To Hate Emmanuel Johnsons - Episode 9

 

Tessy:

I am on my way to school with olivia, my mind flashing back to my

mom's news. My mom had woken me up very early this morning which was

unusual and i suspected something was up. And my suspicion was

confirmed when she sat me down before i left the house and told me we

were leaving for the weekend to her 'flavour of the month's house'.

Wow! This was already Wednesday and she is just telling me now. How

will i get ready, how bout my job . Oh i don't have a job anymore.

Well, i still don't want to live in a stranger's house. Olivia may not

be comfortable there.I sigh heavily, then notice a small gathering at

the entrance of olivia's class. I walk towards them.

"what's happening?" i ask a little girl of about 10 years.

"well, there's a contest organized by a parent. You see that mickey

mouse costume over there?" she asks pointing to a purple costume at

the front of the class. I look then nod.

"well, the first person that can touch his/her toes while wearing the

costume gets to win a full session's book set.

Its like God has provided this opportunity for me so i can provide

olivia's books. This sounds too easy to be true but i have to try, no

matter how embarrassing it will be

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/to-hate-emmanuel-johnsons

. Thank God, senior students don't

come to this block often. I look around and realise that i am the

eldest here except for the teacher.

I raise my hand and i am given the costume to wear. I wear it over my

uniform then bend to touch my toes. Its actually easier said than

done. I bend forward and stretch my hands but the protruded stomach of

the weird costume restricts me. I try and try, falling on my butt

several times. This is so embarrassing but thinking about the price at

the end, i continue even as the kids laugh at me. Thankfully, my hands

reach my toes after what felt like hours in this suffocating costume.

As soon as my hands touches my toe, the whole class screams in

excitement and i jump up and down while doing a victory dance. I

wonder what i must look like to these kids. The teacher congratulates

me, then hand me a receipt to take to the school bookshop to claim my

price.

I rush outside, to take the costume off, but then i feel someone

behind me. I turn, expecting a kid but then i see its emmanuel. Oh no.

I cant let him know its me. He is going to tease me forever.

"hey, what's going on here?, is it a kid's birthday party?" he asks

me. I mumble some incoherent words as i try to reply with a guy's

voice.

"what?, let me take this off, so i can hear you clearly" he says,

trying to remove the head of the costume.

"no!" i shout then turn quick to run but my sudden movement and his

hand holding me, causes me to fall and the head of the costume falls

off too. I land on my back and see emmanuel laughing at me.

"wow, hot dog, now you are a mouse?" he asks. I hold back my anger and

beg him to help me up, as i couldn't raise myself up because of the

weight of the costume. He just takes a phone out, take a picture then

walk away laughing.

"jerk!"i yell, which just makes him laugh harder.

Read " Set me free " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. The bell for

assembly saves me as people come out of their classes and a group of

pry three pupils help me up.

I take the stupid costume off then take my sweat soaked body to the

assembly hall.

"why are you soaked"ese asks as soon as she sees me

"i was participating in the mickey mouse contest" i say and ese looks

at me like i was crazy

"what kind of contest is that. Who organized it?" she asks and i just

shrug my shoulders because i didn't have any answers to her questions.

All i know is that olivia will learn without obstructions this term as

she will have all the necessary books. We are shunned by our teacher

as the assembly continue.

After the assembly, ogechi walks to ese and i

"guess what girls?. I saw emmanuel at the pry school block this

morning, he was talking to the kg three teacher and he gave her a

cheque. I thought it was weird so i asked the teacher what he was

doing there. The teacher who is a close friend of my mom told me, he

gave her money to organize a fake contest because of you, tessy!"

"what?!" ese and i exclaim together. I turn and see emmanuel walking

with his friends and my anger boils.

What's his deal. Is he trying to play with me?. Oh no!...will he take

back the receipt? Is the receipt even valid?. I huff, then walk with

purpose toward him. I need answers