In the Loving Arms of Servitude

30. What Happens Next?

                            
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It has been several hours since break time, yet Uju's seat in class is still empty. Mr. Rufus, the geography teacher is in class right now, telling his usual tales while the students listen raptly. Bayo however, is lost in deep thought, wondering where on earth Uju is and if she is alright. Immediately after breaktime, she just disappeared into thin air and no one has seen her since. Bayo starts to fear that her illness may have set in again. But then, he concludes that she might just be at home resting. 'But what if she is in the hospital?' he wonders. 'What if something bad happened?' he fears. He aches so painfully to see her; to comfort her. But right now, all he can do is hope that wherever she is, she is alright.

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Reverberating sounds from the air conditioner fill the entire atmosphere of the office, as steady whiffs of distilled air keep emanating from its vents. The door is shut and the window curtains are down, as always. The only sources of light in the office are the two large fluorescent bulbs, stationed; one at the centre and the other, at the left corner of the ceiling, from where they keep bathing Mr. Akintola's bald head with their luminescent rays. Uju and Mrs. Obi are seated in front of his large desk. They have been here for several hours now, explaining the entire issue while he payed careful attention to every detail. Mr. Akintola is a very meticulous and upright man, who cares about the welfare of all his students. He is a man of discipline, honesty and great compassion. Apart from Mazi Okafor and a few others, Uju has not come across a lot of good men in life. Uncle Femi, whom she had earlier believed to be one of such men, turned out to be a disaster waiting to happen.
'Ah! Mazi Okafor! The funniest man alive!' Uju thinks to herself, as a dimly lit yet warm smile forms on her tired face. She will always remember Mazi's jokes and wondrous tales about his exploits at Ajaokuta, Kogi State, back when its steel company was still the bedrock of industrialization in Nigeria.
There was even a time in Uju's life when she had subconsciously concluded that all men were deceptive and opportunistic. As the saying goes; ‘all men are the same.’ But so far, she has had to learn the hard way, that as much evil can come from a woman, as it could a man. And true goodness and kindness can come from just about anyone, whether male or female. Mr. Akintola is one of such people who exhibit true kindness. He is a strict man, that's for sure. But the greater good of each and every human being is his only desire. Right now, he is uprightly seated with both arms resting broadly on his desk and his palms clenched together, as Uju speaks. Although he is trying to maintain a plain but sympathetic demeanor as she narrates her ordeal, it is abundantly obvious how terribly livid he is, at what Femi did to her. It was simply inhuman. Nonetheless, he makes no remark while Uju speaks. He just keeps listening to her raptly.

To be honest, it is quite impressive how Uju herself is so calm and tearless while narrating her entire ordeal to Mr. Akintola. Her eyes are quite swollen from hours of crying. But as she speaks, her countenance neither wavers nor her voice break at all. Right now, both Mr. Akintola and Mrs. Obi are so fascinated by the way she is speaking her truth with such confidence. It is almost as though she has found some new courage within the last few hours. If course, it is still immensely difficult for her to let it all out and rehash her sordid experiences all over again. But for some reason, she remains strong till the end.
After she finishes her story, Mr. Akintola first pauses for a while. Then he replies reassuringly, just as she begins to get a bit emotional,
"Uju... You have no idea how much I admire your courage... Thank you for telling me your story. And be rest assured that everything will be alright."
In response, Uju smiles faintly and starts to nod repeatedly while a tear rolls out of her left eye. Afterwards, Mr. Akintola sends for the Vice Principal and requests that Uju sit in the waiting room for a few minutes while they all speak in private.