The Rise of Damola

Chapter 25- No more secrets

Disclaimer ⚠️
This chapter contains depictions of bullying and physical abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

Bunmi knew it was a rhetorical question but still, she shook her head slowly while nibbling on her lower lip, desperately trying to keep her falling tears at bay.

That was all Damola needed to continue.

"They admitted to taking the book before telling me to stay behind after school if I wanted it back. I explained how I didn't have anything to write on for the rest of day but they didn't care.

I remember exactly what Tayo said, 'Write on the wall for all I care! Exam is coming if you don't stay behind and collect the book, you will bang o!'

I was a naive little boy back then, how would I have known it was a trap? I waited after school and to my surprise, so did majority of the school. They all witnessed as S-4 beat me black and blue that day. You would think someone would stop them right, seeing as I was literally defenseless. Well, no one did.

Although there was one teacher, Mr. Kola who was still on the premises but immediately he heard Dosunmu and Tayo were involved, he stayed out of it. The duo had powerful parents and he did not want to get on their bad side evidently.

The thrashing continued for a very long time before I came up with a fantastic scheme. I briefly pondered, "If they think I'm dead, they'll stop, right?," and then I immediately put my plan into action. I gave up protecting myself and simply laid there in the sand, my eyes closed.

After all, I was too weak to move, and I was certain that if the plan didn't work, I would die. They took a moment to notice I wasn't moving, but as soon as they did, they turned around and started running.

Really, though, sweetie, who would have cared if I had passed away that day? My parents, perhaps, but that was it.

Dosunmu's father's newspaper would have likely reported something like, "A boy from the slums dies in an accident" or, "A boy drowns himself"—basically, anything other than the truth—anything to save themselves.

I was abandoned to perish out there in the center of the assembly ground. I had shattered my left leg, right hand, and possibly one or two ribs. I had a few missing teeth, felt like my face was enlarged, and had trouble seeing. Do you remember the adage that adults used to discipline us as children? The phrase "I'll reconstruct your face",Damola inquired with a sly smile.

Bunmi gave a small nod after wiping the tears on her face for the nth time.

"Well that very day, I got my face rearranged omo I was unrecognizable."

Damola glanced up, hoping Bunmi would like his feeble attempt at humor, but the result was the exact opposite. Instead, as she listened, she cried silently. She startled him by extending her hand for him to clasp which made the tycoon's heart swell at the gesture. He took the hand, inhaled deeply, then continued.

"As I lay there, I thought of Mama at home. She would be devastated to learn that her only child had been slain at school after she had fought my father nearly every day to keep me in school.

Picture this, here I was laying on the ground, falling in and out of consciousness and then suddenly I notice a silhouette. It was merely waiting. I believed that whoever it was could see through my act- the figure wanted to kill me. Only after the last person had gone did the person finally show his face. It was Ajala," Damola sniffled.

"He approached me and touched my fractured arm. That caused me to open my eyes, and at that precise moment I realized that my time on earth was coming to an end. I thought he was going to strangle me as he reached forward and touched my neck. I was in complete silence as I waited for it, only to experience the biggest shock of my life. Ajayi wasn't hurting me at all, as I had assumed. He lifted me up onto my shoulders into a sitting position, then by some miracle got me to stand.