Chapter Four

Emmanuel looked at the questions on his notebook and sighed. He managed to answer three questions out of four, but he wasn't sure of the answers. He wished he could peep at what Gloria had written but she won't allow that and Mr Olamilekan will punish him if he was caught.

"S.T.O.P, STOP!"

Most of the students groaned. It was the first test as a secondary school student and many a pupil feared that they will fail. At least that's what Emmanuel thought when he heard their groans.

"Exchange your books with the person besides you."

Emmanuel exchanged his book with Gloria while glancing over to where Chidera was. He would have loved to be seated with her but it was his luck that he was with Gloria. That had it's advantage due to the fact that she was good at Maths and therefore he could learn from her, but Emmanuel would have swapped all that to have a seat with the beautiful Chidera.

He turned back to the whiteboard, expecting Mr Olamilekan, their class teacher to start explaining each question and answering them on the board. He was wrong.

"Taiwo, come and answer question one."

Emmanuel looked at the back, where Taiwo was seated with Chidera. Taiwo was a charcoal black boy who was two years older than him but was repeating JSS(Junior Secondary School) One for the second time. It didn't help that he was woeful in Mathematics, so he was surprised that the teacher called him.

As Taiwo walked towards the board, he could hear some people sniggering at him. Emmanuel turned towards Gloria but she was busy checking his previous scores, which wasn't necessary. He knew why though. Taiwo was a bully and will definitely get back at anyone that laughs at him.

Taiwo got to the whiteboard, took the marker from Mr Olamilekan and stared at the board.

"Answer the question!"

Taiwo kept looking at the board, not moving an inch.

"Taiwo, attempt the question at least."

He didn't respond.

"Who wants to try the question?" The teacher said, expecting to see hands up. Nobody raised a finger.

"So all of you don't know it. I will call names."

'Please don't call my name.' Emmanuel mused. He knew the answer, but if he was forced to write it, the teacher will use the opportunity to embarrass Taiwo, something he didn't relish.

"Emmanuel, come and answer the question."

'Shit!' Emmanuel stood up nervously and walked to the board.

"Give him the marker, Olodo(Dullard)!"

Taiwo handed the marker to Emmanuel. Emmanuel quickly wrote down the answer; complete with the method he used.

"Is he correct?"

"Yes sir!" Everyone shouted.

"How old are you?"

"Ten."

The teacher turned to Taiwo. "Can you hear him? Somebody that is two years younger than you can answer questions you cannot answer. Isn't this your third year in this class? Why can't you be like your twin brother?"

Kehinde, his twin was going to write his junior exams that year which will move him to the senior class. Emmanuel groaned inwardly. Why is Mr Olamilekan making it more difficult for him?

He faced Emmanuel. "Go and sit down. Everyone, clap for him!"

The thunderous applause made him to smile a bit. It was the first time that he was honored for doing something right.

Time flew by as other students answered questions. At the end of it all, Emmanuel got three questions out of four, having a total score of fifteen marks out of twenty.

The bell rang for break and he quickly stepped out of the class to visit the library.

Saint Joseph's group of schools consisted of a primary school and a college. Both of them were linked by a foot path which divides the space between the schools into two, giving way for the college to have it's football pitch and basketball court. The library was curiously located in the primary school, so Emmanuel had to walk down from his class to get there.

Taiwo met him on the road. Taiwo and his gang, which consisted of Taiwo, Abiodun and Bisi. While Taiwo was in JSS 1, Abiodun was in JSS 2 but had repeated the class. He had abnormally large eyes which looked like golf balls. Those eyes decorated a head that was filled with pimples and boils. His hands were filled with scars and sores, obtained from fighting in the streets. Bisi was very muscular, even for a boy. She had hands that were quick to dish out beatings. Her skin was fair, but that's all that was fair about her. She was in the same class as Kehinde but she wasn't the one to be bothered about reading. It was said that she was a cult leader among other unsavory things.

Emmanuel braced himself for a fight.

"So you have the guts to answer that question? You know say I no understand wetin that question be yet you still answer am make teacher use me do yeye, abi?" He started out in pidgin.

"You no see his head like that of those bricklayers wey dey carry cement for my papa yard." Abiodun said, laughing.

"At least my head doesn't look like bread that they stuffed eggs in."

Twack! Abiodun moved to slap him.

"Stop that! All of you, come here!"

Emmanuel turned to see Mr Isaac, the P.E teacher moving towards them.

"Abiodun, kneel down there! What is happening here?"

Emmanuel could have been happy if it was Mr Olamilekan or another teacher that was there. Mr Isaac, however was partial towards girls and no in a good way. It was said that he often had sexual relations with young girls that he fancies. Bisi was one of such students.

Bisi walked towards him.

"Sir, Emmanuel insulted my parents, calling them broke and useless and that poverty will follow me for the rest of my life." She started to cry.

Emmanuel stood, his mouth gaping. He would have been less shocked if she had turned into a snake or something deadly.

"Is that true, Emmanuel?"

"Sir, sir.. it's a lie. It's because....."

"Don't start lying, thief!"

He looked at Taiwo in disapproval. "Nobody talked of stealing here, Taiwo. I don't trust that you had nothing to do with this."

"Sir...."

"Even if he said such things, it does not give anyone the right to beat anyone " He turned to Emmanuel. "That's a wicked thing to say, especially from a bastard like you."

Emmanuel felt very hurt. Why did he mention that? Taiwo and his friends were smirking at him. The bell rang.

Mr Isaac continued, oblivious of what he had done. "I can report you to the principal, but that will not do anything good. So I want everyone to go to their class. So before I say Pim! find your way to your class!"

They all scampered to the college. Emmanuel turned back and watched Mr Isaac look at Bisi seductively. He turned to face Taiwo in front of him.

"We will meet after school." Taiwo held his shirt aggressively, then he dropped his shirt and walked away.

The rest of the class went without incident. As soon as the school closed, Emmanuel rushed to pick Adaeze. He carried her and was already on the road when he saw Taiwo on the road.

Alone.

He turned back, mindful of Adaeze and tried to walk back to school, only to come in contact with Abiodun and Bisi.

"Where you dey go?" Bisi spoke, delivering a slap to Emmanuel. Emmanuel staggered and fell to the ground, taking Adaeze with him. Ada started to cry.

"Let me take my sister home." He brushed himself up.

"Let me take my sister home." Abiodun mimicked him. "Do you think that we will not find you? You wan run before, but we smart pass that one."

Emmanuel thought of a retort, but held his tongue. He had to find a way to get out of there.

Bisi moved quickly and grabbed Adaeze, who intensified her crying. Abiodun bulled into Emmanuel as he tried to hold his sister back.

"You dey mad? Face your person make we see your sister small."

Bisi tried to open her dress.

"What are you doing there?"

The voice sent them running, leaving Emmanuel and Ada alone. Emmanuel held his sister and tried to soothe her.

"What are they doing to you?" The sun was shining directly at the person so Emmanuel could not see his face properly. His voice was familiar though.

"Is she alright?" He held her gently and tried to calm her down. Emmanuel judged from his height that he was a senior student at the very least.

"They are bullies."

"I know Taiwo is a bully and I know his friends. What did you do to him?"

Emmanuel explained everything, including the incident during break time.

The student nodded his head. "I know what to do." He then extended his hand to Emmanuel. "I am Adeyemi, your head boy."

Emmanuel took his hand and allowed him to drag him up.

"I will report this to the disciplinary committee. Just try and avoid his trouble." He advised Emmanuel.

Emmanuel nodded in agreement and started to go home. He hoped that will be the end of it.

How wrong he was.