A light touch: Coziness with school principal lands me in hot soup
The text message was scanty: Please grace our prize giving day on Friday – M.K.
At first I was tempted to ignore it as one of those bothersome invites I normally get from faceless persons. However, I decided to get more information from the sender.
“Yes, Mheshimiwa. I was requesting that you be our guest during the prize giving day this weekend,” said Madam Kitoko, the principal of the only public secondary school in my ward.
I was taken aback that she was inviting me for such an important event through a text message.
“Mwalimu, why don’t you make it official through a letter?” I asked.
“I’ll do so immediately,” she replied.
Kitoko was new in her position. Perhaps this explained her casual approach. She was recently promoted to head the school after the predecessor was transferred. I had met her on several occasions, and, in my opinion, she was equal to her new task.
The following day, an invitation letter landed on my desk. I was pleased because, armed with the document, I would get lunch and transport allowance from the county coffers to attend this very important function. However, I realised I had become too common in the school and it would be better to get them a new face as chief guest. I had in mind fellow MCA Matayo. I told Kitoko about it and she had no objection. “Both of you can grace the occasion,” she said.
MCA Matayo accepted the invitation even before I had finished giving him all the details. “No problem. Just process the necessary allowances,” he said.
I nevertheless went on to give him the information I thought he needed to prepare his speech. I told him how hardworking Madam Kitoko was and that she needed our support. I even told him that I was the one who had influenced her appointment.
Later in the evening, I told Mama Hiro, daughter of my mother – in – law, about the invite.
“They invited only you?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“But the former principal used to invite both of us for such functions,” she said. This was a fact that had escaped my mind completely.
“No problem. We can go together,” I said.
“I won’t attend an event to which I have not been invited,” she said calmly. “You just represent me.”
On the day of the event, Matayo and I arrived at the school in time to find the events just beginning. We took our seats at the main dais. I sat between Matayo and the principal. It was the first time I was interacting with Madam Kitoko this closely. I found her an extremely warm person.
From the way we were chatting, one would think we had been intimate friends for ages. I almost rolled on the ground courtesy of her jokes. You should have heard her describing the new sport reportedly introduced in Sweden! Indeed, she kept me so busy that I had no time for my fellow MCA.
Soon it was time to listen to the chief guest’s speech. I whispered to Matayo to make it short since I could see people looking exhausted already. He did not disappoint. In his brief speech, he praised the leadership of the school. Listen to him: “In fact you should thank your MCA here. He is the one who made Madam get the job. She has got his full support. You have seen the way they like each other. Si wanapendana?”
“Ndiooooo,” the listeners roared back. I felt a little uneasy, but took comfort in the fact that Mama Hiro was not around. Before long, the event ended and we left the school, not before we were given ‘something’ for transport.
“How was it?” Mama Hiro asked as soon as I had settled at home.
“I enjoyed myself. It was well organized. You missed a lot.”
“Sure. You must have really enjoyed yourself,” she murmured, her eyes fixed on her phone. She was watching something. I craned my neck to have a glance, and to my utter amazement, I saw a recording of myself chatting animatedly with Madam Kitoko. Obviously, someone had recorded the event on phone and sent it to Mama Hiro. I cringed inwardly when I heard Matayo’s incriminating question, “Si wanapendana?” and the response.
Well, it is now four days since Mama Hiro said a word to me. I believe she is still thinking about the affordable housing project, au sivyo wenzangu?
