from Pit to the Palace!
Episode 4
Diana smiled and walked towards Bala, who had his head down in a confused state.
Diana: “Forget about her!”
She rubbed his head and sprawled her legs to sit on him with her unbuttoned dress revealing her padded bra. He pushed her,
Bala: “Get off me,low life!” dashed out running after Kyauta, “Kyauta! Kyauta!! Kyauta!!”
She had gone far but he chased her not minding eyes that were flooded on him. He ran after her like one with an unscrewed nut in the head, “Kyauta!! Kyauta!!!” she turned he was still far off, with tears filled eyes she increased her pace. Quickly entered the next bend before,
Kyuata: “I don’t want to see him!” she said to herself as she increased her pace but the legs were getting weary and it affected her pace, which was reducing. Bala was now stone throw from her; he seemed to be, also, getting tired. For he stood on a spot panting ,
Bala: “Kyau..ta!!” after seconds of catching his breathe , he went after and finally caught up with her. She was tired too.
Kyauta: “let me go!” she said with a crying tone.
Bala: “I can explain, please! It isn’t what you think!”
Kyauta: “Explain? What I think or saw?”
Bala: “I swear to God we weren’t doing anythin…”
Kyauta: “…please, I don’t want to hear a thing!” she covered her ears with her hands, “I don’t want to hear please!”
He knelt down crying holding her hands, she was crying too.
Bala: “My angel, you know I can’t cheat on you!”
Kyauta: “Please, just let go off me!” he did let go of her hands.
Bala: “Please,Kyauta!”
As she turned to leave, she said,
Kyuata: “Why would you invite my best friend to your house?”
Bala: “I swear she just came. I was shocked as to why she would come visiting,” still on his knees.
Kyuata: “If I hadn’t caught you you’d be cheating on me and feeding me with lies of how much I mean the world to you!”
Bala: “I…i…”
She yelled,
Kyauta: “Shut up, Bala. Why are men low lives? I caught you and you keep denying. Don’t ever come looking for me. It’s over!” she ran off crying
Bala with tears in his eyes stood up and dusted his trousers,
Bala: “she wouldn’t listen I’d go and talk to her later!” he whispered as he walked home with his head down, “if she leaves me I will kill myself” he added.
To her room, Kyauta rushed in and flung herself to the bed,
Kyauta: “Why Bala? After I gave you my all! I even gave you my pride thinking you were different. Of all people you decide to cheat on me with my friend. My one and only best friend. You shall meet your match!”
She buried her head on the bed as tears wrapped with bitterness soaked a particular spot.
Two days later, Bala couldn’t sleep, eat or do anything. He was absent from work for days. And that was unlike him. There was a knock on the door; he was lying down buried in his thoughts as usual. The knock went on for rounds before he answered,
Bala: “who is that?” it was Kauna.
Kauna: “It’s me, brother!”
Angered,
Bala: “I’ve told you that I want to be left alone. Didn’t I?”
A male voice rang out. It was a voice he could recognize, he knew that voice. Quickly, he jumped down from the bed and opened the door,
Bala: “welcome,sir!” he greeted the tall and lanky man with bald head who was standing with another man, lanky too but short. It was the headmaster and his, colleague, Mallam Bello, who taught Mathematics.
Principal: “Thank you, teacher Bala,” they all smiled at one another as Kauna vanished.
He welcomed them in,
Bala: “welcome, Mallam Bello. To what do I owe this august visit!”
They were served with bottles of Seven Up and Sprite. They smiled again.
Principal: “We all were worried zat our best teacher has been, ehm, absent for zee past two days and I decided that on behalf of your colleagues togeza with Mallam Bello should check up on you,”Mallam Bello nodded.
Bala who was oblivious of what to say stammered,
Bala: “I…I…purging. I’ve been purging!” he lied finally.
They wore sullen faces,
Mallam Bello: “Oh,oh,sorry about zat ko!”
Principal: “sorry!”
Bala nodded and sat down holding his stomach. He was perfecting the lie,
Bala: “Thank you.”
Principal: “What have you taken?”
Bala stuttered again,
Bala: “I took phlagyl”
Principal: “Oh, teacher Bala all zis whiteman’s medicine. They aren’t as effective as our herbs. Not to worry I’ll send my son later to bring you some.”
Bala smiled,
Bala: “Thank you,sir! I’m more than grateful.”
He couldn’t wait for them to leave the lie he had fed them with, brought upon him an uncomfortable feeling. The principal kept on with his chattering as he gently gulped the bottle of Sprite,
Principal: “We had a meeting today and we all agreed on your idea of extra moral for the pupils,” Bello nodded. The news brought Bala a genuine smile for he had been championing for an extra moral to improve the performance of their pupils but one of his colleagues, Timothy, has been against the idea. It most time, made them quarrel. He got in well with Bala; he made him an enemy for not just cause.
Bala: “What of Timothy?”
Principal: “forget him. I used the highest vote policy so his opinion doesn’t count.”
The school where Bala taught had just five staff the principal making it six. Bala was the only one from Diko the rest were from Minna, Bida and Suleja.
…
It was evening and Kyauta was in her room all alone. She could hear noises in the compound; it was that of her cousins that lived with them. They were busy in the kitchen with her mother who had just returned from the market. Kyauta had told her that she was ill. The thought of Bala crept in,
Kyauta: “Could he be telling the truth? Was it true that Diana tried seducing him?” she shook her head, “Noooo! Diana wouldn’t do such a thing!”
Diana had an eye for Bala but Kyauta didn’t know. Anytime they were together Diana didn’t seem to be interested in anything she was saying about Bala. It was difficult for Kyauta to believe her friend had an eye for her lover.
“Come in!” she managed to say as her head banged.
Diana opened the door and entered, “what are you doing here?” Kyauta jumped out of the bed.
Questions: What should Kyauta do to Diana at this time? Do you think Kyauta would send Diana out? Or listen to her?
To be continued…. ………………
