Chapter 9: The Cycle Continues

“Teacher Yetunde, you dey too polite. You be professional—make we just trust you.”

I just smile, type “Thank you, I appreciate.”

Another parent: “Teacher Yetunde just come, e go get plenty work. Make we no disturb am.”

Na so! Dem dey considerate, dey mind their business.

“Yes now, we just too happy.”

Another add prayer hand emoji join.

“Teacher Yetunde, abeg, continue your work.”

If all parents dey like this, teacher for dey live long.

Maybe because na private school and competition dey hot, the students dey push themselves. I adjust quick.

Here, pikin dey do extra lesson, dey pay, dey compete who go first. Na so e suppose be.

Meanwhile, for Unity High School, the new homeroom teacher for Class Six dey suffer.

Na my former colleagues dey gist me for staff WhatsApp.

Less than one month, parents don report her—same as me.

No surprise there.

Reason wey dem give na rubbish: say teacher no answer parent call.

As if na phone work she come do.

Na Teacher Sani tell me, she dey vex:

She type: “Can you imagine? Just because she no answer call, one parent waka enter school land better slap for Teacher Maryam, crowd shock, everywhere scatter.”

I shock.

I drop my spoon. Slap?

Dem slap am?

For my mind, I dey remember the way parents dey vex before. E don reach violence now.

“Teacher Maryam dey teach class that time—how she wan answer call? And you know why the parent call? To tell teacher make she help recharge her son meal card. Abeg, the boy no get hand?”

I just quiet.

My mouth open, no words come out. See as dem dey treat teacher for Naija.

Na so those parents dey do.

When I dey there, WhatsApp must dey online every time, call I no fit ignore, even for midnight.

If I no answer, dem go drag me for group.

If student no chop well, drink water small, or collar dirty, na me dem go call.

Sometimes I dey wash pikin uniform for sick pikin. Who go believe?

Some parents wey their pikin dey board even dey beg me wash cloth for their child, say the pikin never wash cloth before for house.

Dem go call, beg, plead, as if na house girl dem employ.

If I think am, maybe na because I dey refuse all those nonsense, the parents don dey vex for me since.

Maybe na my own fault, I dey set boundary.

And the parent wey slap person? Na Chinonso mama.

I no surprise. She get mouth, get hand join.

For front of everybody, she slap teacher, no gree apologize, still do like victim, go report teacher join.

Na wah!

Nobody fit take am.

School just quiet, nobody talk. Everybody dey fear her.

Young Teacher Maryam just talk say she no do again.

She drop letter, pack her load. Who go blame am?

I quick ask, “So wetin school talk?”