Chapter 5: Clash and Courage
Counsellor shock—she no reply quick.
Two minutes later, her message show.
"@Ifedike, Electrical Engineering Which kind attitude be this? You get mind talk to me like that?"
I reply: "Why I no go get mind? I gats talk for myself."
I even add innocent-face emoji.
"Pffft—" Tega roll for bed, dey slap him thigh. Tega no fit hold am, burst laugh.
Counsellor send voice note: "Which kind rubbish you dey talk? I no approve your permission, you still waka, you dey claim right? You get mind pass pot! Make I tell you—whether you like am or not, you must accept am!"
She don vex well.
"Aunty Grace, as teacher, your words and actions represent school o. No good to dey use bad mouth for public."
"No dey yarn dust! I never see stubborn student like you. You think say I no fit make you drop out? If you no wan learn, go house. Person wey no dey respect school rule and teacher, no suppose dey university—you no go ever make am!"
"Aunty Grace, you just be counsellor. I no sure say you fit expel person. And e too much to talk say I no go succeed. Even ex-convicts dey make am for life."
Tega shout, dey happy: "Third, you be correct guy! No gree for am!"
Hostel leader knock am, come tell me: "You dey craze? To fight counsellor no go help you..."
Counsellor vex sotey she no fit talk—no reply for minutes.
Then: "Na because I no get power, na why you dey talk to me like this?"
"No be so. But counsellor no get right to stop person from class, graduation, or go see family last time."
"Fine! If I no show you pepper, I no be counsellor!"
Next thing, she remove me from group chat.
My phone cold for hand, like say NEPA just take light. Room dey quiet, but for my mind, I dey feel like say I don cross river. Even my own small courage dey surprise me. As she remove me, Tega just dey look me with wide eye. For hostel like ours, stories like this go spread quick, na so gist go land for even the Dean ear.