It was already closing and the children had retired for the day. Victoria was nowhere to be found.
It was another gloomy day in Grace’s life. Her daily vitality went from frying pan to fire. She sat by the school corridor, her eyes clouded with tears as she thought of her missing student, Victoria Ebok, who was a clever girl.
‘The story must have reached Mrs. Ebok now,’ Grace reflected.
Mrs Ebok, her mother, was a struggling widow. She sold fish in Gosa and Lugbe major markets, just to sustain herself and her children.
Grace’s heart sank with worry, as she wept alone on the bench in the school field. The once bright educator now seemed lost and sorrowful, her emotions etched deeply on her face. Her thoughts were consumed with concern and anxiety as she sat gazing at the empty field.
“Grace!” Mrs. Njoku walked to her with a smile on her face. “We’ve found Victoria!” Grace lifted her head from her scoring position. Her eyes searched for solace.
“What? Where is she?” her forehead furrowed.
“At the police station. Her mum filed a complaint and the police officers said the child wasn’t missing until 24 hours of not seeing them. Luckily, a call came in from a stranger. They found her at the motor park. Come on, let’s go to the police station.”
Without delay, the women climbed a motorcycle and hurried to the station.
Getting to the police station, Victoria sat on her mother's lap while her mother held onto her, crying out her eyes. Victoria still held the pink teddy bear in hand.
“I don’t know who to blame. The teachers or the parents. Leaving an eight-year-old girl alone in the motor park - how could someone do that? Knowing how risky it is to journey alone these days!” The D.P.O. who was in office, reflected on the matter.
“I wonder how she crossed the bridge to the motor park. I mean, what if she crossed the road? We should just be thankful that she’s safe and sound right now.”
“Yes, it’s our fault.” Mrs. Njoku took responsibility, while Grace bent her head in a droopy position.
“Her class teacher stepped out for a moment. That was when this happened. We are very strict at monitoring our students. No one would let a child pass the school gate without taking permission. It still baffles me how this happened.” The principal huffed, rubbing her neck.
“This is the first time this has ever happened in our school. You can testify to that, Mrs Ebok.”
“Don’t ask me questions, Mrs Njoku!” Victoria’s mother, whose tears were drenched, howled. “Is this what I have to deal with now? My 8-year-old daughter crossed an overhead bridge alone. She’s the only daughter I have. How do you expect me to live if something had happened to her? Forget about our relationship because this is far beyond that! I went crazy the first minute you disclosed the news... Now you’re saying that I should testify? How do I testify to such incompetence? Uh? How!”
Grace looked down and away with more tears welling up in her swollen eyes. She was out of words. Mrs. Ebok was indeed a sensitive woman, but you won’t blame her. She was right, after all. There was no excuse for such a mistake. Grace blamed herself mentally. She pulled herself not to cry at the police station. Though she blamed and hated herself even more.
“There is a lot of children's abduction these days.” The D.P.O bent to his knee and faced Victoria’s direction. She wasn’t a naughty student and wouldn’t talk about anything until she was asked.
“Can you tell us who took you out? Why did you leave your classroom? Are you forced out of your school? If it’s a bad guy, I’ll catch him.” He persuaded the young girl.
“It was my class teacher.” Victoria pointed to Grace with sincere eyes. “She expressed her desire to go out with me, and told me my mother was in the loop."
They turned to Grace with a wild glare.
Mrs. Njoku’s lips fell wide open as she gasped. Her bushy brows frowned as she thought about it for a second.
Tears shimmered in Grace's eyes. She gawked in disbelief and stared in horror.
“No, Vikky. What are you saying?” Her voice panicked.
“After she bought me this teddy and yogurt, she called someone and told me to wait for her.” Victoria seemed sure and scared at the same time. Her eyes felt comfort in her mum’s arms, but she wondered the reason for the chaos. “Why are we here, mummy? I’m tired and hungry. Let’s go home.”
“Vicky, when did I ever take you out?” Grace flared, unable to hold back the pain. “I gave you classwork before leaving the class, remember? You don’t make such jokes on your teacher, Vikky!”
“Did you hear that? She even has the guts to lie to our faces and call my daughter a liar! Oh, it was you they sent to take my daughter’s life! You witch!” Mrs Ebok stormed to her and whizzed a dirty slap across her face. The hairs on her arm trickled as a sense of menace took over her. Grace covered her face and held back the tears. Instead, the pain filled her heart and choked her throat. Grace shook with sobs, turning away to breathe. Not to leave Mrs Njoku behind, Grace squeezed her eyes shut and held onto her head.
The police officer pulled her back while Mrs. Njoku defended Grace.
“Grace would never do such, ma,” the principal begged, pulling Grace behind to avoid more beatings. “There’s a misunderstanding somewhere, so calm down. Please, calm down.”
“How can I calm down? Tell me. I haven’t even started!” Mrs. Ebok wailed. “It must be her who kidnapped my daughter within the school hours! There’s no misunderstanding. Victoria is a child. She would never lie!”
“Let’s have a proper talk, madam. There is no point in harassing her like this. Take it easy.” The Police officer intervened.
“I bet you have not married, let alone given birth! Do you know how difficult it is to raise a child?” Mrs. Ebok threw her arms out, her index finger darting in Grace's direction. “I swear, I will deal with you my way. You're in for a surprise because this is just the beginning!” Unable to contain her emotions, Victoria's mother held onto her daughter and wept.
“Let’s go home, Grace.” the principal faced her. “It’s been a long day. You need some rest.”
With draggy feet, they walked out of the police station.
Susanne, who watched from a distance, in her expensive jeep, read the expression on her twin sister’s face. Although, she was still a stranger undercover. She wanted to know who Grace was. That evening, Ada visited Grace at the apartment, and she came to pick up her remaining luggage. The house rent was usually paid by Grace and Ada, but it elapsed 6 months ago. They couldn't pay and the landlord harassed them now and then. The girls agreed to pack out before the end of that month. Grace, who was still upset explained everything to Ada, but something was strange about the incident. Ada couldn’t wrap her hand around it. Somehow, she imagined that she was covering up because she couldn't make sense of it.
The school terrace had the facet of sunrise because the admin block faced eastward. The pavement outside, in the state of plane trees, was cool. A few dead leaves dropped from the branches and writhed on the school pavement, stirred by the gentle wind.
A couple of morning birds chirped and whistled behind the office window at the admin block. Mrs. Njoku invited Grace to her office before the commencement of the school assembly that morning. Grace, timid, with a heart full of apology, braced into the seat opposite the principal.
“This is what the parents are saying.” Mrs. Njoku scrolled through her phone and handed it over to Grace. She read through the Teacher and parent WhatsApp Group messages and there were tons of complaints. “Many questions about your reputation and competency as a teacher. This is the second week of your promotion, and this is happening. I’ve asked Mrs. Oluchi. She said no one handed you a letter. Who should I trust?”
“But...It’s not true. How can she lie in a situation like this?” Grace rasped. “You can invite her and ask her in my presence, ma. She handed me a letter yesterday and told me a man gave it to her. I thought it was Ore, but I didn’t meet anyone at the restaurant. We can even ask them at the restaurant.”
“Mrs. Oluchi called this morning, saying her son was rushed to the hospital and had to skip school today. The principal explained. “She asked for a sick leave on the phone.”
“What?” Grace's face flushed, with alarmed eyes. She heaved out a heavy breath and pondered for a while. “Since she didn’t want to admit it, maybe I should just let go. I don’t want to make things difficult for you, Mrs. Njoku. You’ve treated me like a mother would and spoiling the reputation of this school is the last thing I would ever do. Maybe I should resign.”
“Grace, my dear.” Mrs. Njoku breathed in. “Will that work for you? I know how much you love teaching. It’s been three years since you joined me here and you played a big role in the development of this school. Why don’t you take a break for a while? The parents would come around when they figured things out. Okay?”
“Okay, ma. Thanks a lot.” Grace nodded with a hidden smile.
“In the prime time, if you need anything else, I will help you. Have you gotten a house?”
“No, not yet.”
“Why don’t you stay with me for the prime time?” Mrs. Njoku suggested. “I have a spare room for you, you know?”
“You’ve helped me a lot, ma. I don’t want to stress you. I mean, I'll get an apartment within this week, ma.”
“I love your sense of maturity.” Mrs. Njoku leaned forward. A small smile lifted her firm cheeks. “I’m okay with it if that’s what you want.”
“Thank you, ma.” Grace pulled out of the leather chair with her purse clasped in her palms. “I’ll come and check on you later on.”
Mrs. Njoku nodded, optimistic about Grace. Watching her leave her office was a little heartbreaking, but it was for the best.
Once Grace left the office, she submitted all her teaching textbooks and notes before going back home. Getting home, she met all her luggage outside the gate. She dialed the landlord’s contact, but it wasn’t reachable. It was hot in the afternoon. The sun smiled at its peak, but it was no joke. Thinking about the sun made Grace remember the moon. There was no place to spend the night, except with Mrs. Njoku. For some personal reasons, she loathed the idea of living with her.
The situation made her remember when she first met her. Her name was Cynthia, and her husband was Paul Njoku. The couple lived in Port Harcourt. It was twelve years after their marriage that was when they visited the orphanage and adopted Adanna.
Later on, Cynthia’s husband, who was a military personnel, got transferred to work in Abuja. They visited Grace once a year when they came by until Paul’s death. Cynthia didn’t remarry. She promised to train Ada as her own and she used the death gratuity to establish the Ability School, which was located at Lugbe. Luckily, her husband built a two-bedroom flat before his death. She only renovated it every two years to make it better than it was.
Although Mrs. Cynthia Njoku considers Grace's family, Grace doesn’t want to get too involved with the family. She had left the orphanage because no one ever adopted her. The story of life at the orphanage where Grace was raised remained a mystery that no one ever told.
That afternoon, Grace contacted an agent called Chinedu. He was a middle-aged man she knew very well who roomed some blocks away from where she lived. She visited him and asked if he knew of any house close by that she could rent. They had a lengthy discussion and Grace finally got an option. It was a room, self-contained apartment, on a two-floor story building, in the busy part of Lugbe. The location was only a mile away from Ability School, so she was confident she would find another job quickly. Just in case the parents continue complaining when she resumes.
Chinedu introduced her to Reuben, the owner of the apartment. He was a rough charming guy in his late thirties. They met, and he showed Grace the apartment.
"Look, we recently changed the door, so you don't need to worry about its lock," Reuben explained. “The sink in the kitchen works well. Also, the taps and bathtub in the toilet are functioning. Despite its shabbiness, I guarantee you'll enjoy this place. This location is favourable, and it’s in the middle of the city. So you know, there’s tight security here at night,” he explained.
“This place looks neat. What about the previous tenant?”
“Yes, he renovated with his girlfriend about a month ago. They renovated abroad, I think, to South Africa.”
“Okay...that’s nice.” She replied, checking the tinted glass windows. It was a little dusty, but it slid well. “So, how much do I pay for the rent?”
“It’s #70,000 annually, but because of Chinedu, I’ll leave it #50,000 for you.”
“Wow, that’s a relief. Thanks for your kindness, sir.”
“Don’t mention. You’ll also need to pay at least half of the rental before packing in.” He emphasized.
“Okay, sir. I will make the payment this afternoon.”
“Here is the key.” He handed a pair of keys to Grace.
She held onto it with excitement. She knew she wasn’t having enough in her account, but at least, moving to a new apartment would save her from facing shame. All she wanted was to start her life afresh and move on.