LOW CUT

CHAPTER NINE; The Security Education Teacher

      

      I finally got over Cynthia's disgust towards  me only for it to be replaced by Mr. Shadrach's. This time it wasn't just me but the whole class.

  Mr. Shadrach is our security education teacher, a teacher who flogs like a mad dog or should I say, like a demon possessed lunatic! Mr. Shadrach flogs for absolutely no reason.

   The very first day he came to our class, he welcomed us with two stokes of cane each on our backs. This is actually very ironic because we were supposed to d the welcoming not him.

     Mr. Shadrach is now in the class room this early Thursday morning, staring at us like we are little disgusting pigs . As soon as the class stood to welcome him. fearfully it dawned on me that his subject wasn't on the time table for today. I wanted to protest but swallowed my words because I know already, from what I've experienced and from what Chubuikem has told me , that the teacher's in this School don't follow the timetable. Teachers walk into your class to teach or send send students to copy notes when they feel like. The only teacher that does do this is Mr. Adesola, I admire you greatly because of his diligence. Not only does he come to the class at the right time he also writes his notes on the board by himself he doesn't send students like the other annoying teachers do.

     "Sit down idiots!" Mr. Shadrach's deep voice jolted me back to reality with cold sweat breaking on my fore head and huge butterflies in my tummy. We all say down quietly, nobody dared to do otherwise or even think otherwise he looked at us like he was the owner of our lives , like he could just end us without a few minute and nobody would dare question him.

   " How many if you have started writing my note? " He asked and I winced in disgust at the way he tagged it 'my note ' when he knew truly well that the notes weren't his but ours. Some students raised their hands and he didn't hesitate to walk on the desk to get to them. He nodded in encouragement towards them, no complements.

    When he was done checking the notes, he walked back on the desks and jumped down when he got to the front desk. " Now listen up, for those of you who haven't started copying my notes, why is it so? " He shouted angrily when he said   the last two words.  A very brave boy stood up and answered on behalf of all of us " Please sir, we don't have the book it's expensive and-"

" would you shut your mouth up and sit down? how dare you? " Mr. Shadrach glared at him fiercely and before he could sit down, Mr. Shadrach laughed on the desks like a super hero and when he got you him, he flogged this boy like he a log of wood. I felt extremely sad and just when I was lamenting within me, I saw Cynthia sitting in front of me and laughing. She was laughing quietly and I over heard her say "this good for him, who asked him to speak up... he he he..." I was so upset by her heartless remark that I almost yelled at her but I didn't because I feared Mr. Shadrach's cane like any reasonable person would fear a gun.

   Mr. Shadrach dealt with the boy to his satisfaction and went back to the front of the classroom, his usual spot, leaving the boy with scars and bruises all over. I couldn't tell whether the boy was sad or not because he held an odd expression.

      Mr. Shadrach continued tomorrow, all of you must buy the book and start writing my note or else, you would wish that you were never born. I have told the food vendor and the man in charge of the book shop outside to buy the book and sell to you all. It is only 800 naira . So you better don't eat today during break and tomorrow during break, so, you can buy tye text book. On Monday , next week, I'll come again and check and if you don't have it... a word is enough for the wise . " He concluded and left the classroom swiftly like a fox. Mr. Shadrach is short and black. He is also a Muslim, I know this because of his outfit, he never appears in class without wearing his small religious cap.