By Pascal Mwandambo
Our school administration had to hold an urgent meeting to lay out strategies that could be used to detect students who were harboring evil intentions of burning school property.
We had to be careful since there had been an increase in the number of students burning schools. We were all unanimous that all the loopholes that could be used by students to sneak in fuel and other inflammable materials were sealed.
That called for heightened intelligence within and outside the school compound and being the journalist that I am, I was tasked with the responsibility that this intelligence machinery was up and running.
After the meeting, we went for a tea break and shortly after, a woman with a baby strapped on her back knocked on the staffroom door.
She was in a very agitated mood. The baby, who seemed to be learning how to speak was saying da..da..da repeatedly while slapping the mother on the scruff of her neck.
Having witnessed several such cases, I sensed trouble.
“I am looking for Mr. Napoleon” the woman said hoarsely. By then, the baby was chanting loudly.
“Mr. Napoleon is in the agriculture workshop, that’s where he operates from.” I told the woman. “Why do you want to see him so urgently?”
“This useless teacher lied to me and impregnated me then vanished. I want to leave this luggage with him,’ the woman answered defiantly referring to the baby on her back.
My guess had been as good as yours.
Judging from the oblong head of the baby, it was very evident that the baby was Napoleon’s.
I asked the woman to wait at our school canteen and have tea and mandazi as we arranged for her meeting with Napoleon. She only obliged after I assured her that I would foot the bill.
Later, we summoned Napoleon to the staff room and lectured him on how to handle such a sensitive matter.
Obote, the principal, was very honest.
‘Mwalimu, you aren’t the first man to have such a case. The only way to cool down the woman is to admit liability and own up to your undoing.’ He said.
For the first time, I saw Napoleon listening and nodding with rapt attention.
As they say in local lingo “kimeumana”.
