CHAPTER 2
"You're going to have to repeat the class," she impassively stated as if she was just giving a weather report to whoever was listening. Notwithstanding, my heart beats faster afraid that my wish earlier was coming to pass. I'd rather take the lashes than repeat a class because this term is going to determine whether I can go to university or not. This is a defining moment for me. However, this wasn't how I pictured this week would pan out. I made plans before school started, and I promised myself that I would be better than I was last term. I thought trouble would be at least fifteen miles away from me. But here I was, the beginning of another week, and things were already tangled up.
"But you can't do that!." I exclaimed. She threw me a death glare. I turned to Gina, who was already chewing her nails nervously.
"Can she?" I whispered to Gina and she nodded with teary eyes. She isn't very good with confrontations, so her being quiet was the best option. I groveled forward on my knees toward Miss Udi's table "Madam Udi I promise this time it wasn't intentional we were just.."
"Oh really?" Her attention now fully fixed on us, her fingers intertwined on the table
"Which part wasn't? The part where you knew you made a mistake but still made efforts to sneak into my class deceiving your friend to do the same and in the process causing distraction..."
"In my defense, the class was already a mess," I mumbled and Gina snickered.
I smirked, happy to see she has loosen up enough to find the situation funny.
"Vanni! be quiet before you make this situation worst than it already is" oops.
I thought I was as subtle as could be. I sighed. This was it. The end of Ladonna Vanni. Because when Miss Udi has something grounded in her head she gets to the end of it no matter what. Furthermore, she's convinced that nothing good will ever come out of every student in her class. She had made it clear that she hated her job and everyone around her, despite everything good proven she believed otherwise.
Ever met a person who no matter what you do can never please the?
Well, I have met my kind of person. Miss Sharon Udi happens to be my class teacher since SS1, she always wore high-heeled office shoes, slim and pretty but strict and extremely precise about everything. It's safe to say she's had it out for me. She marks me absent even when am just two seconds late to class, she reports every single detail of what I do in school to my Mother. Mainly the bad deeds.
Nothing seemed to stop her mojo, not even when my Maa made it clear that it wasn't necessary to go through such trouble, but she insisted that it was indeed a must. In the end, I think it's safe to say Miss Sharon Udi hated me. Now she's sitting behind her desk, her hair packed neatly without a hair out at the nap of her neck like all ladies do in school, with round silver-rimmed glasses that made her look even more menacing than she already is without them. She's sitting behind her desk looking down at us - as she always made sure she does. While we knelt in front of her looking up as we should. She would always make sure to remind us that for her kneeling wasn't just a sign of respect as it normally was for us Africans, but it proved that we were beneath her and will never be more than that. So she made us do that, not for the wrong we've committed, but also to make a point.
She was the best at whatever she does. Our class was the most proficient in everything we do because of how we were taught by her yet we were the most notorious. The whole school knew who Sharon Udi was, she made sure of it.
"I am calling your mother," she stated. That was when I scrambled to my feet and held her hand
"Oh no Miss Udi
please.."
the glare she threw at me made me release her hand.
"I don't remember telling you to stand Vanni," Gina subtly dragged my hand urging me to kneel Back down. I unwillingly went down on my knees.
"Wise decision. Now, Put yourself in my shoes for once don't view me through the eyes of a nagging class teacher and tell me what impression that would give you if you were me". I shrugged
"A student who is afraid to be crushed alive while entering through the school gates on Mondays?" She stared blankly at me while a gasp escaped from Gina's lips, she immediately slapped her hand over her mouth.
"I'm calling your mother," she deadpanned sternly. That was when the panic set in.
"Please Miss Udi I beg you.."
"You," She pointed her short forefinger at me.
"You're never serious when you are supposed to, you scamper around the school being popular and still get good grades I don't know how you do it.."
"I read.."
"Quiet!" She shrieked in frustration."
"I am going to get to the bottom of whatever is wrong with you young lady, then. Only then
will you realize the magnitude of your actions," She exhaled loudly. My shoulders slumped. I should've apologized when I should. Now I feel the opportunity's passed. Whatever will come out of her mouth next wouldn't be good news.
"For now your name isn't recorded in my register for today likewise tomorrow. Nonetheless, my decision will remain so until I say otherwise. Because you've shown no remorse for your wrong and thus will be punished. The both of you." She stressed the words out.
"Now out. we're finished here. send in Phoebe," She waved us off and continued typing rapidly on her laptop.
We scrambled up on our feet and walked out in hope that what awaits us would at least go easy on us.
We quietly walk down the hallway to our class. Then I saw him. Joe. our oldest friend. He was talking to his friend, his back was turned to us. I dreaded the thought of him finding out what happened. I wouldn't hear the end of it - as I've only ever wished to meet up to Miss Udi's expectations. But then, you never get what you wish for right? he turned and started walking toward us
"Here comes our two notorious delinquents. Man! I could never miss 'the Miss Udi's' class two times in a row but you girls nailed it." He clapped. his laughter boomed throughout the hallway. We both sighed simultaneously at his dramatic declaration.
"Says the guy who helped with the door," Gina retorts.
A boyish boy we grew up with. Joe Ezra of Bridge Valley. Born and bred here, they are the most optimistic person I've ever met _well, besides Gina's Mother that is. Joe was, dare I say _ perfect. The perfect score in the class is friendly, kind, and has a great sense of humor. He was good at everything.
Almost too good to be true. One would think he had a perfect life, but he had a tough life.
For one he lost his older sister four years ago who was aged eighteen in a car accident. She was the closest person to him. At the same time, he lost his chance of making his dream come true at the age of seventeen in the national athletics of two-meter race _ because he had hurt his back in the accident _ regardless Joe didn't give up, In turn, he made the tryouts for basketball and was now the team captain.
Joe was a wonder, he would always see the positive side of things no matter what. Now, I couldn't do that, no. I find being positive exhausting.
I could never be able to go through what he went through and come out strong and optimistic _Though he had amazing parents and a thirteen-year-old sister to support and fight through with him and all but still I would crumble if something like that were to happen to me.
I could appear cold and tough as nothing could ever weaken my resolve but when a situation called for it, I turned completely brittle.
Yet I needed people like Joe in my circle because school was a lot more - dare I say, bearable with Joe, though I could never tell him how I admired him, and would never want to lose face.
As we approached his tall frame he had a large grin plastered on his handsome face, he almost looked cool to me.
He shrugged "I didn't do much, I just left the door wide open to make your triumphant entry easier."
"Well you made it worst," I gritted out and paddy my ye toward our class.
He jogged to keep up with my long fast strides.
"Here goes the ice queen again, is that coldness I hear in your voice? I'll have you know it wasn't my fault all you had to do was make a clean entry but you messed up and.."
"Just stop talking Joe, you know how I hate it when you talk too much. It's useless."
We entered the noisy class and made our way to our seats
"Who knows how much damage this will make in my school records this year? God, I hate her," I gritted out in frustration.
We sat in our seats.
"I thought you were doing everything to get in her good books?" Joe thoughtlessly said. We glared at him and he shrugged, oblivious to his mindless words.
"Not the right time Joe we have bigger problems already," Gina reasoned.
"The bigger problem here is your Maa, what are we going to do Donna? your Mother wouldn't take this likely, remember what happened last holiday?"
"I do," Joe responds.
He craned his neck to face us as his seat was in front of us.
"I thought you were a different person when you came out of the house after a week of staying indoors,"
Gina snickered at the thought of the incident. While tension filled my entire body, I couldn't imagine going through something like that again.
He laughed at the horror on my face.
"Who wouldn't? she looked like a zombie, but a fat one," Gina chortled merrily.
"Imagine not going out for an entire holiday, being banned from watching television or phone and only eating your weight out, I would die," She shivered at the thought.
"That break was going to be our best yet, we had so many plans, but then the ice queen had to get into a fight with Alice Williams and get grounded for the entire holiday," Joe concluded.
I glared at him and he raised his hands in surrender from my burning stare.
The shrill sound of the bell indicates the end of another school day. I sighed and rubbed my temples.
"Gina, we're going to your restaurant today, I don't know why but either way I'm calmed at the thought that I wouldn't have to face my Mother alone just in case she's been informed."
"Alright, let's walk out together then."
We started for the door, Joe was immersed in a discussion with his best friend Nelson Tony.
"See you later Joe," We waved at our friend as he chatted away with Nelson and some boys.
"Oh wait, I have to wait for Millie, Maa said she'll come to pick us up, she'll be here any minute from now.." I checked my wristwatch.
My Mother was never late _ if she would be late, she'd call Miss Udi, which at the moment isn't very fond of me.
"Okay then, I'll see you later.
Gina waved goodbye mounted her bicycle and rode away. Her house was not far from school, ist houses weren't very far from school. I leaned on the wall and sighed, then I felt someone's
presence beside me, I knew it was Emily, But I turned _ just to make
sure. Sure enough, there she stood, her hands fiddling with the ropes on her school bag. We stood side by side, silently waiting.
That was how it was with me and Millie. We communicated without words, we didn't hold any meaningful conversations because I never know what to say to her, she was just there, Emily. My little sister.
There was no doubt I loved Millie but, we just don't see eye to eye on anything, therefore, we tried as much as we could not step on each other's toes.
I would often get scolded by my Mother because of my neglect towards my little sister, but Emily was different from me and Maa, I never know how to approach her, Unlike our inflexible traits Emily was flexible to anything that comes at her. Our Mother said Emily was like our 'Paa' she said, 'he was the fresh perspective' she needed, yet, when he died she was hurt and it was hard for her to get back up again. However, we gave her a purpose to move on.
"Why do you think she's late?" Emily whispered almost to herself. "she's never late."
"Let's just walk home," I suggested and I started walking.
"But Ma said.."
"But she's not here. Or do you prefer we wait here till we die of hunger?" I said with a raised brow.
She sighed and said, "Fine let's go."
We walked silently back home. As we approached our house, we noticed our gate was slightly ajar. Facts about this town are this; this town was peaceful, everything was so peaceful, I could never imagine anything going wrong. Sure we had belongings missing here and there but nothing serious for the police to worry about.
Yet for some reason, I couldn't shake off the feeling of fear at the thought of a thief entering our house. There was no logical explanation. My Mother wasn't home, and not us either, only one thing was sure, someone was in our house.
"Let's quietly walk to the porch," I whispered. Emily surprisingly agreed with no arguments _ which was a normal habit for her. We subtly walked toward the porch, following closely after each other.
As we neared the front door a hand touched my shoulder and I jumped in fright, Emily jumped too, but then we realized it was only the other that moved, and we released a sigh of relief. Then we heard our Maa's voice.
"For the last time Albert I have no idea where Elizabeth is," she sternly.
"I don't believe you."
"Believe whatever you want, after all that's what you're good at," She said with anger that I'd never heard before in her voice. Who is this that has made our Mother angry? I've only heard her talk to a few people with so much anger _and two I know very well and my Aunt Elizabeth.
"Where is she, Joyce?" The voice pleaded.
"Albert.."
"I need to know. I need to know where my daughter is."