CHAPTER 3

I was promoted to jss2 at the age of 11 at the Mahadum. Mahadum was the most respected public school in our village. It had very large compounds, black chalkboards and other many other primitive facilities the villagers treasure their whole lives. Every day, you would see pupils carry their wooden slabs on which they write. The male teachers wore short sleeves, suspenders, short knickers on long socks and a long old fashioned shoe. And as you expect the village headmaster always had an exaggeration of everything. His rickety bicycle got the attention of everyone in town because that was the latest technology. I considered him to be very mean and wicked because he usually stands at the school gate as early as 6:00am to flog hell out of late-comers. If you come any time after 6.30 you would spend the day working at the farm behind his house, weeding tirelessly while your mates are inside classroom. 

I fell victim of my headmaster one Wednesday morning. Although I came to school late, it wasn’t my fault, mama sent me on errands. The way the headmaster flogged me was too severe to remember. Like that was not enough he ordered the senior to give me a big machete and apportioned me a piece of land to weed in his farm. That day wasn’t funny at all. I came back in the evening looking like a squeezed piece of paper. Mama had to use hot water to help massage my back and muscles. I swore never to never forgive headmaster until I had taken my revenge. God punish him!

I had always been hearing ‘asthma asthma’ but I did not know what that meant. Headmaster was an asthma patient. He previously had series of attacks on the assembly ground and public places but I assumed it was epilepsy and that serves him right. Doesn’t it??

One fateful day, on the assembly ground while headmaster was addressing us with his long cane and wicked look; he had a sudden attack. I was the closest to the front of the assembly and teachers rushed to attend to him, I was beckoned to rush to his office to go and bring something they called ‘’inhaler’’. What’s inhaler I asked. Uncle Sogo wanted to slap my face for asking a foolish question at such state of emergency but he told me I would see it on his table in his office. I went to the beautiful headmaster’s office. I was like "Wow, such a beautiful place’’ I sat down majestically on the arm chair beside his office desk and put on the standing fan. "Ohh my Gawd" I was having a feeling I never had in the world, what enjoyment. 

After 5 minutes, I remembered I was sent. I saw the plastic material that look like a perfume bottle on his desk. Is this what is called inhaler? Ohh so this is the perfume headmaster used to spray to attract young girls and women in the village.wow I would spray it too. I sprayed the stuff on all parts of my body till it finished but I noticed there was no special scent from it. I was annoyed because I started smelling like paracetamol.

By the time I got to the assembly ground it was in such gloomy state. I saw a white bus with a red cross painted on it. I wandered what it was. But I saw some teachers pushing something or may be somebody wrapped in white clothes into it. ‘’ what has happened? ‘’ I asked myself.

The pupils were wailing uncontrollably and teachers I never expected were in tears. All uncle Bukola was wailing was “ohh death, ohh death’’ "What has happened? Please who died"? I asked Bukunmi who was an sss2 student. Bukunmi who couldn’t control her emotions managed to say “headmaster”. I screamed. Even though I hated the headmaster, I still love him in some way, he was the life of the school and besides, I had never wished anyone death in my entire life.

I later got to know it was my ignorance and foolishness that sent headmaster to his early grave. I had to leave the Mahadum, after so much of word-crucifixion, insults and hatred I got from people for what I caused. Such a life!!!