When we got to the entrance of the headmaster’s office, the class prefect turned back to the classroom, leaving me alone at the door. His excuse was that he was also afraid to enter, let alone face the headmaster himself.
I stood there for some minutes before knocking. The knock was so faint I could hardly hear it myself, but surprisingly, the headmaster heard it and ordered me to come in.
He was seated in a huge armchair behind a big table. His striped shirt was neatly ironed, with a flying tie that matched perfectly. He picked up his spectacles from the table and wore them, even before I had the chance to greet him and the seven others in the room. Yes, his office was spacious enough to hold all of us, but every chair was already occupied, so I remained standing.
Mike was sandwiched between the police officer and another man. Although the air conditioner was on, it couldn’t stop me from sweating profusely. My heart pounded as if I had just finished a 100-meter race with Usain Bolt. I knew I had been caught in the web of trouble, but who would save me? Silently, I kept praying in my head.
The headmaster told me to introduce myself and explain why I had come to his office. I did exactly that, then waited nervously for his next words.
“Your mother was here…” he began, then paused.
The moment I heard those words, my heart jumped into my mouth. My mum? So the school had called her without telling me? And she had already left? Had they judged me in absentia?
The headmaster’s voice pulled me back from my racing thoughts. “…Ermm, sorry. It’s your mother’s friend, rather. Auntie Lizzy—that’s her name. I hope you know her?”
My mind was blank. I couldn’t recall anyone by that name, but I was too scared to say no. So I said, “Yes.”
“I’m glad you know her,” he continued. “She says you were once in the same class with her daughter, Lucy. She was here to see you, but she had to rush off, so you couldn’t meet her. She left this envelope for you. Come for it, and go back to class.”
I stepped out of the office with the brown envelope in my right hand and heaved a huge sigh of relief. I thanked God and even jumped for joy on my way back to class. I had never felt so happy until that moment.
I wanted to know what was inside the envelope, but there was no convenient place to open it. I decided I would check it after school closed.
When I returned to my class, my mates were excited to see me. They were eager to know why the police officer had come to the school and why Mike was in handcuffs. They crowded around me as soon as I sat down, but I disappointed them. I told them I had gone to the headmaster’s office for a different reason, not because of Mike’s case. Some believed me, others didn’t.
Later, when I got to the boarding house, I finally took the brown envelope out of my bag and opened it. Inside were two white envelopes—one containing Gh₵100, and the other a letter.
The letter read:
Dear KD,
I don’t know why you don’t reply to my letters. I hope you are doing great in your new school. I want you to know that you’re special to me. You’re the only one I wouldn’t mind losing sleep for, because you cross my mind constantly throughout the day. I can’t explain with just words how much you mean to me, but you’re the only one I’m afraid of losing, and the one I want to keep in my life. I hope to hear from you soon. Take care of yourself, KD, because I’m taking care of myself for you.
Your love,
Lucy.
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