Burning•Screams•Running•Silence
“Girls, meet your new principal, Mrs Omu. Mrs Grace was transferred to another school.” The senior boarding house mistress, Mrs Bello announced.
At the news, murmurings were heard among the senior class girls. This news was one that bore confusion and anger. The senior class girls were in love with Mrs Grace because she overlooked all their misdeeds and minded her business. She allowed them to have free reins of their affairs over the junior students and they weren't sure about Mrs Omu.
“Now, Mrs Omu would like to address all of you.” Mrs Bello handed the microphone over to the new principal. Mrs Omu was a woman who looked like she represented grace and elegance. She was chocolate skinned and her graying hair was stylishly packed into a glistening bun. Her ears and neck were bejewelled with pearls and her pantsuit was smartly ironed. From behind her glasses, the girls could see how stern her eyes were. She didn't look like somebody to be toyed with.
“Good morning, girls. I'm Mrs Omu, your new principal.” She said in a clear even voice.
“We know that already.” Someone said from amongst the crowd of girls. Silence descended afterwards. Mrs Omu took a deep breath in and exhaled. She assessed the crowd, then continued.
“I have heard so much about the lack of control in this school. I have heard about the bullying and the rancid disobedience that is so prevalent in the students of this school. You are ladies, not wild animals. You should be the definition of elegance, not brutality. But as someone here has decided to show an example of what I will be facing in this school, i’m going to have to put my iron fists on and show you all what it means to be tamed. Any one who breaks the laws of this school will face serious penalties. No form of crime will be tolerated.”
She threw a cold smile that didn't reach her eyes at them, “I hope we work together to make this school better. Have a great school term ahead. Thank you.” She stepped off the podium and handed the microphone back to Mrs Bello. The way the girls stood tensely and at rapt attention, it seemed that Mrs Omu’s short speech had struck a core. Mrs Bello smiled inwardly. Change had come.
Mrs Omu gradually started changing some.of the slack rules of the school. She banned the wearing of slippers to evening classes and enforced wearing socks and sandals. She stopped the junior students from eating in the same dining hall as seniors. She introduced Marshals to the school’s disciplinary system. This meant that there was always a marshal in every corner, monitoring students and punishing those who littered or loitered around the school premises. The teachers became more stricter and even the senior girls were more discreet in their misdeeds. But it didn't stop them from bullying the junior students or selling contrabands or skipping school and jumping the school fence at night to go to town. Then, a junior student took matters into her hands and things changed.
“Emergency assembly, all students should move to the assembly ground. I repeat, emergency assembly, all students should move to the assembly ground.” The PA system blasted out across classroom halls and students started scurrying out. They didn't want to face the wrath of the marshals if they were caught being late to the assembly ground.
The students got to the assembly ground and arranged themselves in single lines according to classes. They were murmuring to each other, wondering what could have caused rhe call for the emergency assembly. Then, Mrs Omu stepped onto the podium and the murmurs died down.
“Good day, ladies. I'm sorry to have disrupted your class activities. It seems some of you took my words as empty threats. I told you that if anyone broke the laws of the school, they would face serious penalties. And one of you did just that.”
One of the senior girls stepped onto the podium. She was a famous bully who was known for stripping junior girls of their money and belongings. They never dared disobeyed her because of the fear of repercussions, until one of the junior students decided to report her. Her head was bowed in remorse and shame now.
“This young lady here was reported for bullying. We had a disciplinary committee called for her case. Other evidence were tendered against her, accusing her of being a chronic bully. She was found guilty of these charges and she has been penalized. She will be expelled from this great citadel of learning.” Mrs Omu pronounced. A sharp gasp resounded amongst the students and the girl's head snapped up at the news. Obviously, she had been expecting a punishment, but not something as damning as this.
“You can't expel me. You can't do this.” The girl yelled, tears were already rolling down her cheeks. “Please, any other punishment but this. Please.” She pleaded.
“This will serve as an example to all of you. I repeat, no form of crime or disregard for the school rules will be tolerated. You can disperse back to your classes. Have a good day.”
That day, the senior students became chastised. Seeing the way Mrs Omu had used one of them as an example, they didn't want to be the next ones on the list. But they also felt a righteous anger at the unknown junior student who had reported the expelled girl. They felt a burning anger at the principal for expelling a girl who would have graduated the next year. They felt anger that things had changed so abruptly. And the seeds of discord began to sprout in their hearts.
Mrs Omu along with other teaching staff assembled the junior girls at the gate to the senior girls’ hostel.
“Some of you came to my office to report that your belongings were collected from you by the senior girls, especially your buckets. Now, I want you all to go in there and get your buckets. Only your buckets. Do not tamper with any of their things. If you identify your belongings, just get it and come out immediately. Now, hurry before your seniors start coming back from their evening classes. Time is of the essence.”
The junior students hurried into the seniors’ hostel and started grabbing their belongings. But, the intent of some of the juniors was not to take their belongings, but to take revenge on the seniors that had bullied them for so long. They started soaking the seniors’ clothes in water. They poured water on their beds and rubbed the wet clothes on the floor. It became a scene of chaos and after they were done, they left the hostel feeling justified. They had taken their revenge and Mrs Omu would be there to protect them.
When the seniors got back from their class and saw their hostel in chaos, their anger turned into a raging fire. Their eyes saw red and they stormed out of their hostels. They went to the junior students classes and broke desks and windows. They chased the junior students out of their classes and made them walk in the gutters like slaves. All the anger they felt, they poured into the destruction of the school. Yes, they had been wrong in bullying their juniors, but it was a rite of passage. They had faced it too when they were juniors. It was a necessary hazing. Mrs Omu had come to change everything and she had done that without giving thoughts to the damage her change would bring. So, they wrought destruction in all their wrath. No one knew who started the fire or how it started. Just that it burned the dining hall into blazing pieces.
The school was shut down after that. Mrs Omu had not ushered in change after all. She had been a harbinger of destruction. There were some things that should never have been tampered with.