The classroom was hot and I was sweating profusely. The other girls were copying their notes while my hands grazed my eyebrows lightly.
I was thinking about Doctor-Fair-Boy, my crush from teenage church whom I hadn’t seen in three months.
He had fair skin and succulent lips. One Sunday in teen-church, we were asked what we wanted to be and he said he would like to be a doctor, a gynaecologist to be precise and that was the day I fell in love. He spoke eloquently and he was the first son of his family.
I had already planned my life with him. I would be a pediatrician so I could treat children after he had helped their mothers deliver them. We would have three children and live abroad.
I had found out from his little sister whom I had befriended that his name was Jason Iheanachor and they lived close to us in the same street. What was left was just for me to become his friend but he had a ‘don’t-talk-to-me I’m-not-your-mate’ kind of vibe.
“You girl,” I heard someone say but I could see Doctor-fair-boy placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“I’m talking to you,” the teacher said standing in front of me with a fat cane in her hand.
My mind came back to the present, “Good afternoon ma!”
Some people laughed.
“Why are you not writing?” She asked.
I looked at the black board then looked at my note. There were two more paragraphs on the board that wasn’t in my note.
“I’m sorry ma. I couldn’t see,” I lied.
She measured me up with her eyes but I comported myself.
“Why did you shave your eyebrows?” She asked with a hint of interest and accusation lacing her voice.
I touched my eyebrows and shook my head, “I have never shaved any part of my body ma.”
“I asked who shaved your brows,” she replied.
“Nobody,” I said quietly, the whole class was looking at us.
“You dare lie to me?” She asked with furrowed brows.
“No o, God forbid, I’m not lying,” I said, trying to defend myself.
I heard the cane before I felt the pain. She looked really angry and tears laced my eyes.
“Who shaved your eyebrows?” she said more aggressively and raised her cane towards my head.
“My elder sister,” I lied and my lips quivered from holding back tears.
The bell rang indicating that classes were over for the day. My classmates were happy and I could see some parents already outside waiting for their children.
“See me in my office,” the teacher said and stormed out of the class with her textbook and cane in hand.
I was perplexed. I had done nothing wrong except dream of my crush so what did I do to offend the woman?
I watched other girls gather their things and rush out of the class. Some dragged their boxes from behind the class and ran out happily to meet their parents.
Holidays have that effect on boarding school students.
I packed my books into my bag and dragged my box from behind the door. I checked my small leather wristwatch and worried for my fate.
I walked out of the class and saw my mother smiling from a distance. I went to meet her and she noticed my mood.
“Ogini?” She asked.
“A teacher said she wants to see me in the staff room because according to her, I shaved my eyebrows, she even whipped my head with two fat canes” I told my mother as tears rolled down my sunken cheeks.
“Who is that?” my mother asked getting defensive.
“My Basic Science teacher, Mrs Idowu,” I sniffled.
“Let us go and meet her,” my mother said and I led the way.
The staffroom was almost deserted save for the teacher and another woman who were laughing about something.
“Good afternoon ma,” I greeted while my mother stood behind me.
The teacher acknowledged my greeting with a nod and the other teacher excused herself.
“Who is this?” the teacher asked nonchalantly.
“My mother,” I replied.
My mother sat on the chair opposite the teacher’s desk and I stood.
“My daughter said you accused her of shaving her brows,” my mother said while the teacher busied herself with an attendance sheet.
“Look at her eyebrows madam,” the teacher said as she scrutinized my face, “are her eyebrows not too thin for an eleven year old?”
“It’s you that should be looking at it madam. That’s how her brows are. Can’t you see mine?” my mother pointed at her own brows and the teacher looked.
“Her brows have always been like that. You are not supposed to accuse her of such…”
“She said her sister shaved them,” the teacher said as she locked eyes with my mother.
“It’s because of you she lied. Amanda doesn’t lie except under duress. I know my child,” my mother barked back at the teacher.
Mrs. Idowu looked at me and I looked back at her but the fight had left her eyes.
“I’m sorry about what happened. I was mistaken,” Mrs. Idowu said with hands clasped together.
“Let’s go Amanda,” my mother said.
I followed her and we walked to the Gray SUV parked close to the school garden.
I watched her unlock the car before keeping my box at the back seat. I sat beside her and she ignited the engine.
“Don’t you ever lie because you feel pressured. The world is not fair but you have to say the truth and stand by it even though you feel pressured, understood?” my mother asked.
I nodded and she smiled.
She turned back to see if there were any cars behind her, when she was satisfied there was none, she drove off.
The school rolled away from my view like motion pictures.
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