KOLLUPIA S2 E01

The room was silent.

Miss Kingston scribbled into the file in front of her. She seemed entirely oblivious to the couple sitting across her table. There were sheets of papers neatly stacked on her left, next to the tiny  tag that said "Head Mistress".

She stopped scribbling and stared into the file for a few seconds. It was difficult to determine the size of her eye balls through the goggle-sized glasses she was wearing.



Micheal shifted uncomfortably in his chair. One thing he hated more than musky offices was small ones. Sure, he'd crawled through tunnels, sewers and air vents, but something about small, stale offices made him a little uneasy.

Nse wore her signature blank expression. She didn't seem to mind the fact that the Principal hadn't said anything to them since they sat down....that was thirty minutes ago.

"I have no other choice than to have expell him" Miss Kingston said finally.

 "You cant be serious " Nse's blank expression flickered.

"I did not stutter Mrs Black" The Principal said sternly.

"Neither did I !!!!..." Nse retorted.

"This sort of behaviour is unacceptable at TUOY MODEL SCHOOL" Miss Kingston went on. " No child should ever do such heinous things.....it is evil"

"Twelve year olds get into fights all the time, Miss Kingston....its nothing serious"

"A fight.....???" Miss Kingston took off her glasses. Her eyeballs seemed almost as large as the goggles.

"...Is that what you want call it???....In the middle of the night, Lucious dressed himself in black, painted his face commando-style,...cut off the power to the entire school, then systematically ambushed and beat up four fellow students...that's not a fight, that's a GADDAM MASACRE!!!!"

"There's no need for that Kind of language, madam" Nse said softly.

"Language....????" The Principal rose from her seat with all the menace of a slow rising tsunami.

"Should we talk about the words, " DON'T F**K WITH MY FRIENDS AGAIN" he wrote on the notice board after his crime???....or should we talk about the innumerable f**k-yous and B**chs the parents of those boys spat at me??"

The Principal's eyes looked like they were about to unleash laser-beams at the seated couple.

"You son is a f**king monster!!!"

Nse's eyes turned to slits as she rose to her feet. For a split second she looked like she was about to physically assault the Principal. Miss Kingston retreated a few steps. There was something in Nse's eyes that seemed capable of grievous bodily harm.

Micheal softly held his wife's arm. The effect of his touch was instantaneous. Nse's homicidal glare lost its intensity. She took a deep breath and composed herself. A forced smile played on her lips. But her eyes still held a hint of malice in them.

Long pause.

"I understand the pressure you must be under," Nse began in an unusually calm voice.


 "But in the not too distant past, my husband and I have donated generously to this school...and will continue to do so"

Nse reached across  the table and picked up a small portrait of Miss Kingston and beautiful teenage girl.

"She has a lovely smile" Nse grinned devilishly.


 "555 Kru avenue....that's your address right?"
Miss Kingston gulped.

Long silence.

"You'll give Lucious a three week suspension"


 She said returning the portrait. " But,...if you insist on expelling him,..well....Iet's just say..... I know  where you live,.....and I own a black outfit ideal for sneaking into people's homes in the middle of the night"

Nse let the silence linger between them.

Miss Kingston's expression was a cross between confusion and stark terror.

"Trust me, no one will hear you scream" Nse added.

The Principal was trembling.

Long silence.

Nse's glare slowly dissolved into a warm expression. She casually fished into her bag, and brought out a cheque.

"This is more than adequate to take care of the boys' medical bills" she placed the cheque on the table, threw the terrified Principal a final smile and turned to leave. Micheal followed.

Miss Kingston stared at the piece of paper as if it were radioactive.

"Oh! One more thing," Nse turned around just as they got to the door. "If you ever call my son a monster again, ...........I'll peel the skin off your face...understood?"

The trembling woman nodded.

"Have a nice day, Miss Kingston" Nse smiled and left the office with her husband.




OUTSIDE THE BOARDING SCHOOL.


Micheal settled behind the steering Wheel of the Land cruiser. He leaned into the seat and let the Air Conditioner do its work on his skin.


Out of habit or boredom he quickly scanned the street in front of the school for any suspicious cars or people.

"Relax, Micheal" Nse would say. "We're not in Kollupia any more"

He knew he should deactivate his "Sixth Ear" as his wife  often called it. But over twelve years after the nightmare of Kollupia, he was still looking out for shadows and sudden movements.

But the terror of that time couldn't prepare him for two more brutal wars.....the wars known as "Marriage" and "fatherhood". His eyes caught Luscious' eyes in the rear view mirror. The handsome twelve year old had Nse's intense stare as he sat in the backseat with his arms across his chest. Lucious was tall for his age with features so striking, they would most certainly break hearts one day. From the day he was born, Micheal felt nothing but love for this pre-teen. Though he had his mother's features, he had his father's temperament.

"You okay?" Micheal asked.

Lucious was silent. His eyes gazed sightlessly outside the window.

"Lu??"

Lucious finally  stared at him. There was a hint of sadness in his son's eyes.

"I'm fine" He replied in a small voice.

"Why did you do it?" Micheal asked as a couple of students walked by.

Lucious was silent .

"Lu...??"

"They were bullying my friends" he replied with emotion. "I had to do something"

"What is rule no 1 of a soldier ?"Micheal sighed.

Lucious looked away awkwardly. Micheal knew when his son was feeling remorseful.

" But they weren't none combatants" Lucious said desperately. "They were....."

"Whats rule No.1?" Micheal cut him off sternly. He hated talking to his son like this.

"Never engage....none combatants. Civilians must always be protected" Lucious said finally.

"You shouldn't have assaulted those boys"

"But.....!"

"No buts Lu, it was wrong.....is that clear?"

Long silence.

"Yes, it is" Lucious  sighed. He looked every bit the twelve year old he was in that moment.

"Yes it is.....what?"

"Yes it is... Sir!"

Micheal smiled at his son and kicked up the AC a notch. The temperature outside was high.

"On a scale of One to Ten,"  Lucious began cautiously. "How much trouble do you think I'm in?"

Micheal turned to see Nse approaching the car. She seemed pissed.

"Honestly?..." Micheal winced. " I'd say about...... Fifteen"

Lucious stared at the floor. He was clearly not looking forward to his mother's wrath.

"Will you....back me up, dad?" He only used the word 'dad' in dire situations when he desperately needed help. This was one of them.

"Sorry, Lu" Micheal shrugged. " I'm in your mother's cross-hairs too....God help us both"

Nse opened the Passenger door and filled the seat next to her husband.

For a long time, she said nothing. The silence in the car was deafening. Micheal and Lucious knew what was coming. It was the proverbial calm before the storm.

"Mum..." Lucious said hesitantly. "I'm really sorry, I......"

"Not another Word, Lu" Nse said without looking at him.

The twelve year old recoiled back into his seat.


 He exchanged a quick glance with his father in the mirror, but said nothing more.

"Just drive, Micheal" Nse said simply. She placed her hand to her temple and closed her eyes.


Then they drove off.


.....to be continued.




LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID.