KIMBERLY PART FOUR.

(Continued from the previous part)

Kim lived happily with the Smiths.

Mr. Smith told them the story and by the time he finished, the Isholas were almost moved to compassion for the ‘poor little thing’ as Mrs. Ishola put it.

“Smith, you have done the right thing. Honestly. But, I think you have involved yourself too much. Instead of taking her into your house just like that, you should have taken her to the police; they will know how to find her family and you will be free!”

“That’s true” Mrs. Ishola conceded. “Besides, her medical condition makes things worse. There is no school that will accept her with those noises she makes at ten seconds intervals”

“I did take her to a police station after her mother’s burial and wrote a report of how she came into my possession for security reasons. After my report, I told the policemen on duty that I would leave her with them but they refused. They all said that I should go with her and fix her up till they conduct their investigations and find her surviving relatives. But since then, that was three weeks ago, they have not gotten back to me”

“Can we see the girl?” Mr. Ishola asked and Mr. Smith told Maxwell to bring Kim to the visitors. When Kim was brought to face the visitors, she lowered her head in shame and coward behind Maxwell. She had heard most of the conversations about her and it filled her with dread. After saying a ticky hello to the visitors, she was permitted to return to the guest’s room. After she’d gone, there was an uneasy silence.

“Smith, to be honest with you, taking this girl into your house is a mistake and I pray you don’t regret it later” Mr. Ishola said somberly. “Iyawo, did you agree with him on this?” he asked, turning to Mrs. Smith, expecting her to say no.

“Yes” Mrs. Smith said and faked a smile “initially I was against it but later, I thought better of it. If our cases are reversed and God forbid, one of our own kids is left in the world all alone like she is now, I would be happy in heaven to see her in a good family like ours” She said, holding her husband’s hand under the table. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. 

The Isholas were speechless after this. Finally, Mr. Ishola rose from the table.

“Thank you most graciously for tonight, especially for the delectable meal. We have a busy day tomorrow, so we have to leave now. Children, where are you, we are going!” he hollered in a loud voice and his children ran into the dining room “Get your things and let’s go”

“But dad, you said we are spending the night!” His twelve year old daughter protested.

“Yes we did” her mother cuts in quickly “But we have an urgent plan that we must attend to. Now be a good girl and let’s go….don’t you dare roll your eyes at me” she said sternly and her three children gathered their bags and toys and walked out into the lounge where the Smiths’ children and Kim were watching a cartoon on the TV.

“Goodnight” The Smiths’ children said

“Goodnight” The Isholas replied. Mr. and Mrs. Smith walked them out to the garage where their driver was waiting for them.

At the garage, while the Isholas were waiting for the family driver to start their vehicle, Mr. Smith asked if they were leaving because of what happened but they said no. None ventured an answer to the question.

Long after the Isholas have gone, Mr. and Mrs. Smith remained in the garage, talking about the abrupt ending of the evening.

“I didn’t expect you to support me” Mr. Smith said.

“I have no choice” Mrs. Smith said and smiled.

“You do have a choice my dear, your opinion matters”

“I know but it hits me when Kim was brought to meet them. She looked…lost and alone. My heart melts when I saw her expression then. Beside her tics, Kim is an excellent kid and I think I like her already and I am getting used to her tics”

“You are the most wonderful woman in this world” Mr. Smith said and took his wife into an affectionate hug.

Like Mr. Ishola innocently but rightly said, no school accepted Kim. All of them rejected her enrollment because of her medical condition.

“So sorry we can’t take her Mr. Smith” the proprietress of the last school said “Her tics will disrupt academic activities in any class she’s put into. You know children, they won’t pay attention to their teachers again, they will ostracize her and make things difficult for her. My suggestion however is that she needs a special school for children like her or a private teacher who wouldn’t mind the sounds she makes at regular intervals”

KIM

                                                                November 1992.

When all schools had rejected her, Mr. Smith suggested that she should stay at home for the time being while he searched online for schools within Lagos that would take her and that since she and Angela were in the same academic grades, she should be taught by Angela all the things she had been taught at school each day. Both Angela and Kim gladly accepted this and the arrangement worked so well that Kim was better than those who have been attending schools.

Six months after Kim came into the family, Maxwell graduated from the University and a party was organized for him at home to celebrate his success because he graduated with first class. The celebration was what brought the Smiths’ friends and relatives far and wide and made them meet Kim. All of them disapproved her adoption into the family. The only exception was Mr. Smith’s parents who believed he was right to have done what he did.

Few days after his graduation, Maxwell traveled abroad for his master’s degree in one of the world renowned universities. His departure was preceded by so much preparations and arrangements. As the first born in the family, he was given a lot of privileges but he didn’t misuse them. He was a well behaved and dashing young man. His grandfather once said in his absence that “He was a truly well trained child that the world would be proud of in the nearest future”

On the morning of his departure, the whole family including Kim drove in two cars to the Muritala Muhammed International airport at Ikeja to see him off. Despite the fact that they arrived at the airport on schedule according to his flight ticket, the flight was delayed without an official reason for several hours.

Throughout that time, Mr. Smith was lamenting and decrying what he called a “a failed social and political system”. This resulted into an argument between him and Maxwell who thought that Nigeria was doing better than many African and Asia countries he mentioned but his father opposed his view, saying that comparing Nigeria to a failed country is a failure in itself. “Why can’t we be compared to the UK or US or even China, why must it be those third world countries?”

“Dad, we are getting there” Maxwell said “Have faith dad”.

“Son, we the way things are going, it is obvious that we are going nowhere but moving in a circle that leads nowhere” He said heatedly “Have you ever wondered son, why I begged you to study political science instead of……..what did you even wanted to study then?”

“Anthropology”

“Yes, you know why? Because I wanted you to come back some years from now to contest for the highest political office in the country”

“Seriously dad, but I don’t need to study politics to be able to contest”

“Yes, but being trained is an added advantage over those who have never received any formal or informal training about leadership and that is the problem that Nigeria is facing now. Nigeria currently has leaders who have no clue about leadership and how it works, that’s why they rule anyhow.”

Maxwell was silent for several seconds.

“Thank you dad, I didn’t know that was your plan when you insisted I study political science. Though I hated it at the time, but over the years, I discovered that it would have been a disaster if I had studied any other course”

Mrs. Smith shifted impatiently from one foot to the other. She was clearly not interested in their discussion.

“If you two don’t mind, the rest of us will like to go for a stroll through the airport while both of you carry on your political discussions” Mrs. Smith said

“Mum, sorry we were carried away, I think we should all go together…..”

“No, you both stay right here and watch over your luggage. Thieves are everywhere nowadays” She said the last part lowering her voice. She and her husband laughed. Then she led the way while Rose, John, Angela and Kim followed. Mr. Smith and his son carried on their discussions.

While they were strolling through the airport with ice cream cones rapidly melting through the humid Nigerian heat, the children were trading banters and jokes about the things they saw.

“Mum, why are Nigerian airports not as good as those ones in say, US, UK, Canada and so on?” Rose queried as they passed the ticket’s offices where long queues of people seemed immobile. For several moments, her mother didn’t say anything. She was obviously thinking of what to say. She didn’t want to portray Nigeria as a bad country and at the same time, she didn’t want to give a false answer to her question.

“Well, we don’t have enough money to build those things”

“Even South Africa and Kenya have better airports and facilities!” She protested “Does that mean that they are richer than us?”

“Rose, why don’t you go back and join your brother and dad, you seem so interested in politics and right now, I just want to relax and have fun. Thank you”

“Mum, that isn’t fair. Did you know how bad it feels after traveling abroad and seeing  all the wonderful things over there and coming back home to meet such under development and backwardness, it takes the brain a long time to adjust to these changes”

Her mother said nothing.

After 4PM, Maxwell’s flight took off and they all went back home.

No school admitted Kim because of the involuntary repetitive sounds she made all over the Lagos Island. All the schools politely turned down the application, stating that her noises would disrupt class activities and lead to mass withdrawal of other kids from the schools.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith had been advised by all the schools they have been and concerned individuals to take her to a special school. Special school, they advised are for people like her.

“But she has no impairment, neither is she mentally affected. It is just locomotory and speech defects!” Mrs. Smith had protested on different occasions when such suggestions were made. “She is as normal as the next kid and she will attend a normal school!”

After several months of staying at home, a school finally decided to accept her after much persuasion and a promise from Mr. Smith to be the chairman of the school’s inter house sports competition coming up some months from then. Kim was finally accepted to start from JSS1.

Kim’s first day in the new school was hell. She knew she would be taunted and mimicked and she thought she’d prepared enough for it but she discovered that she was in for a real trouble. The trouble began when she was being led from the registrar’s office to the block where her new class was located. On the way, two Primary three students were passing by and because she was very nervous, the tics kept coming quite frequently. The primary three girls barked in mock imitation of her Tourette’s and this was picked up by the students in all the classes they passed until the whole school was alive with barking of different voices.

She was bathed with shame and frustration even before she reached her class. The portal who led her to the class silently withdrew immediately she handed her over to her new class teacher. The class teacher was a tall bony woman in her late forties. She was a very strict and merciless woman whom the students all feared. Even the high school students feared her for her sharp tongue and inhuman punishments.

“What is your name and can you stop making those sounds, it is driving me cra….”she checked herself and stopped saying the last word.

“My name is Kimb…gbo, gbo…Kimberly Adams”

“And do you need to drink water to get rid of this sound or what?”

“No ma, it cannot go away even if I drink water. I was born with it”

“Chineke!” The teacher shouted in anger and disbelieve “So they heard you make all these noises at the office, yet they admit you? I’ll go and see the management now, this is absurd” She stood up abruptly and grabbed Kim’s hand but they met the Headmaster at the entrance.
“Going somewhere Mrs. Grace?”

“Ah, yes sir. I was just wondering, erm…this girl said she had been admitted and I think, given her condition I would suggest that….”                                                                                                                      

“Mrs. Grace, I appreciate your effort and opinion but in this case, I want you to take her and treat her like any other member of your class, are we clear?”

“Sir, I…”

“Are we or are we not cleared?” he insisted.

“Okay sir”

“Good, you both may go back to class now” he said and walked away. Mrs. Grace stared at his back as he walked away with undisguised contempt.

Despite the headmaster’s warning, Mrs. Grace treated her differently. She put her chair at the extreme end of the class and instructed her to find a way to minimize her noise. “Maybe you have to find a piece of cloth or tissue paper and stuff it in your mouth to muffle the sounds because I cannot deal with it”

“Yes ma” she said obediently.  She was not surprised; she had been treated that way countless times before.

“Good”

That day at the school was one of the hardest and the slowest days of her life. The hours moved at snail pace and before break time at 11 O clock, she was already exhausted from trying to suppress the tics in order not to offend the teacher or make the class snicker at her. While no one was looking, she stuffed her handkerchief deep into her throat to stop the noises until she choked and retched.

During the break, students from the upper and lower classes came to her class and peeped at her like a strange animal in a zoo. Many of them mimicked and laughed at her but few looked with sympathy at her.

When the school closed by 5PM; Mrs. Smith was already waiting for her at the gates in her car. She got in the back to join Angela and John. After exchanging greetings, Mrs. Smith asked how her day was and she said fine. Though she wished she could open up and tell her all the things she passed through but she didn’t want to complain and look bad to the people who were trying to help her. So instead, she said fine.

Later in the evening however, when they were dining, Mr. Smith asked same question and she gave same answer but he prodded her for more information and she told him. No one said anything after she recounted the story and they all felt sorry for her. Mr. Smith was angry at this.

“I’ll go to the school tomorrow and lodge a complaint against that discriminating teacher!” he said vehemently.

“No sir, please!” Kim pleaded “She will hate me more if you do that”

“Dear, I think she is right” Mrs. Smith said calmly. “I think we should let her deal with it in her own way. They will eventually accept her for who she is”

“Okay, but that woman needs some talking to”

The following week at school was a lot better than her first week. Though there were still many who mimicked and mocked her for the sounds she made continuously, yet there were few who have developed a strong feeling of likeness for her because of her personality.

               For instance, a couple of days after her enrollment in the school, she met Chinwe, a supposedly dull student who always comes last academically at the end of every class work and reports. Chinwe was two years older than Kim. The same way that she Kim was ostracized by the rest of the class was the way poor Chinwe too was abandoned. She was relegated to the bottom of intellectual ladder in the class. So on this fateful day, both of them were at the end of the class while the rest of the class occupied the front seats, close to the teacher.

Because no one seems to care or pay attention to her, Kim began to solve the maths questions that were given to the class some minutes earlier during maths class. After some minutes, she was through with the assignment and while closing her book, she discovered that Chinwe had been copying her works. Instead of getting angry, she left the book open and pretended not to see her copying. Apart from being a slow learner, it became obvious to Kim that Chinwe was a super slow writer as well. After several minutes, Chinwe spoke up for the first time since she’d known her.

“Please what did you write here” She asked timidly, fearful and full of apprehension that Kim would shout and call her names like her other classmates but Kim did none of those things. She only wrote the answer more clearly. When Chinwe was done, she heaved a huge sigh of relief and she closed her book triumphantly. Though Kim was still a newcomer in the school, yet, she had not seen a day when their class teacher would not chastise Chinwe for not doing one assignment or the other.

“Thank you” she said, almost whispering.

“You are welcome. Though the assignment is not hard….”

“It is” Chinwe said and frowned. “Because you know it easily doesn’t mean it is not hard”

“Well, maybe but anyone can do it…”
“I can’t” Chinwe retorted.

“You can” Kim insisted. “Let me show you how…”

“Don’t worry, I can never know anything” Chinwe said with a resignation that baffles Kim.

“Hey, you two, what are you saying at the back there?” Mrs. Grace asked suddenly and the whole class’ attention riveted towards them. “I want to know”

Chinwe became her silent and broody self but Kim said they were only answering some questions.

“Maybe she is teaching her how to do gbo, gbo, gbo!”Frank said and the class erupted into laughter. Even Mrs. Grace allowed a smile to walk through her face. Frank was the naughtiest student in the class and he was the leaders of those who usually taunted Kim.

“Excuse me Frank, I am not talking to you. Both of you, stand” Mrs. Grace said and they both stood up “Come on the board and draw these shapes for me, if you don’t get it, I’ll have no choice than to deal with you because when the class is going on, you both were playing at the back”

Both Kim and Chinwe shuffled to the front of the class and they were given markers.

“Chinwe, draw a trapezium, a square and a parallelogram” As Chinwe began drawing the first of the shapes, the class erupted into laughter and singing. She couldn’t continue writing due to the jest and mockery, so she stopped.

(To Be Continued)