Chapter 3: Suspicion and Set Up

I just finish bath, disinfectant smell still dey my body, when my phone vibrate. Na message from Counselor Musa:

[Ngozi, come my office now now.]

I look up, see Aisha dey smile like say she win lottery—phone still for her hand. So na she go report. Imagine! She pour me chemical, lose fight, still run go snitch.

E no surprise me; Naija girls sabi carry matter. As long as dem go get upper hand, dem go call elder, run go prefect or house mother.

I hiss, carry my jacket, waka go. Aisha shout after me, voice full of mockery:

"Some people, make dem no come back dey cry oh~"

I push open the office door. Musa face just change as he see me, voice high like siren.

"Ngozi, you get mind! You beat your classmate for hostel?"

I breathe in, try calm down.

"Uncle Musa, na Aisha start am. She pour me disinfectant."

"Heh."

He look me up-down, eyes full of insult.

"Aisha na best student, scholarship holder. You think say she go do that kind thing? See as you strong, you want make I believe say na she start fight? Abeg, talk better lie!"

So because I strong, na crime?

Na so all these Naija teachers dey behave. If your skin hard, dem go tag you as stubborn. If you gentle, dem go ride you.

I grit my teeth. "Uncle Musa, you dey judge by face."

"No tag me!"

He knock table.

"Aisha don tell me everything. You dey always cause wahala for hostel. Write 5,000-word apology and beg Aisha tomorrow, or I go give you big query!"

I just laugh out of vex.

"Uncle Musa, na this one be teaching?"

Him face come red.

"You dey question me? I for pity you, but forget am. Aisha don tell me all your secret. You be girl, but you no get shame..."

He start dey quote Bible small-small, say make girls dey gentle. Na so dem dey do, but if na their pikin, story go change.

I cut in: "Principal Oladimeji sabi about this?"

Musa freeze, face twist more.

"Y-you dey threaten me with principal? I go tell you, even if governor come, e no fit save you!"

I bring out my phone, call Principal Oladimeji front of am. Musa face dey change colour, but him force smile.

"Continue dey form! For twenty years wey I dey teach, I never see student wey sabi act like you!"

"Same here."

I smile. "First time I dey see teacher wey fair reach you."

"You..."

He dey shake with anger.

Suddenly, phone talk:

[Sorry, the number you dialed no dey available...]

Musa come dey happy.

"Principal Oladimeji dey travel. Everybody know. Abi you wan talk say Principal Oladimeji na your papa?"

"Principal Oladimeji no be my papa."

I pocket my phone.

"But e dey find how to become my papa’s son."

Musa just freeze, like say he no understand.

I no even get strength explain. I just text my papa:

"Daddy, that school donation, abeg put am on hold."

As I send am, I waka comot. Behind me, Musa shout:

"Ngozi! Which kind attitude be this! Fifty-thousand-word apology! If you no write am, forget graduation! And your parents must come school tomorrow!"

Nonsense.

I roll my eyes, bang door waka.