LOW CUT

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR; HEAD GIRL

  "Obinna Winner Ogechi HEAD GIRL." Mrs. Adeyemi our new vice principal announced excitedly followed by the joyfully noises from the students on the assembly ground. My class mates were so happy. I looked at the crowd on the School field from the stage(the School corridor) and I was shocked to see Joash screaming his head off. He was so excited that he was literally turning red.
  I didn't contest from the position of that Head girl, in fact, I ran away from it. In Osa School and most Public School in Lagos, Students don't get the privilege to choose their leaders. The teachers Nominate and Select Prefects or School monitors. The students don't have a say in it.
  I was nominated as an acting Prefect last term when I was in SSS 2 but we were told that if we don't pass our MOCK Examination , we would be disqualified. During my interview,  I was asked what post I was aspiring for and  I simply said "oh! I'll like to be the library prefect because, I like going to the Library."
" What?! " Mrs. Abiola exclaimed in shock and I looked around and saw the disappointment on the faces of the Teachers seated.
" What of HEAD GIRL " Mr. Babalola asked with his husky voice.
"No sir."
"Why?" He asked in disbelief.
"Well, it's too much responsibility, I mean, the head girl for Senior School is the over all head girl for Junior and Primary School."
"Ah.. meaning?"
"I'm not ... I don't have interest in politics."
"Wow!" The teachers gasped and looked at each other in shock and disbelief.
"Politics how?" Mrs. Abiola finally asked.
"Well, I mean, A lot if people want the position of the head girl. I can't mention names but this is the dream of a log of students but they don't know the responsibility attached to it
They think it's all about badge."
"This girl is mad o". Mr. Babalola said in shock. I immediately stopped talking.

  " So, is that why you don't want to be the head girl? " Mrs. Adeyemi asked with her face mask on. I honestly don't know why she is always wearing her masks. I mean the whole COVID debacle has come to pass. I just hope she hasn't taken the vaccine because the whole thing is a scam and the vaccine is deadly and poisonous.
" Well, there is no use being a prefect in this School because... Because.... "
" Say it now! " Mrs. Adeyemi yelled at me.
" Well, no offense but the prefects in this School are not respected enough and the is why they don't work well. They don't do what they are supposed to s because they can't command the students. "
" Ah! " They all exclaimed.
" That is the fault of the stupid prefects! " Mr. Babalola exclaimed and this upset me a bit.
" Sirs, mas, if I'm free to speak. Well, that's one of the issues we have in this School among many others. You cannot expect much from the leader you have not honored."
" Hnm... " Mrs. Abiola nodded in agreement.
" The prefects can't do what they are supposed to do because they have not been esteemed in public. There are some certain things that you teachers do to other students that you shouldn't do to prefects because they are meant to be above the students. "
" Things like? " Mrs. Adeyemi asked.
" Well, I'll say, like sweeping, cutting grass-"
" Shut up! " Mr. Babalola shouted at the top of his voice and sat up . He is a very big and chubby man. With full beards and tiny eyes. He adjusted his glasses on his face and said" that you are a prefect doesn't mean that you are not a student anymore. Some of you are not intelligent at all. We just make you class captains and prefects because we want to. "

" Then, why don't you ... Nominate and Select the right people? " I asked calmly and Mr. Babalola flared up. He was about to pick up a cane beside him when Mrs. Adeyemi  stood up,removed her face masks and went to him. She took the cane from him and calmed him down.
It when then, that moment that I knew the reason for Mrs. Adeyemi's face masks. She has a huge scar on her upper lip. She noticed I was staring so she got uncomfortable and quickly put on her face mask.
  This is the issue I have with Mr. Babalola, he never calms down. We he's angry, he doesn't listen to explanations and this often leads him to regret his actions like he did when he flogged me for resuming with my hair after the lock-up without listening to my explanations. I can not count the number of students he has disciplined unjustly out of anger.
  I didn't say any more. I left the office immediately Mrs. Adeyemi  dismissed me.
I was relieved that Mrs. Fadake wasn't in School. If she was, she would have been in that meeting and it wouldn't have ended well for me maybe I would have left the office with one eye open. Mrs. Fadake deals with students by the use of her fist, she wrestles with them. I can't stop remembering the way she strangled me the day I resumed with my hair plaited. I was told that one time in the SSS 3 class before us, she punched a boys mouth and his teeth fell off. He lost a tooth and she wasn't arrested.

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"Now,let's call on the head girl to give us a speech. Mrs. Adeyemi announced on the microphone as she walked up to me and handed the microphone to me.
A lot of things came into my head at That point. First, I wonders why me? I mean. I've had issues with almost every teacher in Osa School, particularly the Senior School. I was nominated as a prefect in Junior School but I wasn't selected because of Chibuikem's death and the contrasting thing is that he died when he was in the Seniors School but when I resumed, nobody balmed me or cursed or treated me differently because of His death. It was as though he never even existed. Now, I'm the head girl of this Big School. It looks like I  have the power and authority to change things but I don't.
"Um good day everyone...." I started boldly and the whole crowd went silent.
I sounded and acted boldly but I wasn't. I was shaking inside. I felt like running away but I couldn't.
When I was done with my speech, Mrs. Adeyemi took the microphone from me and hugged me like it came from the bottom of her heart. We both knew why we discussed before the inauguration.
  So It was for me. The Head girl of Osa community Senior School for the year 2021/2022. That's what we were told but actually, we were nominated in the third term of SSS 2 in the month of June and made to work as acting Prefects until our mock results came out and even when we were promoted, we still had to wait until the end of first term in SSS 3.
We paid a sum of 2,500 naira each for our badges and we were finally inaugurated in the month of December. That's at the end of first term.
  Hence , we had only a term to work as prefects as we were asked to hand over to the upcoming prefects who were acting because of our Final Examinations. Isn't that wonderful?