Corruption Made a School Principal into a Refugee

By Samson Kamara

Moses was the acting principal of a Catholic High School for many years and he went to England for further studies. He came back after his studies to take up his former post, but the man he entrusted the school to and imposed him on the school and the governing body refused to give up the chair.

The man being an in-breed of the inner world of the Catholic Mission and his wife being the secretary general of the Catholic Womens league has become a bone in Moses throat. The Catholic Mission is now firmly behind their own man against Moses a liberal catholic.

Mr. Gabello has glued the mouth of every official with pregnant envelopes the cultural artifact and blood cancer in the country while Moses was away.

Moses comes back and every door is now firmly closed before him, bribery has taken its toll.

Moses returned to England to become a refugee but back in England, he is again overwhelmed by a succession of disappointments that never seem to come to an end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9781450295284

Samson Kamara

This book is about corruption and how it contributed to reducing the life of a happy forward looking man in charge of a school to a common refugee in England. Moses has had a rough childhood, and he never enjoyed his childhood. Amid his unhappy childhood, he has always dreamt of a happy adulthood. He had double promotion twice in the elementary school and went to high school one year ahead of his time because he past the high school entrance exam one year in advance. In the high school he never fell below the eighth position in a class of fifty. He graduated with his first degree from the local University. Moses went to England and he studied in five Universities and he graduated with two postgraduate diplomas, two masters degrees and two college certificates. He taught in Birmingham and then emigrated to the U.S. and he has been teaching science in Providence, Rhode Island since 1997.

Book preview

Part One

CHAPTER ONE

It was Christmas day, Saybom got up drunk and confused. He hardly knew what was going on around him. He staggered towards the toilet holding unto the door panel. He came out of the toilet still looking like someone waking up with a start from a deep sleep he could not remember that it was indeed Christmas day. He walked up to the window and pulled the window curtain, he was greeted by the still atmosphere, the gentle breeze rocking the tree branches.

The still atmosphere was occasionally interrupted by zooming cars and the songs of wild birds in the rubber trees. Saybom looked round, his eyes fell on the boxes near the door he then remembered that he was going home and he has to catch a bus to LONDON COACH STATION and then walk up to Victoria train station. He staggered back into the toilet, brushed his teeth and he had a quick wash and tidied himself up. He walked back into the room to dressed up in a hurry, walked up to the mirror to look at himself.

Oh gush I have not washed my mouth he thought." He quickly goggled two handful of water from the tap and he emptied his mouth into the sink, he then glanced at the mirror above the sink. His eyes looked red and dull looking like a drunkard returning from the pub. He raised his left hand to open his eye lids, and watch the reflection on his half closed eye on the mirror.

He quickly looked at the time on the clock ticking away on the wall. "Oh gush; it’s already nine o’clock in the morning. I need to catch the bus to the city. I will catch the ten o’clock coach to London he told himself. He then called the taxi to take him to the coach station rather than catch a bus. The taxi came quickly enough. Today is Christmas day and so you pay twice the normal rate the driver told him as he opened the booth to load the boxes.

The taxi pulled up out side Digbeth coach station. "I got here a bit early; the coach will not leave for another half hour. He dragged his luggages from the taxi into the waiting room.

The big hall was now full of passengers and all the seats were occupied. Saybom looked round for an empty space but all were occupied with luggages scattered all over the place. It does not look like Christmas day because there are too many people travelling he said to himself.

Its 10.15, I should be joining the queue outside for London Victoria he told himself. He took the luggages, walked through the double glass doors and joined the queue at stand D. The buses were all ready to move, passengers were rushing into their buses as the bus routes were announced on the intercom. Saybom got on the bus and as he sat down, anxiety seemed to take over his imagination about his job back home his who was not expecting him at that time. What awaits his arrival at the school, the town and the gossip around the town when he got back to the school and what the acting Principal will like to do. May be he will want to go back to his former school or work under me, God alone knows what awaits me he told himself and then he dosed off.

Saybom woke up, as the coach pulled up into the terminal at Victoria coach station in London. He alighted from the coach, and watched the coach driver pulled out the luggages. These are yours I guess the driver said to him. The driver was in his mid thirties he has blue shirt uniform and brown old trousers (pants), but neatly combed hair.

Saybom nodded twice, he took the hand bag hung it on his left shoulder, he then took the big bag and moved on. You are going to the train station I guess. You will need energy pills to carry these over. He banged the door closed and walked away. Saybom looked at the luggages and realized that they are very heavy indeed. How am I going to get these to Victoria train station, a seemingly long walking distance from here? Its not actually that far from here, but with these heavy loads it seemed like walking more than a mile he wondered.

Saybom moved on after he transferred the hand bag, from his left shoulder to the right, and then balanced the two big boxes in both arms. He walked clumsily out of the coach station dragging the two heavy boxes along. The blue bag weighted on his right shoulder like a ton of bricks. The suite cases were pulling down the muscles of his hands and over stretching the tension cords in both hands. He stopped at the traffic light a couple of yards from the coach station. He let go the suite cases, transferred the blue bag on the left shoulder again, while waiting for the traffic lights. He was already sweating profusely and out of breath. His white shirt was wet with sweat and sticking on his body.

Saybom was out of breath when he entered the Victoria train station and he was breathing heavily as he got to the ticket window. One way to Gatwick he said in a faint and tired voice. He cleaned his face with his right sleeve, got his ticket, he then took his bag and boxes and hurried to the trains.

He hurried to catch the train which has been given the signal to move. He ran clumsily with the heavy loads, bops, the handle of the box broke loose. The bag on his shoulder fell, he ran back to get it. I will give you a hand the black guard standing by him said. The station guard in his forties hurried to help Saybom. He picked up the box took it into the luggage compartment on the side of the coach inside the train. This is pretty heavy he said as he led Saybom through into the coach. You are very strong to carry these three luggages together. You are going back to Africa? he asked. I am going on holidays Saybom replied.

Saybom was still gaining his breath and tried to clean the sweat still trickling down his face with his sleeves when he heard a voice behind him shouting his name.

He turned round Hey Joe, you are going out as well? Saybom asked in a tired voice.

No, I am meeting my wife from Zimbabwe Joe replied.

Oh, well you are alright for the winter man. A human blanket is quite good for this time of the year Saybom told him. Joe will have to move from the hostels next to the campus and join the married men in their out post which is a long way from the University when his wife arrives Saybom thought.

Well, I have been working towards it since I came here four months ago. I promised my wife that I was going to save my first term allowance and buy her a ticket to come over and join me.

When is she arriving? Saybom asked. He put his bag down from his shoulder. Can you do me a favor, just look after these bags for me. Its my hand luggage. He put it besides Joe.

Joe took it to bring it closer to him. Oh my God, this is too heavy for hand luggage my friend. It will break my back he told Saybom in a sarcastic voice.

Saybom looked at him with inquisitive looks. I carried it from the coach station to here, he said in a deep scornful voice.

Is this what you will show as hand luggage? Joe asked.

I will show this one and my brown portfolio. He left with angry looks and closed the door forcefully behind him.

Saybom came back a few minutes later. Thank you very much he said to Joe, as the trained slowed down.

The train finally pulled up at the station. Saybom alighted, he looked round, and then at his watch. Well, I am a bit early. The plane will take off at 11.45 p.m. I have two hours to cool down. A cold drink will be able to get rid of the sweat off my body he told himself. He pushed the trolley into the pub parked it in a safe corner and went to get a glass of Skol.

Saybom emerged an hour later from the pub, pushing the trolley with more vigor. Ah, I feel alright now and refreshed, the cold drinks have done the trick.

He walked towards the reporting desk. He walked on with high spirit, oblivious of everything around him, the fast movement of people in all directions, the intermittent intercom announcements, not even the free duty store on either side of the large concourse building attracted his attention. He walked on Hello Saybom shouted Edward and old friend and college mate who came one year before Saybom. You are going home today? he asked. You have a lot of excess baggage there. You know that he told Saybom in a sarcastic voice.

Saybom looked at his luggages closely. "I have no money for excess baggage. I needed every penny to spend out there. Where am I? he asked himself. He stood and looked at the queues to the British Airways checking in desks. That one in the far end has only four passengers in the queue. He pushed himself through the crowds of passengers and relatives with his baggages. He has only a short waiting time and he received his boarding card and walked away with the carry on bag.

It was time to take the long walk to the security check points. he went through without wasting time. The long walk to the aircraft brought home some of the problems he was anticipating on his arrival in Sierra Leone. Those hungry mouths and empty pockets are all waiting for his allowance he brought home to spend on himself and his children. I am definitely going to be a scrooge he said aloud and he realized that he was walking with lots of people, he looked round to see if anyone heard him. Oh well I am talking to myself and it is nobody’s business he said to himself and he continued walking.

Saybom walked passed the hostess at the entrance to the plane cabin without returning the ladies smiles. That is too heavy to put in the cabin the hostess in her thirties told him. Can I take it off you and put it in the luggage compartment, she stretched her right hand to take the bag from his shoulder. It would not go into the over head cabinet she told him.

We will put it in that corner said the other hostess, pointing to an empty space in the smoking cabin.

Remember to pick it up on your way out. After handing the bag to the hostess he was led by another hostess to his seat.

He walked behind the hostess searching for his seat 33A. He looked round before sitting down, the cabin looked half empty he said to himself. Saybom