Chapter 8

Daniel woke up the next day with a lot of joy, he could only think of 2:00 pm when he will make another move to the former school to have fun with them till 3:30 pm when they will dismiss. The school on Thursdays and Fridays dismiss by 1 pm but always have lessons on Mondays to Wednesdays. On this faithful Wednesday, Daniel had also prepared to go with gifts for faith. His new seminary school had given him new books with the name of the school boldly written on them. Also, he was given customized pens and other academic materials like mathematical sets and calculators. He had packed 8 out of the 15 books given to him, plus the mathematical set. 

“Ha, this love is growing oh”. Shola makes jest of Daniel having seen him load the books in the bag. He didn’t think much to guess whom he had planned to take the books to. Daniel had designed Faith’s name on the books with his artistic styles. 

“That girl deserves the best, you need to see how she played maturity level yesterday, the way we smiled and composed herself, we had a long talk, you need to see her o”. Daniel tells Shola.

“You will soon chop breakfast (referring to heartbreak)”. Shola responds leaving the room.

“All I have to tell you is, let the friendship be pure, you two are too young for the intimate friendship of this nature, keep it platonic” Shola utters finally as he closed the door. 

“I have heard, chief adviser to the president” Daniel responds, soliloquizing. 

***** 

Daniel entered the school by 1:40 pm, he spent the remaining minutes before 2 pm with the gatemen, the gatemen knows him very much, more importantly how he had helped to communicate to them in one of the days of his junior secondary school when two cultists were striving to maltreat and extort money and belongings from another junior student. Daniel had seen those guys drag the little boy down the school hill to achieve their goal, he quickly threw a stone from the little hill positioned on the right-hand side of the school's big playground, the stone hit the gate and the attention of the gatemen was drawn to the direction from which the stone came. Daniel having raised his hands pointing down the hill was able to communicate the situation. 

It was a good time with the gatemen, Daniel also extended a hand of goodness to them by getting a drink for them. As he was still at the gate, he was approached by one of the quiet guys in his class then. 

“Danny how are things with you?”. The friend asked.

“Am always good, man”. Daniel responded.

“I saw you come around yesterday, it was good to see you once more”. The friend commented again.

“Thanks, Man, you guys are still my love ones, superb”. Daniel utters.

“The friend chuckled”. 

“I have something to tell you, maybe I will come around your house for us to discuss more”. The friend responded to Daniel with a smile.

“Ok then bro, take care, let me reach your class”. Daniel replied.

They had a handshake and went on their ways.

***** 

“Hey; Class Danny is here again!”. One of the boys exclaimed.

“He is with bag oh!!  hmmm,  I guess we will have fun today”. Another voice shouted.

“Not only fun, champagne”. Daniel responded smiling.

Daniel exchanged greetings with most of the boys, waved to the girls, and hugged the few he wished to hug. He also went to the other Ss1 class and greeted all of them. He went straight to where Faith was and dropped the bag on her desk. Faith was with her two friends and other girls were there too because she was making her hair. The girls rushed to the bag and opened the bag and screamed so loud. The loud noise Led to the sudden rush of the other class members to the science class. It was a good site, some of them cherished the atmosphere of love and some girls wished their friends to do the same for them. 

Meanwhile, as the girls were discussing the present Faith received, Daniel was discussing with the best students of the science class. Daniel used to be the best before he left. The boys were discussing with Daniel the current topic they were in physics and after a brief review of their notes, they noticed they were way behind in physics and at the same topic in chemistry. They also saw they were two topics behind in mathematics too. The boys agreed with Daniel to handle them the next day and upper day on physics which Daniel gladly accepted after rejecting for a while. The class prefect had to secretly write a paper to Faith on the current need of the time which she played a vital role in Daniel's acceptance.

Daniel after the discussion, spent time with Faith and her group, but couldn’t take his eyes off her. He didn’t fail to acknowledge the fact that he missed her. 

“You are growing into a more beautiful damsel”. Daniel said to Faith twisting his lips. 

“Don't mention”. Faith replied to Daniel, smiling profusely.

“I wouldn’t have opted for any other except you”. Daniel continued.

At this time, Faith comes closer to Daniel, holding his hands...

“You will soon go back to school, you know I will miss you again”. 

“How I wish your school is for both boys and girls, I would have heaped pressure on Dad to change school for me”. Faith responded, breathing heavily. 

“Don’t worry about it, you have all my holidays”. Both smiled. 

Daniel at the end of the day waited for Faith and both went home. It was a good day for Daniel, he had enough time with his friend. They discussed how they met, on the first day of exchanging purity and moral beliefs.

At the junction, Daniel spent time looking intently at Faith, he had never been in love before, he has never been so close to a girl to this level, he had always thought that there can never be such pure and simple friendship yet intimate. 

***** 

Daniel spent the remaining midterm break going to games. He also had nights of loaded talks with the father. He had also opened up to the Father about the scenes of the last night before the midterm break where he saw Shola with gangs. The father who has always been in support of Shola insisted that Daniel was not saying the truth. 

“Shola probably must have been enjoying his night with friends, moreover he went to that school before you, he knows how best to enjoy the event”. Mr. Moss whispered to Daniel. 

“So, do not think bad of him”. 

“He is your elder brother”. He continued.

“Ok dad, am very sorry”. Daniel murmured 

Daniel also shared the stories of all the demonic operations encountered by students, citing most importantly that the school is a burial ground for the church, pointing to the fact that the parents should consider changing him to school. He used these words to see if there will be an upsurge in the heart of the father. All his attempts were futile as the parents on Saturday bought all he needed for his return to school. 

The night before traveling on Sunday, Daniel was in thought. The actual thought was how he may lose faith in another guy. He also had thoughts about how to endure the maltreatment from senior students. All these thoughts were summed up in a heavier thought of how to settle in the school without being a cultist. 

Sunday morning was very quick to appear according to Daniel while he was communicating with the mother. It is as if night was not complete. Daniel had no option but to load his luggage to school. Mr. Moss had to take them to school considering public transportation will be costlier compared to private. Very close to the gate, Daniel's heart started beating faster.  All the scenes of the first weeks of the term kept rallying around his imagination. He deep breathed over and over at intervals. He had to encourage himself, took new decisions on how to go about the rest of the term, and most importantly how to balance his games and his academics. He had always been at the top of the class and would love to do it again, if not for any other reason but to silence the boys who threaten him. 

Shola and Daniel were checked in, they took their luggage to their respective hostels. Daniel had to arrange his belongings, clean his corner and cupboards and wash his cutleries. 

He took a walk to hostel A1 to meet his friends. 

“Danny what’s up?”. Kaka asked.

“Am always a good boss”. Daniel answered back.

“How was your break, hope you enjoyed it?”. Daniel asked 

“I tried my best to, thanks to a new girl I met”. Kaka replied smiling.

“You eh! You always have new friends!”. Daniel uttered, laughing aloud.

“Guy, seminary made us so, assuming we see them steady, we won’t be like that”. Kaka replied again. 

“Easy bro, easy; where did you spend the holiday?”. Daniel asked Kaka.

“At my aunty space, one Keystone Street”. Kaka answered. 

“Oh, that’s our street!!!” Daniel shouted.

“Wow!! Fine girls flock around on that street oh!” Best man exclaimed.

“Shift, you better give God space in your life” Daniel replied slowly. 

They both had time to discuss in detail other issues relating to family and studies. They agreed to put in their best in both night classes and day studies. 

**** 

By Monday being the day after students returned to the citadel, the classes were as serious as normal and the assignments were rolling as never before. The senior students of ss3 were also serious with their studies but at night, the maltreatment became severe. Within the first two weeks of the 2nd half of the term, three ss2 and one ss3 were expelled. Their expulsion brought a little sanity to the school. 

One faithful morning, the principal called the students out of their classes after two periods of the morning classes. The students didn’t need much change in weather to know that there is a difficult issue at hand. The teachers were all available and the senior prefect was on stage. The principal started his speech. 

“Within the late hours of last night, our attention was drawn to happenings that were taking place at the junction close to our church. We were informed that cultists had a brutal confrontation with themselves, it must indeed have been a fight between two different gangs and blood flew, heads rolled. The video clip from the CCTV has fully shown us that our students were informed. We have critically pinpointed the individuals involved in the revolt. These individuals will be presented to the PTA on Saturday morning meeting, you can return to your classes”. 

“Yes Sir!!”.  Exclaimed the students. 

The Junior secondary students were very happy to hear the principal being angry with his words. They were hoping that the PTA won’t plead on their behalf. Many punishments have been reversed in time past, either through the pleading of parents or the principal preferring bags of cement to expulsion. 

Furthermore, the news of the crash between the cultists became more rampant as more lives were taken to hospitals after the crash was reported dead. The incident brought more unpleasant reports about the school, the most shocking being that no student lost his life in the fight. Governmental agencies and radio stations came around to interview the principal but the principal couldn’t reply much to them to protect the school's image. 

After a series of meetings with the teachers, the principal reached an agreement with the teachers to write to the parents of the students involved through SMS to ensure that all won't miss the meeting. The principal also concluded with the teachers that they won’t expel the involved students but they will be suspended and given punishments since it has been confirmed that they were not the main leaders of the crash. 

Meanwhile, the ss3 students involved have met and discussed what to give as responses. They have formulated lies and have raised witnesses with their follow cultists who are not students but villagers who will act as their voices to defend them. They followed their defense plan up by spending money on alcohol, for their witnesses.

***** 

The parents came in their numbers for the meeting. The news of the event wasn’t the type that any parent would hear and remain at home. All wanted to behold and be witnesses of the punishments to be unveiled on the students. 

The PTA hall was already boiling with murmurs, the mothers who has seen marks all over their children had started cursing the students involved in the crash. Some parents have already prepared their hearts to take their children out to another school before they will be brought home dead. It didn’t take much time when the principal entered. 

“Good afternoon our parents”. He muttered. 

“Which parents?”

“The ones you want to kill their children”

“Who are you teasing, go straight to the point?”.

These were few among the harsh responses from the parents. They were furious as they are running out of time to hear the names. 

“We are very sorry dear parents, we will explain every detail of the event; let us start with the most important issues of the citadel; Before then, let us pray”. The principal pleaded. 

“Merciful God we thank you, as we start this meeting, help the principal to be sincere, give us the grace to be more practical than our words, and help this meeting end well”. One of the prayers prayed. 

The “Amen” response from parents was not as many as a quarter of the parents. Some busted out into laughter while some didn’t allow an atom of a smile to find expression. 

Anyways, the principal called on the bursar to read out the agenda of the meeting. As the agenda was being read, the fruit juice was already served. For the first time in all the PTA meetings, the fruit juice was served as early as. It didn’t take much time for a parent to voice the new observation out. It was immediately after the agenda when adoption of the agenda was needed from a parent, that the man raised his hand and was asked to speak.

“Before I adopt the agenda, I wish to inform the management of the bitter truth we already know, even if you like, serve us the best wine as early as you served this fruit juice, it can’t make us change our minds on how to approach this meeting; meanwhile, I Augustus, having gone through the agenda, being present in the last meeting, having seen all necessary corrections made to the agenda, hereby adopt the agenda as a working document”. 

For about ten minutes after the parent have finished his words, many were still laughing and couldn’t recover from the parent's words. Everyone was happy as the meeting set off fully. The borehole and the new refectory projects were discussed in detail but no donation request was placed before parents. The principal had told the bursar to be calm on any fundraising. Other important matters were also discussed in detail. Hence it was time for the main agenda that brought the parents to the meeting. 

“After much scrutiny of the crash, we have confirmed from the villagers that our students were minor participants in the crash”. Principal exclaimed.

“We have also gotten in details, the documentaries of the individuals involved, I will call all of them out here in front of their parents, and they will be on three weeks suspension and can only return to write their exams during exam period”. Principal continued. 

“Ernest Tony; Moss Shola; Promise Ken; Gift Terry, and Barkley Victor; the first three have been confirmed as cultists and the last two as recruits”. Principal continued.

“We hereby present to the PTA, the most notorious boys of the citadel, please their parents should stand”. Principal shouted. 

Mr. Moss couldn’t believe his eyes, his eyes were reddish and the scenes of the marks he saw those nights became true. He stood with other parents whose children were called out to. The principal confirmed that the students will only return when the punishments must have been carried out in line with 5 bags of cement for each to return with. None of them are to be seen in school except on the fulfillment of the assigned punishment. Mr. Moss wasn’t himself throughout the rest of the meeting, the rest of the meeting was as good as nothing for him. Shola joined the dad in the family car and headed home with him.