her to think up a lie so that her friends would help her in dealing with Anna.

"Tell us already what this is about." Edith said impatiently. Still angry about the condescending way the Deaconess had treated mother.

"Well… some junior caught me with Mr. Jonathan." Gloria said, waiting for her friends to judge her, but they merely stared at her curiously.

"Caught you with him? How do you mean?" Goodness asked, her eyes bulging out in curiosity, her ears itching to hear whatever dirty secret Gloria had to tell them.

"I… You..You know Mr. Jonathan and how he chases after every girl in the school? Well, he came unto me and I… The junior caught us kissing in his office." Gloria blurted out, suddenly freezing on the spot, waiting for her friends to say something. They merely stared at her incredulously.

"You… what? Gloria, the Deaconess's daughter! I never expected this… wow!" Edith chuckled, suddenly feeling better knowing that Gloria wasn't such a saint as her mother thought she was. In fact, neither mother nor daughter was a saint.

"Look… It's not in my nature. But I didn't know when I let him kiss me or why I enjoyed it. The main issue here is that I will be in trouble if my mum finds out." Gloria sadi defensively.

"Well, why not let her find out? She has to stop thinking so highly of you." Edith said, raising her brows as if to challenge Gloria. Goodness tapped her then to snap her out of the ugly attitude she was displaying.

"Stop it Edith. She's our friend. A junior knows, and no junior is allowed to spread gossip about the seniors. Imagine if there's a rumor about any of us going around in school. It will be really tough for that person. Put yourself in her shoes. Besides, any junior who crosses one of us has crossed all of us. Gloria, we will help you deal with her. I have an idea." Goodness said, as an evil smile spread all over her face.

They gathered closer as Goodness told them her brilliant plan. Gloria was amazed by it all and she was glad her friends had accepted to help her out. But from the corner of her eyes, she could see Edith was glaring at her and she didn't dare look in her direction. Edith had been eyeing her ever since she told them the lie about her and Mr. Jonathan. How much worse would she do if she found out the real secret was with Clinton and not Mr. Jonathan? She prayed silently that Edith would never find out. Edith wasn't the kind of person to have as an enemy.

It was some minutes after 8 in the night when Anna stepped out of the hostel headed towards the kitchen for her daily dose of punishment. She was becoming used to leaving her room every night, just after their dinner, to go to the kitchen to wash enormous pots and plates scattered all over the kitchen. Even though she hated it, she knew she had no choice but to get it done. Mrs. Gracious wasn't a teacher to play with.

As she walked to the kitchen in the dim light of the hostel compound, she thought about Sylvia and what she had told her about senior Gloria and Senior Clinton. And he prayed silently that Sylvia wouldn't dare open her mouth to anyone. But while she was walking away from the hostel, she had no idea that someone was watching her from afar. It was Gloria, and she watched Anna with hatred on her face as she made her way to the kitchen. She had a serious urge to stop her and beat her up there and then, but she knew that would only bring more heat to her. Goodness' plan was the best. So, she decided to lie low and watch it play out. Anna had no idea what was coming for her! She would regret ever spilling her secret.

As Anna trudged reluctantly towards the kitchen, through the area that connected the boys' hostel to the kitchen, she wasn't expecting the group of 3 senior boys that jumped out of the corner. She jumped in fear as she noticed the familiar faces. It was the notorious Pablo and his friends, popularly known for bullying junior girls. She shook in fear, wondering why they were blocking her path.

"Where are you going to so late? Don't you know it's almost bedtime?" Pablo said in a harsh tone as he and his friends circled around Anna.

"Are you dumb? Didn't I ask you a question? Youngie" He drawled before grabbing her jaw close to his face and staring into her frightened eyes.

"Maybe she is scared? Weak girls! Look at how she is shaking." One of the boys laughed at her.

"Pablo, we need to teach her a lesson about crossing this side of the school this late at night. This is our territory! Let her tell other weaklings in the female hostel never to venture out here at night." Another said as he pushed her.

Anna staggered in fear, almost falling into Pablo. She had heard stories of how senior boys terrorized junior girls, but she had never experienced it before. How could such bullies exist in a religious school like theirs? Who would save her now? She wondered as Pablo's wicked eyes continued to peer into her eyes while he squeezed her jaw.

"Senior, please, it's the matron that asked me to report to the kitchen. She must be looking for me now" Anna managed to say, trying not to look into senior Pablo's vicious eyes.

"And do you think we are scared of her? Are we silly girls like you that are afraid of every teacher? You clearly don't know who we are and what we are capable of. You should be more afraid of what we can do to you now!" He snarled at her. The other boys suddenly moved in front of Anna. Tears were threatening to drop from her eyes, but she held them, praying for someone to rescue her from these brutes. And someone did.

"Hey, who are those, and what are you doing outside?" Came Mrs. Gracious loud scream from the kitchen entrance. The boys didn't hesitate to run when they saw Mrs. Gracious coming. But they didn't go without threatening Anna. "Watch Your back!" Pablo had told Anna before running off.

Mrs. Gracious appeared then and Anna followed silently to the kitchen, still shaking in fear of what had happened between her and the boys.

"So you are here talking to boys when you should be in the kitchen washing plates?" Mrs. Gracious scolded her.

"No ma, they were… bullying me," Anna said in a painful voice. Mrs. Gracious looked at her then with pity, but before Anna could see that soft side of her, she changed her tone.

"Isn't that what you girls always say when you are caught? Always the victim. Just remember that if you are caught doing any immoral thing with the opposite sex, you will be expelled." She warned Anna.

"Now to the kitchen!" She commanded a very sad Anna. But as they got to the kitchen entrance, they suddenly stopped as they saw two figures standing at the far end of the school compound, almost close to the gate. The light was bright enough for them to see the Deaconess talking to a female student before putting her in a car and closing the door. Anna and Mrs. Gracious watched as the car drove off, both wondering where the Proprietress was sending a student off to so late at night.

They had no answers to the question. And Anna was suddenly curious to know what it was all about as she watched the car closely, while Mrs. Gracious became suddenly angry that a student had a close relationship with the Deaconess, which she could never have. Angrily, she tapped Anna to get her moving into the kitchen, as she promised herself to keep a closer eye on the students from now on.