With just a few days to go before I resumed work, I started physically preparing myself to go back to school. For the last few months, I have been waking up well past 8am, having a nap in the afternoon, and sleeping quite early every day.
I have also not been looking at anything written, and given how things change fast in the education sector, there was the risk of me forgetting the job to be done.
Until Fiolina left me, I was staying at home most of the time and was going to sleep quite early. Not that I liked it, but I did that just to avoid a Ukraine-Russia situation in the house.
Since she left, I have been leaving home in the afternoons for adult classes at Hitler’s. This has allowed me to mingle with the usual suspects, to get the beat of Mwisho wa Lami and its environs, and quite frankly, it has sped up my recovery.
I also started looking at books and decided to visit the school last Sunday. Given that the TSC hasn’t communicated anything to me, I remain the Head of Institution of Mwisho wa Lami Primary School, with Kuya just acting in the capacity while I recuperate.
So, I was surprised when I arrived at school to find that the lock to the HOI’s office had been changed. In fact, those in the deputy’s office had been changed, too.
Having not told Kuya that I would be visiting we haven’t spoken for months – I could not call him and ask him for the keys. I doubt he would have given it to me. I walked from classroom to classroom inspecting every little item in the school. The school was clearly headed in the wrong direction; there was dirt and dust everywhere.
The school needed order, and fast!
Just as I was moving to another class, someone who claimed to be the school watchman approached me. I had never seen the man before, which was surprising. We had always made a point of appointing locals as watchmen, and such a person would not have asked me who I was – they would have known me.
“Hello, what are you doing here?” he sked me.
“I am the HM of the school. I came to inspect the school,” I answered calmly.
I told him I was not new but had always been. He then told me that he was unaware of that, went on to add he was under instructions not to allow anyone in the school, and asked me to leave.
I told him that I would not leave, as I meant no harm. I added that I would not enter any office, was just inspecting the school, and that he could accompany me if he wanted to.
“I will not allow you to do that,” he said.
I did not want to argue with him, so I told him I would leave, but decided to use a longer route to the gate. He started following me from afar, and then began making calls.
I was sure he was calling Kuya to inform him of what had happened. He kept following me from a distance, still on call.
As I walked out, a boda boda arrived at the school from the opposite direction. It was Kuya, who went to speak to the watchman, and I saw him walk to the office to check if it had been accessed.
I passed by Hitler’s on my way home. I had made my point, that I was preparing to come back. I stayed at Hitler’s for so long that day. As I left, Tito, a former student of mine an owner of Busy Bee Academy, asked to accompany me home.
“Naona umepona vizuri sana ,” he said as he kept pace with me. I told him I was in great shape and that I would be returning to work soon.
“Have they given you a new station?” he asked, trying to speak like someone who was in the education sector – which he wasn’t.
“No, Mwisho wa Lami,” I said.
“Are you sure? I understand that Kuya has been confirmed as HM,” he said without saying where the information was coming from.
I wanted to tell him that I was not aware, but I guessed he had been sent to fish for some information.
“You may need to check with TSC, maybe you have been sent to another station.”
When he realised I wasn’t speaking, he said goodbye and walked back.
Huge writings from a marker pen
The next day, my father called me. My father rarely calls me, and when he does, I rarely heed his call. This time I did.
“I hope not Mwisho wa Lami,” he said when I told him that I would be going back.
“You have been there long enough, find another school.”
He went ahead to tell me that Mwisho wa Lami people were not appreciative of my services and that I needed to go to another school for them to respect me.
“Fifteen years in one school is enough,” he said.
It was clear he had been sent to tell me, for even after I left, he texted me asking me to ask TSC to send me to another school.
The next day, last Tuesday, Rasto came to see me. He told me that he had heard that there were people planning to eject me if I were to go back to Mwisho wa Lami Primary School. I asked him which people but he couldn’t say. Nor did he say where he had heard the information from. I told him to get lost.
From that day, every evening someone would walk around my home. He would park his motorcycle and walk around my home – clearly wanting me to see him. I ignored him.
On Thursday, I woke up to find a piece of paper at the door of my house. It had some huge writings from a marker pen: “For your own safety, please look for another school. You are not welcome in Mwisho wa Lami.”
I thought about reporting to a police station but I did not. I did not want to play into my enemies’ hands. I was not going to buy to fear. Anyone who doesn’t want me should be ready to face me this Wednesday when I report back to Mwisho wa Lami Primary School!
