I was scared that he might do something rash, as my sweat palm got hold the pen on the table, I removed the cover of the pen slowly, waiting on him to strike first but all he did was say

“I want to be your guardian, don’t worry I’ll protect you from other students and teachers if you promise to be good to me” he said

I made my first request the moment those words left his mouth, I needed my skirts back, the exact one seized by his wife, he looked at me for a while, walked back to his seat and then replied

“I’ll get them for you that’s a promise” he assured

I wore the skirt which Mr Ekpo obviously sneaked out of his own house, his countenance showed his stole it as he tucked it inside his shirt wrapped inside a black polythene bag, he invited me to his office as he unravel the mystery behind his shirt, he handed me the skirt with an instruction,

“If my wife ask how you got them, tell her these are new ones you made” He said

I took my skirts back, wearing to school the next day, not knowing that Amanda had reported me to her new partner in their partisan hatred for me, I was seated in the class prior to Assembly time, when a junior student walked into our class greeted us all and called my name

“Senior Diana, wili-wili is calling you in his office”

I could not phantom how wili-wili would be looking for me, that was the nickname we gave our principal, he is the most fear human in that school compound, his red eyes, big beards and his long whip always likened to that of a horse whip, there is this myth that he once used his whip and flogged a student to death, and that the spirit of the student was haunting him that’s why his eyes are always red, my father use to make mockery of Wili-wili, he would say how he was dissappointed with him, how he was sent abroad with the tax payers money by the goverment to study medicine but he came back with only his big vocabularies, thick beards and a drinking problem, he would say because the government couldn’t find where to fix him in the society so they gave him the principal job just to bury the hatchet, this was a man shrewded in mysteries, the moment the junior student broke the news to the class, Amanda and her Charlies Angels burst into laughter as they were seated at a corner of the class, I stood up immediately for Wili-wili is one person not meant to be kept waiting, Stella rushed out of the class, chasing me behind as she ran to meet me, she gave me a path on the shoulder and said

“Don’t be afraid, whatever it is be strong” she said

If I was afraid before her consoling made it worst, I was now scared as my heartbeat was throbbing so fast and loud, the sound was like loudspeaker plugged to my ears, each step lead me closer to the dreaded office which I have only imagined what it looked like, I knocked on the door with the inscription boldly written on it “Office of the Principal” the old squeaky door opened by itself, I walked in slowly in his office, he had pictures of him and the president hung on the wall, his shelved was stocked with old books, he was sitting on his chair sipping a hot coffe as the bitter yet invitingly warm smell filled the room, he starred at me through his glasses that was placed on his nose in an untoward funny way without saying a word, I stood there fighting so hard not to run away in fear, minutes later Mr and Mrs Ekpo walked into the office the same way,

“That’s the thief Principal, that’s the thief that broke into our house, stole her skirt and thousand naira I collected from the student for their hostel dues” Mrs Ekpo lamented

“Young lady have you seen the behemoth indictment levelled against your being? What do you have to say?” Wili-wili asked

I raised my head up to look at Mr Ekpo who was so sad and was feeling guilty, he couldn’t look at me in the eyes for between the both of us deep in our hearts, if any money was missing we knew who collected it between him and I, I opened my mouth to talk and I was stammering

“Sir.mmmm…emmm.. I did not break into any house, and neither did I steal any money” I said

The moment I had just finished my statement, Mrs Ekpo jumped in saying

“I have a proof”

And Wili-wili smiled saying in a loud tone

“Ekpo you have proof? Beautiful! Beautiful! Proof is the optimum way of driving home your point, holding the culprit at bay before he swims to a foreign land” Wili-wili said

She walked to where I was standing, grabbed the hem of my skirt, raised it up and pointed at a small burnt spot which I didn’t even notice as she said,

“This is where I wanted to burn it if not for the timely intervention of my husband”

I was left dumbfounded and confused, I could not not utter any word in defence, as the Principal flashed a mean look at me and said

“You can now go”

I turned to leave and Mrs Ekpo protested

“Ah! Principal just like that?” She asked

“Don’t worry woman! I have a better plan” Wili-wili said.

I walked out of his office as tears began to caress my cheek, I wondered what was on the Principals mind, I was like an ant to a giant like Wili-wili and if he decided to vent his anger on me I’ll be doomed, I saw Stella sitting at a corner outside the principal’s office, she stood up the moment she saw me and consoled me as I cried helplessly, just then the bell for the morning assembly was rang, we both walked to the assembly hall.

By the time we were say “Our lords prayer” the rumbling sound of Wili-wili’s beetle was heard, his car came to a halt with the exhaust of the shooting ‘BOOM!!’ As if a bomb was let to explode, we all stopped in the middle of our prayers and began to laugh, I could see the smile on some teachers face too but they are pretended like it was not funny for nobody was ready to loose his/her job, he came out of the car and walked to the front of the assembly and stood erect like an army general taking salutations from his subordinates, when the prayer was over he grabbed the megaphone and then said

” I would be quick and precise with my announcement today, I’ll not while away my precious time on frivolities, A student amongst us has been so emboldened with crime that she had the guts to break into a teachers house to steal…..”

The crowd numbering almost a thousand screamed “Yeaahh! Jesus!” As he continued

“Such unscrupulous element who thinks she can grow under my tutelage and be a thief is nothing but a stooge, where is Diana Osas?” He asked

The crowd chorused “Dirty Diannnaa” the moment my name was mentioned, those who were short and couldn’t catch a glimspe of me had to be helped by their classmates who lifted them up, Stella who was standing right behind me raised her head forward and said

“Be strong! Please be strong”

I began to walk to the front of the Assembly as I walked the ovation grew louder, students are drawn to naughty people, stuffs like this was what arouses their mundane mind, I got to the front of the assembly hall and the Principal looked at me again and continued

“This is the face of the thief, I want to use her as a lesson to other people of like minds, get me that table” Wili-wili said

Pointing at a table as it was brought to the stage, and then the principal said

“She will be flogged twenty four strokes by Mr Epko right here on this table”

ff@husband_materia