SECRETS (I)

Prep was over, but Naa Yemoley was still studying. She claimed she had a lot of catching up to do, but she was the best student in 3 Business 2. It had been two hours since Prep ended and all the students had retired to bed. The bell for lights out had long gone off, but the Prefects in Fantsefo High were too lazy to make rounds, plus being a senior, she knew she was safe. She had to learn for the upcoming WASSCE and make her family proud. She was not alone in the classroom, however.

In the farthest corner of the classroom, Priscilla Dwamina sat on Ekow Sakyi’s lap as he whispered into her ear. Every five minutes, she would giggle and sensually call out his name. Ekow’s phone rang and the tune to Shatta Wale’s “Kakai” echoed through the room. The use of mobile phones was illegal but in Fantsefo Senior High School, the rules were just a written document . Besides, Ekow was twice the size of any Prefect and would pummel him or her to the ground in a heartbeat should any confrontation occur. The main authorities of the school hardly cared. If the prefects did not see it, neither did they.

Ekow picked up the call.

“Yo Joojo, waguan?”  

Naa’s ears perked up when she heard her boyfriend’s name.

“Wedge, slow down, rewind, what you dey talk? You do what? Man! Stay there I dey come!”

Naa could hear fragments of Joojo’s voice on the other side of the line. His voice was strained. She stared at Ekow worriedly but his face gave nothing away except a short flicker of worry which she almost missed in his eyes.

“What is it?”

Priscilla asked, clearly annoyed. It was obvious she hadn’t appreciated the interruption.

“Joojo is in trouble,”

Ekow said as calmly as he could, but he sounded like he was sitting on pins.

“Don’t tell me Papa Mungi caught him messing with his chickens again.”

Naa laughed. She hoped it was a trivial matter. Papa Mungi was the school’s most wicked teacher and he kept five hens as his pets. Most of the boys stole the eggs they lay but woe unto you, should Mr. Julius Mungi catch you! You would be as good as dead. He would call you a murderer and punish you till he was “compensated enough” , usually that was weeks.

Most students believed the Mathematics teacher had trouble upstairs.

“No, it’s not Papa Mungi. It’s Sir Fii, Naa I don’t have time to answer questions. Joojo needs us let’s go. We will talk on the way.”

“Okay.”

Naa shut her books and locked them in the desk.

“What , No!”

Priscilla interjected.

“What is it?”

Ekow asked .

“I am not going to the teacher’s bungalow at almost midnight. It’s against the rules.”

“Oh, and making out with me after lights out isn’t?”

Ekow cockily asked.

“We will be back before you know it. We have unfinished business.”

He winked at her and she giggled.

“Why should I help Joojo?

he is nothing but a trouble maker.” Priscilla huffed.

“Joojo is our friend. Ekow we should get going if we want to dodge the security man.”

The three of them left the class room in the dead of the night- confused as to what was going on. They reached the male teacher’s bungalow. This one was for the National Service Personnel and so was a bit secluded from the school. The place was quiet probably because the teachers had gone for their usual Friday Night party. They climbed the stairs hurriedly and were soon at Bungalow Number 49. Even before they could knock ,Joojo opened Sir Fii’s door. Sir Fii was Joojo and Priscilla’s chemistry teacher. They were Science students while she and Ekow were Business students. Mr. Fiifi Bayels was one of the most handsome teachers in the school, and all the females, especially students, never stopped hitting on him. Joojo looked disheveled. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he was on the verge of tears. He looked distressed. So many questions were running through Naa’s mind but the most prominent among them was What he was doing at Sir Fii’s apartment at that time.

“Babe.”

Joojo breathed as Naa briefly hugged him.

“What is going on?” Naa asked.

“I messed up,”

Was all he said.

“What did you do?”

Priscilla asked. That was when they saw a figure shift behind Joojo.

“Jeremy? What you dey do for here?”

Ekow asked.

“I thought you broke up with him.”

Priscilla said.

“You sneaky little…” “

It was an accident. It all happened so fast. I…”

Jeremy begun sobbing and Joojo gathered her in his arms and consoled her. Jeremy was one of their friends too but she was in the General Arts class. Everyone knew she was hitting on Sir Fii, but as to what was going on, they were clueless.

“Broke up with who? Please somebody tell me what is going on…”

Naa cried, that was when she saw.

“Jesus Christ!”

Behind Joojo and Jeremy, someone lay on the floor not moving. Naa rushed to the body. It was Mr. Bayels.

“Joojo Adu Quagrine, start talking. Why is your chemistry teacher lying in his living room naked and not breathing, why is Jeremy in just a cloth?and what are we doing here? We should leave before Sir Fii wakes up , I don’t want any trouble.”

Naa said, still kneeling by the teacher’s body.

“I don’t think that is going to happen.”

Joojo stated.

“ Why?”

“Because He is dead.”

Jeremy sobbed.

“Yesu! Joojo you killed him, you ………Yehowa! Ataa Naa Nyumo eeeee.”

Naa cried.

“Naa keep it down. You will call attention to us. It was an accident. You guys should come in.”

“That’s why I need your help. Nobody can know about this. We need to get rid of the body.”

“Get rid of…Do you hear yourself? You sound like a serial killer. We need to alert the authorities. Maybe you will be willing to tell them what really went on since you aren’t talking.”

“No!”

Both Jeremy and Joojo whisper-yelled.

“No?”

Naa asked frantically.

“That is the right thing to do.”

“No , that is a stupid thing to do.”

Priscilla said.

“If we alert the authorities we are all going to jail. Ghana police won’t dig to the bottom. Considering who this man’s father is, we have a one-way ticket to Nsawam.”

Mr.Fiif Bayels’ father was currently the flag bearer of one the political parties in Ghana.

“We can’t afford for that to happen.”

Priscilla continued.

“We need to do something.”

“I have an idea.”

Ekow said. Naa looked at her friends as if they had grown a pair of horns each. They were about to cover up a murder or what ever that was. She was in the same room with a dead body. How did she get there?

“Priscilla, grab the skipping rope on the centre table, Jeremy, I need you to forge his hand writing like you did the last time. Write exactly what I say. Joojo help me move the body downstairs. Naa , be on the look out.”

“What are we going to do?”

Naa asked. She was scared to death.

“We are going to stage a suicide.”

 

Naa stared at the mail that had popped up on the laptop. Fantsifo High, class of 2011, was having a school reunion. It had been five years since she saw any of her friends or her mates. They were going to spend the whole Easter at the Rana Plazza Hotel. She had not contacted any of them for a reason. There are some memories you keep buried. Life after five years had been great. She had a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Ghana, Legon. She was done with her National Service too, and had been retaoned by the bank she served at, as a permanent employer. She even had her own apartment now. Reunion?

She sighed and hit the delete button.