Lotanna

Episode Three

“Mummy matron” I shouted, racing towards her room which was just beside The Js1 and Js2 dormitory.
"Ma, please I want to report myself to you. Ma, senior Frances slapped me so I retaliated and we started fighting. I'm sorry ma" I said panting heavily from all that fighting and running.
"Well, you know I like Godly students who take responsibility for their actions. What you have done is good, but why would Frances slap you; that silly girl". She said unlocking her door.
“Tell her to see me now” she said, “You can go”.
    I was sure glad I got to tell my tales of woe and position the truth to favor myself. Call it a lie, but the truth is multifaceted so we all chose the face that suits us the most. With this action, I could go take a shower, and rest for tomorrow.          
     Senior Frances will hear from matron at the grassland ( a large field of grasses with thorns) or the pit of hell (the boys toilet behind Js2 block that was forever dirty and so difficult to wash). These were the ultimate punishment spots for wrong doers.  Senior Frances had done me wrong so she deserved a clean spot inside the pit of hell I said to myself going to finally take that bath.
     The Timekeeper was really late today because my alarm even rang before she rang the bell. We could hear Senior Odili ringing his own bell from Green house boy’s hostel so everyone of course had to get up and assemble in their house courtyard for devotion.
   All through devotion, many minds were never present because the real hustle for the day was about to begin after the last amen was said. The rush to enter your room and secure your bucket, the struggle of fetching water without interruptions from higher authority's, getting a good bathing spot, and least I forget, leaving the hostel before 7:00am. This was our life at Favored College Kado, Abuja.
     Of course I had my life mapped out before I left for devotion, so after the last amen, I dashed into my room to execute my plans. I prepared and left the hostel by 6:47am according to my G-Shock wristwatch, and I went straight to my class to enjoy some solitude before Dele the class gateman would arrive.
   The journey from my hostel to class was not far. What made it far was the sacred passage of Blue house male hostel before entering the class gates. In fact, when I came to FCK newly, rumor had it that most girls made sure to jiggle their booties when passing blue house hostel because boys of course, will be boys and will hover around the hostel gates just to get a glimpse of sisters with bright futures behind them.  Today however, was not the day to sell market so I walked pass their hostel swiftly and entered the senior class area gates.
  The architectural design of my school was something else. Js1, Js2 and Js3 blocks formed a U shape, and then the staff room block covered the U making it a box.   Senior Square was like that, but Ss3 block was in between Ss1 and Ss2, then directly opposite the staff room for easy monitoring according to the principal. I got to my class just in time to settle down and relax before all the noise.
    As I walked into the class, I saw "Dalu" standing by the window facing the door with senior Jay. Do not get me wrong, Ray-Jay were part of the HI boys at our school.  The Handsome and Intelligent boys were every girls crush in our school. But little did I not know that the savior God sent to me last night was senior Ray.
    Senior Ray was beyond fine, intelligent and sporty; he was a child of God. He was the assistant chapel prefect if that told you anything. God is however, not a God of partiality so he doesn’t give one person everything. That was so clear when he gave Raymond a very very horrible singing voice. Just to highlight one of the many talents he lacked. He couldn’t dance to save his life; he was a horrible artist, and yes! He had a big head. That might explain his intelligence I guess.
“Good morning Lotanna, Mr. John sent us to come and call you” he said looking at me in an unsure way.
    I was really wondering how Mr. John got to know that I was heading to class because since I came to this school, this was my earliest arrival time. As if he was reading my mind, he quickly said “Dele your class captain saw you passing his hostel so he apparently told Mr. John. I think you should see him early so you’ll be able to plan for your hearing”.
“Hearing kwa!” I said to myself. Somebody that hears this will think I am a hardened criminal. The person will not understand that I was framed for theft and not just theft from anybody, but Senator Sanusi’s only daughter Mary. Mary was one of those girls people tried not to mess with because even pastor Tola the owner of FCK, worshipped her father. Her father has been the only PTA chairman since the inception of our school in 2004, and even when he won the senatorial seat, he still remained the figure head.  But of course Mrs. Ajunwa was the PTA chairman all could see.
   I was framed for theft in the best way ever because the CCTV cam caught me burgling a locker; a locker the owner asked me to burgle because she could not find the key, and taking out some provisions the owner had permitted me to.  As a sharp girl that had lived with an aristo aunty, I knew many tricks and gimmicks so I gladly accepted the offer. For what? For a pack of cornflakes and milk that was used to confirm the theft because I took them out of the locker.
    I knew that I was not going to see Mr. John the labor master because he would make things worse for me. But all the same, I had to thank senior Ray for his kindness.
   “Thank you senior Ray, I will go to see him now” I lied. Then it occurred to me that he told me a different name entirely yesterday, so I decide to ask just as senior Jay had left the class.
“Senior Ray, you told me that your name is Dalu yesterday when I asked. Why didn’t you tell me a name I could recognize? I was only able to recognize you this morning because your back view is the same” I said adjusting my beret.
“There was no need to add to your problems” he said with a sheepish smile.
“Mr. John had already put you in a bad place, so feeling embarrassed about the whole thing was just not right. Plus I have six sisters; I’m the last born.  I know these things”.
“Thank you” I replied with a warm smile
‘I am really grateful. I will return your shirt soon” I said with confidence.
“When I give, I don’t take back. God said freely were you given, and freely you shall give. I wish you all the best with your hearing, trial or whatever the panel’s plans are. You don’t look like a thief, so I’m sure God will vindicate you. Have a nice day Lotanna” he said leaving the class.
Wow! Ok I knew he was a child of God oh, but he had said like a couple of things God related in such a little time. He even knew my name was Lotanna not just the regular Lota people shout everywhere. I don’t know why his wishes meant a lot, but I was thankful to God for people like him who understood and could see that somebody like me could not degrade herself by stealing.
   The day was so fast and in a couple of minutes, it was assembly time. The hymn “Abide with me” really ministered to my soul because it is only when you are in trouble that you will realize that you are all alone and you need a presence greater than yours to make everything alright.
    “Help of the helpless Lord abide with me” senior Jemima sang in her sonorous voice. As the school Nightingale, she led all song, all hymns, all anthems; the young lady sang them all. For her to have won the FCK annual music competition that had judges from Project Fame, Senegal Music Academy and Soweto Gospel choir, she had to be good. And so she was because the melody in her voice was really helpful to me today.
  From first period till short break I was not concentrating. I couldn’t even go for morning breakfast by 10 because I knew well that I had no appetite whatsoever. Cheta tried to convince me but when she saw I was not ready to give in, she left with the other Cheta and Gold. 
The endless classes continued till the alarm I set for 11: 55 rang. I quickly excused myself from mummy Adewunmi’s Food and Nutrition class and headed for the principal’s office so that I could proceed to the panel room and face the matter at hand.
  I got to the office quickly and I was carefully to button my shirt to the last button and adjust my tie to start from my neck, not midway my chest as usual.
“Mrs. Tamuno, good morning.  I am here to see the”
“The principal for your trial” she said with a look of disgust on her face.
“Sit down there and wait for him, he is in a meeting with the disciplinary panel; he will attend to you soon” she said pointing to the plastic seat near the door of the office.
   The next thing I heard after a few minutes was “People wey dey steal dey go? HELLFIRE! HELLFIREeeee! HELLFIRE! Where dem belong”. Was I hearing right or was Mrs. Tamuno using my predicament to channel her inner Beyoncé? How petty of an adult seriously. Did I steal from her? I asked myself. In fact, did I steal? 
  I sat there trying hard to relax, but trust me her ugly Warri voice was compounding my problems and oh! Her scale running was on a whole different level. Let’s not even talk about her change of keys because no keyboardist who learned under Beethoven and friends can play the notes she was hitting.
After a while of waiting, I heard “He has finished. You can now go in. But please my dear, ask your parents for anything you need; don’t steal from others you hear? God will provide for you” she said with the look of an evangelist who just shared a life changing message with a criminal sentenced to life imprisonment.
   God had answered my prayers and my ears were no longer suffering so I thanked her and went into the office.
    Members of the panel were with the Principal, but depending on your offence, the members of the panel will differ. As a good student who never broke the rules, I never had an experience with the panel unlike Habiba who began to call the panel her committee of friends due to her numerous meetings with them.
I entered the office and looked at the panels members. It was a 10 man panel and Mrs. Ajunwa the PTA chairman was there of course, but one face on the panel shocked me. I greeted everyone but was quick to notice a pair of eyes avoiding mine.
Senior Raymond was a member of the panel.