LOW CUT

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE; DEATH!

      
   Death they say is inevitable, well, maybe it is. Maybe even the young die too. It never really dawned on me till this moment that people could die. I never thought it possible that someone I knew would one day loose his life.
  'Die?! ' but how? I wondered in regret and great pain as I sat on the floor in my parlour watching my mum cry and wail like a little girl. My dad didn't try to console her. He just stood there and watched the both of us like we were dead. He didn't know who to console;me or my mum.
  "He was even more worried about me because I couldn't cry, I wasn't crying.
I felt so numb inside. I didn't know how to express my pain. I just sat down on the floor and watched every body. I saw how Peace went to my mother but was held back by my father. I saw how Happiness turned on the television and increased the volume which caused my father to yell at her. I was there but I wasn't there. I could see them but I wasn't seeing them.
   That moment, I remembered all the pains I've been through. The night I cut my precious hair, the insults from teachers, the mass punishments and Mrs. Bimbo Akuna's ruthlessness to I and Mary on the last day of the third term in JSS 1.
   I remembered the tears. The sadness, the loneliness the regrets and the urge to run away from home and stay away from. everyone in the world. I wish I could just crawl into a cave and never come out.
   'Was this how Mrs. Bimbo Akuna's family felt when they lost her? ' I thought to myself as I remembered that sunny morning, during the Thursday-muslim assembly when Mrs. Ibitoroko (VP)  and Mrs. Akinkunmi (Principal) arrived late only for them to announce to us, that the famous iya-elekpe "WAS DEAD".
   I felt so relieved at that moment when I thought I wouldn't see her annoying face again.
"No wonder when she came to School last week, She came to our class and blessed us for the very first time!" Cynthia shouted from. far behind me.
"Omo na true o... e be like sé that time the sickness been don hook her wer wer! (Oh! that's right,it seems the sickness most have gotten a hold of her at that time) " I heard someone beside me telling the person next to her.
    "Keep quiet! I know you all witches and wizards are happy. She died of Stroke."
  The whole assembly gasped and I heard that same girl say again" hnm... how she no go get stroke? she wer like to shout shout up and down... hnmm Omo no be small oo! (why wouldn't she be diagnosed with stroke, she that likes to shout everytime and everywhere.wow this sis serious)"
   " Please I'll like is to give her just one minute of Silence. That woman went through a lot of pains.. " Mrs. Akinkunmi continued.
" She also had eye problems too. please let's keep quiet for one minute. "
  We did as she said, and when the one minute was over, she resumed her speech.
" Now, you have to pray for yourself that this would not be your portion, you would live... to glorify the Lord in the land of the living. You would reap what you have sown... do you know that Mrs. Bimbo's last child has just graduated from the University this year and look at what the enemy has done in her life... now.. begin to cast and bind any and every untimely death attached to your life. ... pray now.. shut your eyes. and pray... pray.... there are some of you here, who were very bad and unpleasant to that woman.. ask God for forgiveness now.. "
    The whole assembly became Silent. It was so silent that I could hear the girl beside me chewing gum. Nobody said a thing. Mrs. Akinkunmi finally rounded up the prayers and the whole assembly shouted a loud thundering "AMEN"
     I remembered the mass punishment last  week Tuesday as a result of false accusation by a teacher.
  It had rained heavily the previous night so the School compound was flooded and we had to hold our morning assembly on the corridor. When we were done, we all entered our various classes. The population was really low, this was as a result of the rain and the flood. In Osa community there are very few good roads.
    The mathematics Teacher-Mrs.Arinola walked into the class room immediately with a frown on her face as usual.
  The moment she stepped into the class room, she headed for the big white board in front as she was about to start cleaning, she stopped, turned and glared at everyone in the class room.
I thought she did this because the class was quite noisy but I was wrong.
"Who said that thing?!" She asked firmly with a loud voice and the whole class became as silent as a court room.
"Huh?" Jeremiah and I looked at each other confused, so did others.
   Mrs. Arinola continued "Are you people crazy? I said who said 'ó dé ó' just now?"
Again, there was silence in the class.
"Um... Jeremiah."
"Eh."
"Did you hear anything?"
"No."
"Someone shouted 'ó dé ó'from the back. " Elizabeth the girl behind me whispered.
" Who? " I asked quietly without looking back.
" I don't know o"
  Mrs. Arinola asked once again" Who?... Hnmm is like you guys think I'm playing... " She left the class immediately and the whole class went wild. some ran out of the class room, but had to come back because of the flood and the gate was also locked too.
  " Ah ahn.. what going on please? " I asked no one in particular.
" Odé!(dummy)."Cynthia insulted but I didn't know who she was insulting and even if it was me, I didn't have the time, I wasn't in the mood for any arguments. "
" See, ehn.. when Mrs. Arinola entered the Class room, someone from the back shouted 'ó dé ó' and now, nobody knows the person. If they do, they won't talk. " Jeremiah told me .
" No o... it was when Principal drove in that's when they shouted oo. "Kenneth chimed in.
" Me,I don't know , I'm just confused. "
We were still discussing when the Almighty Mrs. Akinkunmi Stepped into the class room  followed by Mrs. Arinola and Mrs. Yejide.
"Ah! Omo we don die... a ti kú."(oh? we are dead... we are dead..) Kenneth lamented.
  "So, you guys now have the guts the effrontery, to curse your teachers and your principals, since your stupid parents didn't train you well, I'll do that for you! Now everybody fall out! "
   We stood up immediately at her commander and went out of the class room, all of us did . They waited patiently for us to leave before joining us outside on the corridor.
  " Mrs. Yejide please you need to discipline them, flog them. " Mrs. Akinkunmi continued.
" Ehn! how with which strength, this students are almost one hundred o I can't." Mrs. Yejide declined immediately.
" Go and  call Mr. Adesola. " Mrs. Yejide sent a student that was among us, someone who is going to partake of the mass punishment too, to call Mrs. Adesola from the library and also, bring five canes from the office. This person did it willing, it's non other, than our wonderful and beautiful class captain 'Kehinde Rasheed' She even brought six canes instead of five and when she was asked she said "oh sorry ma, It's a mistake, I was rushing." To be honest, that girl is insane, or am I the insane one?
  Mr. Adesola was asked to flog each and every one of us four strokes. He rolled up his sleeves and started.
When he got to my turn, Mrs. Yejide and Mr. Adesola both shared a sad look.
"Winner, who said it?" He asked calmly  as he checked the flexibility of the cane by bending it backwards and forward.
"I don't know." I answered as I shook my head.
"There was no warning, I felt the sharp and thin pain on my back four times. I felt so cold , I had to wrap my arms around myself as I walked back into the class room. I laid my head on my desk and wept.

      I was still crying from my thoughts when I realized that I was in my father's big arms like a baby crying too.
He didn't stop me from crying he allowed me . by his time, my mum was already in the room taking phone calls and crying too.
  "it's Chi.. it's Chi.. Chibuikem ooooo." I heard her lament from the room. By this time, Happiness and Peace were already seated comfortably in front of the TV watching our favorite cartoon. I couldn't see it clearly because the tears blurred my vision.
  NEPA did their job of ceasing the light immediately which caused Peace to cry and Happiness to, as usual, go outside and play with her friends from the neighborhood.
  Peace was wailing loudly and nobody gave her any attention. My dad would have done that if his attention wasn't on me.
"daddy it's my fault... I should have told you .. I.. I'm so sorry.. please help me beg his father..." I said.
" No, my daughter it's not your fault.. it's not .. don't blame yourself, God gives and God takes.. it was his time. " My dad assured me.
   So, was it his turn then? but why? dies this mean that God actually planned for him to become a cultist.

It seems like a dream.... I wish it's a dream that I could just wake up from. My beloved Cousin.. Chibuikem.. is dead.. dead and gone. I'll never see his tall and faire figure again!
   I felt a hot and burning sensation in my heart. I felt a strong hatred for Owodé, Asake and even Koyejo.
I felt the urgent to kill and tear down anyone.
"How could he , how could he.... he died daddy.. they killed him... they have killed Chibuikem I knew it...."I shouted as I stood up and tried to run out of the room.
  my dad held my hands and pulled me back to his embrace.
"No my baby.. they didn't kill him... calm down... what did you know?" He soothed me calmly.
  I didn't answer his questions or the questions of anyone else.
I stayed in my father's arms and cried until I fell asleep.