Dignitas

The Boardroom Fallout

Her cousin took a step forward. “Don’t you bring my father into this.”

“I bring him into it because he raised you,” Mr. Williams said. “And if he raised you to speak to authority like this, then he failed.”

That was the line.

Sharon's fist clenched. For a second Chloe thought she was actually going to swing at him. Instead, she sighed.

“Fine. Suspend me. But don’t you dare talk about my father like you know him.”

Mr. Williams sighed and picked up her pen. “Three days suspension, effective immediately. And a formal letter of apology to be submitted before you’re allowed back on campus. Both you and Fiyin."

Fiyin looked like she’d been punched. “Me too, Sir?”

“Yes,” Mr. Adebanjo said. “Collusion, Fiyin.”

Chloe felt sick. Fiyin hadn’t done anything wrong. And now she was being punished for it.

Mr. Williams glanced at Chloe last. “And you. Consider this a warning. Your cousin’s behavior reflects on you. Family reflects on family. Patrimonial responsibility, we call it. Remember that.”

Chloe didn’t answer. She just stared at the floor, cheeks burning.

"Nifemi," The principal called out

"Sir"

"Stop interfering to things that doesn't concern you and mind your business not watching people's life. Is that clear?

"Yes sir".

"All of you, turn to the door and dismiss" Mr. Adebanjo said.

9:15am – The Walk to the Gate

The gate was open, and the guard had been instructed. He stepped in front of the gate when she walked through with Chloe by her side giving an escort.

“Sorry, miss. You can’t come back in until Friday.”

Sharon nodded once and walked out without looking back. Chloe walked with her to the bus stop, even though she was supposed to be in class.

Neither of them spoke for the first five minutes. The street was noisy, Okada’s honking, hawkers shouting, the usual Lagos morning chaos. But between them it was silent.

Finally, Chloe said, “I’m sorry.”

Sharon shook her head. “Why are you sorry. I'm the one who’s meant to be sorry for putting all of you into a big mess. But I’m not sorry I said it. I’m just only sorry I said it rudely in front of Mr. Williams.”

“He shouldn’t have brought Dad into it,” Chloe said. Her voice was tight. “That was low.”

Sharon stopped walking.

Chloe looked at Sharon properly for the first time that morning. “They do that, you know. They use your family against you when they don’t have anything else. Patrimonial, my mum calls it, Inheritance. They think if they tarnish your name, you’ll shut up.”

Sharon swallowed. “Mum’s going to be furious.”

“She should be, Sharon. But not at you. At them.”

The tricycle came, rattling. Her cousin stepped onto it without another word. Before the tricycle moved, she leaned out and said, “Don’t let them make you think you did something wrong for helping Fiyin, Chloe. That’s the only thing I’m sure of today.”

The cycle pulled away, leaving Chloe standing on the curb with an even heavier feeling in her chest.

10:00am – Back in Class

Chloe sat through the rest of the morning in a daze. Fiyin was beside her, quiet for once, staring at the desk. Charlotte sat across the aisle, pretending to read, but every few minutes she’d glance over with a small, satisfied smile. Then the class continued which was followed by Economics.

When lunch came, Chloe didn’t eat. She sat on the empty bench under the mango tree, outside, picking at the grass. That’s when Praise saw her and sat down next to her.

He didn’t say anything at first. Just sat there, opened his own lunchbox, and started eating. Then he pointed his spoon to Chloe's mouth signifying to her to have a bite. She didn't accept at first, but after much pressures which praise didn't give up, she took it.

"Thanks" she said.

After a minute of silence, he finally spoke out, "Fiyin told me what happened.”

Chloe didn’t look up. “Great. Now everyone knows.”

“Not everyone,” Praise said. “Just me. And I think you were right. Fiyin wasn’t copying. She was confused.”

Chloe finally looked at him. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because someone should,” Praise said simply. “And because I hate it when people get punished for being kind.”

Chloe didn’t know what to say to that. So, she just nodded.

Praise finished his food and stood up. “I’m not good with speeches or anything. But if you need someone to go over quadratics with later, I’m free at 7pm. No Latin. No MD’s daughters. Just math.”

He walked away before Chloe could reply.

She sat there a long time after he left, the mango leaves rustling overhead. For the first time that day, she didn’t feel completely alone.

Then Zainab, Sharon's closest friend came to her side and they chatted all through till when break was over and the whole school went quiet when class started.

Sharon

The door swung open and Sharon walked in, school bag slung over one shoulder, tie loosened, looking sheepish and soaked from the rain that had started some hours ago.

“Mom, I’m sorry,” she said immediately, standing in a puddle on the kitchen tiles. “I told the principal Fiyin didn’t copy from Chloe. I thought if I said it, they wouldn’t suspend the both of them. But it resulted into a fight between I and the MD’s daughter. I was suspended due to the fact that I was only trying to defend my friends from them being accused falsely and the principal told me ‘I lacked home training’.

Mummy sighed, but there was no real anger in it. She moved over and took Sharon’s wet bag from her, hanging it on the door handle. “You two are a problem. A patrimonial problem.” She said the word with a half-smile, like she’d been saving it. “Your grandfather used to say that family loyalty is the only thing that outlasts blood and money. I think he meant you two.” She said while she drained the yam fries.

Sharon frowned. “Patrimonial? That’s a law word.”

“It’s a Roman word,” Mummy said

“You are just like aunty (Chloe’s mum)”, she cut in “always quoting Romans”

Patrimonial “Means inheritance. Not just land or names. Habits. Burdens. The way we protect each other, even when it’s stupid.” She scooped the yam fries into three bowls and poured sauce over it, the red swirling against the white. “Your grandfather got into three fights in secondary school defending his cousin. Got expelled once. Your grandfather got into one fight defending his sister.” She slid a bowl toward Sharon. “Now you two are starting early.”

Sharon picked up a fork but didn’t eat. “So, what happens now? I have to write a letter of apology before I’m allowed back.” She folded her hands “I’m not apologizing for telling the truth.”

“Good,” Mummy said. “Don’t. But you will apologize for how you said it. There’s a difference, and Romans knew that too. Cicero knew that. He could destroy a man with a speech and still have the man invite him to dinner after.” She took the second bowl to her husband in the dining room and came back. “You two will draft the letter together tonight. And you’ll do it without making it sound like you were forced.” I’m going to call my sister to tell Chloe to prepare to help you with it.

The rain hit harder against the roof now. Outside, the streetlights flickered on one by one.

Sharon picked up her fork. The first bite of pasta tasted like tomatoes and shame and something else she couldn’t name yet, maybe the beginning of a truce.

Mummy watched her, and for the first time since she heard the news, her shoulders dropped.

“One more thing,” she said as she started arguing about the wording. “If you’re going to inherit the family stubbornness, you might as well inherit the family cooking too. Because if you get expelled, you’ll have plenty of time to learn how to make this from scratch. No shortcuts. No pre-made sauce.”

Her dad who had been listening to them said smiling “That’s a threat?”

“That’s inheritance” her mom said. They all laughed.

The School Entrance, After Closing.

The compound had emptied out fast. But some students were still hanging around, laughing and gisting. Chloe sat down on the stairs of the hallway entrance.

She heard footsteps. Chloe looked up. It was Praise.

He had his blazer slung over one shoulder, tie loosened, and a small backpack that looked too new for the lockers at St. Theresa’s. He wasn’t with anyone. He was just… there. His sister had left him.

“You didn’t go home,” he said, like it was an observation, not an accusation.

Chloe closed her notebook. “You either.”

Praise shrugged and walked over, stopping a few feet away instead of sitting down right away. Like he was giving her space to tell him to leave. “My mum said I should walk the first week. To learn the route. She doesn’t trust the public vehicles drivers yet.”

Chloe almost smiled. “Smart mum.”

Praise glanced at Chloe’s face, then at the notebook she was gripping a little too tightly. “You okay?”

“No,” Chloe said honestly. “Not really.”

He nodded, like that was a valid answer.

Chloe flinched. She looked away. The tall flowers cast shadows across the concrete, and the sky was that deep orange again, the same color it had been in the kitchen earlier. It felt like the day was looping, like it wouldn’t let her out.

“She didn’t mean to get suspended,” Chloe said quietly. “She just… She couldn’t let Charlotte lie about Fiyin. And I also couldn’t let Charlotte lie about me. And now we’re all in trouble.”

Praise shifted, resting his backpack on the ground. “That’s what families do, right? They step in. Even when they shouldn’t.”

Chloe glanced at him. “That’s called patrimonial, apparently. My mum’s word. Means whatever your family does, it sticks to you.”

Praise thought about that for a moment. “Then I guess I’m stuck with my mum’s jollof recipe too. Whether I like it or not.”

That made Chloe laugh. It was short, a little watery, but it was a laugh. “That’s not the same thing.”

“No,” Praise said. “But it’s inheritance all the same. The good and the bad.” He kicked at a pebble on the ground. “My dad always says you can’t choose your family name. But you can choose what you add to it.”

Chloe didn’t answer right away. She liked that. It was different from the way Mr. Williams had said it, like a threat instead of a choice.

The guard who had been sleeping for long woke up, yawned loudly and stood up, stretching. “Una still dey here? Gate dey close proper now o.”

Charlotte had been staring at them from the principal’s office through the window with the curtain quarterly opened which she was peeping through. She was filled with hatred and jealousy. Immediately the guard woke up, she turned back and sat on one of the couches, filled with thoughts.

Praise picked up his bag. “We should go before he locks us in.”

Chloe stood up too, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She didn’t move toward the gate though. She stood there, looking at Praise.

“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked. “You don’t even know me. Yesterday was my first day talking to you.”

Praise met her eyes. He didn’t look away, and he didn’t laugh it off. “Because I saw you in Latin today. You explained question 4 to Fiyin without making him feel small. And because you didn’t cry in the principal’s office when the MD talked about your family.” He paused. “I don’t think I could have done that.”

Chloe felt something warm and uncomfortable spread across her chest. It wasn’t pity. It wasn’t admiration either. It was something quieter. Something that made her want to stand up a little straighter.

“I didn’t cry because I wasn’t going to give him that,” she said.

Praise nodded. “Good. Don’t.” He smiled then, just a little. “But you can cry at home. That’s allowed. Just not here.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, but she was smiling now too, properly this time. “You’re weird.”

“So are you,” Praise said, echoing what he’d say to her later that night on the phone. “See you tomorrow. I’ll save you a seat. Unless you want to sit alone and be miserable.”

Chloe grabbed her bag and started walking toward the gate. “I’m not miserable.”

“No?” Praise fell into step beside her, not too close, not too far. “Could’ve fooled me with that face you’ve been wearing since 8am.”

“I’ll be miserable if you don’t shut up,” Chloe shot back, and it sounded almost normal. Almost like the way she talked with her cousin when they are always fighting.

Praise grinned. “There it is again. That smile.”

Chloe stopped at the gate. The street outside was quieter now, the sun dipping low behind the buildings. She turned to face him.

“Don’t say it like that,” she said, but there was no real bite in it. “Like you’re keeping score.”

“I’m not,” Praise said. “I’m just… I like it. When you smile. It’s different from how you look in class.”

Chloe felt her face go hot. She blamed the sun.

“Goodnight, Praise!” she said quickly, stepping out onto the street.

“Goodnight, Chloe,” he replied. He didn’t move away right away. He just stood there, hands in his pockets, watching her until she was a few steps down the road.

Then he added, loud enough for her to hear but not loud enough for the guard: “And Chloe… see you by 7"

Chloe didn’t turn around. She just raised one hand in a small wave without looking back.

As she walked home, the weight in her chest felt lighter. The suspension still hung over her head. Charlotte would still be in class tomorrow, with that same smirk.

But for the first time since morning, Chloe wasn’t carrying it all by herself. And that, more than anything, was why she smiled.