Priceless One – Episode 2

 

Break time came and the dynamite squad gathered together at one of the empty classes in the school.

They were five in number and were all girls. They were also from the top wealthy families in the school.

The dynamite squad were known as one of the ruthless bμllíes of the school.

Satisfied that her team members had gathered, 

Sandra began the meeting.

“ Dynamite squad!!!” She chanted.

“ We run the show!!!” They all responded.

“ Dynamite squad!!!”

“ We must surely conquer!!” They responded to the chants.

Sandra grinned satisfactorily.

“ The reason I called us here is to deliberate on the suggestion made by Chioma and Mercy to integrate Shalewa into our team…..” She said.

“…We all know that Shalewa had applied to join the dynamite squad some weeks back but we had to put her on probation until she meets up with our criterias…… and now, the time has come for us to reach a decision about her.” Sandra ended.

“ Yes Sandra you are right….. should we call her up now and begin our deliberations?” Chioma asked Sandra.

“ Yes….”

Chioma called out to Shalewa who had been standing outside the empty classroom where the squad gathered, with eager expectation in her heart.

Shalewa heard them call her name and she entered.

“ Shalewa!!” Chioma began.

“..We are about to deliberate on your case right now, since you have come to the end of your probation…… And we have observed that you have strictly followed the rules and conditions guiding this squad, especially our number one rule which states that, you must come from a wealthy family just like the rest of us, before you can be considered a member of this squad, and from the look of things, you have passed the rules.” Chioma said.

Mercy nodded her head in agreement.

“ And our second rule, which states that you must be among the intellegent students in Hamsford College……you have also passed excellently by coming third position in our midterm examination.” Mercy added.

Osasuyi and Jennifer chorused in agreement.

“…And our third rule is….. you must be present in our club get together outings, in which you have also performed well.” Jennifer added.

“…So I think if you can pass the first 3 laws of the squad, then you are capable of passing the rest….. so therefore I am in agreement that we take you as one of us.” Mercy said.

“ Same here.” Chioma said raising her hands.

“ Same here.” Osasuyi repeated with her hands raised, as if they were in a vote.

Jennifer raised up her hands as well.

“ Good!!!….. So we are all in agreement that you are a member of the dynamite squad…….”

Everyone chorused their yes.

“ Welcome to dynamite squad Shalewa…. You are now one of us…. Meaning, your £nemy is our £nemy and your friend becomes our friends….. and if you do any wrong, we will cover you with the shadow of our influence….. so we would commence the initiation process this evening in Mercy’s house.” Sandra said, and everyone welcomed Shalewa.

“ Thank you so much all….. I promise not to disappoint you.” Shalewa replied them with a broad smile on her face.

She was now a member of the number one most sought after squad…..this was a dream come true for her…. And now, she belonged to the big girls and commanded the respect the gang commanded.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by Chioma.

“ Sandra,…. What do we do to that newbie who has started showing herself?….. everyone knows you are the best student and has always been the best?…… How come our teachers are favoring Harriet?” Chioma asked.

Sandra snickered.

“ Don’t worry Chioma, I have my plans…. Just leave that imp to me…… she is the least of my issues right now….. what I plan to do is to deal with that man who calls himself our mathematics teacher…..”

“ Tutor James?”

“ Yes tutor James….. he’s beginning to grow some wings in this school, and I will make sure I clip it.” Sandra said.

“ So how do you plan to do that?” Osasuyi asked.

“ Watch and see.” Sandra said, with a ruthless expression on her face.

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

Chima hide himself carefully at the back of the Toyota Camry car. He was careful not to be seen by the security and the CCTV camera, which hung several miles away from his vantage point. 

He signalled his hands to Habib, the closest among his friends, and Habib nodded to him giving him a sign that the operation was over.

They had just deflated the four tires of teacher James car, and broken the rear view mirror, as well as the two window glasses.

Chima smiled satisfactorily as they crouched their way out of the parking lot.

Mission accomplished!!

But this is just a taste out of the ocean of what they planned to do with teacher James.

Next time, he wouldn’t even think of daring him.

After break time was over, the students all went back to their classes and received lectures until it was closing time. 

It was a Friday, so they usually close early on Fridays.

The principal called for a brief assembly and he addressed the students.

“ Good afternoon students.” The principal began after the students were fully gathered.

“ Good afternoon sir.” The students chorused.

“ I called this brief meeting to inform you all to remind your parents of the PTA meeting which is scheduled for 9am tomorrow. Although a message has been sent to them from the school platform, but it’s still your duty to remind them…… let them know that we will take their attendance very seriously….. and furthermore, your one week midterm break commences from next week Monday and will last till Friday……But nevertheless, I advise you to play less and study hard during your break because your exams are fast approaching.” The principal continued, and gave some other vital announcement, before he dismissed the students.

Chima and Habib, walked out of the assembly hall with a grin on their faces.

“ Mission accomplished.” Habib said to his friend.

Chima shrugged indifferently with a cocky smile plastered on his face.

“ Next time, teacher James would learn  to keep his mouth shut and not dare me.” Chima remarked.

Habib chuckled loudly, adjusting the hand of his school bag as they walked down to the carpark where their drivers were waiting for them.

“ And to think he can barely afford to fix his car because he’s a broke man,….. thinking of this alone gives me joy.” Habib replied cheerfully, causing a smirk from Chima.

They had only walked a few meters from the assembly hall, when they saw Sandra and her gang from a distance. 

Sandra waved at them and went to join them along with her girls.

They all exchanged pleasantries and chatted gleefully until they got to the car park. Sandra suddenly remembered she had not introduced Shalewa to the guys.

“ I want you guys to meet Shalewa….. she is a member of the dynamite squad now and automatically a part of us.” Sandra announced, shoving Shalewa to the front of the guys.

“ Welcome to our group Shalewa…” The two guys chorused.

Shalewa beamed excitedly.

“ Thank you.” She said.

Sandra’s driver was already waiting for her at the park, while Habib’s mom just drove in. They stopped a few distance from where Sandra’s driver parked, and continued chatting.

“ So what’s the plan for our break?” Chioma asked.

Chima leaned on one of the cars in the garage.

“ Habib will be hosting a party at his father’s house this weekend…..it will be a night party as usual and we will be catching fun….” Chima announced.

The girls giggled excitedly.

“ Alright then….. we will communicate via chat…. I got to go.” Sandra replied.

And they all said their goodbyes.

Sandra was the first to leave, then one by one, the others left, leaving only Chima behind.

Chima plugged in his headset and rested his frame on a black SUV.

Normally it was his father who comes to pick him up from school, but when his father was not available, the driver comes. 

Ten more minutes elapsed before the driver drove into the garage and parked in front of him.

“ Sorry I came late…. I was held up in traffic……” The driver apologized quickly.

Chima nodded.

“ Where is my dad?” he asked.

“ Your dad is still busy at the office.” The driver replied.

Chima was about to enter the car when he sighted a car drive past him.

He hesitated, transfixing his gaze on the car out of curiosity. Not long after, Harriet walked up to where the car was parked and entered.

Chima wondered how possible it was for a new student to outshine Sandra all of a sudden.

Harriet was a very quiet girl in the class, and no one related with her much. Not because she was bad in any way, but because, everyone in his class already had their clique of friends they hanged out with and didn’t need an extra friend.

It wasn’t easy at all for new students to adjust quickly in Hamsford College.

He shrugged indifferently.

“ Come on Chima….let us go.” The driver urged him.

Chima nodded and entered the car.

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

After the students had gone, teacher James settled in his staff room along with some other teachers, to round up his work for the day.

He had barely arranged his instructional materials alongside his lesson note, when Mr Yusuf; his colleague, entered the staff room hurriedly.

“ You this guy!!….. You no dey hear word….. how many times I warn you make you no interfere for that us£less boy matter?….. but you no hear….. now the matter don cast now.” Mr Yusuf lambasted teacher James in pidgin English.

On a regular school day, the use of vernacular language, wasn’t allowed in the school premises during school hours…. But because it was closing hour and the students were gone, that was what gave Mr Yusuf the liberty to speak in vernacular.

“ Oga…. I don tire for that boy case…..e be like say you no understand as how that boy dey füstrate me…… I just had to loose my temper.” Mr James replied in frustration.

“ Are you the only one who the boy fustrates?…… Or don’t you know that whatever he does to you, he does to the other teachers…… but we all handle him with wisdom…… don’t you know that his father is a major financier in this school?”

“ That does not give him the grounds to misbehave anyhow!!!…. I mean this is a school environment!!!…..a school is meant to correct, instruct, discipline and instill morals and values to shape the students for a proper future and integrate them to into the society…..and not to condone rascality.” Mr James defended himself.

The other teachers who were present in the staff room, laughed.

“ See Mr James….. you are speaking grammar…..we all know that most of this private schools around are not after the children’s morals…… rather, they are after their pockets……look!…… You better play along with the system here or they will discard you like a tissue paper.” Mrs Chukwuma; one of his colleagues, warned.

Mr James creased his brow into a frown while Mr Yusuf scoffed.

“ You better pray hard that the management does not know about this….. or else, you are done for.” Mr Yusuf chipped in.

Mr James calmed down at the mention of the management.

Loosing his job was the worst thing that can happen to him right now.

He had a family to feed, and a lot of bills hanging on his shoulders.

He sighed and turned to Mr Yusuf.

“ So what should I do now?” he asked.

Mr Yusuf shrugged indifferently.

“ I don’t know o.” was the abrupt reply.

(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH’S HEART stories)