THE SCEPTICAL BOND

Juliet's pov

The school crowd ruptured into applause. The greater A level side roared out heavy bases that shook the O level side with laughter.

Franklyn smiled at his classmates as most waved, urging him on," I did not draw a budget, but I think twenty million shillings can start the project"

He smiled," I will leave you with fifty million. Will that be enough?"

My heart leaped with joy. I wanted to join in the din but a fear held me back.

With a hand gesture, he summoned his driver to the pulpit. A stout man he was, he brought with him a briefcase and a small book I thought was a cheque book.

He quickly wrote a seven figure amount, signed and handed it to Franklyn along with the briefcase." This is a cheque of thirty million, and in here is the twenty million you will need to kick start."

" Give me a report as soon as possible, ok?"

He nodded." Yes dad. And Juliet, will she be expelled!"

Mr Muntu laughed." None of you will be expelled. "

" I will calm down the situation before I leave "

I silently let out a sigh of relief.

He turned to the headteacher, " Sir with due respect you wasted my time and made me cancel a flight for something as simple as this."

" if you had listened to the children, you wouldn't have wasted both my time and resources ."

" My son started a social movement called the math club, at smack and it was a big success during his four years there. I was so excited that we immediately came up with plans to turn this into a movement to help other students from other schools benefit from this club."

" I am terribly disappointed in you, if you want to expel them because a boy and girl are working together to help other students pass a subject so many fail"

Louder roars accelerated from the students. The A level students chanted," the math club! The math club! The math club!"

The rest of the school followed and it became a song . Franklyn laughed. He looked back at me and winked playfully. I laughed. Some where in the crowd I saw Mary grinning and waving at me. I laughed.

He turned to me, calling my sister to come closer as well. He wrapped his hand round my shoulder like he had done to his son," Dear, is she your sister?"

I nodded. He handed the microphone to Lorna," please say something. Defend your sister."

Tears streamed down her face when she turned to face him." Sir, because of your impatience our mother lies badly off on a hospital bed.

" we don't know if she will survive this, and it's all because of you!"

I was dumbfounded. I thought I had told Hatari to call Lorna and not my mother. I tried to figure out why he did not listen to me. My heart thumped loudly against my chest. It felt like the world was crushing around me.

A long wail left my lips. It was loud enough to send the whole school into a moment of confusion.

I turned to the headteacher," I asked you not to call my mother, yet you decided to." I said sternly staring into his dark eyes.

" If anything happens to her, you will pay for everything."

My feet felt as light as a feather as I left the pulpit, running towards the gate. I did not know where I was going, but all I knew was that I wanted to be with my mother on that hospital bed. To tell her how sorry I was, and that I was not expelled, that everything would be alright. I was crossing the gate, when I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me back. I was breathing so heavy for a moment I thought I was hyper ventilating.

It was his voice. The boy for whom I was in this mess. Franklyn Aine Muntu, the Billionaire's son. He held me, tightly pulling me back and closer to him.

He said," Don't worry dear, everything will be alright."

That was when everything became black.

The next time I woke up, someone was seated next to me on my bed. The image was blurry. I rubbed my eyes to see who ever it was. A familiar figure it was.

He held my forehead, feeling my temperature." Thank God you are awake. How do you feel now?"

It was his voice. Why wouldn't he stop following me?

I nearly lost my scholarship, yet he still followed me.

I turned, trying to stretch. " where am I? I asked.

He smiled, helping me up to sit. He put a pillow behind my back. I studied the room . Mr Muntu sat on a chair on the other side of the room. He stood up on seeing me. He pulled his chair closer to the bed. It was a hospital, I thought. What had happened to me, I wondered? Then it dawned on me that I was shirtless.

My eyes widened. I was looking more at Franklyn. " why don't I have my shirt?"

" What have you done to me?"

He tried to talk, but words never left his mouth. Mr Muntu sat next to me. He ran his hands up and down my upper shoulders. " Dear you fainted at the assembly ground, you remember?"

I tried to remember but I all I did was when someone held me from running and told me that everything was going to be alright. Afterwards I didn't know what happened.

" Am sorry I was about to judge you." I said to franklyn."

He chuckled." I will always be that good friend"

" And my mother? How is she?" I asked anxiously, " What about Lorna, is she with mother now?"

Mr Muntu smiled benignly," I told you not to worry. Everything is ok."

" I had your mother moved to a better facility- Kampala International hospital. Her condition is stable and doctors tell me she will be discharged soon."

Tears streamed down my face. This time they were not those of sorrow. Franklyn had once again proved that he was such a blessing in my life,

" Thank you so much Sir "

" May God bless you abundantly."

I was discharged the next day. A few days later, we launched the club. With the support of the head of maths department, we had our first meeting with almost half the population of O level attending. We registered over three hundred members. Franklyn thought it was a good start and that we should have our first elections.

Automatically Franklyn was elected President of the club, and I was his Vice. From then onwards students preferred to call us Mr and Mrs Math.

Franklyn always joked about the events that led to the unique opening of the club. He always said that those events led to the high turn up of students for registration.