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Thirty two
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2020-10-08 20:53:18We see a lot of things, as long as your eyes are open you can't help it. There are still a lot we do not see, no matter how widely open we have our eyes, mostly because they are hidden from us but sometimes because we aren't looking for them.
I used to see Becca Ededem everyday; the bitchy, spoilt rich girl that felt she was the only thing that mattered. Now I saw her, still bitchy and all that but carrying a secret that could ruin her. Regardless of her perfect posture, flawless skin and very colorful choice of words, she didn't appear like such a peacock to me anymore.
We didn't talk after the bathroom incident, she acted like I didn't exist while keeping up her image as Apex's queen bee. I wondered how she was coping, if she had told anyone else but since we didn't have any more bathroom encounters, I couldn't ask her and no one else seemed to notice so I tried to forget.
I saw her guard drop sometimes, in those moments when she sat by herself and stared off, her eyes glistening over but it never lasted for long.
"Hadley Chase or Patterson?"
That was the question Rasheed asked that started an argument between himself and Marcel about crafty minds and books too many to have been written by one person.They were hardly friends but a little more tolerable of each other, enough to find similar interests and common ground. The change in their relationship was greatly in my favor because now they both helped with my studies without gouging each other's eyes out.
I left them in the otherwise empty library, arguing and returned to my room for the rest of the siesta.
Vivian's bored and slightly annoyed face was the first thing I noticed as I stood by the door."He likes doing things like this". Henrietta didn't sound pleased and I didn't have to search her head to know who she was talking about.
"Then tell him you don't like it, if it wasn't obvious". Vivian angrily suggested."I don't want to annoy him. Chris is very sensitive".Vivian scoffed bitterly while Abike threw her head back in laughter.I stepped into the room fully and watched Henrietta bite back whatever she was going to say as she saw me. Her eyes danced across my face for some tense seconds and when she saw I wasn't going to say anything, she threw on a fake smile.
"Mandy! I was wondering where you were".
"I was at the library"."Oshey, serious student". Abike hailed."Don't mind her, she wants to jack for Africa". Vivian said, looking relieved to be talking about something else"Abeg. You all read at night and you know I don't like night reading".I placed my books on the table before stripping to my undies and getting on my bed. Abike and Vivian had moved on to other topics but Henrietta was stuck between playing with her fingers and pretending not to look at me.
There was nothing more I could tell her. You can take a horse to the stream but you can't force it to drink.* * *
Visiting days had never been a big deal for me. I usually left the dorms to greet Mrs. Dapo abd get whatever my mom sent but this term she didn't have a parcel for me.
"Kunle's and Nneka are on their way".That put me in a mini pause. My mom was visiting me for the second time since I joined Apex, accompanied by Kunle.I didn't have time to digest the information, a familiar car rode through the gates. I watched as they searched for and found a parking space a few meters away from the admin block. Mom was the first to get out from the front passenger's side, she opened the backdoor and took out two polythene bags along with our medium sized food flask. Kunle's got out too, locked the car and took the bags from her.
They began approaching the block, talking and laughing lightly. My mom's eyes found me and she waved with her free hand, it was then I realized Abike and her mom had left me. I met them at the foot of the steps and took the flask from her, not before giving her a brief hug.
"You look thin". She said and I frowned.
"I'm fine, mom".I led them to a free table and sent someone to fetch Marcel. It took about 20minutes but when he finally showed, Marcel looked just as surprised as I had been. Before my mom, I had never seen Kunle in Apex."Good afternoon dad". He nodded respectfully. "Aunty Nneka". He smiled at my mom and she rose to hug him too while I sat there, incapable of being further surprised.
"Sit down, I made jellof and chicken". She pointed to the flask on the table.He took the seat between my mom and I.The gossip had subsided a bit but all it needed was a little nudge and from the stares we were getting, this was a great push. All of us, eating together.
I looked at Marcel who was attentively listening to one of my mom's stories, even his dad was adoringly staring at her which was understandable, she was radiant.They all laughed and I couldn't stop the smile, I didn't want to. If they could all enjoy this moment, then so could I.
* * *
Papers were being thrown from one end of the room to another. A group of girls gathered close to the door, singing barbie songs, headed by Henrietta. Tolu was at the front of the class twerking. We were supposed to be having mathematics but Ms. Nancy wasn't in the staff room.
"How I wish his trouser will just bust". Marcel said from beside me and I laughed.
I no longer felt as much as an outsider as I did before, mostly because people no longer called me 'Mandy de mad'. Suddenly, everyone was scrambling to their seats and I looked up to see Ms. Nancy enter the room."You people decided to turn this place to a market right? So everyone will know I wasn't in my class right?"
We all stayed quiet.She was about to turn to the board when she paused, we all followed her eyes to Becca who had her head on the desk in deep sleep."Becca". Ms. Nancy called but she didn't stir.
"Rebecca!" Still nothing."Someone please wake that girl". She sighed.Becca's seatmate tapped her awake and she sat up with a groan, wiping the sleep off her eyes."Good morning ma". Ms. Nancy said and Becca looked at her briefly before staring out the window."Why we're you sleeping in my class? Didn't you sleep at night? Please oh, don't sleep in my class, no be me put you belle".
There was a communal gasp from our mates."What? Is it not what all you rich brats do? Misbehave because you feel you are above mistake". She gave us a scornful stare before turning to face the board."We do not feel we are above mistakes, we just don't know how to avoid them sometimes".
It was when Marcel whispered my name that I realized I had been the one who said that but it was too late, Ms. Nancy and everyone else were staring at me."What did you say, Amanda?"
I took a deep breath and stood up. It had to be said."You didn't get Becca pregnant but you are one of the reasons why she is. You are one of her teachers, you should be able to guide your students in the right path and set good examples but you'd rather badmouth them and kick them when they are down.You and the management, adults in general believe they know better but you don't. You don't know what kids go through, you don't care about the things that matter like their feelings".
"Good morning, Ms. Flora". My classmates rose to greet the principal who had just walked in.
"Good morning all. Sit". We all did."Good morning ma". Ms. Nancy peeled her eyes away from me to acknowledge the principal."Morning Nancy. Ss3 students, I believe you are preparing for your exams"."Yes, Ms. Flora".
"Good. Rebecca Ededem, come with me".We all watched Becca pack her books and follow the principal. She was at the door when she finally turned to look at me with a faint smile that I couldn't return.That was the last time I saw Becca, she never came back to the class but she never really left Apex. People talked about her without fear or sympathy. The management even organized an assembly specially to address teenage pregnancy and it was all to her credit.
Becca Ededem had left her mark, it was hard to say if it was good or bad.
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