LOW CUT

CHAPTER FIFTY- THE CRIMINAL

   
  
   The final date for resumption was announced this morning. "Schools would resume on the 2nd of November, 2020 as the End SARS protests has been resolved". To news caster announced like a robot this morning.
  I was shocked to hear the news but even more shocked to hear the statement from my mother" hnmm.. who knows if it's true, on Monday, Winner, you'll go and check if there is School, if there isn't, then you'll come back home.... If there is, I'll give you money to cut your hair in the morning. "
  What? Is this my mum? I looked at her strangely.

   On Monday, I went off to School with my hair woven to the back and my beret covering it.
  I felt so strange walking into the School compound with my hair on my head. I headed straight to my class and found some students there, I asked if the School had resumed and their answers were yes. I headed straight for the gate with my School bag on. When I walked past the staff  office, someone called me and when I looked into the office, I saw sine girls sweeping, Mercy was the one who called me. The moment I walked into the office, she removed the beret I was wearing and shouted "Ah! Jesus! You plaited your hair to School!" And the rest of the girls gathered. They touched and admired my hair.
  I said good bye to them quickly and walked out of the office. Getting to the gate I saw my beloved Joash walking into the School compound.
"Ah! Obinna! " He shouted when he saw me and we both hugged. While we hugged, I noticed something surprising strange My hands were wrapped around his waste not his shoulders. I looked up and realized that he was taller than me. How could a child grow so tall in seven months? I wondered in shock.
Joash didn't let me go. We kept talking until we heard the bell for assembly.
I rushed to the School gate but was stopped by the new security guard . The former Security guard the Baba died during the lock up. This one was worse than Baba, he didn't know how to speak pidgin English not to talk of English and instead of talking he used his cane to send me back.
   I went  to the assembly ground fearfully. I felt so scared that I thought I was going to die. I was sweating so much that the girl standing beside me asked if I was okay. I said yes to her and smiled.
  The new vice principal that was introduced to us before we were on lockdown was around. She was looking around checking and sending those with 'bushy' hair out of the assembly.
  She gives by the name Mrs. Fadake but the students call her Naira Marley or Mami Naira after a Famous and notorious Artiste in the country.
    I was scared that she might get to me and swallow or devour me when she sees my braided hair.
   I did the most dangerous and deadly thing in the world. The risk I took can be compared to actually entering into a lion's den or a snake pig or worst of all confessing your sins to the devil in person.
    I went to Mrs. Fadake, like an innocent prey and asked" ma, please can I go home?"
"Are you stupid? Can't you greet? Didn't your mother train you well?" She asked .
" Um.. no ma.. I mean yes ma. Good morning ma. "
" Yes, why do you want to go out? " She asked with her hands akimbo which revealed her big pot belly. She looked funny this way but laughing at that point was like laughing at the point of death.
" Ma, I want to go and cut my hair. " I said and she smiled briefly.
" Why do you want to cut your hair? "She asked as she opened my beret. She shouted when she saw my braided hair and this frightened me a bit.
  From afar off, I noticed out of the corner of my eyes how Mr. Babalola went into the staff room. Mrs. Fadake strangled me so hard that I was seeing stars. It was Mrs. Bolanle who came to my rescue. The whole assembly was in shock and disbelief to see me. There was  exclamation from every angle.
  The vice principal Mrs. Bolanle asked me to go and kneel down in the Chemist lab.As I was entering the chemist lab, I felt a sharp pain on my head, the pain went to my back and the. My head again.
I immediately ran far into the lab and turned . It was none other than the Almighty Mr. Babalola that flogged me.
I saw how he struggled like a lion about to devour his prey when Mrs. Bolanle held him back and prevented him from entering the lab. Mrs. Fadake asked her
to let him flog me.
  I knelt down in the lab and cried my eye balls out. I stayed there for hours. I was still crying when Mrs. Bolanle came in with a tall woman and asked her to take a picture of me and send to the district.
  I didn't beg even though I knew the consequences of that was expulsion. I stayed up straight for her to take a perfect picture.
  I went back to my crying when they left. I was still in that awful position when Mrs. Fadake came in and announced  that I was going to be expelled. I cried even more she then went ahead to threaten that she would make sure that My parents find it very difficult to put me in another public School. She said she would tarnish my reputation. She left angrily.
   I went back to my crying but Mr. Lekan picked me up and asked me to follow him so I can get my result and know if I'm to repeat or not. I followed him up stairs. I didn't know where Mrs. Fadake dropped my beret so, I was walking around with my head open exposing my braids. The moment Mr. Babalola saw me. He flared up. He shouted angrily in Yoruba "Eh ehn.. ko le fail... Ko le.. fail" this  means she has failed. Mr. Lekan tried to beg but he didn't listen. He shouted and chess me out of the School gate. Thank God I had my bag with me.
  I walked home sadly. I basked in the morning sun. I felt so empty and dry.
I was about to pass the shut cut to my house which is an estate gate when the security guard stopped me from the bench he was sitting on beside the pedestrian entrance and asked"fine girl were are you going to?"
I ignored him and asked dryly if I could pass the estate gate to my house. His response was supposed to make me smile but it didn't he said "well, if it was someone else, I'll say no. But since it's you , you can enter." I said thank you to him without smiling and entered the gate.
   I walked home wondering why the world was is so unbalanced, unfair and cruel.
  Why on earth, should I be sent home or expelled or asked to repeat a class because I kept a 'part of my body' and took it to School . For the very first time in months, I felt the same numbness I felt when I lost Chibuikem.
  In reality, I'm not supposed to. As far as the government is concerned.

  I met my dad at home. I explained everything to him and he asked me to stop crying .
He assured me that I would not be expelled from School and I would not be asked to repeat  my SSS 1 class.
I calmed down a bit holding on to his words. I sure hope that it's true.
I wouldn't mind if I'm expelled from School as long as I can keep my precious pearl. MY HAIR.