LOW CUT

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE; THE SUBSTITUTE

   
   When we all resumed for the Second term of our JSS 3 session, a lot of teachers were gone. We were now seeing a lot of new faces. When I asked, I was good that every six years , government workers in different institution are recruited according to their qualifications and contributions to their institutions. Some would be transferred from being a teacher in a particular School, to being a Vice Principal or a Principal in another School.
     Mr. Dele was gone. He left without saying goodbye. I was happy and sad at the same time when I walked into his office (the library) and found his desk completely empty and dusty. I remembered the good old days. The days I was so naiive that I allowed my self to be used by teachers who I thought loved and cared for me.
   Mr. Adesola was also gone. I miss him too but not too much. I don't miss him as much as I miss Mr. Dele.
  The painful and annoying part is that Mrs. Akinkunmi, Mrs.Yejide and Mrs. Arinola were not transfered.I wasn't happy about this at all.
  Two weeks later, I got the news that Mrs. Yejide has been transferred. I was so excited to get this information.
  I'm sure you are wondering, was it announced on the assembly? or was it posted on the School online platform? Or did the press club publish the news?
The thought of all these questions amuse me. Well, the answers are ; No, No, and No!
  In Osa School, people hardly get information unless they are connected. So, the connected ones, inform people like us, that are not connected.
For example, when School closes for the Session, we all go home without knowing when the School would resume for the next Session. I'm sure you're wondering, what about your report cards? Well, we don't get that until the next Session either. Most times when School closes in June or July, we get our report cards on a particular day in August. For those who don't go to School to get theirs on the chosen day, they get theirs the next Session.
   Well, this is second term, and surprisingly, we are already in the first half of the term and according to Mrs. Akinkunmi our Principal's order, "The preparation for BECE starts now! We can not and would not wait until next term!"

We started an early morning Literature-in-English lesson from 6:30 am-7:30 am with Mrs. Akinkunmi.
To be honest, she is actually a very good literature teacher.
Every morning, when we get to School for the lesson, We don't bother entering our classes, we just sit outside on the School field according to our classes; JSS 3A and 3B while we wait for her arrival.

  Something really interesting also happened. Our maths Teacher Mrs. Arinola was substituted. She was no longer teaching us mathematics. We had an entirely new Maths teacher. His name is Mr. Azeez. He is a very qualified and cool maths teacher, he's also the very first teacher I've seen in Osa School that has an accent -An American Accent.

   "Good morning students, I am Mr. Azeez  Wealth and I'm your Substituted maths teacher. How are you all today?" He introduced himself to us happily the very First day he came to our class unlike the former who insulted and flogged us the very first day she came to our class. To be honest, it's as if Mrs. Akinkunmi actually knows that Mrs. Arinola is not a good maths teacher but there nothing she can actually do about it since she was demoted from the Senior Session, and plus, she is also a government worker not the P. T. F. hungry teachers that we have now.
    Mr. Azeez made me fall in love with mathematics again. When I was in primary School, mathematics was my favourite subject but when I came to Secondary School particularly Osa community School, my love for mathematics was "murdered" in JSS 1 by Mr.Ade. It was cremated in JSS 2 by Mrs. Arinola and then BURIED six foot in the ground by Mrs. Arinola again in JSS 3.
  Now, with Mr. Azeez teaching us mathematics, I suddenly feel that love again.
He taught us simultaneous equation the right way! Even the dullest person in the class room was writing and asking questions. The whole class was flowing with him despite his accent. We were all having fun and enjoying ourselves when a student stood up to ask a silly question.
  "Em.. sir.. sorry.. ooo. Please don't be angry."
"Huh?" Mr. Azeez moved closer to him as if doing so would help him get the question out of his mind.
"Sir.. why you like to lick your lips when you are talking?"
"Excuse me?" Mr. Azeez looked at him out of shock and then tapped him playfully on his Shoulder. He then asked him to sit. He didn't even flog him or scold him. Mr. Azeez comes to the class room without a cane and nobody misbehaves. When he's asked to use a cane by the Jealous Mrs. Arinola, he says "no ma'am they aren't animals, they are humans and can understand communication." This always leaves her bitter and disappointed.
   I was learning a whole lot from  Mrs. Akinkunmi's lectures in the morning and Mr. Azeez's mathematics lecturers. With those two teaching us regularly, I felt like I was in School again. I was also very eager to be in School. I also made sure that I was  in School very early despite my mother's complains.
     "Hnmm... Winner, I think you guys should talk to Mrs. Akinkunmi to bring Mrs. Arinola back for you guys oo... " Rebecca complained to me sadly.
" God forbid! Rebecca, how could you say such a thing? " I asked her angrily.
" See, me I'm tired, we are all tired of her. She has been unleashing her frustration on us this past weeks. Ah me I can't take to any more I.. I'll write a letter to -"
" Don't you dare! "
" Try me na. " She said before walking about of my class room.
  I understand why she feels that way. She is actually very right about Mrs. Arinola' s harsh treatments on them as a result of her frustration.
  One morning, while Our Favourite maths teacher, Mr. Azeez was excitedly teaching us while we were happily listening to him and learning so much from him, Mrs. Arinola entered the class room like a thief, she went straight to a boy sleeping at the back of the class room, and flogged him mercilessly.
Mr. Azeez was so angry with her actions. That he quietly sent her out like a naughty child he said it her" um.. hey ma'am please leave, you are disrupting my class.... I need the attention of the students. Leave... Bye bye! " When she left, he started afresh!  What a teacher! So perfect.
   Mr. Azeez has a fine accent but he wasn't physically attractive to me. He was just a good man and a well qualified maths teacher that I loved. It wasn't so for the rest of the girls in the class room particularly Kehinde. Kehinde was so obsessed with him, that she followed him to evey class. Whenever he's in JSS 3A she'll be there with him. When he comes to our class -JSS 3B, she'll also be there with him attempting to hold his books for him despite his constant refusal. Deborah in JSS 3A also did this rubbish. She went so far that one morning, I saw her in his office asking him for his phone number. "Sir.. you know, I need the number, so that I can be calling you when I need help with my mathematics." I overheard saying this to him as I stylishly walked past the staff room window where his office is. I was Ted to wait and hear more so I bent down and pretended to fix the lace of my School sandal.
"You don't need it. Deborah, leave my office! Now."
"Sir, please .. please -"
"That's it, I'm reporting you to your principal! Drop the assignments your were asked to summit and leave now!"
"Sorry, sir... Um.. please don't tell my principal."
"Get out now!" I stood up when I heard her foot step approaching the front door.
  I laughed and told this to Rebecca.
"Eh.. ehn.. Omo she ge mind ooo( wow! She really has the guts)... Instead of her to summit assignment jejely ( peacefully) she now decided to flirt. Hm.. and to think that we were in the Same primary School."
"We were sit mates Rebecca! She and I sat next to each other in Primary one. "
" Oh! Yes that's true. I know Cynthia won't do such. The annoying part is that she is now a prefect again! Ah ah ... They chose her. "
  " Well, I'm happy that they didn't choose me for that nonsense thing..."
" Yes, that's true me too." Rebecca said to quickly change the topic so I don't get emotional.
  " So how is Kehinde feeling? "
" That one? She is feeling to big to ask for his number, she just wants him to notice her-"
" Ah God! Se wetin happen? ( For what?)"
" You know how she is now? So full of her self. She has been using foundation eyeliner and mascara on her face since he started teaching us. But yet he still hasn't noticed her. "
" Hnm.. maybe he is married. "
" Yes maybe. Oh! And also, they collected all the prefects badge today, including
Kehinde's assistant 'head girl badge' . "
" Wow! Finally. Yes. You know we are preparing for our BECE. So, new prefects would be selected soon. If you see how Ezine the head girl was so happy to let hers go ehn .. she was so happy. She was even telling me that she felt so relieved when the 'head girl badge' was taken away from her. But to be honest, I think they should be keeping the badges... Like for remembrance or something like that.... "
  " Yes, you have a point. Anyways I wish you Success in your examination. "
" Awwn.. thank you. "

   The Saying " GOOD THINGS DON'T LAST" was confirmed when Mr. Azeez stoped coming. Was he fired? Did he resign? No one knows. He left without saying goodbye. He taught us for a month and three weeks and we were already in love with him.
   This life isn't faire at all. Mrs. Arinola refused to teach us. Well, to be honest, nobody wanted her flimsy lecture. We were already used to the original stuff.
  Mr. Ade came to our class one morning to talk to us about the Maths teacher and why he left. The rumors we were hearing about him being Mrs. Akinkunmi's son and all of that was confirmed when he told us that Mr. Azeez left mainly because of payment.
  "He. He.. hey! I don die! So Osa no fit sponsor common teacher.( Wow! So,Isa can not sponsor a common teacher)" Sophia shouted from the back.
" He shut up your mouth there. " Mr. Ade shouted at her furiously.
" Do you know how much your Principal was paying him? It wasn't the government who sent him but her. She was really sacrificing a lot! She is really doing so much for you guys..that woman is sick but she would still come to School early to teach you guys literature.She is also a qualified Literature teacher. You Principal can be a lecture with her qualifications.
That man is a teacher in AISL( American International School of Lagos.) If they say everybody should contribute now... Your stupid parents would complain that there is no money! Look nothing goes for nothing. Even this government School that they say is free. Is not totally free! You would still pay for somethings. Stop waiting for the government they don't  care... See whether you read.. or you don't, BECE would still come and you would still write it. "
  After hearing all these from Mr. Ade, I felt a small feeling of likeness for Mrs. Akinkunmi. I felt bad for calling her a devil and for plotting silly acts against her "in my mind"
   I honestly wish that my father could afford to put me in a School like AISL.
  I really want to learn!