Madam Annette is devastated. The TSC’s decision to cancel promotion interviews has dealt her plans of becoming Meta Meta’s deputy principal a blow. According to Schola the gossiper, our school head, Okonkwo had assured her that her promotion to job group M and the school’s deputy principal was a done deal.

Schola swears that during the December holidays, Okonkwo had been camping at the education county director’s office. He had personally delivered a letter recommending her for promotion.

When the TSC announced that the interviews would be held at County level, Okonkwo was overjoyed like a boy who had just cleared his final exams.

Schola, Meta Meta’s rumour mill caretaker claims that Okonkwo, after paying the county director a visit at the beginning of the term returned brimming with confidence. He secretly gave Annette materials to read in preparation for the interview. Annette was among the four teachers at Meta Meta who had received letters for the interviews.

Aeneas claims there was corruption in the selection of the interview candidates. He had also applied for promotion and had posted a better ‘Matiang’i’ mean score, compared to those who had received the letters. Besides, he had served in the same job group for more than ten years.

Having been assured of the promotion, Annette had begun acting as if the office of the deputy principal was vacant! Okonkwo, who had unsuccessfully lobbied for her to become the deputy principal before, is uncomfortable with his deputy Wa Makeri.

Unlike Annette, she is independent minded. Annette on the other hand executes all of Okonkwo’s directives with a smile. He has made her a member of the school’s critical committees. As the chair of the lucrative tender committee, Annette ensures that only Okonkwo’s choices win school tenders.

Flat backside

Lately, Annette has been very critical of Wa Makeri. “That lady has no sense of style,” she once whispered to madam Flo. Wa Makeri is not blessed with a captivating figure.

Her rather flat backside reminds one of a table. Consequently, many of her dresses look like they are hanging from a lamp post or a cloth hanger!

Annette further claims that Wa Makeri has no taste and that the deputy’s office looks like a bachelor’s pad! “How can a deputy principal of a school like Meta Meta use curtains from Nairobi’s Soko Mjinga?” She was heard complaining some time back.

Teachers bribing TSC

Annette has been working on her wardrobe too and no longer wears ‘camera’ outfits from Donatta and son’s boutique but designer stuff. When Flo commented that Annette’s human hair wig was okay for the interview, she sarcastically responded, “You don’t expect me to wear a wig for a whole month like some people here.” She was probably referring to Magarita the C.R.E teacher and Christian Union patron who is too busy chasing the devil out of Meta Meta has no time for the salon.

“You should go for a ‘bob hair cut’ style,” advised Schola. Donatta proposed Ghanaian lines but Annette cut them off: “My beautician will advise on the best style”. Vasco Da Gama, the history teacher had been coaching her on how to face the interview panel.

He had also been taking her through various education commissions and ‘sagas’.

In a mock interview, she was unable to tell the main difference between The Mckay and The Gachathi commission of Education. She has crammed the names of TSC commissioners and the other day referred to Magarita as madam commissioner!

The sessions came to an abrupt end when a WhatsApp massage communicated the postponement of the interviews, leaving Annette seething with rage. Meanwhile, Aeneas is celebrating. “This is no longer the time when teachers bribed TSC and education officials with a ‘he goat’ so as to get promotions,” he was heard scoffing.

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