Tension over Bensouda’s alliance with tutor Kuya!

“I am sorry,” I started. But she didn’t let me finish. “You need to respect authority Dre,” she started shouting at me. ILLUSTRATION| JOHN NYAGAH

What you need to know:

  • No one has ever worked with Kuya for long.
  • Within two weeks Bensouda will be back to me.

Were it not for a few enemies of development at TSC, I would have been the headmaster (HM) of this school — or maybe someone bigger.

But, as the most educated and informed teacher this side of the Sahara, county TSC officials fear that if I became HM, I will rise very quickly and take over their jobs.

That is why, when it was my time to be HM, they conspired and brought in Bensouda as HM, even though I am more qualified than her academically, intellectually and professionally.

That’s why I am the de facto HM of Mwisho wa Lami.

Bensouda is just the de jure HM; but I am sure she doesn’t know the meaning of de jure; nor can she use de facto in a sentence.

LITERALLY RUN THE SCHOOL

As you know, I literally run this school, and were it not for the interference of the HM, and the sabotage by some junior staff led by Kuya, this school would be far ahead

Unable to find something substantive to bring me down since I excel in my duties, last December, Kuya slowly started a rumour that I was undermining Bensouda with a view of taking over from her. I could not understand why someone was accusing me of wanting to take over a job that I was already doing.

You will all remember how last year, without any help from anyone, I toiled with the candidates, particularly the two top candidates: Sanglinda and Clinton. I may not have told anyone, including you, but I secretly carried out tuition for the two, as I realised early that the two had massive potential.

Bensouda, and all other teachers never showed interest in the pupils, only popping up to celebrate after the good results came out.

INTERESTED IN THE TWO

From that day onwards, Bensouda become interested in the two, and for the first time ever, she was seen in Mwisho wa Lami village during school holidays. Two days after the examinations, she picked the two, and took them to the county headquarters for lunch.

When admissions to secondary school was done, I visited them to see what schools they had been called to. Clinton had been called to a good school while Sanglinda was called to a school in a part of this country that I had never heard of before. I decided to help her get a good school. In Mwisho wa Lami, every girl’s dreams is going to Theresa’s Girls, a Catholic school that’s not very from here.

Having done my teaching practice at St Theresa’s Girls, I am very well known to the school. A week to Christmas, I called the headmistress and told her that I wanted her to admit our best girls.

“A girl who gets 398 marks in Mwisho wa Lami Primary, with all the problems our HM took us through, is ‘A’ material,” I told her on call.

Mrs Kandie, for that is the name of the HM of St Theresa’s, asked me several questions about our school, particularly about Bensouda. I told her that I was the only teacher who is serious in the school.

When the new year came, we started off the term in the normal way. By normal way I mean, only a few teachers appeared in school and, as always, I took charge of things. The first two days, I released the students early, telling them the real school would start the next week.

“Who opens schools on Thursday,” I jokingly commented on parade. I arrived at school last Monday ready and energetic and, after supervising school cleaning, I conducted parade, and dismissed the students to their classes.

Bensouda only came in last Wednesday. I expected that she would call me to her office for a briefing but she did not. Instead, she spent a long time with Kuya, then left the school without talking to me.

That evening, like all other teachers, I received an SMS from Kuya inviting me for a staff meeting the next morning.

“Urgenta: Fast Term Plans and Programs, Timetable, Arcademic Day. Come one, Come Two Come all,” read the SMS in part. I was shocked to get the invite from Kuya yet I am the one who usually calls for staff meetings. I, however, decided to play it cool.

On Thursday morning, I was late for the meeting and I rushed to the staffroom, hoping that, as usual Bensouda would not have arrived. She was already in and had begun the meeting, with Kuya seated by her right side.

“What time is it, Dre?” she asked me as I moved to sit. “This meeting was clearly starting at 9.00am”

“I am sorry,” I started. But she didn’t let me finish. “You need to respect authority Dre,” she started shouting at me. “Just because you are doing your degree and you are the deputy whom I have given powers should not no make you start behaving like you are the HM.’

“Excuse me Madam HM, what have I done now?” I pleaded.

“You think I don’t know what you told Mrs Kandie, the St Theresa’s principle? Or what you tell people at Hitler’s?”

“I can explain everything Madam HM.”

“Dre, there is no vacuum in the HM’s office. Stop behaving as if there is one. I am still here as the HM,” she said. “And don’t despise a meeting because I am working with Kuya to organise it. He is also a teacher here.”

I apologised again, sat down and said nothing. I was not worried since we all knew Kuya. No one has ever worked with Kuya for long. The two will have crossed paths within two weeks and Bensouda will be back to me!