SEPTEMBER 28, 20...
"I'm sorry, Blessing but you failed the course."
"Sir... Sir, it's a compulsory course."
"Yes... I know that."
"I can't afford to fail, sir."
"Why not?"
A deep, distressed sigh. "I can't, sir."
"But you know what to do, my dear."
"I can pay you, sir."
"Sure but... we're speaking different languages."
"I can't sleep with you, sir!"
A long pause.
"Then, your grades stay the same." Another long pause.
"I told you about my boyfriend, sir."
"And we talked about this."
Pause.
"When you're ready, Blessing, you know where to find me. I like you a lot. That's why I'm waiting. Don't misuse your opportunity."
Click.
SEPTEMBER 30, 20...
Police sirens wailed loudly from the cars parked around the small bungalow. Officers were moving about the house. A few of them were not the Police-they were clad in a medical outfit and they carried a body bag into an ambulance. A middle-aged woman and two young ladies followed them, with the woman, screaming while the ladies held her back. Some of the officers watched the scene and shook their heads. Another officer approached them. The other officers saluted and he nodded. He looked disturbed as he surveyed the compound again with squinting eyes.
"Cultists." He said. "Boys from the Doctor's school. I fear the man must have been involved in some problem. There was no threat. Just direct attack."
"But what effontery! They came to his house." One commented.
The Police Inspector shook his head. "We have a lot of work to do, boys."
OCTOBER 3, 20...
LECTURER KILLED BY STUDENT'S CULTIST BOYFRIEND OVER ALLEGED SEX FOR GRADES
OCTOBER 4, 20...
FOUR GUFUA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND OTHERS: WANTED BY POLICE CONCERNING THE DEATH OF LECTURER, LATE DR. OPOTO BURNI
Early November
"Mr. Omolu wants the assignment!" The deputy class governor shouted from the front of the class but, Daniel wasn't listening.
DANIEL COUPOR
21 YRS
MECH. ENGINEERING 300L
He was zoning out and he had been zoning out since that week. Sometimes, his brain felt hazy and his head lightened. And at other times, the noise of the surroundings just blurred away, uncontrollably. He was not depressed and he didn't do drugs...at least, not yet, but he'd found himself thinking more than he should. Now, his thoughts wandered around the past events. They were looking for him. The police were looking for Joiye. Prado- that was his popular nickname. And he was quite popular. Prado. A high ranked unconcealed cult member. And he, Daniel was his friend. He rubbed his hand over his head. He was one of the very few who knew what happened. Dr. Burni had tried to sleep with Prado's girlfriend and the girl reported to her boyfriend. Prado and the boys killed the man. Of course, the matter was much deeper but he couldn't tell anyone. It was by luck afterall, that he himself wasn't arrested. Luck that was graced by the fact that his parents were very influential and wealthy too. So, he got covered.
Yet, his mind was not at peace. He was still restless and anxious. He didn't know where Prado went and if he knew his friend as much as he thought he did, there might still be trouble. Trouble that would include more than what people thought... things he wouldn't risk.
He was zoning out again.
MYRIAD COVERS HIGH SCHOOL, GUFUA.
School was over but there were still students lingering around. Students with uniforms,black and white,many of which were askew- boys with loosened ties and open shirt buttons, girls with the straps of their pinafores hanging down to the skirt. Teachers were already moving towards the gates, bags in hand. Some were talking with themselves and some with the students- prefects, class heads and a few, cautioning boys and girls who sat in groups; those who sat TOO close together. Away from these were the "other" students. SS3s. The big ones. They were an almost left- to- their- own part of the school. Nobody cared to bother them . And they did THINGS. A few of them were still in their classes upstairs. Just two classes. More were on the stairs. It was a side stairinside the building so, it was covered. A boy with his shirt fully unbuttoned moved in between the groups sitting on different steps. He was handing out small white packing nylons containing powder and tied at the mouth. Like sugar. He took money in exchange for them.
"Zachariah, be careful. You know you shouldn't bring out that stuff in school."
The said boy turned to the speaker. "Thank you, father. Mind your own business."
"Hey, I was just-"
Zachariah was about to retort when someone else interrupted the two of them.
"It's okay, it's okay. Ahmed, Zachariah." The boy held up his hands and the two other boys became quiet.
EPHRAIM COUPON
16YRS
SS3 SCIENCE
Someone nearby laughed at the scene and almost immediately after, everything returned as it was a few minutes before.
I'm yet to come up with a fitting title for this story. Do you have any suggestions? See here for a hint of what the story is about.
How about "School Life"?