LOW CUT

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX; Mr. Piety

   I didn't agree with Mr. Piety. I thought "well, the best way to protest is by doing the right thing. " I thought he'll change his mind when he sees my multicolored highlighted notes. I thought he'll be impressed when he sees my drawing of the Bourgeoisie and the preliterate in my illustration of the Capita democracy.
But no! He wasn't impressed at all. In  fact, he was completely mad. He was so upset that he called me rebellious and threatened to punish me for it.

  He kept complaining and saying almost the same thing repeatedly. "You are an art student. How do you want to be a writer of you cannot write a small, simple note. Winner! Be very careful. Just for the records, I flog more than Mr. Babalola. If I flog you... You'll never forget it. " He threw my note book at me after marking and scoring my note 14/20. I saw the frown on the faces of my class mates maybe they were expecting more or less, who cares?

   Afterwards, I stopped writing my notes my own way. I started doing it Mr. Piety's way and it didn't help at all. I felt sad whenever I find my self at home or in School writing the note from my textbook and talking or singing at the same time.

   The second and most painful thing Mr. Piety did you me that made me loose the love and respect I had for him was this;
  One day, we were in School waiting for Mr. Piety to come and give us our second test for the term . We waited mainly because, he wasn't a teacher employed directly from the government/ district, he was a P. T. F teacher. This simply means that he  doesn't gat paid by the government and the government, may not be aware of his presence and his commitments to the School. He is either paid by the Parents through the P. T. F or by a private organisation or church.
   We waited patiently for Mr. Piety that day but he didn't show up on time. He was  supposed to be in School by nine o'clock in the morning for our Government test but he didn't show up until two o'clock in the afternoon.
  "Sorry guys ." He apologized while dabbing his fore head with a face towel.
"So, I was caught up in traffic.. you know this Lagos traffic ehn.... Chai... Na WA oo..." The whole class laughed, for no reason. Even though it wasn't funny. Well, I assumed they laughed out of nervousness.
"Now,take your bags out, tear a sheet of paper, write your name , Subject, and date on it. Remember, don't write the questions for me again. Just answer it." He instructed as he opened his bag and brought out a small piece of paper from it.
  He took the marker in the board and started writing.
The first question was "what is common wealth?" I was about to answer it when I heard a small female voice at the door greet. I looked and it was Chioma in SSS 2.
  " Good afternoon Mr. Piety. " She greeted with a courtesy.
" Yes .. what is your nomenclature? " Mr. Piety asked as he walked towards Chioma at the door forgetting that he was still writing on the board. This is one thing about Mr. Piety. He easily digresses and abandons what he has been told to do.
  "Um... Sir my what?" The whole class laughed when Chioma couldn't answer the question. She probably didn't know the meaning of nomenclature and also couldn't pronounce it. Whenever Mr. Piety met a student for the first time, instead of just asking "what is your name?" He'll ask "what is your nomenclature?" There wasn't much difference  between the two questions.
"Nomenclature means name!" Someone exclaimed from the back and Chioma answered quickly.
"Sir, my name is Chioma Samuel-"
"No... Very wrong. Your surname first."
"Um.. okay, my name is Samuel Chioma."
"Good. How can I help you?" He asked .
"Um.... Mr. Babalola asked me to call Winner and Elizabeth." My head rang as I heard her say my name loudly. Elizabeth who was sitting in front of me looked back at me sadly. I also shared the same gaze with her.
  "Wrong... You don't call them by their names.. what is going on here! You call them senior Winner and Senior Elizabeth." Mr. Piety corrected her meticulously like she was a child.
" Okay.. sorry sir.. I'm looking for Senior Winner and Senior Elizabeth."
" Good... Now, Winner and Elizabeth please show yourself. " Mr. Sanity called out to us even though he knew who we were. Without hesitating, I and Elizabeth went to the front of the class to meet them .
" Now, go. You better tell him you are writing test. "Mr. Piety warned us with a low voice.
" Sir, please can you tell him for us? " I pleaded with him.
" Are you alright? Am I supposed to speak for you? "
" No sir. " Elizabeth answered while pulling me off.
 
  When we got to the staff room, we walked to Mr. Babalola's table where he was comfortably leaning in his chair like he didn't have any lectures for the day.
"Good afternoon sir." Elizabeth greeted first with a very low courtesy . One would think that he or she is disrespectful just by being around Elizabeth.
Mr. Babalola didn't wait for me to greet. He knew deep within him that I was upset with him but powerless.
  "The both of you should go to Almond plaza ... Eh... Check... Go to eat and drink restaurant. You know eat and drink restaurant right?" He asked as he looked from me to Elizabeth.
"Hnmm.. yes sir. We know the place." Elizabeth answered quickly with a courtesy.
" Speak for yourself." I muttered under my breath.
" So.. the both of you should go there and buy -"
" Sir, we are having a test in our class. " I cut him off quickly. His response shook me to the core " and so? "
Elizabeth and I looked at each other in surprise and sudden sadness.
" Who is in your class? " He finally asked after seeing the expression on our faces.
" Mr. Piety. "We both answered in unison.
" Oh! That one... " He hissed and pulled out his drawer like he was going to get his pen and paper to write a letter of permission. To our surprise, he brought out a plastic disposable plate and handed it over to me. I didn't even realize when I collected the plate from him. He then dipped his hand in his tiny pocket and brought out six hundred naira and handed it to Elizabeth.
"Now, the both of you should not cross. Please climb the over head bridge. Buy semo and Egusi soup( Semolina and Melon Soup)for me.... Go quickly I'm very hungry. " He relaxed in his chair and shut his eyes. Elizabeth and I walked out of the office because we knew that calling him at that point would be futile.

   We walked on the busy street of Osa community without saying a word to each other. Suddenly, it started drizzling. It felt like the rain poured down in bits to mock me. Here I was, on the streets of Lagos, heading to a restaurant during School hours to get food for a teacher! When I'm supposed to be writing test.
Even my Dad has never sent me on such an errand before.
"Winner let's walk faster. You know he said he is hungry..." Elizabeth said as she tried to hold my hand and pull me along with her. I yanked my hand off her angrily and said"you really should learn how to say no! Elizabeth -"
"Winner! Why didn't you say no?!" She asked me angrily as she stopped in the rain. "I'm in much more than you ... So... Please... Please please don't stress me! You think if I could say no I wouldn't be in another School? A better.. please stop." She warned as she pointed her index finger  at me. 

  We didn't say anything to each other until we got to the restaurant.
"I'll buy it." Elizabeth said as she took the plastic played from me.
"Good afternoon ma. Please I want to buy Semo and Egusi soup." She handed the plastic plate to the woman selling and she dished out the food.
She then asked" so... Meat or fish? "
" Ah! " Elizabeth and I exclaimed as we looked at each other. We both realized that none of us had asked Mr. Babalola if he wanted meat or fish.
  "Let's buy meat.. I think he like that one." Elizabeth suggested.
"No... I think it's fish... You know what. Let's not buy anything since we don't know. " I suggested angrily.
" Hnm... Winner are you sure? This is not the first time Mr. Babalola is sending us to buy food for him ooo... You know how he values his meat. " Elizabeth warned as she pulled her ears. I rolled my eyes at her as I collected the pack of food and the change from the woman selling.
   When we had almost gotten to School I said, "Well, this would teach him a lesson. He won't send us again... We have missed our test because of him. " I said as I smiled within me. The payback felt so good.

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" Ah... What?! " Mr. Babalola shouted in shock as he searched the soup with his fingers for meat or fish. He was almost in tears when he looked at us and demanded fiercely but very quietly so he wouldn't get the attention of the other teachers in the office.
"Where is my meat?!"
"Take your change sir, we didn't know if you wanted meat or fish so..... We just bought.. we decided not to buy anything." I said as I handed the money over to him without stealing from it. I wasn't like the other students who stole from teachers whenever they are sent on errands.
"What ?!... Winner."
"Sir."
"Elizabeth."
" Sir? " She courtesy again.
"The both of you should get out of my office. " He said quietly.

  When we got to the class, they were almost done with the test.
  "Where have you guys been? You've been give for one hour fifteen minutes."
Mr. Piety asked angrily.