Adiya
I'd been discharged from hospital, my life had taken a U-turn with Zaid. He showered me with menu gift and offered me a job but a girl with self pride as me turned everything off. I didn't need his help. He wasn't there when I was surviving. I'd live on the street. He had process chidima education, chidima had been given scholarship with his help that was the only thing I was grateful for.
I was hawking under the scorching sun when he matched towards me. "Dee, the gift I sent to you, don't you like it?" he asked frustrated.
"Thank you for the gift but I can't accept it" I replied curtly.
As I wanted to carry my plastic bucket, he yanked it from me and carried it on his head. I was shocked and embarrassed.
"What are you doing?" I said in a hushed voice. I was looking around for any sign of security. The heir to be hawking. I could be arrested because these rich people were unpredictable. They might say I used love portion on him.
"To show you how much I need your forgiveness" he walked, advertising.
"Stop, I've forgiven you," I said quickly, trying to collect the bowl from him.
"No, you aren't. You were not happy about what I did with Becky and his father. And principal with Mrs Akin".
"Yes, I don't need you to help me," I said harshly before pinching my nose, "what you did was extreme" I sighed softly. "I know Becky and her squads bullied me. The principal didn't do anything to stop them because he was scared and Mrs akin was just..." I trailed off. I knew they hurt me but he shouldn't have fired them.
"Becky's father was impeached because he superabundant the income of the country and he did some dirty work also and there was evidence" he explained.
"But if not because what Becky did, you wouldn't have taken an action or take him to justice" I cried.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to let you cry. It just that I wanted them to suffer" he cynically stated.
"But it is too much. I don't want anyone to suffer because of me" I remarked.
"Please accept my gifts" he pleaded.
"Your gifts, money can buy everything. Do you think if you buy me gifts, I'm going to forget everything?. Even though I forgive, I can never forget" I carried my bucket and went away, leaving him standing not before thanking him for his help.
~~~~
I and chidima stood at the podium. All the students were inside the auditorium room shouting and yelling. We were having some campaign.
The school had changed, no more stinky look or disgusting look and that credits go to Zaid. He had warned all the students to respect me with the same respect he deserved. When I was walking by the hallway, they weren't looking at me like I was invincible.
"Great Nigeria students," I said, none of them answered me. They all glanced at me before continued their discussion. It hurt as if I wasn't there.
"Abeg, pass me the mic*" Chidima requested angrily and I gave her the mic.
She got down from the podium and dragged an iron chair which was screeching on the ground that made the students go silent.
She stood on the chair, "Great Nigerian students" chidima voice boomed out because of the speaker.
"Great" they all replied.
"Great Nigerian students" her voiced rang out.
"Great"
"Good" She nodded her head happily, "all of una dey do like broiler. She na dey hail you, you dey gapa because you be Omo baba olowo. Lemme tell you one tin, if you na dey do woyo woyo for me*" she tasked, " me be Omo warri girl ooo, I go do were for u oo*" She threatened while I tugged her sleeve to stop but she smiled softly at me and continued.
"And your mama dey talk, you dey grumble which kind Omo be that. Me I'm not well oo but I'm not sick oo. I get crazy for upstairs. You better respect yaself" she concluded before giving me the mic.
I was trembling, I fidget with my hand, nibbling my lips furiously. I was scared. I looked at chidima, she smiled at me encouragingly and thumbs-up me.
"Great Nigerian students," I said shakily.
"Great" they replied.
"Now that all of you are here, the purpose of us is to stop the rate of bullying in and outside the school; bullying awareness," I said, walking to the whiteboard. I wrote bullying on the board, the reason, type, effect.
"As you can all see, bullying is a negative practice. Bullying happens every day to adults and Youngs. It is when people are trying to aggressive or intimidate others, trying to control them physically or emotionally. Bullying can be classified into for type; psychological (emotional), physical, verbal and cyber" I explained. Drawing some diagram on the board.
"Physical bullying is the one involving the use of a weapon and any dangerous object on the attack like beating, hitting, kick etc. Verbal bullying does not involve the use of objects but tongue. Like abusing, calling bad names, spreading lies about the weak and this common with females. Cyberbullying is bullying through the internet, using technology to harass, threaten, embarrass the weak. Psychological bullying involves emotions. The reason why I'm explaining all there is for us to understand what we want to stop" I added.
"In addition, research has shown that envy, jealousy and resentment can motivate bullying while bullies are arrogant narcissistic people who conceal their weaknesses, anxiety and low esteem to harm others. Some bullies may have personality disorders, anger issues or genetic problems. The victims are usually mentally weak, socially awkward, introvert, they might easily be the target of bullying because of overweight, speech disorder, eating disorder, disability etc. Students who are often bullied normally show emotional and physical distress like headaches, loss of appetite, lack of interest in school etc. Bullying can cause, loneliness, anxiety, depression and most all is suicide" I said and erased all that I'd written on the board.
"Now let's talk about suicide. It was said that bullying increase the risk of suicide but bullying alone doesn't cause it. Depression is one of the main reason why students who are bullied to commit suicide" I said.
"But we can all prevent this by the campaign, anti-bullying events. By not keeping silent. When we see we should talk. Let us stand and save lives. Let be in it together. Life is valuable" I concluded while everybody stood and clapped. Chidima collected the mic and continued.
"Great Nigerian students" She hailed while they howled in reply.
"Now that mama don talk. All of una go come one by one to collect flyers wey you go share and polo you go wear. And my next week we go talk on child abuse. Tell una male and pale to Waka with you*" she beamed.
"And you can connect us through social media. Let's change the world".
🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸
Rough Translations
Abeg, pass me the mic ; please, give me the mic.
All of una dey do like broiler. She na dey hail you, you dey gapa because you be Omo baba olowo. Lemme tell you one tin, if you na dey do woyo woyo for me; you guys are behaving like a broiler. She was greeting you but you were giving her attitude to answer her because you are a rich man son. Let me tell you something if you misbehave.
Me be Omo warri girl ooo, I go do were for u oo; I'm a Warri girl, I'm going to teach you a lesson.
And your mama dey talk, you dey grumble which kind Omo be that. Me I'm not well oo but I'm not sick oo, and your mom (Adiya) was talking, you were grumbling, what kind of children are you?. I'm not okay but I'm not sick.
Now that mama don talk. All of una go come one by one to collect flyers wey you go share and polo you go wear. And my next week we go talk on child abuse. Tell una male and pale to Waka with you: Now that mama (Adiya) has talked, you should come one after the other to collect the flyers to share it and wear the vest. By next week we will talk about child abuse.