PRICELESS ONE
Priceless One - Episode 16
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Shalewa’s mom walked into the sitting room and was surprised to see Shalewa still sitting at the dinning area in her school uniform. She had long finished her breakfast and there shouldn’t be anything delaying her from going to school. Moreover, it was her first day of resumption to school after her suspension. Her mom glanced at the wall clock.
“ahan..... This is almost 7am Shalewa!!.... why haven’t you left for school?” Her mom asked her.
Shalewa rested her back on the dinning backrest and looked up at her mom.
“ I’m waiting for Mr Deji to come pick me up in his car like he normally does.” Shalewa replied.
Her mother scuffled.
“ Mr Deji is not coming to pick you up in his car, so you had better start going before you get to school late.” Her mother replied her.
Shalewa furrowed her brows.
“ Why is Mr Deji not coming to pick me?” She asked her mom.
Mr Deji was a member of their church whose work place wasn’t far from Shalewa’s school. He picked her in his car to school regularly, both in the morning and after school.
Mrs Bamidele folded her arms.
“ Because we asked him to stop coming to pick you…… it is because he comes to pick you in his fancy car and take you to school on daily basis, that’s the reason you are trying to prove to your friends that you are from a wealthy home…… so your father has told Mr Deji not to come and pick you again…… from now on, you will take the public transport to school in the morning and also in the afternoon after school.” Her mom said.
Shalewa frowned.
“ But I have served my punishments and I have also apologized to you and Daddy several times….. why should I still continue to suffer…… have I not suffered enough?” Shalewa asked in sadness.
“ What do you mean by suffering? …. You are not suffering Shalewa…..have you forgotten that your younger ones goes to school daily in public transport….. so how are we suffering you by insisting you also go on public transport?”
“ There is a difference between the calibre of school I attend, compared to that of my siblings…..if my mates see me enter the public transport, I will suffer disgrace and ridicule….. please mom…. Please don’t punish me like this…..I have promised you that I will change my ways and never move with bad friends again.” Shalewa begged with a tear drop on her eyes.
“ I know you have changed Shalewa….but you need to be disciplined enough to look beyond the fear of what your colleagues perceives you to be….. that’s what got you into tr0uble in the first place.” Her mother said.
“...Shalewa you need to get going before your father comes in and meets you here.” Her mother said hurriedly.
Shalewa got up on her feet and left the house sluggishly sobbing profusely.
****************
It was early on Monday morning, the class was noisy after the assembly, as some gisted their friends on how their weekend went.
Sandra and her squad, walked into the class, along with Chima and Habib. They were just coming from the principal’s office.
The class fell silent and focused their gaze on them the moment they entered. The students broke into whispers and murmurs immediately and glanced at them at intervals before they settled down.
While this was going on, Shalewa quietly begged a female student seated on the fourth row.
“ Please can we exchange seats?”
Shalewa pleaded with the girl.
The girl instantly agreed to the change of seat, since Shalewa’s seat was at the front and the girl had always desired to seat at the front.
They quickly exchanged their seats.
Shalewa let out a deep sigh, glad that she was far from the dynamite squad now. She had made a resolution in her heart to avoid them like a plague, so they won’t further plunge her into corrμption. She was still suffering the consequences of the bad decision she made the night of the fire incidence. The dynamite squad was truly a bad influence on her.
The other Sunday in church, she noticed a drastic change in Tayo’s disposition towards her. When she approached him and asked why he was so cold towards her, he bluntly told her.
“ My dad said I must never have anything to do with you again….. he said you are a bad influence on my life……I am still suffering for denting my father’s car that night ….. now! I have no rest…… I do all the domestic chores in the house without any assistance and I’m to wake up early in the morning now to wash my father’s cars, before I go to school…… so Shalewa….. don’t add to my issues again…. Please stay on your own!!..... so I don’t get into further tr0uble!!” He told her point blankly.
Shalewa was so pained by Tayo’s words to her that Sunday. Tayo was her closest friend in church and even at home, but now she was all alone. All thanks to the dynamite squad and the damages they had caused her.
Just this morning, she had trekked for a long distance, sweating profusely, before she was able to get a public transport that took her to school.
Shalewa let out another sigh after her mind has brought her back to reality. She turned to her right hand side to see Harriet staring at her. She didn’t even realize Harriet was her new seat partner until now.
She exhaled frustratedly.
Harriet was on the bad book of the dynamite squad and being her seat partner may land her into serious tr0uble.
The murmurs from the class continued with a slight increase.
Sandra didn’t like it at all, watching her classmates gossiping about her and her squad.
“ We need to deal with this bunch of buffoons and prove to them that we are still in charge.” Chioma whispered to Sandra, as if she read her mind. But Sandra frowned more.
“Chioma!..... I’m still not talking to you!!..... Not after that stunt you pulled with your father that got us all suspended.” Sandra replied her sharply.
“ Come on Sandra, you know it’s not my fault now……. There was nothing I could do than to say the truth.” Chioma defended herself.
“ Why should you say the truth?...... Are we not supposed to cover for one another?..... Couldn’t you have come up with another excuse of how the fire came to be, instead of implicating us!! And getting us suspended…. Is that not why the class is gossiping about us now?” Sandra retorted.
“ See Sandra….I know my dad!.... if I had lied to him, he would have found out by investigating it thoroughly and that would have been the worse for me….. remember that the security men were also involved in putting out the fire…… this security men are very close to my father and they will definitely tell him and that will be totally worse for me….. please try to understand Sandra.”
Sandra snorted. And gave a body language that said ' I’m not buying your excuses but we are cool for now'.
Osasuyi stretched on her seat and whispered to Sandra and Chioma.
“ Shalewa has changed her seat this morning…..she doesn’t want to seat with us in the front anymore…. She’s now seating beside Harriet now.” Osasuyi said.
Sandra scoffed.
“ Really….. do you know that she lied about being a rich kid…… meanwhile her father is just an ordinary pastor….. I am so angry at her right now for lying her way into the dynamite squad when she’s supposed to be the least of the least students in this school….. the dynamite squad is going to deal with her so badly that she would wish she was never born.” Sandra said with so much ven0m.
Chioma clapped her hands in wonder.
“ I was surprised on that day our parents where invited, when her father opened his mouth and said he cannot afford to pay for the damages done….. he said Shalewa is on sponsorship!!!......”
Osasuyi scuffled.
“ Do you know that as I was coming to school this morning, I saw Shalewa coming down from a public transport and trekking to school?..... She was sweating profusely as she trekked.” Osasuyi informed her friends.
“ What!!...” Both Sandra and Chioma chorused in unison.
Chioma wore a grimace.
“ But you know Sandra this is your fault!!.... You never did your findings properly before you introduced her to the squad…..if the whole school finds out about this now, we will become a laughing stock for accepting a pauper in our midst!!” Chioma accused Sandra.
“ But it isn’t my fault Sandra!!!..... She was always coming to school on classy rides and even the parties we invited her to, she usually came in a different cars.” Sandra defended herself.
“Its true o…..but what if she borrowed the car….. hmmm!!..... That girl is truly a con artist and she played us well….. Sandra!!!.... We must deal with that girl.”
“ Yes…. We will deal with her.” They agreed.
Break time came and the students went out to play. But Shalewa remained in class.
The dynamite squad surrounded her seat and wore a wicked expression.
“Here comes the Pauper girl who wriggled her way into the dynamite squad.” Jennifer announced.
They all laughed scornfully.
Chioma sat on her table and faced her.
“ How was your journey to school on a public transport?..... I’m sure it was a beautiful ride my dear….. “ Chioma m0cked.
“ Her father cannot even afford a car!!!.... Oh! So pathetic!!...” Osasuyi added scornfully.
They all laughed wildly in unison.
Shalewa swallowed hard and bent her head in shame, but Sandra forcefully raised her chin to meet up her gaze..
“You fraμdster!!!.... So you lied to us that your father is rich abi?.....” Sandra said and sl@pped her hard on her cheeks.
“ Sandra please take it easy on her na….. she wants to chill with the big girls…….” Chioma chipped in mercilessly and gave Shalewa another slap that sent her falling from her chair, evidently dazed by the sl@p.
They all laughed again.
Shalewa burst into tears.
“ We are going to deal with you so much that you will wish you were never born……Hey stop the tears ….. what we are doing here is just rehearsals.. we haven’t even started……or have we started at all?” Sandra asked the others.
“ Nooooo!!” They all chorused.
A wry smile lurked around Sandra’s lips when her gaze fell on the drink in front of Shalewa.
She took the drink and slowly emptied it on Shalewa’s body down from her head.
Shalewa shivered and began to beg them tearfully.
But Sandra put her hands on her lips and beckoned her to keep quiet.
The others laughed out in excitement.
“ Sandra let’s get her out of here and take her to one of the empty classes where we deal with buffoons like her.” Jennifer suggested.
Sandra nodded.
“ Stand up and follow us.” Sandra commanded wickedly.
But Shalewa remained rooted to the spot begging them to leave her alone.
Another sl@p landed on her cheeks that sent her crashing on the floor.
“ If you make me repeat myself again…… we are going to double your pun!shment for today…… from today onwards, you have become our slaves and you will obey every of our commands!!! So stand on your feet and follow us!!!!” Sandra commanded.
Shalewa slowly got up on her feet and followed them, knowing fully well she was about to pass through h£ll like never before.
She used to be one of them and she knew how they bμllied students who entered into their traps. But never for once did she ever thought that she will one day become an object of their bμlly.
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
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