Priceless One – Episode 15

The students had their usual assembly the next day and were marching into their classes,  when they sighted Chioma and her father enter the principal’s office.

Sandra knew they were in tr0uble that moment.

Immediately they got to the class, and settled down. Sandra whispered to Chima.

“ Chioma is here with her dad, and I know it’s because of the fire incidence that took place….. what are we going to do now?” She asked.

Chima sighed.

“ We do nothing and watch as it plays out.” Chima said.

Osasuyi and Jennifer exchanged worried glances.

Habib who was equally troubled shrugged.

“ But Chima….. do you have any idea how the fire started?….. Because the last time I checked, you were the only one present in the parlour when the others went to the pool that night.” Habib muttered.

Chima shot Habib an offensive glance.

“ Are you insinuating that I started the fire?” He asked him.

“ No…. But I think there’s a possibility that the cigarette you smoked that night, had something to do with the fire incidence.” Habib replied hastily.

This led to an argument between Chima and Habib on how the fire came to be. As they argued in hushed voices, a teacher walked in and they began their morning lesson of English language. It was during this time an admin staff walked in.

“ The following students should stand up and follow me immediately they hear their names.” The lady instructed after taking permission from the English language teacher.

“ Sandra, Chima, Shalewa, Habib, Osasuyi, Jennifer.” She called. 

They all stood up reluctantly and she counted them.

“I called out six students…..why am I seeing only five?” She queried them.

“ Shalewa is absent ma.” Chima replied.

She nodded and asked them to follow her to the principal’s office.

When they got to the principal’s office, Chioma’s father was seated opposite the principal while Chioma stood a distance away from them. The vice principal and their class teacher were also present.

They all shot Chioma a questioning look that gave the impression of ‘ why are you implicating us’

The principal spoke.

“ I believe you all know the reason why you are here.” 

They didn’t give a response.

“ Since you all have grown mute….. I will juggle your memory back to why you are here.” 

“ Chioma invited you all to her all night birthday party three days ago and you all attended….. true or false?” the principal asked.

They were quiet.

“ Are you all deaf?” The principal shouted.

“ True sir.” They chorused.

“ Good.”

“ As I speak to you right now, I have instructed my secretary to put an urgent call to your parents and invited them to come down to the school with immediate effect….. and soon, they should be arriving one after the other.”

Their faces fell.

“ But we did not commit any offense sir!!….. Chioma was the one who invited us to her party and we attended to celebrate with her.” It was Habib who spoke.

The principal gave him a hard look.

“ Time will tell if you’ve committed an offence or not.”

After about twenty minutes, the parents started coming one after the other.

****************

“ I want to see the principal.” Shalewa’s father told the receptionist.

The receptionist made some calls.

“ I’m sorry sir….. you can only see the HOD at the moment because both the principal and vice principal are very busy at the moment.”

“ I was invited by the principal himself.” Pastor Bamidele informed her.

“ Oh!…. Please what’s your name sir?…..”

“ I am Pastor Bamidele; Shalewa’s father.”

“ Please give me a second sir.”

She placed a call through again.

“ Ok sir….. you may go in….. a security personnel is waiting for you immediately you leave this office….. he will escort you to the principal’s office.” She said.

Pastor Bamidele thanked the receptionist.

Immediately they got to the principal’s office, 

Shalewa’s heart beat raced the moment she saw Chioma and her father present, along with Sandra and the rest.

She knew it was about the fire incidence.

“ You are welcomed Pastor Bamidele….. you are the last parent to arrive here…. Please take a seat.” The principal said to Shalewa’s father.

“ Thank you principal.” Pastor Bamidele replied and took a seat between Chima and Osasuyi’s father.

“ The reason I called you parents here is because your children were involved in attending a party that led to a fire incidence.”

He turned to Chioma.

“ I want you to narrate all that happened that day.”

Chioma began.

“ I was having my birthday on that faithful night and I invited my friends over for a night party at my father’s house….. after they had wished me happy birthday, we all proceeded to the pool side to catch some fun….. except for Chima who waited behind at the dinning section….. he was very moody that night and didn’t want to join us at the pool, so we left him behind and went to catch fun at the pool.”

“ So what happened?” the principal probed her further. 

She swallowed hard.

“ As the party went on, Shalewa said she wanted to ease herself and went in….but shortly after, she ran out screaming at the top of her voice….. and when we asked her what happened,….. she said there was fire in the sitting room…… so we rushed to the sitting room to confirm what she had said…… by the time we got there the fire had spread and Chima was lying on the floor of the parlour surrounded by the fire…… we were able to source for external assistance and put out the fire and save Chima. That was what happened sir…..”

“ Wait a minute!!!….. you said my son was lying on the floor surrounded by fire!!!!….. If I heard you correctly?” It was Mr Nwachukwu; Chima’s father that spoke.

“ yes sir!!…”

Mr Nwachukwu scoffed loudly.

“ How come I’m not aware of this?” he asked Chima.

Chima was mute.

“So you held a stupid party and almost k!lled my son in the process!!!!….. You all are lucky that my son came out alive!!… If not ehn…..I would have had you all sleeping in jail!!!” He said loudly.

“ What do you mean by that Mr Nwachukwu?….. Are you trying to threaten us……when it is evident that your son started the fire in the first place!!!!……since Chima was the only one present in the living room, then he should be able to give an explanation as to how the fire started.” Chioma’s father countered.

“ What explanation are you demanding from a boy that almost lost his life in the process of the fire accident.” Chima’s father retorted angrily.

Chioma’s father scoffed.

“ You must be stμpid for saying that statement Mr Nwachukwu…… do you know how much my furnitures which got damaged in the fire were worth?….. They were worth millions!!!….. And there you are defending your son!!….”

“ And why should your daughter organize a stμpid party in the middle of the night?….. What kind of parent are you that will permit your daughter to hold a party at night?” Chima’s father f!red back.

“Do not insult me Mr Nwachukwu!!!” Chioma’s father returned.

Principal Innocent quickly cut in.

“ Please our dear parents!!…. The reason I called this meeting is not for banters…… I called this meeting so we can procure a solution to this issue…..” he said and turned to Chioma’s father.

“..?So what do you want the school to do about this sir?” The principal asked Chioma’s father.

“ Yes I want each parents to all contribute the money for my furnitures since their children were equally involved, so they must pay for d@mages!!” 

Osasuyi’s father interjected.

“ Mr Nwachukwu is right…… first of all; it is very bad for a teenagers to organize a night party!!….. These children all needs to be suspended, if not even expelled for misconduct!!!…..” He turned and faced Chioma’s father.

“…Instead of you to be more concerned about the terrible lifestyles our children are involved in, for them to leave their homes to party late in the night, that is sheer waywardness ….. you are there talking about property.” Osasuyi’s father said.

“ The deed has been done already and the students would be pun!shed by the school…… but for my properties that got burnt in the fire, I won’t let that go!!!….. You parents must pay for the d@mages.” Chioma’s father responded.

Pastor Bamidele  clasped his palm on his face and spoke.

“ Good day parents of Hamsford College….. concerning this matter on ground……. I don’t have any money to pay for any damages because i simply cannot afford it.  Shalewa is from an humble background and is here on sponsorship by her church….. if the properties that were damaged were worth millions, we the parents should not be responsible for paying for the damages……and I speak for myself especially……I simply cannot afford such payment…… so please next time …… caution your daughter never to organize a night party again.” Pastor Bamidele said. 

“ If you knew you were poor Mr whatever you called yourself…… so why bring your daughter to a school you cannot afford because this school is strictly for the rich.” Chioma’s father countered.

The parents broke into an argument. But the principal managed to gain back control.

He turned to Chioma’s father.

“ With due respect sir,…… I don’t think the parents should be forced to pay for the damages sir, because it was your daughters fault in the first place to use her father’s house for a night party!!….. Nevertheless, the parents can contribute willingly to ease the burden on you sir…… and for the students,….. they will be punished for their misconduct to serve as a lesson to the other students.” Principal Innocent said.

Later in the afternoon of that same day, an assembly was called and Sandra and her cohorts were all given a one week suspension for their misconduct outside the school premises.

Shalewa was more worried that her cover was blown,  Sandra and the rest now knows that she’s not from a rich home.

Tr0uble maybe loading for her