Correct Hats On Correct Heads

He stood just about three meters away from the man's table and had been standing for about three minutes without being fully acknowledged. The only acknowledgement he have received from the man since he entered was a furtive glance in the direction of the sound that came as greeting. Shaking of the head in his direction and full attention returning to whatever it was he was drafting. 

The whole students of the community secondary school Iji numbering about eight-fifty knew that mood like back of their hands. It have became a culture and tradition sort of to all including the teachers and all know better than to challenge those culture when the man is in it. 

Mr. Okonkwo the principal, whenever he is in one of those his letter writing bug-attack like to only heaven knows whom and where, all keep their distance and wait it out.

  Alpho was busy counting off minutes in his mind and when he felt that five minutes had gone, he shifted silently backwards and forwards without a sound knowing fully well that his shadows full directly on the periphery of the man's double Decker glasses. He had been studying the man's hand and eyes movements and when the two like dots in the mighty circle of his glasses shifted upwards instead of sideways, he smiled inwardly for that tiny achievement and discomfort. First equation well balanced and he went back to counting off minutes again while thinking seriously on another subtle antics that will not be obvious to the man but enough to balance the equation again. He was on fourth minutes when the man suddenly dropped what he was doing and jerked his head upward in his direction.

“ Yes, Master Alphonsus, I called you on the issue of that part of that dormitory you sleep in”

“ Dormitory?- what about it sir?”

“ Do you believe in dreams master Alpho?”

“Dreams? How? Do you mean if I have them at times sir?”

“ No, I mean if you believe in the images and voices you hear in those of yours at times dreams”

“ I just ignore them most of the time sir”

“ Master Alpho, how do you get all those high scores I see each term in your result. You had been answering my questions wrongly?”

Alpho made mighty effort to maintain the surprise demeanor on his face when anger was forcing its way through. 

“ Wrongly sir, how?”

“ First, this your way of jumping into my mouth to cut off the words coming out and replace them with yours and I had been the one answering your questions. Doesn’t that move sounds off color to you?”

“ Sorry sir, I am just confused with the subject matter. As far as I know, nothing is wrong with that part of the dormitory”

“More reasons you must allow whoever is doing the talking to finish whatever he has before answering for better comprehension. If you don’t, you will supply wrong answers just like you have done due to your imagination running riots to wrong assumptions”

“Yes sir, I get what you mean”

“Good, those out of the way. Reason I called you here is to tell you about dreams I have been having for three days now. I concluded this morning that some higher forces were sending important messages to me. It’s about that tall tree behind that dormitory”

“ I know the one you mean sir. What about it”

“ I and three teachers in charge of dormitory matters will come this evening around 4 pm to see that tree at closer range. I want you to select about four other senior students to wait for us. We have concluded to cut it down, it has appeared three days now in my dreams and the voice had been warning about calamity will follow if I kept ignoring the warning”

“Sir, that tree is not an economic tree but it serves its vital purposes well during the hot sweltering season. I think that most students will not be happy to see it tampered with in the name of three days’ dreams sir”

“I have been following for years now and I know how you people, gather around it during those hot weathers. That was one of my reasons for tarrying for three days now since those dreams. The voice was serious about the consequence if I kept ignoring the voice. So, it has to go, sorry.”

Alpho eyed him to ascertain how sober he is. No one knows him as a heavy drinker but humans can be something else at times. Who will ever believe he will engage in this type of discussion? The man himself seems to be observing him and reading his mind.

“ Are you wondering If I’m drunk or something?”

“Ha!, sir, nooo. I am just a little confused. I don’t know you as a man with this kind of line of talk. Do they teach about this kind of thing in America too?”

The man is an American graduate, one of those kinds with their way of doing things in line with science and common sense, not superstition. Whatever induced these dreams and voices in them must be too strong to penetrate this man.

“ Sir, that voice is not familiar to you. Here and abroad?”

“ No. I usually pay attention to the message, I feelings, and common sense. Each time, my feelings had been concurring nonstop with the voice. I can't just ignore both anymore”

Alpho ran his eyes on the table and bookshelf there for any sign of liquor but there is none. Only books.

“ Sir, you said around 4 pm?”

“ yeah, and the students would be in the field exercising, we don’t want them around there. So, you and your four colleagues must bottle it, not a single sound. Do I make my stand clear?”

“yes sir”

“ Then four”

Back in the dormitory after school hours, Alpho waited till 3:30 pm to call the other four senior guys he intuitively selected. He told them about what the man wanted and what he requested from them. He stood there wondering why five of them only.

The sports hours run from 20 after 3 to 4:30. He had selected those four based on their unconscious attachment to the tree all year round. He was still into what transpired in the principal office when ‘back to sender' started raining from their mouths. 

“ It’s his kids and the family that the tree will fall on while they are asleep not anyone here. We hope you sent that prayer back to him when he said those things”

“ he said he will be coming with about three other teachers by four to study things around that tree. you still have the opportunity to curse him and his family but while at it, never glance my way”

“ Why? Fear? You have only a few months to stay here and call it eternity”

Sounds like more reasons we need to comport ourselves and leave a good impression of ourselves in their minds”

“ Don’t he know the importance of trees to humans and soils?”

Around fifteen to four, they were still at it when the sound of an approaching bus wafted through the air cutting off their talks.

“ He said four, he came fifteen to four. Did you say this guy is gentle guy who finished from America?”

Three on singlet had rushed into the dormitory to dress well. When they came back out all tucked in and looking obedient. They saw two unknown faces offloading a Yamaha Chainsaw.

They eyed the principal askance while greeting him with fake smiles on their faces.

 “ Why this taken of unaware strategy. He said four and came to four, said view it first, and landed with cutting machines. What’s happening, what game is the man playing?”

The question or rather thoughts were telepathic rather than sounds and it’s messenger their eyes. 

“I am sure Master Alphonsus have narrated the WHY behind this action to you. In that dream, I saw red liquid flowing and I shouted away with you Satan. My wife ordered me not to return home if I did not treat the source of that noise. That is another reason behind my not waiting till tomorrow to do something. No gain in fucking with the gods and your wife, right?”

Smiles and snickering overwhelming put the lid on the on the issue, overshadow the students confusion and replaced anger, doubt, distrust, and inquisitiveness that had taken over in their minds and faces.

Mr. Okonkwo smiled inwardly and pretended to miss the WHY of the student’s sudden mood change. He told the Cutters that they had only fifteen minutes while leading the teachers and the students with more of the American slang and curse words to a safer distance, inviting the students to sometimes contribute

 their opinions and words were bubbling out of them like ice Coke.