Chapter 2: Clash and Accusations

My classmate just lose control, grab me for neck like say we dey for street fight. E shout so loud, spit dey fly: "Na your own mama dem hit! Your mama go die! Sir, see am, e dey curse my mama!"

Teacher no gree make wahala escalate. E rush, use im big hand separate us, push us apart. Other students dey hold breath.

E look me direct for eye, like say e dey test my mind. "Wetin you want now, talk?"

I beg am, my voice dey quiver. "Oga, abeg, give me the phone. Just outside, phone repair dey. If I fit just get data, I go call his papa quick."

Teacher begin laugh, even start to clap hand like say na concert I dey perform. Some students follow am, but others just dey look, confusion for their face.

The thing shock me, I dey stand like tree wey thunder strike. Why teacher dey laugh when person mama fit dey struggle for hospital?

E pain me, because na so person go dey do, dey mock emergency. My body dey hot. E be like say my body dey inside fire.

Teacher look everybody, shout: "Clap for am! E get sharp brain." Class no too understand, but dem clap small small, some dey look me side-eye.

Na so teacher begin boast. "You think say I no sabi wetin you dey do? You wan use style collect your phone, fix am quick, come dey form victim." Everybody begin nod head, dey form say dem wise.

Na that moment, everybody eye clear. Na so boys for back dey whisper, dey do "Ahhh" like say dem crack code.

People dey look me now like say I dey form big thief. Some dey shake head, some dey pity me.

The way e dey look me eh, if eye fit wound person, I for don bleed for ground. Hate dey drip for im face.

Teacher continue, "For this phone matter, you dey curse your classmate mama. Omo, na you wicked pass all the pikin wey I don ever teach."

My classmate jump in, voice loud: "Sir, na just Redmi, no be iPhone. New screen no even cost. Na why e dey use my mama swear?"

Teacher look me, face squeeze. "For this small money, you dey curse another person mama? You self, you no get mama?"

Now, everybody dey look me like say my own worse pass. Some dey shake head, some dey avoid my eye.

Na so e be. Pity dey everywhere, but nobody gree believe my side of the story. Na only pity remain for me like palliative rice.

E get as e be for school: phone joke na mama joke, mama joke na taboo. Right now, dem believe say na I nearly kill im mama with mouth.

Na only me dey my own corner. Na so e dey sometimes, you talk true but nobody believe.

E dey pain me. Everybody dey reason say I dey find excuse collect my phone, nothing else.

Teacher command me go stand for back of class, like say I be thief. "Bring your papa and mama next week make I see them face. Poor people pikin, dey run business for class."

My chest dey tight like cord wey dem tie. I no fit talk, my throat dey dry. Nobody believe say I dey try help.

E pain me, because I dey tell truth, but na me dem dey pour all the blame.

My classmate vex, voice dey tremble. "Sir, abeg, I go like report am."

Teacher raise brow, voice cold: "Report wetin again?"

E talk, loud so everybody go hear: "E dey do all this because of Fantasy Football. E wan use the money gamble, e no even poor."

Oga no even know, e just twist face. "Wetin be that one, Fantasy Football?"

Classmate explain am: "Na game, sir. But na people dey pay, dey play. E dey waste time."

The thing shock me. Of all things, na Fantasy Football the guy wan use finish me. For my mind, I dey ask: e reach like that?

Teacher face squeeze, eye dey burn me. The whole class dey silent, dey watch how I go take respond.

E look me, talk like say na curse. "This na final year, you dey play game? You no dey shame? How your parents go feel?"

I just dey look am. For my mind, I dey ask: which kind wahala be this? Small game, I no fit play to clear my head?

Na just to relax oh, na no be say I dey do ritual. I dey read, I dey try, na small game fit clear brain before exam wahala start again.

Voice dey shake as I talk: "Abeg, calm down. E fit be say your mama dey wait for you for hospital. If you dey here dey argue, you fit miss last time to see am. I dey beg you."

Before teacher fit talk, my classmate voice don rise pass am. Everybody dey look, fear dey catch some people.

Na fight scatter. E punch me for face, push me, even spit land for my face. "Na your mama go die! Na you own! Hundred times I go talk am!" Some girls for back begin scream, some boys dey shout: "Stop am!"

I no fit hold myself again. I just reset am with slap, gbosah! The class shout. E freeze, shock for the slap.

I no dey shout, I just talk am as e dey. "O boy, calm down. Your mama dey in trouble, I no fit lie about am. Jokes na for person wey like you. You use my phone play, e reach like this?"

I talk am normal, my eyes dey shine with truth. No vex, no bitterness, just clear.

But he no hear word. E jump on top of me, wan start another fight. Classmates begin shout, some try hold am.

Class scatter, wahala dey everywhere. "Abeg, leave am! Oga, do something!" Some girls dey cry, boys dey hold people.

But teacher bone. E talk cold: "If he beat you, na wetin you deserve." The thing pain me deep, because I dey talk truth.

Oga waka go front, face board. E no send us again. Students dey look am, nobody fit talk.

Teacher begin lecture. "Boys, I sabi una wahala—una like joke with mama. But make una know, mama matter no be play. No dey carry am for joke."

Everybody begin nod. For Naija, if teacher talk, you go nod, even if e no concern you.

My classmate, for all him gra-gra, begin sob. Frustration hold am strong. Some boys begin whisper, dey point am.

I just dey look, e no surprise me. For this age, strong boys dey cry quick if e pain reach heart.

Na so e be. E pain reach bone, tears go show.

E fit reason say teacher dey on him side, so e let the tears flow. E no easy.

Teacher continue him speech. "Other teachers go dey stop una, but me, I no go. If you insult person mama, make dem beat you well. Repeat after me!"

Everybody repeat, like say na pledge. "Play as you want, make noise as you want, but no joke with parents." My head just dey swell with wahala.

I just stand, dey look everybody. My mind dey far. All this talk, but nobody reason wetin I dey talk about hospital.

Person mama get accident, teacher dey lead class clap, the pikin dey cry because e feel say teacher support am.

Na so e be. Teacher dey form hero, class dey clap, but pikin dey cry true true, and I dey talk true but nobody hear.

My mind dey do me one kind. If not say I get strong head, I for don collapse.