Must Read: Ade

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Ade

She was still grinning as she asked the
question which made us the more furious.

I was wondering that what on earth is this
girl driving at. It still had not registered in
my mind what our NYSC days had to do
with this B***h sitting in front of us. But to
see the drama out would be the best. So I
replied her sarcastically,
”We served in Imo State. Orsu LGA, precisely
and we taught in a school. So what has that
got to do with madam?”
She took it in her stride. Got down from the
table and paced the little space between
Rotimi’s table and mine. Then she looked
around the room to see what the
expression was like on the face of the
other teachers in the room. They were all
astonished as to what was going down at
that angle of the room. After satisfactorily
scanning their faces, she returned to her
seat on my table. I looked at Rotimi and met
that same deadly look still resident on his
face. I know what would be going on in his
mind would be ‘This girl sabi act play o.’
The statement we had used time and again
for people who behaved in such manner.
She smiled at us again, then said assuredly,
”I knew it! I can’t be wrong. Now, I will
finish the rest and take that puzzled look
out of your faces. You were batch A
corpers. Yes or No?”

Rotimi was really puzzled, he replied, ”Yes,
what again?”
She continued after a nod, ”You both
served in 2009. And you lived in the lodge
provided for you by St. Paul’s School, your
PPA?”


This girl really dug deep o. She was hitting
us close to the belt. Where is she heading
to?


”Yes!” Came the response from me. It was
more of a peplexed shout than a response.


”Now, when yoy reported to the school, the
Principal gave you the subjects, Economics
and Accounting.” She pressed on.

”Yes. Who told you all this?” That was
Rotimi’s agitated voice. She was begining
to get on his bad nerves. Anything could
happen.


She ignored his question and faced him
squarely, as one would do to a stubborn
child.



”The Principal told you of a female batch C
corper who in her almost one year of
service did not report to school other than
to collect clearance letter. Can you
remember?” She spat at Rotimi who was
seriously on edge.


I had to wade in for if Rotimi should have
talked, he would have squarely punched
her in the face. That was Rotimi. When
angry, don’t let him talk.



”So Shola, it seems you know so much
about our service year. So, how do you
come into the picture?” I asked, praying
she would face me. Though I was also
boiling inside, I had an unruffled exterior
which made me deadlier than my best
friend.


It worked. She shifted her gaze towards me
and her next words fixed the jigsaw puzzle
we had been tortously exposed to for the
past thirty minutes.


”I was the batch C corper the Principal was
talking about.” She said with a pout on he
lips.


Rotimi looked from me to her then back to
me. All was now clear.


Shola was a batch C corper who was
posted to St. Paul’s Secondary School. She
had told the Principal that she would teach
Mathematics and was given the senior
classes to teach. She was also given a room
in the lodge. But, she disappeared after the
regisration only to appear every month end
with one excuse or the other to collect the
clearance letter and then to disappear
again. How she knew us was still a mystery
because when we got to the school and
the principal told us, we had to assure him
that we were there to stay. Our room was
opposite hers and I could then remember
to have only seen her the day she came to
pack her things. But that day, I did not
greet her nor did she greet me because I
only saw her faintly fro our room where I
was sleeping. Rotimi had gone to play ball
that day.


”You wonder how I knew you. I had
friends who told me about you, then the
principal too told me when I went to him
for my final clearance. I knew you well Ade,
you were at home when I came to pack my
things. I had met Rotimi on the field when I
was chatting with a colleague that day.


Rotimi just looked at me and asked if I was
a new corper and I had smiled and walked
away. I never spent more that a month in
total there. I only came for clearance and
you guys were around when I came but
you didn’t notice me. So, do you now
remember me?” She said standing up
again.


”I remembered your face now when you
reminded me of the football field. I thought
so too when we just came here, but I
dismissed it. So what has all this got to do
with your visit to us again.” Rotimi asked
again, bringing to the fore the reason for
this sudden familiarity.


”Yes, Shola. You are our senior colleague at
work and in service who absconded from it
and got paid. We know you now. But what
effect has that got on the price of Garri?” I
pressed sarcastically.


She smiled, sat down again, looked at me
then at Rotimi. Then she said,
”I knew you too have heard about my
deeds. I have come to tell you things you
don’t know about me and why I did those
things I did.”


This girl is an enigma…