Chapter 31: Day of Reckoning
Gloria sat calmly in her seat, almost holding her breath, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. The discomfort made her stomach pinch a bit, and she wrung her hands nervously, her eyes fixed at a point, staring at nothing.
Her mother's eyes… the disdain, disgust and shame in them when they looked at her earlier. She couldn't forget them. That memory was permanently buried in her head. Her mum was ashamed to have her as a daughter… what mother wouldn't be after reading what she wrote in that letter? She exhaled… She knew her mum would have literally buried her alive if the director hadn't been present in the office when she was called.
Slowly, her eyes roamed around the class searching for Naomi… the silly girl had no idea what was in store for her. Yes, her mother and the director had both promised to take care of everything. She exhaled a sigh of relief. Maybe things wouldn't go so badly for her after all. As she reassured herself of the future, her eyes rested on Clinton and Pablo, who seemed rather unconcerned about anything. Of course, they were unaware of the underground work her mother and the director were performing to keep them safe. But she knew that even though the director was sparing them from a harsher punishment, she would deal with each of them in her own unique way… including herself.
Pablo noticed her eyes on him and gave her a hard stare, as if to ask who gave her the audacity to stare at him. Quickly she tore her gaze from him and it rested on Goodness, who was glaring at Edith. She watched her stand and walk to Edith with a smirk on her face.
"I told you that being friends with that new girl will get you into trouble. As we are speaking now, the Deaconess is probably punishing her and soon it will be your turn. Yes, I told her everything. And yes, I eavesdropped on your conversation with the new girl last Saturday. Next time, never think you can be sly enough to destroy the Deaconess without her knowing"
Goodness expected Edith to cry or beg her, but all she did was stare at her from head to toe like she was a piece of trash, an angry scowl on her face.
"I didn't expect better from you. The Deaconess has made a true disciple out of you. Should I say disciple or slave? huh? How long do you intend to keep working for her and selling your body for money?" Edith yelled, and heads suddenly turned in their direction.
"What is wrong with you?" Goodness asked in an unsteady voice as she felt the curious gazes of her classmates on her.
"What? Are you ashamed to let everyone know that you work for the Deaconess? Tell them what you do?"
"Stop it, now Edith." Goodness growled at Edith before clamping her mouth shut. Edith struggled to free herself.
Gloria had no desire to be part of whatever they were arguing about, but they were about to fight. And it was her duty as their mutual friend to stop it. So, she rushed to drag Goodness away from Edith, but the next words she heard made her wish she hadn't.
"Don't you dare stop me from speaking my mind! I don't want to work for the Deaconess anymore. You can be her slut, which she pimps you out to stupid immoral men. I won't do that anymore! I won't!" Edith proclaimed forcefully, standing on her feet like an angry cock, to openly challenge Goodness.
"Wait, what? What did you say?" Goodness asked in confusion as she let Goodness go. Edith's words still rang in her ears and she could hardly see the many eyes watching them or even hear their murmurs. Her whole mind was blank, and the only words that echoed in them were Edith's last words.
"Edith, you are a very stupid girl. Trust me, the Deaconess will make you pay for this!"
Goodness warned a furious Edith.
"What did you say about my mum? I asked you a question, Edith. Are you lying against my mum?" Goodness asked in a pained voice, but Edith paid her no attention.
Gloria was about to yell some words in the faces of Edith and Goodness when the school bell rang and from outside the class, they could hear someone screaming that they were all needed in the General assembly hall. And the students wondered why they were being summoned to the assembly hall so late in the afternoon. But Gloria already knew why. She exhaled sharply as she watched Edith leave the class.
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Naomi and Anna were standing at the art room's backdoor about to leave when they also heard the school bell ring and the announcer screaming that they were all needed in the assembly hall.
"What do you we do now? They have gathered all the students just like they said in their meeting. Everything is going bad. Where is the matron now that we need her the most?" Anna croaked. All was truly lost if the matron didn't come through for them.
Naomi's eyes darted around the school grounds, looking for the matron… where was she? And for the first time, she had no answers to Anna's questions and no courage to go on. Had she been foolish to think two teenage girls could take an entire school down or even expose someone as notorious as the Deaconess? Her doubts droned heavily in her ears. She wanted to scream, instead she said…
"We have to go now! Let's hope for the best and the worst." She answered in a weak voice, so unsure of herself and their mission.
"No, this can't happen the second time. The Deaconess, the school, Clinton and Pablo can't win this time again. No. We didn't come this far for nothing." Anna cried.
"Anna, we have to go now! Crying right now won't help any of us. It won't! So you need to snap out of it. The matron will come okay. We will win this time!" Naomi added, just to make Anna feel better. But she had her doubts about things going their way. Her parents had everything prepared. The matrons were supposed to deliver the evidence to them. Why didn't they? Why were they left in the dark, with so much uncertainties?
She wanted to cry too, but she knew it wouldn't help. So, she grabbed Anna, and they trudged to the Assembly hall, their doubts and fear clearly written on their squeezed faces.
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The hall was noisy. The brassy chatters of multitude of students reverberated throughout the mighty assembly hall, which was reserved for special occasions. Everyone was chatting or laughing except for Gloria, Naomi, Edith, Anna and Goodness, who were all trapped in their thoughts. The girls knew that whatever this special meeting was about had a great deal to do with them.
Naomi let out a shaky breath and looked around, only to see Gloria's eyes watching her boldly. And she was certain that whatever was about to happen wouldn't be in their favour… unless…
"Good day immaculate students of Bishop Evangelical College." The Director's greetings echoed in the microphone, hushing the noise in the hall. Everywhere became as quiet as a graveyard. Her enormous size towered over the podium and everyone could see she wasn't smiling. She never smiled… of course, so her serious face wasn't a surprise to them. But somehow they knew whatever she had to say was something serious… whatever reason they were here was serious. The Director was barely seen at normal school events or meetings. She was only present when it had to do with something of utmost importance.
"What is our motto? Let's hear it!" She commanded the crowd of students. As they chorused their response enthusiastically, Naomi saw the Deaconess walk up to the director and whisper something in her ear. The director nodded in agreement with whatever she said before continuing with what she had to say.
"Good. Bishop Evangelical school is a prestigious school that has existed for more than a decade. Yes, it is one of the best schools in the country. Year after year, Bishop Evangelical College has continued to turn out exceptional, brilliant, and well-mannered students into the world. And never in our history had we had cases of bullying, defamation of name or issues of immoral conduct like other schools have had. Yes…You may wonder why I am up here and not your Deaconess? Right? Because this is a matter of urgency, a serious matter that I alone must handle." The Director paused as she scanned the faces of the swarm of students.
"Like I said earlier, bullying and gossip mongering have no room in our school. No, there's no room for such decadent behaviour in our school. But some students have taken it upon themselves to do just that. And we can't let such shameless and depraved behaviors to go unpunished. Gloria, the Deaconess's daughter, please can you stand wherever you are"
Gloria fidgeted a bit as she stood up slowly, her eyes resting in shame on the back of the chair in front of her. Her hands were trembling, and she wondered if the Director was about to expose her, Clinton and Pablo, in front of the rest of the school.
"Good," Came the voice of the director. "Naomi Etuk and Anna white… could you two stand wherever you are."
Naomi and Anna stood nervously. They had no idea what the school had in store for them, but the next words from the school board director caught them off guard...
"Naomi and Anna are the great examples of bullies in Bishop Evangelical College who we must deal with. The very ones who would bring disgrace to our school. The rotten apples."
The crowd murmurs in confusion.
""Quiet! They not only bullied Gloria, but they also tarnished the name of our school's pious and prestigious deaconess. And that is something I will not tolerate. Therefore, I have gathered you all to witness how they will be publicly punished and humiliated. These girls are peddlers of gossip… people who have no morals or respect for the head of the school. And they deserve to be expelled!
The crowd choruses in surprise. And Anna's heart sank. This can't be happening!
"But we are yet to decide that. But today, let them serve as an example to you all. We don't tolerate insubordination, lying and bullying in Bishop Evangelical College." The Director added.
Anna's tears streamed down her cheek as she stared warily at Naomi. But Naomi couldn't see her… her vision was blurry and everywhere echoed voices and mocking laughter. Gradually, she raised her head and looked in the Deaconess's direction and saw the satisfied look on her face. They were in deep shit! She cried inside.
She was still sulking when the door of the hall slammed open and the heavy clacking of boots filled the hall as men in special military uniform bounced to the podium. Their sour expressions fixed on the women standing on the Podium.
Everyone was thrown into confusion as they watched them march to the podium and stood in front of the Deaconess. Everything fell silent, and the only words heard were the Deaconess's protest that she couldn't be arrested.
"What do you mean by I am under arrest? Where is your warrant? You can't barge in here and arrest anyone you like. Do you know who I am? Get your hands off me!"
""Yes, you can be arrested, and you should be imprisoned for a long time for all the evil you've done!"" Miss Clara's defiance resonated in the hall as she cat walked to the podium.
"In case you all want to know what she has done and why she is being arrested. This is it!" and then a big projector screen flicks on and everyone could see Mrs. Gracious in a live interview.
"What do you think you are doing?" The director demanded of the haughty and confident Miss Clara.
"Just watch and see" she winked at the Director, who looked daggers at her.
When Anna and Naomi saw the matron, their faces lit up with delight. And their joy knew no bound as they watched Mrs. Gracious expose the Deaconess' atrocities in a live interview. Everyone could see it! They had won! The recordings were playing in the live video and everyone suddenly turned to Gloria, Clinton and Pablo, but Clinton wasn't there.
Gloria shivered under the heavy stares from all around her and the discomfort in her stomach grew, and she wished then that the ground would just swallow her.
Pablo rose slowly then when the students' attention was back on the screen. He peered around and looked for a way to escape. He could hear his own voice confessing to their crimes the night they attacked Naomi, and he wanted to get away from there. But before he could make it to the exit door, the men in uniform were already standing and waiting for him. They grabbed him by the collar and took him away despite his protests that it wasn't his idea. While the men dragged him away to their van, he searched frantically for Clinton, but he was nowhere to be found. He was a Bernard indeed, and his father must have found a way to whisk him away. But he, the son of nobody, was obviously going to suffer for his crimes.
The Deaconess was breathing fire as she watched the young matron, Anna, and Naomi exchange hugs. How could these little brats have defeated her? Why hadn't seen this coming? Her time was up! But she wouldn't go down alone… Pastor Jude and the other men must go down with her. They roped her into this! Her heart constricted with pain as she watched her sins play on the screen, while the uniformed men flanked her sides. How had she not known what Edith was up to? She had never imagined that the poor girl had been subjected to such horror in the hands of Mr. Godwin. But what did it matter now? They were all going to suffer for their crimes.
As the men in uniform escorted her down the mighty hall, she could see her own students swinging their hands over their heads and mouthing, "God forbid! So wicked" While some of them stared at her with a condemning look. She felt humiliated. But her heart broke when she saw her poor daughter in tears and she knew she had failed her! What a horrible mother she had been, and she wanted to say one last word of encouragement to her. She paused to do so, but the men's stern command to keep moving echoed in her ear.
When she got outside, she noticed everywhere was in disarray and disgruntled parents were driving into the school to withdraw their kids from the school. Many of them were locked outside, and they kept banging on the gate. And the few who were inside and knew who she was spat curse words at her. If it hadn't been for the men in uniform protecting her, she would have been physically assaulted, too. Mrs. Gracious's video had gone viral! This was truly the end for her!
And no one would forget the Deaconess who doubled as a pimp.
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Anna's heart sang with joy, and she hugged Naomi one more time. They had done! The matron's lips curled in a smile as she watched them, happy that she had helped them accomplish their mission.
"We thought you had let us down." Anna said.
"No way. Why would I? I had to do everything quietly. I am sorry if I ghosted on you both. But I couldn't give evil another chance to succeed. I had to do things secretly. Your parents had everything ready, and we took the evidence to a broadcasting company. You know, the rebellious types that are always seeking for scandals and dirt like this on rich evil-doers. The court would decide the boys' fate, the Deaconess' fate and Mr. Godwin's too. But I believe with the amount of evidence against them, they would be in prison for a long time."
"What is most important is that we won!" Naomi announced cheerfully.
Sylvia walked up to Anna then, a sad look on her face.
"I am sorry, Sylvia, that your troubling experience is no longer a secret."
"No, thank you Anna, for helping me. Now, I am free. I don't need to look over my shoulder all the time or be scared of moving around freely. Thank you, Anna!"
Sylvia wrapped her arms around Anna. And as they were both engulfed in a warm hug, Naomi and Edith were doing the same.
"Thank you so much for defeating the evil Deaconess. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. And I feel brand new. I hope they suffer for what they did… all of them!"
The end...
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