Hello Playloadites,

We have got this heart touching story, titled: “The Thorn In My Flesh” and here is a brand new Episode for your reading pleasure and am sure you’re going to learn a lot from this story..

The next morning after assembly, mama Gift stormed the school premises fuming with anger.

“I want to see the principal of this school” she said to the first teacher she met coming out of a class room.

Class teacher: “calm down, madam. Is there a problem? Anything that has to do with your child or is there a way we can help you?” he asked.

Mama Gift: “get out of my way jare, nwa teacher like you. I said I want to see the principal and you are here asking if there is a way you can help me. Have you finished helping yourself?” she asked him.

Class teacher: “I am sorry madam. I was only trying to help” he said walking away.

“Keep your miserable help to yourself” she said to his retreating figure.

Mama Gift: “how do I locate the principal’s office now, ehn? My husband is the one who comes here to pay school fees and attend parents and teachers association meetings” she said.

Just then, her daughter who was in class saw her mother from the window and screamed.

Gift: “mama, hey see me here” she said waving her hands excitedly in the air and distracting other students who turned around to look at her.

Mama Gift: “hey, my beautiful daughter, is this your class?” she called out and approached the entrance to the class.

Class teacher: “will you keep quiet and keep your hands down, Gift. I am in class and yet you are doing this?” he shouted at Gift.

Mama Gift: “my daughter, come out and show me the principal’s office” she said and Gift made to get up but the class teacher waved his horse whip and she sat back immediately.

Class teacher: “a step from you and I will finish this whip on your body” he threatened and stepped out to meet Gift’s mother.

Mama Gift: “teacher, allow her come out and show me the principal’s office and she will come back to you” she said.

Class teacher: “madam, it is not right to distract our students when they are in class. Your daughter cannot step out of class to show you the way. Please walk down to that brown coloured block ahead of you. The principal’s office is the first on your left” he said pointing towards the direction.

Mama Gift sighed and left without saying a word to him.

====

Principal: “you need to calm down and listen to me madam” he explained.

Mama Gift: “don’t tell me to calm down o. Is this one not cheating? We will pay our children’s school fees just to avoid their being sent home and another person’s child will be allowed to attend classes without paying? Where is that done?”

Principal: “this is just an exceptional case okay? We had to allow the girl in because of what happened to her mother. Besides, the woman in question has promised to pay up the fees at the beginning of next week. I think it is good that we give her the benefit of doubt”

Mama Gift: “how long will it take her to pay ordinary five thousand naira? Can’t you see that that witch was lying?”

Principal: “madam, I will advise that you desist from calling another person names here. Anyway, if not for the economy and for other political reasons, the girl in question deserves a scholarship, considering her achievements so far” he said gently for he was a soft spoken man.

Mama Gift: “I see. So that is it? She deserves a scholarship, so is it my own daughter or your own son that does not deserve a scholarship?”

Principal: “like I said, we shall give that poor widow the benefit of doubt and if by next week she doesn’t pay up, we shall send her ward away. You have nothing to worry about madam” he assured her.

Mama Gift: “she has bewitched you, I can see that. Yes, you are under the influence of her charms and that is why you are talking like this. I don’t blame you; I blame myself for coming here to waste my time when it is obvious that the witch cast a spell on you all yesterday. That is why even your teachers are misbehaving. Shioor!” she said and walked out of the office, with the principal staring with open mouth at her.

====

Mama Gift left there and went to the market to buy foodstuff when she ran into mama Toke.

Mama Toke: “good afternoon, my sister. I hope you and the children are well?” she called out to her.

Mama Gift: “ehn! What did I just hear you say? When did that one start? Like when did we start greeting each other? You want to bewitch me with the words of your mouth like you went to do in your daughter’s school right? Well, your plans will not work” she said stopping at the front of mama Toke’s stall.

Mama Toke: “what have I done to deserve this insult from you this afternoon? Is it a crime to greet you?”

Mama Gift: “yes o, it is a crime to talk to me. I said I don’t have anything to do with you, is that too much to ask for? Leave me alone, witch and husband killer. Leave me alone!”

Mama Toke: “it is you that is a husband killer. Look at this one that is not even glad that I am greeting her”

Mama Gift: “hahahahaha…you are not only a witch, I am sure that you are also mad as well. Me, a husband killer and my husband is still alive? The husband killer among us is the one whose husband is dead and of course, that is you”

Mama Toke: “it is only a witch that will know who a witch is. If you say I am a witch then you must be a witch too. And yes, you are the husband killer. You are the one that will kill your husband with all your wickedness and trouble, nonsense woman” she flung the words at her.

Mama Gift dropped the wares that she had bought and adjusted her wrapper.

Mama Gift: “hey, everybody come o, come and see me see trouble. Na this one dem dey say if owner of farm no quick catch thief, the thief go say na the owner of the farm be the thief. I even pity the people wey dey buy things from your hand. Anybody who hands this witch his or her money should go for deliverance” she shouted and those who had gathered to watch the drama began to shake their heads and fling their shoulders.

Mama Toke: “what did I do to you and your husband that you will not leave me alone? You took all that my husband had and threw me and my daughter out of the house. It’s been over twelve years and yet you will not allow me live in peace. I have been very patient with you people because I thought that with time we would be able to mend fences and reconcile but since you will not let me be, I will show you that I am also capable of making trouble. The wahala you are looking for, you will see it. Since you want to chase my customers away with your lies, I will give you double trouble” she said.

Mama Gift: “ehn, you this rat that I don’t even know where my brother in law picked you from give me trouble? Okay na, let us see who is stronger” she said and gave mama Toke a slap.

Toke who had gone to hawk after school returned and watched on with tears in her eyes as her mother and her aunty fought and tore at each other with their nails.

To be continued.