The chapter begins with the principal of Stardom Schools walking onto the podium from the back of the assembly hall. His gait is unusual and this shocks the students. As he grabs the microphone from the chapel prefect, he attempts to speak, but no words come out. Instead, he begins to cry in front of the perplexed students. The vice principal, Mrs. Grace Apeh, steps forward and, after inquiring about the problem without receiving a response, instructs the Chemistry teacher, Mr. Justus Anabel, to conclude the assembly and dismiss the students to their classes.
Once the students leave, the vice principal, joined by the school nurse and other staff members, leads the principal, now referred to as Mr. Bepo, to his office. They continue to ask him what is wrong, but he continues to weep uncontrollably for over 30 minutes. Soon, rumours about the principal’s breakdown begin to circulate among some parents. As the Vice Principal’s phone starts ringing with calls of concern from the parents, she feels compelled to contact the Managing Director (MD), Mrs Ibidun Gloss, who is attending a function outside the school.
The day had not begun on this tearful note. Earlier, the school management had announced a reduction in boarding fees as a strategy to reduce lateness among students. The fees were lowered from ₦250,000 to ₦165,000 per session. This initiative encouraged 80% of parents to enrol their children in the boarding house and led most students to arrive as early as 7:45 a.m. for the morning assembly. Interestingly, the parents did not complain when the fee for "Excursion and Other Items" was increased by ₦93,000, though this became a topic of gossip among staff, especially Mr. Audu, the Fine Arts teacher who referred to the MD as "a witch and wizard rolled into one."
That morning’s assembly had followed the usual routine. That day, the sang the second stanza of the national anthem “Oh God of Creation, direct our noble cause…” as they usually did on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they had their normal Christian and Muslim prayers, along with the first stanza of the national anthem. After the anthem, an SSS1 student, Ikenna Egbu, was invited to deliver a speech about an excursion to Jos he had just participated in. His vivid description of Jos’s beauty and cool, inviting weather earned cheers and applause from the students.
Following Ikenna’s captivating speech, the students and staff expected the principal to commend him. Known for his 24 years of service, Mr Bepo was highly respected by his employers, parents and other stakeholders for his “ever-burning passion” to see his students “grow in all ramifications” and was expected to be on top of the world after this speech. They were all eager to hear something special from “the tall, light-skinned principal, nicknamed "The Lekki Headmaster" for his humorous imitations of characters from the old TV drama Village Headmaster during his time as headmaster of Stardom Kiddies. But, Mr. Bepo’s silence and distress left everyone stunned.
The MD promptly returned to the school after being informed of the situation. She was shocked, especially since the previous day, the school had celebrated an impressive 90% success rate in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Teachers had been rewarded with snacks, bottles of wine and ₦20,000 each for the SSS3 teachers. Those whose students scored distinctions in their subjects received ₦30,000. However, two teachers, Mr. Obong Ukake (Chemistry) and Miss Taye Kareem (Geography) were reprimanded because two students had scored Ds in their subjects.
The MD arrives at 9:30 a.m. and summons Mr. Bepo to her office to understand the issue. However, he remains unresponsive and begins to weep again. The MD invites Mr. Ope Wande, the Physics teacher, who is also a pastor, to speak with the principal. He stoops beside the principal and tries his best to find out what is wrong but after 10 minutes of gentle probing, he gives up. Pastor Wande suggests contacting Mrs. Bepo. Mr Bepo gives them his wife’s number which is an international number. They dial it but it does not go through.
The MD suggests sending the principal home, but Pastor Wande objects as he believes that leaving him alone in such a state might be unsafe. The MD, worried about the impact of this dramatic incident on the school’s reputation, decides that Mr. Bepo should be escorted home. She directs the school’s guidance counsellor to accompany him to ensure his safety and well-being.
