Chapter 8: The Office Showdown

Na so everywhere scatter.

Within minutes, wahala don burst. The whole school dey vibrate. Some people dey peep from window, others dey press phone dey tweet.

For the biggest conference room for school, crowd full everywhere: principal, vice principal, dean, form teacher, and plenty newspaper people.

Camera flash dey blind people. Some teachers dey whisper, dey fear for their job.

Adeyemi and Okonkwo parents dey. Papa and Mama Okonkwo stand beside Chisom, dey act like say dem dey suffer, her face full of tears.

Dem dey hold hand, dey console her, but their eye dey sharp, dey count camera.

Papa and Mama Adeyemi first no wan come when dem hear say something happen to me.

Dem send driver, but when dem hear say Education Board chairman go dey, na so dem rush enter car, dey arrange face.

Na when dem hear say Education Board chairman dey there, dem rush come.

Dem no fit let reputation spoil, especially with all these Lagos journalists around.

Palm Grove High School na the best for town, Education Board dey always eye dem.

If school record spoil, e go affect business, so dem dey careful.

Papa Adeyemi and chairman na old friends. Once he enter, he go greet chairman well.

E dey pat chairman back, dey form old paddy.

"This small matter, Chairman Musa, you no suppose worry yourself."

E dey laugh, but sweat dey him forehead.

"Na small fight between children…"

E try play down the issue, but chairman face no even crack smile.

But chairman no gree.

Chairman Musa voice strong, e dey carry authority.

"Chief Adeyemi, bullying no be small thing."

E look everybody for eye, no dey shake.

"I know say Amara Adeyemi na your daughter, but to me, every pikin na student—na small tree. I no fit let dem grow bend."

E talk am like elder wey care for everybody.

Papa Adeyemi no fit talk again, just force smile: "Yes, yes, we no even know wetin happen. Abeg check am well."

E voice low, e dey avoid chairman eye.

He return to Mama Adeyemi, dem just look each other.

You fit see say their mind dey calculate next move. Reputation na everything for their family.

I understand.

I feel the cold wey dey blow from their side. No love, just strategy.

If dem really find me guilty of bullying, Adeyemi family go just drop me like hot yam—no be their real pikin.

Nobody dey drag for orphan pikin. If wahala come, dem go throway you.

If even Papa and Mama Adeyemi dey act like this, na Tobi Adeyemi nko…

His face cold, no smile. E dey hold Chisom hand, dey whisper something.

He stand near Chisom, dey pet her, dey look me with cold eye.

His eye dey red, na anger dey control am. E no send me at all.

Once everybody gather, principal tell Chisom to talk.

The room quiet, all the teachers dey listen. Even some junior students dey peep from corridor.

"Student Chisom, abeg tell us wetin happen."

His voice gentle, but serious. All eyes dey on Chisom.

Chisom raise her red eyes, softly repeat wetin she tell Tobi Adeyemi.

Her voice low, but e dey shake people heart. She dey act well.

Journalists already dey ginger.

Dem dey jot down, dey whisper, dey arrange camera.

One talk: "From our check, Amara Adeyemi and Chisom Okonkwo be friends for orphanage, even dey call each other sister."

The man eye dey shine, e dey feel like investigative reporter.

"Later, Amara Adeyemi enter Adeyemi family, Chisom Okonkwo own na just ordinary workers."

The tension for room rise. Some teachers dey sigh.

"Amara Adeyemi, so if you enter rich family, e mean say you fit bully your old friend, collect her chance?"

Na big question. All the teachers, students, even parents dey look my face.

Everywhere quiet.

E be like say even ceiling fan stop to dey blow.

All eye dey my body, camera light dey flash.

My face dey hot, my hand dey sweat. I dey feel as if I dey stand for market square naked.

Nobody wan miss this kind big story.

You fit see say even gateman dey peep from back door, dey gist cleaner.

After all, this na hot topic—in this country wey rich and poor gap dey wide, if rich pikin still dey block poor pikin from moving up, e go cause wahala.

E fit even reach social media. Hashtag go trend by night.

Not to talk say the main people—me and Chisom—na total opposite.

One side na soft life, other side na struggle. People dey expect big twist.

Inside the tense office, I just start laugh, the sound loud and strange.

The laugh shock everybody. Even principal mouth open. Journalists pause, pen hang for air. I fit see say dem dey reason whether na madness dey worry me, or if I get secret plan. For Naija, if you see person dey laugh for inside trouble, you suppose fear am. But for this country, laughter fit be weapon. Make dem wait—my own story never start.