C2 Episode 2

While our indefatigable Director fought tooth and nail to sniff out the students behind the violence in our school, I did not relax. I called the members of the students Christian Movement

and told them of the need to go into serious fasting and prayers So that the miscreants would

be fished out. We did a seven day fasting and prayers, trusting God for an answer. After this,

we kept our fingers crossed, hoping that the culprits would be unmasked to put an end to this

horrible nightmare. A few days later, Mrs Joy Giwa, the Guidance Counselor, was attacked.

She was coming back from the village around 7pm on Sunday when she noticed that some

strange figures were trailing her. She increased the speed of her vehicle, trying to smother the

panic rising in her. Just as she thought she was clear of her assailants, some masked figures

blocked her way when she was about to take the route leading to the school. Visibly shaken, she

stopped her vehicle. In a rambo-like manner, the assailants whose faces she could not see yanked open the car doors, entered and ordered her to move. People were passing along that area but none of them suspected that Mrs Giwa was in

danger of any sort.

A few kilometers after the school gate, Mrs. Giwa was told to stop.

"NOW you are warned in your own interest to desist from stopping us from passing examination at all costs. Except you want to Join your ancestors before your time, then try to block us from having our way" one of the masked figures growled. They gave Mrs. Giwa somne blinding slaps and rough kicks.

"This is a taste of what will happen to you if you dare defy us," the masked figure warned

and in no distant time, all of them disappeared into the silent night, leaving Mrs. Giwa to writhe in pains.

The woman was taken home by some sympathizers who heard her calling for help. A few days later, a junior student reported that a masked figure had snatched the school fees he

was bringing to the bursar. The Director and the teachers and we, the prefects, were having sleepless nights because tracing

miscreants appeared to be mission impossible.

However elusive and slippery the undesirable elements seemed to be, we kept on our survellance and intelligence mission by keeping our eyes open and our ears to the ground. The members of the Students' Christian Movement (SCM) continued their fervent prayers and I joined them most of the time.

The spate of crime committed by the miscreants continued unabated. In the hostels students would come back from classes only to find their leather boxes slashed open and their

money stolen. Some times the keys to their lockers would be broken and their provisions Would be made away with.

The members of the ORD and the prefects continued their surveillance in addition to intense

prayers. One day Sir Robinson who was on night duty was on patrol when he caught three boys smoking Indian hemp at the back of the chemistry laboratory. That was how the mystery behind the miscreants was unraveled. The boys whose names were Andrew Earl, Jimmy Lester and Wilson Rick were severely tortured. They confessed to all their crimes. They named all the perpetrators of the attack and they were all

arrested and put in cell. A few days later, all the miscreants were paraded before the members of the P.T.A where their shocked parents looked at them with shame and embarrassment. The director narrated their evil deeds and they hung their heads with shame.

The Director pleaded with the parents to help them in the onerous task of training their

children by giving them a Sound moral upbringing before sending them to school.

Later the miscreants were expelled so as not to corrupt other students. After this stringent measure, many students were deterred from forming such groups.

However, after some time some diehard senior students started showing Signs of restiveness. They became very unruly, stubborn and disobedient to the school authorities. They

called themselves current, Civilised and happening guys while they referred to those that

were serious with their studies as "jew" guys, village boys, local elements etc. They started

holding clandestine meetings and their activities were cleverly concealed from public gaze.

The Director was poised to effectively stamp out cultism so he gave the members of ORD more powers with which to operate.

One day during our promotional exams, I was preparing for my first paper and was searching for a conducive corner for revision, when I heard a voice shouting my name with

urgency, Thomas!" rang the voice and I looked and it was one of the ORD members, Sir Robinson. I went to him and he took me to the Chemistry

Laboratory. I knew he wanted to ask me some questions but I could not figure out exactly what

it was though I had an idea it must. be about students' discipline.

"Do you know what happened to the last set of senior students before you?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir", I answered.

"Don't ever let your set be like that", he advised and continued. "I know I met the set of Alan, then Senior Prefect, when I came to this school newly. That set wasn't alright but

Alan was picked for being good and was reward alright. They didn't have any problem at all. And then this last set of Sam was not only bad but their leader also had a problem. He was influenced by his classmates. That is why you are warned to be very careful because if you ever

follow his footsteps, you'll have yourself to blame. Don't be like him".

"Yes, Sir, I said

"I can see that your people are trying to push you to the way of Sam".

"God forbid!" I said quickly.

"Don't say God forbid rather God for Thomas", he said sarcastically. Now, have you heard of any book known as slum book?" Sir Robinson asked me with seriousness now.

"Slum book?" I was a bit perplexed.

"Is it a textbook or..?"

"No, I mean just a book", he persisted.

"Is it in this school?" I asked feeling like an ignoramus.

"Anywhere, whether in the school or outside the school".

"No, Sir, I haven't, I am, still confused".

"Okay, what about Famous Five?" he asked.

"Is this one also a book? I asked as I was now answering him with questions.

"Have you heard of it before?

"No, Sir"

"Mhh! it means you are in a school where you are the senior Prefect and a lot of water passing under the bridge, yet you don't know it.

You mean you have not heard of all these?

I felt like ten different kinds of fools. I was somehow ashamed of myself for my poor observational ability and I began to wonder

where and when and by whom all these were done.

"But, Sir, they could be doing all those things and hiding them from us".

By us, I meant my deputy and myself.

However, I had not even grasped what the "Slum Book" and "Famous Five" were all about. I was eager to know but it was something I should have discovered earlier and communicated to the

ORD members.

"Thomas", Sir Robinson called me in a stern

tone, his face mirroring displeasure and disappointment. "It seems you guys have begun

to hide things from us. You don't bring reports to us anymore".

"Sir, it's not that way lt is Just tnat we and even I personally have not heard of any of such things existing in the school".

"Do you know that Antonio Samson from time to time does the work of getting girifriends for other boys in the boys' section? In fact, in the girls' section, he is known by the name M.0.L'. I

was dumbfounded. He asked me if I was aware that Antonio was known over there by the giris as

M.O.L.

"All I knew about Antonio is that he is known by the name Prof. Jumbo in the class.

That is the name he answers in the classroom", I told him.

"You said Jumbo?" he inquired.

"Yes, Sir, either Prof. or Prof. Jumbo. That is what he writes on most of his books", I explained further.

"No, but what I mean is M.O.L. That is what the girls know him as".

"Sir, maybe he only answers the so-called

M.O.L. Over there because in the boys' section, he does not go by that name", I said.

"Right now, he has succeeded in getting girl friends for the boys. He makes the connection for them using the Slum Book.

However, that apart", he switched over to another topic still bothering on misconduct of

students. "Do you know about this 'Big Boy's Club? He asked me.

"Yes, Sir said after some seconds silence. I know of it and last two terms ago, l reported that case to the patron of the school".

"What about this 'Big Boys' Timers Club?"

Sir Robinson was becoming more inquisitive and I tried my best to tell him all I knew.

"I think the right name is Big Tymerx club. I explained, Sir Robinson began to write it down he spelt it as "BIG TIMERS CLUB".

"No Sir, that's not the way they spell it" I then gave him the correct spelling as BIG

TYMERX CLUB'.

"Another one is BBC", I told him. That is the one I mentioned before, that is, the Big Boys

Club".

Sir Robinson immediately came to understand better what I had been saying because unconsciously he had been thinking of Big Boys Club". I thought it was a mistake. But

now, the Scales seemed to have fallen from his eyes.

"I reported these things to our patron that period when it was fully in operation but I don't

know if they treated it that moment. I told him, that is, the patron about the 'Big Tymer Club, the BBC'and one in 'Da Club".

"Do you say In The Club?", inquired Sir Robinson as he couldn't grasp the real spelling.

He tried to write it on the paper but had a little difficulty in the spelling. Immediately, l discovered that he could not spell it right because he would try to spell it as a layman as far

as the club was concerned, I helped him to spellit out. In...Da..then Club.

"But they said that it was his e-mail address", I explained, "also those involved in BBC

denied the allegation by claiming that the abbreviation BBC means British Broadcasting Club instead of reported meaning, Big Boys

Club. They also went ahead to explain to the patron that in that club, they read news and did closely related activities". As I Was still explaining, Sir Robinson interrupted me by asking of those involved in each club. I gave him the names I could remember for the BBC. I also

gave him the names of the members of Big Tymerx. But at the moment, I could not figure

out exactiy the correct names. I was not very sure anymore even though I could remember. So

I gave him the names. As for the "In Da Club only one person was involved and he claimed that it was only an e-mail address. I didn't want to implicate any person unnecessarily. So I could

not say with certainty that it was a club even though it was associated with the word club.

"So that one is one man's club?" Sir Robinson sneered. "You said that Gary is the person that is in this club, this one-man club?

"Yes, sir, I replied.

"The one in your class?, he inquired again.

"Yes, Sir"

"But what about this boy..."He seemed to have forgotten the name as he rubbed his forehead as though by doing that, the name would emerge. Finally he looked down and said,

"James"

"James?"I asked.

"Yes, James Kyle, the fair boy" Sir Robbinson clarified. "How does he behave?

I stood for a while, and then remembered that somebody, a member of staff, a senior member for that matter, had asked me about the same James Kyle. James, by his body structure, would be suspected to be a troublesome boy. In fact, hearing his language, one would say he was a bad guy. But in the real sense, he didn't cause much trouble.

So I told Sir, Robinson, "Well, for James, he does not disturb the prefects. He keeps to himself. However, he may be found from time to time offending by his incomplete way of dressing to school or some other minor cases, but he doesn't disturb us".

"Okay, he doesn't disturb?"

"Yes, Sir, he is okay".

"Now, this assignment that I will give you must not be known by any person even your closest friend including your deputy. In fact, I don't trust any student in this school, both boys and girls, apart from you. You are the only person I can still trust on the boys side. On the girls side, the only person I would trust is Catherine that is their senior perfect, so do the work alone

Open your eyes wide and monitor every movement that goes on around you and also look out for this Slum Book in the hostels. We are going to conduct a search, but it is going to be a

sudden search. Let nobody know about this"

"Yes, Sir, I promise". I honestly and sincerely meant it and within me, I determined

not to betray any trust bestowed on me by any person. If the should so much trust me above

other person, I would not want to betray that trust for any reason. In fact, I would prefer to die

rather than be a saboteur.

After this long discussion, my countenance automatically changed. I become moody and angry with everyone around me.

Throughout the rest of the day, I could not communicate freely with any person. This was because my regime had been discovered to be poor in observation and ignorant of the nefarious activities going on in the school.