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Vasco Da Gama had ignored the school head, Okonkwo’s calls. Like the History teacher in Nikolai Gogol’s classic The Government Inspector who breaks furniture while demonstrating how Alexander The Great won battles, he gets completely absorbed in his lesson.
The deputy head, Wa Makeri had to literally drag him from Form 3G. By the time they reached Okonkwo’s office, she had warned him about the allegations levelled against him.
Upon setting her eyes on him, the girl’s mother clicked loudly. “Huyu ni mahabusu, anafaa kuwa jela,” the girl’s father - who must have worked with the prisons department hissed. Vasco Da Gama was about to protest when Okonkwo waving him to a seat informed him about the serious allegations.
“I told this couple I know nothing about their wild allegations last week when they called me,” he said. Okonkwo showed him the girl’s phone which had the romantic texts.
Having read them, he commented, “This is a case of photo shopping for extortion purposes. He then asked: “Where is the girl?” Okonkwo after talking with the principal of the neighbouring school had dispatched ‘pilot’, the school driver to fetch the girl.
Her father took a strategic position by the door to prevent the ‘mahabusu’ from escaping. Vasco Da Gama lost his cool when he insisted on escorting him to the washrooms. “Are you running a Kangaroo court here,” snarled Vasco Da Gama.
“I will be in the staff room, call me when your daughter comes” he said and stormed out.
In the staff room, he found Madam Annette circulating a foolscap to raise funds for his bail. Madam Schola, the great gossiper had already broadcast to all that Vasco Da Gama had been arrested. Only two people had pledged some money; Madam Donatta and Flo. He threw the foolscap into the litter bin.
Greying head
The girl at the centre of the romantic storm arrived in the company of a stern looking teacher. When Vasco Da Gama returned to Okonkwo’s office, the girl’s mother wasted no time “Purity do you know this teacher,” she asked.
Her daughter nodded in the affirmative. When Wa Makeri asked her to explain how she knew him, she said that she had seen him with Meta Meta students during inter-school’s games.
It was then that her mother pointing at the phone asked her about the romantic text messages. “Are you aware of those texts, asked Wa Makeri. The girl having read them nodded.
Her mother was beside herself with rage; “Purity,nimekupeleka shule kusoma ama kutafuta wazee. Huyu ata ni mzee kushinda baba yako?” She shouted.
Clearly shocked, Purity said that Vasco Da Gama hadn’t sent the texts. Then added, “Mum sio hivyo. Kuwa mpole nikushow. Sina stori na huyu mzae, hizo mistari zimetoka kwa Timo.” It turned out that Timo was a student at Meta Meta and their neighbour at home. Okonkwo almost jumped out of his desk.
“You don’t mean that rascal in 3G!” he commented while shaking his greying head. At the speed of a young antelope, Vasco Da Gama, in spite of his fifty plus years shot out of Okonkwo’s office. Moments later, he reappeared dragging the culprit by his school’s necktie –almost chocking him.
Timo was taken aback to find his girlfriend and her parents in Okonkwo’s office. “Explain this!” Vasco Da Gama ordered thrusting the phone into his hands.
Before long, he had revealed how he had been borrowing the teacher’s phone so as to text Purity - under the pretext of calling his parents. “Ngai! And have been thinking my daughter is a virgin,” was all her mother could say.
