Chapter 3: The Breaking Point

Teacher point me, voice cold: "Bow and apologize, both of you. Talk am loud, say you sorry."

I just stare, mouth open. For my mind, I dey wonder—why? Wetin I do wrong?

I dey ask myself: for this life, if you talk truth and dem no believe, you go still apologize?

Why e go reach like that? I dey ask, my heart dey pain me.

Teacher list my sins, like say I be criminal. "If you no apologize, carry your load go. I no fit teach pikin wey dey misbehave." My chest dey heavy.

I no hold back, I talk my mind. "Oga, abeg, if you continue like this, education board go hear. You no fit just dey do anyhow."

Teacher pick chalk, fling am my direction. Chalk hit me for shoulder. Some boys begin whisper, "E don red."

I stand firm, mind made. No matter wetin, I go do the right thing.

I step go front, let chalk meet my head. Everybody shock. I no move.

Teacher step back, fear catch am small. "Wetin you dey do? Wetin you wan try?"

I no even send. I pick my phone for table, dash out the class, boys dey shout "Ah!"

Na life and death matter. I dey reason only solution.

If I stand dey argue here, wetin I gain? Person fit die because of stubbornness.

No matter wetin anybody talk, no matter how dem misunderstand, I be who I be.

Everybody know how important final year be.

For Naija, final year be do or die. Everybody dey hustle to finish, wahala plenty.

We don see am: parent fit no tell you say person die, just because of exam. Everybody get story.

E no dey easy to pull pikin from school, unless e serious well.

Just reason am, e clear say my classmate mama fit dey critical.

If e reach like this, accident matter no be small thing. I dey reason am like Naija pikin: no parent go disturb child exam except e don red.

If I no do anything, and pikin no see e mama, I no go forgive myself ever.

Na the code wey I live by—person life pass any wahala. Make people talk, but truth dey truth.

Class shock. Some people open mouth. Teacher dey shout, "Rebellion! You wan show me?"

I no send am. I head for door, na im person block me. My heart beat increase.

Na my classmate stand for door. E dey chest me, eye red.

E just kick me, sharp, for belle. The pain cut deep, I almost fall.

If to say I dey ready, I for shift. But this one, he catch me by surprise.

My phone land for floor again, make one kpa sound. My back pain me, but I gats stand.

He cross hand, block door. "O boy, you no dey go anywhere today."

I ask am, breath heavy. "You dey craze so?"

He start to talk, voice don soft small. "Na just prank I do, I no expect am go this far. I even wan say sorry, but you carry matter reach village."

I dey confuse. "Wetin you mean, wetin you dey talk?"

E shout again, voice dey shake. "Phone don spoil, I go pay. Redmi phone no even cost. But you curse my mama, abeg apologize. That one no good."

Teacher waka come, hold my arm, squeeze am, teeth gritted. "How far you wan push this? You wan fight teacher join?"

Teacher use im strength, push me go blackboard. My back hit am, I groan, but I no cry.

E stare me down. "You dey rebel because I break phone? If e pain you, make your parents come school."

I beg am. "Sir, you no gree, call him papa now. Make you hear by yourself."

Teacher take up challenge. "I go call. Make we clear everything today."

Teacher raise him phone, face my classmate. "Your papa number, wetin be am?"

Classmate voice small. "I no sabi papa own, na only mama own I dey use."

Teacher nod. "Ok, I go call your mama."

Teacher try call, face change. "Nobody dey pick am."

I talk, pain dey my voice. "Oga, e no clear? Person wey get accident go pick call?"

My classmate still dey para. "Na your mama dem hit!"

Teacher face soft small. E dey reason the matter. E dey wonder if e be truth.

Teacher start talk, "I go admin get your papa number, make e no be like say we dey lie."

Classmate jump in. "Sir, na him dey help us call home. My mama dey do night shift, she dey sleep now. Phone dey silent. No be today."

Teacher just breathe deep, like person wey run race. The thing dey tire am.

Teacher face me. "You too get sense for wahala. If na book you use am for, you for don write WAEC two times."

I ask am. "Oga, you dey alright so?"

Teacher open mouth. "Wetin you just talk now?"

I break am down. "Sir, abeg reason am. If his mama dey hospital, e papa go try call me because e no wan disturb pikin. But when e don bad, e go reach us. E make sense now."

Teacher no shout, but e face no sweet. E dey try hold imself.

Teacher talk, voice low but hard. "Everybody dey here. After class, I go admin get the number. If you dey lie, na expulsion sure for you."

I reason am, voice beg. "Oga, why after class? Time dey go. Abeg, give me phone now, make I fit run help."

E reply, voice sharp. "Admin office key dey with principal. E dey meeting. No disturb me again."