A Child's Struggle

~9~

That day of the incident, Roland's parent were called to the hospital he had been taken to. The situation was bigger than what the school hospital could handle so they transferred him to a hospital outside school. His parents were very angry because he was their only child. The hospital had tried to stop the blood and sewed his head but he was still in coma. His mother kept weeping as she sat on one of the chairs there. Two of the nurses that brought him to the hospital from the school were consoling her.

Roland's father who had just been standing there looking at his son and his wife who felt so helpless became so full of rage. He picked up his car keys and headed out of the room.
"Dear where are you going?", Roland's mom asked admist tears.

"I'm coming", he replied sharply as he headed to his car without even looking back. He drove with speed to the school. He just reached the Principals office when she was about to leave. When the principal saw him, her heart skipped because the person she was facing was so full of rage.

"What type of school is this? How can a student do this to their fellow classmates? What type of morals do you people teach here? Is this how...", He kept throwing different questions at the principal as he banged his hand on the table.

"We are very sorry sir. Even the culprit is not someone I believed could do such. We will attend to the matter with due process Sir."

"Look woman. I don't care about any due process. That boy must be punished. My Son... my..my only child..."he kept stuttering as tears fell from his eyes. "...my child is in coma. Why is he not waking up? What if he wakes with a memory loss? His head was badly hurt."

Principal Vivian saw the hurt in the man's eyes as tears fell down his eyes. She did not know when she started crying too. "Sir I will not let him go unpunished.", she assured him as she cleaned her eyes. "The thing is I'm waiting for the results from the disciplinary committee. From there I'll kick off all forms of punishment as it be."

"You just have to do because I personally will not allow that boy go scott free. Infact I have to see his pare...", He was still speaking when his phone rang. On seeing it was his wife he answered the phone.

He immediately left the office on hearing what she said. They needed to transfuse blood, he had lost so much blood. My only son and child is in danger, was what kept ringing in his headed as he drove out of the school compound.

Principal Vivian fell on her chair with a heavy heart as soon as he left. She saw the hurt in his eyes as he left. She knew it was a bad report he had received. She was just staring into empty space when the vice principal came in with the report and final say of the disciplinary committee.

She went through the videos and their report. Off course Raphael was guilty. Guilty of exam malpractice and attempted murder. Principal Vivian is a woman of principle and once she sees a weed she takes no time in pruning it out of her vineyard. She told the vice principal to go and since she was sure of Raphael's crime she could now call his parents.

                                        ***

Mrs Bamidele was in the middle of her presentation to the board of committee when her phone rang. When she saw the caller her heart skipped. She wondered why Principal Vivian will call her. She quickly put the phone on silent and continued her presentation. After some time, she went to the desk where she kept some of her papers for the presentation to pick up one. As she was collecting the paper her phone just beeped the worst message ever.

"What!", she screamed as she picked up her phone and opened the full message not minding she was in the middle of a meeting. The more she read the message, the more her world came crumbling at her feet. The weight of the message after she was done left her unconscious. She fell to the ground with a loud thud with her phone in her hand.

Screaming and shouting was all over. That was were the meeting ended. The healthcare workers were alerted and they immediately came and rushed her out of the meeting room. Her secretary came and packed all her documents to her office. Then she called Mr Bamidele to tell him the condition of his wife.

What message could she had received, he thought as drove speedily to her office. By the time he reached there she was conscious but she was crying profusely. When he asked her what happened she couldn't talk. She just signalled him to read the message. The principal told them what their son had done and that he would be given indefinite suspension, so they had to come to school the next day morning to pick him up.

Mr Bamidele was at the brink of shattering but he had to be strong for his wife and family. They both went home moody not knowing what to say at all.

                                          ***

On the Assembly that Friday, the principal announced Raphael's indefinite suspension.

"Noooooooo...", Favour shouted from where she stood as she fell face down to the ground. Some of her classmates tried to lift her up to her feet. The boys also had tears welled up in their eyes as they saw Raphael being taken out by the Principal. She told him some things outside then released him to go pack his box.

Raphael was totally broken. He wondered how he would face his parents, siblings, friends at home, church members and just anybody at all. His friends came to join him as they sighted him rolling his box to the admin block. Luckily they had no test that day.

"Be strong Raphael", Collins said as he took one of his bags.

"Maybe you can just talk them into sending you into a football school because they will now see that business class is not just for you", Favour suggested.

"I've just given them shame. Why would they do me good? I think they may even stop my education" Raphael lamented.

"They are your parents. They won't be hard on you for a long time especially your mum. They love you no matter what and they would always grant your desire", Favour said.

"Now she is a motivational speaker", Collins said.

"Get out" Favour said and they all laughed.

As they got to the lounge, they met his parents who were coming down from the stairs towards the lounge. They had finished seeing the principal but Raphael deserved the punishment so they could do nothing. Mr Bamidele told the Principal not to bother calling off the indefinite suspension because he would not come back.

Raphael just quietly took his box to the car. He couldn't look his parents in the face. He just entered the car and couldn't even bid his friends farewell.

"Well Raphael's parents are not smiling at all," Bright said.

"If it were you, you would have cut off your child's head" Collins said.

"Not at all. I will be understanding", Bright replied.

"Hey guys. I know I should be sober about this whole situation but I can't help but feel that Raphael just stepped out to where he will make it", Favour said.

"Now what do we call you?", the boys chorused as they laughed and walked back to class.