My father leads prayers the next morning. Hypocrite! I notice then that his prayers are always centered on praying for sinners. Now I know why.
He offers to drive me to school again. I decline.
I don’t talk to anyone that morning on the bus and no one talks to me.
I notice Naomi opening her office door. She’s wearing a blue polo with black jeans. She looks great. She turns around before entering and sees me. Her reaction is the same as the other two times I’ve seen her, plane and uninterested. I don’t mind.
Thunder teaches first again today, this time using two periods. The next teacher is Naomi. Her class is more interactive this time. She asks people to air their views on certain topics, like Democracy, Drug abuse, and Cultism.
She says these are going to be later topics, but she wants to know the class’ thought about these things. Many persons speak, some sensibly, others less sensibly. I don’t know what to say, so I keep to myself, listening to others impress the teacher. Even Rich says something sensible for once.
Her time is up before we know it. Everyone’s unhappy about it. Someone pleads with her to continue, but before she can answer the next teacher is here; Mr. Hassan, the English teacher. He’s supposed to be called the punctuality teacher because he always comes early to his class.
During the last period before break-time, Thunder comes into the class to make an announcement. He says the school will be hosting a three day mock WAEC exam starting on Friday, at his behest. It’s sudden, but that’s the point. Students murmur and grumble and shout. He smacks his whip on the table before him and that was the end of that. Students still murmur about the mock exam, but they do so after he’s left the class.
I don’t know what to make of the announcement. I’m not ready to take a mock exam right now. The WAEC exam isn’t until next year, why was he so enthusiastic about seeing if we were ready?
That night I decide to read. I go an hour, actually understanding what I’m reading. Then I hear my father’s voice, a bare whisper. He’s not in his room. His voice is coming from the backyard. I listen closely and it sounds like he’s on the phone. I find it hard to pay attention after that, so I decide to listen. The distance from my room down to the backyard makes it hard for me to hear his whispers. His voice suddenly stops after some time. I hear a door close.
Afterwards, I can’t read. All I can think of is who my father was talking to in a whisper at ten in the night.
The next day at school nobody seems bothered by the upcoming mock exam as much as I am. I am so bothered I can’t even pay attention during the first period class. I don’t even notice when she points a question at me.
Ebuka who’s behind me nudges me. I turn to him, he nods forward. “Thank you for coming back to us,” Naomi says.
“I’m sorry,” I croak, and then I clear my throat.
“Stand up.” I do. “I asked you a question.”
“What question… ma?”
“Why don’t you ask me again? Maybe I’ll tell you.”
I know sarcasm when I hear it. I turn to Max two seats behind me to the right. He can’t shout from back there.
“She asked if you’re a cultist,” Ebuka offers, chuckling. I ignore him.
I look for Rich, and I notice then that he isn’t in school. When I didn’t see him in the bus, I just assumed he had gone with his parents. What could have happened?
“If you cannot participate in the class, leave.”
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t hear the question.”
She doesn’t waver. For a second, I hate her, mainly for humiliating me in front of thirty of my classmates.
I leave the class. On getting outside, I take my phone from my pocket to call Rich. His number doesn’t go through. I try again: same results. I become worried.
I go to the end of the block and rest on the last pillar. After what seems like forever, the bell rings. I begin walking back to class immediately, praying that Naomi doesn’t use two periods today.
She comes out of the class and is walking in my direction. My heart begins to beat a little faster. It’s almost like the night when I went to talk to her.
She suddenly stops in front of me. I stop too. She studies me the way she always does, like I’m uninteresting. “Why weren’t you paying attention?” she asks me.
I consider it. It wouldn’t hurt to tell her. “I’m scared of Friday’s mock exam.”
Her face is plain, as always. “Just read. You’ll be fine. Next time, pay attention in my class and I won’t have to humiliate you like that.” She walks past me.
That’s it? I thought she was going to give me some smart student advice. Why did she ask me that question if she didn’t care enough to give me a good advice?
When I get back to my class, I go straight to Max. “Why isn’t Rich in school?”
“I don’t know.”
I return to my seat, awaiting the next class. The mock exam timetable is released later that day.
I read during the night. My parents didn’t allow me go to check up on Rich. They heard about the mock and were pissed with me for not telling them. They want to make sure I read and pass. Mom promises to help check on Rich.
The next day, Naomi doesn’t come to teach, and Rich doesn’t come to school. His line still isn’t going through. I read that night too. During these past days, Max and I don’t say much to each other. Without Rich it seems like our friendship doesn’t really exist. Or was it just the exam getting to us both?
I don’t have time to think about that now. I have to study.