Within a week of my stay in Glenmore, my name was on the lips of most students. Our daily routines seemed entrenched as they embraced the subject better. I could easily tell that I'd won them over from the way they interacted with me in class and even around the school premises.
"Good Morning, Mister Jack." The boys would greet and wave at me whenever I walked past. Some came up with creative nicknames for me. Unsure of my likely reaction to such, they kept the appellations to themselves.
The girls gathered in groups to gossip their new Maths teacher. While I walked by, their eyes escorted me around the school. Those from the lower grades also passed good comments.
It was okay to be spoken about when people appreciated one's efforts. Being associated with a progressive initiative was pleasing. I soaked in the goodwill and kept my head close to the ground.
In what would be a regular Friday routine, the vice-principal sent for me to fetch my groceries. On getting to her office, she was full of smiles.
"The students like your methods. They spoke well of you."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'm only doing my bit."
"Keep up the good work. We like hardworking young men like you. Did you come to the school alone?"
Not sure what she meant, I assumed she'd asked if I came to Landmark with a family member.
"I'm here alone, ma'am...my stay is only for a few weeks."
"Okay. Stay well."
I walked away with two plastic bags of foodstuff and provisions, knowing that half of the stuff would not be consumed. But at least the cereals and eggs would find their way into my ever-ready boiled water.
Later in the day, I teamed up with Andrew and crew for the Friday evening feasting. Our meeting spot was a fairly large restaurant and bar located close to town. People came from distant towns, and teachers from other schools visited too.
Glitzy and decorated with revolving lights, the smell of cigarettes and weeds filled the air. Nerve-wrecking Nigerian Afrobeat sounds and house music dominated the airwaves. Ladies of all sizes thronged the area. Some danced continuously, while others waited on the fringes for their clients.
We got there earlier than most customers, and a waiter promptly attended to us. After settling down to some varieties of small chops and liquors, my colleagues revealed a lot more about Landmark. But the topic of interest was the manner the female teachers freely mingled with their male counterparts.
Andrew lit a stick of cigarette, lodged it between his lips and puffed with head tilted backwards. He had some words of advice for me.
"A good-looking guy like you who works hard daily should have ladies surveying his house every evening. At least you should have six of them. Some will be cooking, others washing and then those that will be massaging your back."
I laughed at his suggestion which sounded like a fiefdom. The other guys nodded in support of his idea.
"On weekends like tomorrow, they should be lining up at your place for your enjoyment."
"I dare not try that; I will lose focus. I know myself too well," I explained.
"Bhuti, the girls are willing to come to your place. You are just too busy to read their signals."
"How do you know that?" I asked, with hands in the air, sounding like a greenhorn.
"You have to bend down a bit. Your height won't let you see their clues. Last week alone, two of the interns came to my place just by tapping my fingers. They are less busy during the weekends and are available for romantic runs."
Andrew always spoke in a manner that made one laugh. Apart from his funny looks, made funnier by his bald head, his peculiar way of flogging issues got people amused. He always lamented no matter the topic discussed.
"I see. I must bend down to listen to them better," I said, teasingly.
"Look, opportunity lost can never be regained. You are still hot now, so catch the vibes."
With his serious outlook, one would think he was discussing government policies. He signalled to the waiter to come around. "Give me another glass and top up for my guys too."
"See, Vivian is begging for attention. That girl is hot like fire. I've been trying, but she likes you more. So, go for her."
"You don't mean it?" I said, raising my brows.
He pushed forward in his chair and cleared his throat.
"This is PE! Ladies don't waste time here. If they are interested in you, sweep them off their feet. Otherwise, they will turn against you and, take it from me, it will backfire big time."
Their depiction of ladies in the school sounded strange. So far, the female teachers had been cooperative and supportive of me.
Vivian interacted with me well, and the vice-principal had been motherly. If at all, only Mrs Avo, who, in her characteristic boisterous manner, always tended to provoke me. But being aware of her kind of person, I wound not fall for her antics.
"Guys, thank you for your updates. My stay in your school is short. If I would be here for long, having a lady by my side will be a priority. But, just as you know, I'm too busy for such. Whenever I return home from school, I'm usually too tired to do anything. I only want to sleep off."
"Are you trying to tell us that you won't go for any of the ladies in our school? Teachers or students?" Andrew asked as he lifted a glass off the table.
Having been teaching there for eleven years, he was the most experienced of the lot. His voice was the loudest and others sought his advice on different issues. He made it look compulsory to take the girls.
"Don't get me wrong, man. I'm not saying that there are no cool babes in your school. I've seen how beautiful they are. But, I just don't have spare time for them."
The stubborn chap wouldn't back down. Maybe the booze took him over and spurred him on, or one of the school female teachers hired him to convince me on her behalf.
"Jack. Don't tell me that the jumping and running around you do with your students are all for nothing. You don't sample them after school?"
"No. I won't do that."
"You are kidding me. I thought you fixed the evening lessons for you to have enough space to operate."
"Not at all. All that we do is school work."
"You must be Pope John Paul's younger brother."
The guys broke into fits of laughter. I joined.
Engrossed in the discussion, Andrew beckoned on the waiter again. "Hey, give this man another shot. Get him another glass and fill it up. He's not drinking enough." The rays from the disco lights reflected on his head giving him a weird look.
To think that this guy didn't talk much in the staffroom was strange. His bravado melted off where an amazon like Mrs Avo was vibrating.
Why he found it surprising that I chose not to date anyone baffled me. Obviously, he dated the school girls, and the others did too.
"I'm not a saint, don't get it twisted. It's just that I'm committed to my woman back in Jo'burg."
"Hawu, you are weak, man. Very, very weak! A giant dude like you is talking like a sissy. Academics this... commitment that... You are committed to a woman millions of kilometres away while the girls here are dying to see you in action. See, they have been telling me to ask you when you are free to be visited at home. I—"
"Please, don't speak to anyone on my behalf." I raised a finger.
"Forget those funny talks. This is PE. Having those girls around are our own way of cooling nerves, and they appreciate it. If you don't sample them, others will. And for your information, they won't be happy with you."
He took a puff on the cigarette and continued. "Tell me, what do you do at night after school?"
"As I said earlier, I'm too tired at night. I can't even cook food to eat. I take bread or cereals and sleep off."
"You sleep alone at night? These cold nights?" Andrew pushed on.
It was turning out like a law court interrogation. Carl nudged him to calm down.
"Leave the dude, Andrew. He is still new. Give him some time to get used to the environment. Maybe he has not seen the girl he likes. I'm sure his ideas will change when he falls in love. I said the same thing when I was newly recruited."
Arguing with the guys would be pointless, but Andrew just went on about the ladies and all that had happened in the past. He surely had a lot to talk about, having seen people come and go.
The lad discussed the school girls' wayward manners and narrated incidences where they took their indiscipline to the extreme. It was hilarious listening to how they ganged up to set some of their teachers up. I laughed my heart out listening to him.
I didn't see myself as one of those who young girls could set up. I came as a consultant, not a regular classroom teacher. These guys had no idea I was a playboy back in my university days. They needed not persuade me to date the girls if I wanted to do so.
True to their notions, I'd identified a couple of friendly interns to hang out with. Even Vivian flashed me green lights now and then. But Yenzo's name still showed in the sky each time I looked, and her picture was still firmly tattooed there. Still keen to see how long I could hold off when away from my woman, my determination stayed strong.
Nevertheless, hanging out with these guys was fun. It was the kind of outing needed after a busy week. It reminded me of Johannesburg where I spent most Friday evenings in the company of my colleagues, usually in one of those glittery bars and restaurants in Gauteng.
"Thank you for your useful insights, fellas. I've really enjoyed your company. Your PE food was tasty, and I ate more than necessary."
"It's okay, Pope John Jack. Nice having you around here too. Keep well and bend down more. There are many things to see if you do so."
"Ha-ha. All right."
We left the place at about 9:45 p.m., and I looked forward to being with them again. While they headed for the car park, I walked towards the roadside for a taxicab.
I'd imagined it would be easy to get a taxi back to my place, but after thirty minutes, I loafed around the bus stop.
Soon, a metered taxi showed up and charged thrice the normal price. I had no option but to go with him. The distance from the restaurant to my place was more than twenty kilometres; walking was not an option.
Dog tired when the driver dropped me close to Madiba's compound, I traipsed towards the hut, knowing that the next day was work-free.
On getting closer, I observed two ladies standing close to my doorstep. One stood directly in front of my door, and the other was by the hut next to mine. One of them wore the same outfit like the ghost-like creature that got me scared the first time. Both whispered to each other indicating that they were indeed humans.
"They must be my neighbours living in the other huts."
The landlord didn't introduce me to them for reasons best known to him. There would be no point trying to interact with them.
To quell any thoughts that I was jittery, I stomped my feet and waved at them while entering the hut. They returned the favour; mystery settled.
As I lay on the bed, 10:52 p.m. beamed from the phone. I picked it up only to find out that Pumlani had called several times while I was at the restaurant. I also had missed calls from Ditiro and Nadia, my Dekkers colleagues. I quickly dialled Pumlani, but his phone was off.
As for my colleagues, they could leave all office issues in Johannesburg for now; office gist would distract me from the project at hand.
I slept blissfully Friday evening waking up late Saturday morning to a surprise. On stepping outside to do my laundries, I noticed a white piece of paper on the door.
Mr Jack,
"You can only run, but you cannot hide!"
***Worried Girls***