TOLANI
Episode 22
When I saw the message from Mr. Ernest, I forwarded the message to my father and Chimaobi’s parents. I didn’t bother sending it to Chimaobi because we were still not in speaking terms.
Although, he kept calling me until I block3ed his mobile lines.
Chimaobi’s mom called immediately.
“Did you have anything with him?” She asked me.
“No ma, why will I do such? For God’s sake, Chimaobi was everything I had.” I responded.
“It’s alright. I was just not cleared with the usage of “as usual” like you both usually meet each other.”
“That’s the thing. He has been painting me thus, it’s not funny.”
“It’s alright, my child, we shall get to the root of this. You are not to meet him in any way. Don’t visit the hotel room too.” she instructed.
That was how I didn’t visit Mr. Ernest.
Now, the next morning, I woke up to his text which read,
“You really are joking with me. Seems your future is not entirely important to you.”
I had wanted to respond, but I didn’t.
That same day at 9:33am, I received a call from a man, who introduced himself as the secretary of the HOD, he asked me to come to school immediately for a meeting with the HOD.
I immediately got into the bathroom, took a hasty shower, dressed up and left for school.
I was at my lodge gate, when I saw Chimaobi, who had gotten out of the car and was about getting into the lodge.
“Bae, you can’t continue to puniish me.” He tried to touch me.
“Chimaobi, do not touch me. I have nothing to do with you. Absolutely, nothing.” I took a step forward.
“Bae, we can always work things together. You know I love you. I know I acted like a foool, but I am really not this way. Please, forgive me.” He begged me but I refused to talk to him.
“Where are you going to?” he asked.
“None of your business.” I said, as he held my hands.
“Please, let me take you.”
“Thanks for the kind gesture, but I will have to turn it down.”
“Please” he continued to beg me until I agreed to join him in the car.
Getting to school, we got to the HOD’s office, we barely talked while we drove to school.
I was not ready for any conversation with him.
The HOD requested we both come into his office. There were about 4 seats, and Chimaobi positioned a seat for me to sit, but I ignored him and sat down on another chair.
After 15 minutes or more, the HOD made a call with the Dean of Faculty, thereafter, he called Mr. Ernest, instructing Mr. Ernest to come to his office.
Not less than 29 minutes, Mr. Ernest stepped into the HOD’s office, stricken in shôçk, he saw Chimaobi and I. Chimaobi was busy with his phone at that time.
He looked at me again, as Chimaobi raised his head, only to see Mr. Ernest.
Shockiingly, Chimaobi stood up immediately and gave Mr. Ernest a hard punch on his jaw.
“Let’s do it face to face, man. I promised you this.” He gave him another as we all became alert.
Putting our figghts aside, I ran and held Chimaobi while the HOD’s secretary held Mr. Ernest. Mr. Ernest couldn’t retaliate. He knew what he did.
“Young man, this is not a wrestling field. You should let me handle this.” the HOD cautioned Chimaobi.
“I’m sorry sir” he bent his head and continued,
“I just had to give him these punches I promised him.” He said with a serious face, which got me laughing, but I had to do that low.
The HOD had every one of us seated as he began to question me.
I narrated all of my encounters with Mr. Ernest, including the money he gave me, showing our WhatsApp conversations.
” Why didn’t you reach out to me?” The HOD asked me.
“ Sir, I had limited time… I” I tried to talk but Chimaobi interrupted.
“ These questions are not necessary sir, after all, we both came to this office, waited for hours, but you were unavailable. We were told you’d been absent for the past two days.” Chimaobi said, and the HOD looked at him, scratched his head and turned towards Mr. Ernest.
“ What happened, Mr. Ernest?” He asked him, and Mr. Ernest cleared his throat, looking at the HOD in a way I could not understand.
Chimaobi looked at me, I looked at him, and then, a grave silence embraced us all.
Turning to us, the HOD asked Chimaobi and I to excuse them.
“With all due respect, sir, this is a general issue. Why should we excuse you both. Why?” Chimaobi spoke.
“Young man, can you let me handle this?”
“No, I am not comfortable with the way you want to handle it. Everything should be done transparently.” Chimaobi said, looking into his eyes.
I was glad I actually came with Chimaobi. At least, he was my mouth piece.
“I won’t mind calling the security on you. Was it because I let you in here in the first place? I could have easily asked her to come in alone while you wait for her outside.” The HOD almost shouted.
“Call the security on me? For what? She’s my ward, I am here with her.” Chimaobi insisted and I held him by the arms.
“Chimaobi, let’s excuse them.” I whispered.
“No babe, relax, let me handle this.” He tapped my laps and turned to the HOD.
“I would not mind taking this case up by writing to the Vice Chancellor. If you love your office, then be transparent.” Chimaobi said, and the HOD became silent as his countenance changed.
“Young man, you must be very arroggant…”
“And you must be a very crooked and creepy man to ask us to step out.” Chimaobi said, as they looked at each other, eye to eye, while Mr. Ernest had his head bent all the while with his lips broken from Chimaobi’s punches.
“What type of man is this Chimaobi?” I thought, and laughed within, for how he was handling the situation.
“Not for a kind of person as Chimaobi, the HOD would have looked down on us.” I resonated.
“ Come to think of it, ARE YOU HIDING ANYTHING, SIR.” Chimaobi asked the HOD and I opened my mouth in shock.
“Are you out of your mind?” the HOD shout3ed, hittting his desk.
“Then, let’s proceed” Chimaobi hît the desk too.
To be continued…
