Dubem [A NIGERIAN STORY]

Chapter 3

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It wasn't until Senior Lizzy strolled into the bathroom had I woken up to reality, literally. We'd all fallen fast asleep on the dirty floors of the girls restroom.

"Eeyah, Pele o. Imagine going on expulsion. Chai, sorry oo". she looked at us, an irritating expression of fake pity in her tone. It was the ever shameless, immodest senior with the highest rank of aproko, since the history of the school was born. She had a real problem keeping her mouth hole closed.

Ella rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands as she shared, "Suspension not expulsion thank you", she rolled her eyes, although they seemed weak, but it seemed like she really waited long for this moment. "Imagine sending dirty pictures to a man old enough to birth you".

Before I could process what had happened, Ope, Vicky and Esther had cornered Ella, as the examined the black-purple swollen mark that had been announced upon her face, while she held her left cheek. Senior Lizzy had left what seemed like the shape of a map, on her face to figure out.

I raised my head to meet an already teared up Ella, writhing in pain. Ope, Vicky and Esther did not so much of a great job restraining her from retaliating.

"Next tíme, you'll know who's your mate, idiot".

"Bitch!!".

"Ehn.. wait - is it me that you're calling bitch?", Senior Lizzy tilted her head from the corner leading to the classrooms, where she stood, and walked down to Ella".

She dragged Ella by the hair, as the other girls fearfully scrambled to the classroom. I knew better not to interfere, I had learnt enough though, I crept to a corner as I hid into the toilet stall, bringing a little gap to the door and its hinges.

I wasn't going to do anything, I just stared as Ella dug her lengthy finger nails into senior Lizzy's arm. She let out a brief shrill at the deep cut. She gasped breathlessly, slowly loosing her grip on Ella as she slumped to the floor.

The bell for long break rang, bringing to a halt, their combat. My hatred for senior Elizabeth only grew, although Ella was wrong for lashing her out like that, but she was supposed to be the responsible one.

"Anyways, the principal wanted to see you", she was breathing heavily like a pig. "This isn't over!". She snapped her fingers at her.

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"Abeg, she should go and die!", Ope hissed, slurping the last content of her drink in anger.

"Ahahn.. I thought you said you'll remain for me.. mtchew". Farian whined.

"Chop the bottle, or if you like, I can open up my stomach for you, so you can drink it from there. If I dash you one ehn, you will know that I'm really angry and not in the mood".

We all turned to look at Ope. We were the only ones present at the school's basic technology workshop premises. Most of the things you could find around there were either carved from wood, or metals that were being worked on. The only thing, that was exceptionally wooden obviously, were the defensives surrounding us.

"What will I do?", Esther spoke, althouh rapt in her reverie.

A while after, Ella bounced in. She failed to regain her stance as she fell flat on her face, muttering what seemed like curse words indirectly at the running students that had pushed her to the floor.

"Tolu, come back here!", she hollered at no one in particular. "Idiots".

She spoke as Vicky walked in, "The principal is willing to uplift his punishment oo.. thank God". She raised her hands to the sky as she knelt to the ground, before starting with songs of praises.

My eyes beamed with joy. Then I wondered, if the principal was going all merciful enough on us by uplifting this punishment, then there had to be something as a replacement. Whatever crime we had committed was inappropriate and had been wrong in so many ways.

And he decided by simply giving us all different weeks of suspension, because there was no other way we could have proved we were wrong. At least, I thought. But who would have thought I was wrong.

"He's giving us something else, he said we should all see him". Vicky managed to say in between Ella's loud songs.

We all took to the principals office. Ella looked to the ground, and didn't notice me staring at her till we were less than a stone's throw apart. She started it anyways.

"File out into a single line", the principal hollered. He rested his hands on the smooth surface of the large wooden desk, adorned with several work sheets that were scattered at different locations. He owned properties, of pens and markers of course. He excused his visitor with a simple wave of his hand, and while she was gone, he drew his attention back to us.

"Is that his wife?", Favour whispered to Ope, who stood firmly beside her.

"Mumu, do I resemble her mother". Ope said in between snickers as she managed to answer.

There was a swift progress between my heart and my mind, like competitors do fight for the win.

He cleared his throat, his gruffly voice filling the room. "On each pages of your exercise books, you're to write an apology letter. I want to see them next week Thursday!".

"AHH!"