Chapter 3: The Vote of Shame

Teacher no catch thief, so he say make we all write anonymous vote.

He bring one old box, say make everybody put paper. The air for class choke, like rain wan fall. Everybody dey hold breath, dey wait.

Almost everybody write my name.

The handwriting dey different, but the story na the same. "Zainab." "Transfer girl." "The one wey dey sit with Morayo."

Just like class prefect election, na me collect the thief crown.

Na so teacher read am out, everybody dey nod head like say dem happy. I just sit down, dey count crack for ceiling.

Teacher call me office, force me confess, force me take blame so everybody go rest.

He lock door, off fan, say make I talk truth. My mouth dry, but I no talk anything.

He say, "Sometimes, fact no matter. Why everybody say na you?"

His face hard, he dey talk with heavy voice. I dey shake, but I still hold myself.

"Everything you do, people dey see. Even if dem wrong you, e no really matter."

That talk heavy, e pain me reach bone. I just dey blink, dey wait make ground swallow me.

Na people mind dey control judgement, no be truth.

For Naija, once crowd talk, e hard to change am. Even if you cry from now reach tomorrow, dem no go hear.

He make me write 5,000-word apology, come read am for class during break.

My hand pain me as I dey write, but I no get choice. The words dey heavy, the ink dey run.

He talk say e no go talk about am again, make I rest.

He pat my back small, but him face no smile. I just collect the paper, waka slow go class.

As I dey waka go class with apology, even people for other class dey point, dey talk about me.

For corridor, some girls dey hide dey giggle. Boys dey call me "Olowo Owo"—thief. I just dey look ground, dey press my paper for chest.

"Na that transfer girl from Class 10 wey dey thief."

Voice dey echo for corridor, some dey laugh, some dey shake head. I dey wish say make dem forget my face.

"You no know? Her papa dey run from debt, now she dey follow am."

Na so gist dey long, dem dey join family wahala join ordinary school matter. My body dey pepper me.

"Your wife don come."

One boy shout am, him friends dey laugh. I bite my lip, dey waka faster.

"Comot, na your wife."

Another boy reply, the laughter loud reach staffroom. I no even fit shout, just dey waka dey swallow tears.

For class door, I tear the apology paper into pieces. My hand dey shake as I tear the paper, pieces just dey fall like dry leaves for floor. Some people dey look, others dey open mouth.

Classroom wey dey noisy, just quiet as I enter.

Silence, only chalk for blackboard dey drop. I dey feel all the eyes for my back.

I waka go front, shout for everybody to hear.

My voice loud, but my heart dey break. "I never thief anything! Why una talk say na me? Nobody see me thief, so why una dey talk am?"

As I talk, my voice dey shake, my mouth dey dry. I dey see my class teacher dey stand for corner, him eye dey red.

Something for my head just break.

I dey feel like say rain dey fall for my skull, everywhere cold. My hand dey tremble, my legs weak.

Tears full my eyes, I no fit breathe, I dey shout, dey cry.

The tears hot, dey run my cheek. My voice crack, but I still dey talk. My face swell, nose dey run.

"My papa no dey run because of crime, na just debt! My mama and papa no be bad people, dem good!"

I dey try explain, but nobody dey hear. The pain dey deep, I just dey shout, my chest dey tight.

"I no do anything, why una dey treat me like this?"

Na so my voice rise, echo for class. Some people dey look down, others dey pretend dey write.

Word wahala dey pain pass beating. Talk wey soft fit cut bone, make person suffer.

True true, Naija talk fit finish person before slap even reach. I dey feel the pain for my heart, my eye dey swell.

Everywhere just calm.

E dey like burial ground. Nobody fit talk, nobody fit move. The silence heavy.

All the eyes dey look me, dey mock, dey shake head, dey repeat my words.

Some dey form pity, some dey laugh low. My tears dey flow, my hand dey shake.

Nobody believe me, everybody gang up against me.

Na so e be, even for assembly, dem go just dey whisper. Na my name dey reign for mouth.

Na only me dey lose control.

Everybody just dey maintain. I dey shake, dey cry, dey sweat. My chest dey pain me.

Morayo come dey console me, "Zainab, just no do am again. Everybody go forgive you."

Her hand touch my back, she dey whisper like say she dey care. But the words dey cold, e no get weight.

Her words light like feather.

She dey try form comfort, but the thing just dey bounce for my ear. I no fit even look her face.

But e be like judge hammer, talk say I dey guilty.

As she talk, everybody dey nod, like say judge don pass judgement. I just dey feel empty.

After that, she no give me key again.

I dey waka alone, my bag dey heavy. Na only me dey open class window now.

But anytime anything lost, na me dem blame.

Even if na pencil, dem go call my name first. If I talk, dem go say, "Na so thief dey do."

Even if dem find am, dem go talk, "So? Just because she no thief this time, no mean say she no thief before."

Rumour don fix my name. Even teacher dey look me with one kain eye.

Morayo start dey use me play, dey give everybody new gist.

Every break, she dey gist for back of class. Her story long, sometimes she go laugh, shake her head, dey look my side.

Sometimes she go write insult for teacher for my homework, make teacher tear my book for class.

She go write, "Teacher na goat," then when teacher see am, na me dem blame. My book dey fly, everybody dey laugh.

Sometimes she go remove nail for my chair, tear my trouser, expose my red long johns, nobody tell me.

As I stand up, na so my trouser tear. Laughter full class, I just run commot go toilet. My hand dey shake, my face dey hot.

Anytime I stand answer question, everybody go quiet, dey look me.

Silence dey loud, everybody dey watch, dey wait make I fumble.

Whether I answer well or not, dem go laugh, dey shout, "Whose wife."

That nickname just stick. Even when I get answer correct, laughter still full everywhere.

If I waka for school, people go roll eye, laugh as I pass.

Some go block corridor, dey make noise. If I look dem, dem go turn face, dey whisper, dey giggle.

If I disgrace myself, Morayo go be the first to console me, beg others.

She go tap my shoulder, dey say, "Sorry, leave am." But her eye dey shine, e be like say she dey enjoy the show.

Even if everybody know she dey set me up, dem still enjoy am, talk say I deserve am.

Na so people dey form tough for Naija school. If wahala no reach your side, you go dey laugh another person own.

She fine, get plenty hair bands, dey rub gloss, dey make noise for crowd.

Everyday new colour for her head. Her lip gloss dey smell like strawberry, she dey smile dey show all her teeth.

Teacher love her, everybody like her.

If she get wahala, teacher go settle am quick. She dey greet all staff, even principal dey hail her.

So anything she talk, dem believe.

If she point finger, even teacher go nod. Her word na final.

She dey spread story for class, some I never even hear before, but everybody believe. I become "backstabber sister," "thief sister," all join.

Nicknames dey fly. I go hear new one every week, some people dey draw cartoon for my locker.

Most people just keep quiet make wahala no reach them. I dey alone, no help.

Even the few wey dey pity me, dem no fit talk. Everybody dey protect their own head.