Kuya on the defensive over Rasto’s daughter

A few weeks into this school and it became increasingly clear that Kuya, the well-built new teacher with less experience than yours truly in academic matters, was becoming Bensouda’s most preferred teacher.

And although I was the Deputy Headmaster, Kuya was being treated as the second in command here; and, visibly, for reasons other than his academic or managerial abilities.

A case in point was the other week when Sella, also a new teacher, was insulted and threatened by some Class Eight boys as she walked home one evening.

Being a strict and ambitious teacher like me, she had started off with a bang by keeping the Class Eight pupils on their toes.

The two boys had told her to stop giving them many assignments, and to stop keeping them in class for long preps or else they would attack her at night.

Sella was very scared and when the matter reached Bensouda, the HM immediately suspended the boys, and asked them to bring their parents within a week. On the day they returned, the HM was not is school – as usual.

What surprised me was that despite the fact that I was in school, the HM called and asked Kuya to handle the case.

The parents were let to go home after less than 10 minutes, while Kuya let the pupils to resume classes without being punished. Sella, the victim of the taunting was never called.

SHORT, TIGHT BLOOMERS

You see, as her closest colleague in school, I had really felt for her after the incident and had been looking forward for a chance to punish the boys severely.  It was clear that Kuya was getting back at Sella and me by letting the boys go scot free.

After this, Sella became very scared, and as the deputy, I have had to frequently pass by her house every evening just to ensure that she is safe.

Upset, I really thought of revenging on Kuya, but I was restrained by the word of the Romans 12:19 that says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

And indeed he is a living Lord, for it wasn’t long before He, on my behalf, served revenge on Kuya.

It all started after we assigned ball games. You will remember that Kuya took up boys’ volleyball, although in actual fact, he spent more time with the girls’ volleyball team than he does with the boys.

Together with Nzomo, they encouraged the girls to wear short and tight bloomers as they played, and as expected, this attracted a lot of people who came to watch them play.

I do not know whether she was bored or what the problem was, but soon Nzomo started leaving early, letting Kuya coach the girls until she completely stopped attending the training sessions.

Kuya would train the girls until very late. As you know, Sella and me also led the drama students to rehearsals until late but it would seem as though Kuya was committed to leaving after us.

With zonal competitions fast approaching last week, his coaching sessions extended to 7 p.m. – in fact the sessions only ended when it got dark.

They would start the coaching sessions with road work – which saw them run around Mwisho wa Lami village and finish with another round of road work.

I was a little concerned about the late trainings but knowing the relationship between Kuya and the HM, I decided to keep quiet. And it wasn’t long before we started hearing rumours.

SENIOR MASTER

But matters came to a head last Thursday when Rasto came to school very early. He wanted to see the headmistress.

“This is very serious and I won’t talk to you,” he told me when I told him that Bensouda had travelled to TSC offices.  I called Bensouda several times but she did not pick her phone.

Soon Kuya came to where I was with Rasto and told us that Bensouda had given him authority to handle the matter and report back to her.

“What’s your name?” Rasto asked him.

“I am Mr Hannington Kuya, the senior master and also in charge of school discipline,” he answered. It was the first time I was hearing him refer to himself as senior master, as Madam Ruth was our senior master. Rasto just snapped.

“How can you handle this case and it’s you I have come to report?” he asked.

“What?” Kuya exclaimed.

“You have been spoiling my daughter Doris and you are asking me what to report,” shouted Rasto, as he lashed at Kuya, using his walking stick. Kuya, being very strong held Rasto’s hand before he could hit him. Rasto was helpless in Kuya’s strong grip and started shouting, attracting everybody else in school.

“You spoil my daughter now you want to beat me!” he wailed, struggling to get out of Kuya’s grip. Immediately, Magdalina, Rasto’s wife also arrived, and started wailing when she saw Kuya get Rasto’s walking stick from his hand and break it.

“Wuuuuwi,” she wailed as she approached them. I stepped in quickly to separate Kuya from holding Rasto but Kuya was too strong even for me. It took the help of Oscar to manage to free Rasto from Kuya.

“You can’t do this to an old man,” I told Kuya.

“But the old man wanted to assault me,” he said. “I had to defend myself”.

“Let’s get to my office,” I said. All teachers had come and the pupils were watching this from the windows – some were already out.

“Ensure there is order in the school,” I told Oscar, and called Mrs Atika to join us in my office.”

“What is it mzee?” I asked once we were seated. The old man was too traumatised to speak so his wife spoke.

“Msichana wangu hurudi usiku kila siku wakicheza holyball,” she started. “Jana alifika nyumbani saa tatu na niliambiwa alisindikizwa nyumbani na huyu mwalimu.”

WELL CONNECTED

“That’s not true,” Kuya said.

“Msichana hawezi tembea vizuri saa hii,” said the mother, tears rolling down her chicks.

“Pole mama,” said Mrs Atika, moving to hold her. Kuya’s reaction surprised me, when he cautioned me to stop handling the case.

“This is not your case,” he said. “If they think I did anything wrong the girl should go to hospital for checkup and then report the matter to the education office and police.”

“Pesa ya hospitali tutatoa wapi,” said Rasto. Mrs Atika offered to get them money but after two days.

“Mzee you will be jailed for spoiling my name,” he warned Rasto. “If I were you, I would go slowly for you don’t know who I am.” And turning towards Mrs Atika he told her: “Don’t get involved in what you don’t know.”

Kuya immediately left school, saying that he had to go protect his name before envious teachers spoil it. “There are people who are afraid I will soon be the deputy of this school so I know where this is coming from.”

Soon, the parents left the office together with Mrs Atika, who was to help them take their daughter for medical checkup. Kuya has not been back in school but on Friday evening, I met Kizito, Kuya’s former deputy headmaster. He laughed when I told him the story.

“That is Kuya for you,” he said. “He knows his way around police, TSC and hospitals so you won’t get far. We were tired of such cases and were too happy to see him leave!”