Ade's Chronicle 20

Ade’s Chronicle 20

They left the staffroom but the discussion we had did not leave with them. It rang in my heart and just then I remembered how hungry I was. We had no breakfast that morning. I looked at Rotimi, he would have talked about it had it not been the discussion we had with the girls. He was visibly worried by what he had heard. I started to say something to take him out of his mood, but before I could open my mouth, he said,

“Olboy ye, we no chop this morning comot house o. Dem don dey fight royal rumble for my belle o. Make we find something chop for this remaining small time abeg. No be me put them for bad thing o. Abi dry fasting dey?”

It was as if he had read my mind. I knew my friend too well; he had shaken the discussion off his mind. He would still continue his duty with Bunmi as necessary. He had said his mind and that was all. He would let the matter die there but God save Shola if she crossed his path.

I got up from my seat and we hopped out into the sunny afternoon to grab a brunch in the little time remaining. When we got to the staff canteen, we saw the other teachers, including Shola, sitting at the various tables around. Shola winked at us immediately we entered but we did as if we saw her not.

We sat at the available table and ordered for our food. Minutes later, it was brought and we tackled it with all gusto.

As we were eating, we heard the bell ringing. The break was over. Nostalgic feelings swept over me. Gone were those days when I was controlled by the sound of a bell. I remembered that at the sound of any bell, especially the break over bell, I was scrambling over to the class. Here I am now, the bell tolling away and I still sitting and eating my beloved food. Life is never static!

We were still eating when the bell sounded. The teachers who were through stood up—some reluctantly, others gingerly—and headed out of the canteen, leaving a few of us. Among those leaving was Shola.

The canteen was arranged in such a way that when she was moving from where she sat, she would pass by our seat. Ours was closer to the entrance than hers.

She left her seat and made for the exit. She got to where we sat and said,

“Good afternoon guys.”

None of us replied her. We did as if we never heard her or let me say, she wasn’t there at all. Rotimi looked at the food he was eating and said, “Ol boy, this food sweet today no be small o. If na like this dem go dey cook for here, I fit no marry sef.”

She made as if to comment on the statement but I think she knew better than to do that, moreover, she had not got over the initial shock of the rude treatment we gave her.

“Marry, to marry dey even fear me sef. When e be say na women wey dey sleep with small girls full our country so. Make person dey teach small girls wey reach im junior sister age how to farse her fellow girl. Ol boy ye, to marry dey fear me o. Al of them go do leg like mosquito wey dey go meeting come dey look like say dem na the best wifey material for the world. Wetin dem go teach dem own pikin wey dem born by themself. Rubbish!” I spat out.

Rotimi got the wind of my gist. He flowed well with it. We had to strike now that we had the advantage. She was still too stunned to move and by then, our discussion was beginning to prick her conscience because she had begun to look like one who would collapse under her weight.

“Rubbish upon rubbish! If dem know say dem no go dey do men, make dem kuku stay with women. The thing wey dey even vex me be say dem go dey greet like say dem no fit shit and go dey teach small girls bad thing. Dem even dey do small boys sef. See dem life outside o. Foolish set of girls. If dem put One million on top dem head say make I marry am with the money and free house, I no go take am. My dog sef no go marry am. Idiotic bimbos. And to say dem go school. Waste of precious money!” Rotimi replied.

Shola could not stand the heat of our discussion again; she walked awkwardly out of the canteen and immediately she left we started laughing our hearts out. We finished our meals and left the canteen for the staffroom.

We both had no classes again for the day hence we walked leisurely to the staffroom. For most of the way, we spoke about the girls and for the little part we were silent each with his thoughts.

Then we got to the staffroom to meet half of the teachers in the room. Shola was absent. She had gone to the class she had.

We sat at our tables and faced our job-- marking notes and assignments. We chat over it as we marked to the chagrin of the other teachers. They just could not fathom why we had to keep disturbing them. Some had their heads on their tables; others were battling with their lesson notes. We were enigmas in the room. They knew if they said a word, we could make the place more hellish than we had done, so they had learnt to leave us as we were when we start our acts.

We saw their inconveniences and decided to face our work. You need to see the relief on their faces when we stopped our chat. They were happy. I knew in their innermost selves, they would be praying for more of that situation.

The whole staffroom was a graveyard for close to an hour when again I could hear the shuffling of a familiar set of feet from outside. I knew who it was. I looked at Rotimi to know if he had heard the same thing. He had heard and he also knew who it was... we burst into laughter as the feet neared the staffroom...

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