IRAWO: My Quest for Freedom 7

 

Chicken Palaver (Continued)

We learnt that Ehiedu’s father made him do menial jobs like bricklaying and heavy household chores. He was fifteen years old at this time. He was made to do all these tasks in order to raise the fine for participating in the chicken theft. He was also tortured in other ways by his father. Ehiedu could not take it anymore. He hung himself on the ceiling fan in his room; he committed suicide!

The news affected us all. This news also affected another classmate of ours. The shock of this news affected him. He suffered from bipolar disorder. He felt that he was the cause of the deceased because he was the one that invited the deceased to help out with the stove which Ehiedu designed. 

It took the support of this other boy's parents for him to complete his exams too. All the chicken thieves also felt very guilty. They felt they had a hand in his death. 

What an abusive father! How much did a chicken cost back then that he could not afford to repay for his son?! 

Anybody who could afford to send his or her child to my school back then was comfortable. Only God will judge him. I hope that guilty conscience has already killed him! Ehiedu would have been 37 if were alive, probably a great inventor that would have done Nigeria proud. 

This is a lesson for us as parents not to over do our children's punishments. He could have just been scolded but not punished in a severe manner.

Continue to rest in peace, Ehiedu. I will always remember you.

Ring Boiler Palavar

Ring boilers were a taboo in the hostels. If Miss Kareem caught you, you were already dead!

In one of the numerous ring boiler escapades, the common room was the venue. The common room was a place where we could go relax and chill out. 

Then, it became the lost but found dumping ground. Then, it became another room, an extra room, as new students struggled to find a place to sleep. 

In my mind, I wondered why the school management board would continue to admit students they could not adequately cater for. Later, my questions were answered. Another hostel would be built. It was built but I had left the school before it was commissioned.

In the common room, dinner number 2 was almost served. Of course, we had eaten dinner but you know students will always want to do aseju. Miss Kareem, our strict and notorious house mistress would come in unannounced. 

She went far this time, dressed in a re-washed and neatly pressed lost but found house wear.  She covered her head with a scarf. She stood amongst the students getting set to eat dinner number 2 as the rice and corn beef and sardine stew was served round and they got ready to eat, she shouted, 

“Hold it! Hen hennnnnn! When you are supposed to be observing light out, you are eating round 2. Oya stay there o! Stay there o! I have seen you, Helen Osika! Oya come out o!.........”

Little did we know that Helen, my senior, was nursing a pain quietly under her wrapper. She did not know when she shouted, 

“Yeh! My bombom! Yeh!”

“Yeh kini?” asked Miss Kareem

“ My bombom oooooo! I sat on the ring boiler!”

“Hen! Oti gbe l’eni! Oya get up! All of you that I caught, one, two, three, four …..........All of you see me with your cutlass tomorrow”.

Helen Osika’s buttocks was badly burnt, she could not walk properly for days. She also cut grass, burnt buttocks or not. I hear she is late now.  May her soul rest in peace.

In another edition of the ring boiler escapades, I was there. I was one of the cast in this story. The ring boiler was mine.  

I stood at the entrance of the door ready to flee at the sight of danger. Danger came in the form of Mrs. Otokiti. She was our Literature in English and English language teacher. 

She was a dark skinned and bespectacled lady who had a daughter that suffered from rickets. I did not like her and her classes. She was too straight to the point; no jokes, straight face, etc. I endured her classes because literature in English was my best subject.

I fled like I planned to. The ring boiler was mine but when she asked who owned it, the shock of the moment did not let anyone of my accomplices remember anything. I flew on my bed, covered my head with my wrapper and my mosquito net and pretended to have been sleeping forever.

The following day, they all served punishment. I did not go near that area. I was free!

To be continued.