BOMB

"are you okay? what do you..." the principal started but was dragged out of her office by Nancy.

"young lady stop this madness this instant!" the Principal chided, struggling against Nancy's grip as Nancy pulled her.

Nancy paid her no heed and instead pulled her faster.

Nancy could hear her heart pounding.

The principal stopped arguing and struggling when she found out how serious the young girl was.

Well it wouldn't hurt to know what she was up to, she thought.

She was surprised when the girls pulled her directly to her car.

"what is the meaning of this?" the principal questioned, puzzled by the girl's actions.

"this....this is what this means" Nancy replied, pointing at the spot the hooded man had placed the bomb, placing emphasis on each word.

The principal bent her head and followed her fingers, then he saw it.

She quickly scurried backwards, terror written all over his face.

" It's a bommmnb" she stammered.

"yes ma'am, it is a damn bomb and I think should better call the police. It this thing goes off, we'll be dead along with half of the entire school" Annie replied.

The principal's hand's shook really bad as she brought out her phone and dialed the police helpline.

In no time, the entire business was concluded and the principal was so greatful she took Nancy home.

"how did it happen my dear.... how did you discover the bomb?" she questioned as they drove.

Nancy explained everything to her and she gave an audible gasp.

The principal couldn't believe someone would try to kill her.

Well, it wasn't like she had any enemies she could think of,who would possibly want her dead she thought.

She glanced over at the girl who'd saved her life.

"What's your name" she asked suddenly.

"Nancy"

"I cannot thank you enough my dear....you saved my life and that of the entire students of the school the principal said"

"you will be granted a scholarship to Royal Hill high and a cash reward of 500,000 naira in addition.

Take this as a little token of appreciation from the school my dear... report to my office tomorrow morning to get registered" the principal said.

Nancy literally leaped in joy. Her heart was so merry.

She would have leaped up in joy physically if she wasn't in a car at the moment.

The principal produced a cheque of 500,000 naira and handed it to Nancy.

Nancy couldn't believe her eyes.

Never ever ever had she touched such an amount of money in her life. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she stared at the zeros.

Oh dear lord the many things she could do with this amount of money!

"ah thank you so much ma....May god bless you so very immensely" she gushed her thanks, feeling like she was going to run mad...oh how her fortunes were turning around.

After so many years she was finally returning to school and not just any school, one of the best in the country!

She felt her eyes moisten and before she knew it, the flood dam of her eyes released itself and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

She cried like a baby.

She couldn't stop thanking the woman.

The principal watched Nancy as she cried.

She couldn't help but wonder what her story was.

"There .... that's where I live...." Nancy said suddenly, pointing out a house.

The principal manoeuvred her car to the compound and stopped at the entrance.

"get your self ready my dear and always be a good girl" the principal said, hugging her shoulders.

"thank you so much for everything ma" Nancy said again before she leaped out of the car holding the cheque like gold.

She was approaching the house when she halted midway.

"shit" she'd forgotten her tray of oranges!

Oh well, she thought and smacked herself on the head.

How foolish of her! Here she was with a cheque of 500k that could buy times one hundred of the damn tray and oranges and her stupid brain was thinking about it.

Just as she placed her foot on the door mat and raised her hands to knock, the door flew open and her step mother stood right there, hands her left hand akimbo, a big fat whip on her right hand.

She'd stood up the moment the car drove in and she'd seen the car drop Nancy though she didn't get a view of who drove her home.

The girl didn't even bring anything home and where in the world was the tray and bag she left the house with?

She'd instantly reached for her whip.

On a regular day, she would have shivered and shrank back in fear at the sight of the damn thing, but today was no regular day.

She attempted to get in, but her step mother pushed her back outside.

"where do you think you're going little witch" she cursed.

"start explaining! and where are my oranges" she thundered, giving Nancy a death glare, looking at her from head to toe.

Nancy didn't cower today as she would have usually done, instead, she wore a bright smile.

"Today is the best day of my life!" she said excitedly to her stepmother, literally bouncing on her toes.

The woman glared at her like she was crazy.

Nancy held out her hands with the cheque.

The woman snatched it instantly.

The moment the greedy idiot laid eyes on the paper and the amount written on it, her countenance changed instantly.

She displayed her best blinding smile.

"Come inside my dear... how was your day... have you had lunch or dinner" Nancy's step mother said, beaming.

She'd quickly discarded the whip the moment she laid eyes on the cheque, forgetting about the tray and her precious oranges she valued more than a human being.

Nancy snorted inwardly.

Typical of her step mother. If it wasn't for the money, she'd be thrashing the daylight out of her with that whip at this moment, after which she'd proceed to starve her.

"so how did it happen" asked Nancy's step mother as she closed the door behind Nancy.

Nancy explained the events of the day before she added "I'm starting school tomorrow"

Her step mother's smile vanished instantly.

"if you begin school, who's going to sell my fruits?" she asked.

Nancy's heart sank.

Just what she'd feared...the wicked witch of the west was going to piss on her good luck.

She was going to ruin her chances of getting back to school.

Right this moment, she felt like cursing the god of luck ....well if there was one. Why would the arsehole bring such a fortune her way only to snatch it back.

Nancy fell on her knees and rolled on the floor wailing.

"Oh please please please .....I want to go.... please ma this is a once in a lifetime opportunity" she wailed.

Her stepmother was quiet for sometime as though she was in thought.

Then she said suddenly "you're free to go"

Nancy flew up the floor and grabbed her step mother's legs as she knelt and thanked her profusely.

"but I'll hold on to this money. Since you will no longer have time to hawk oranges, we need money for the bills and upkeep"

Nancy didn't mind....what was 500k compared to her dreams.

She'd known there'd be a catch the moment her step mother agreed to the arrangement... the woman didn't do things that would be of no benefit to her in someway.

The money was a little thing to sacrifice.

She'd actually expected something else in addition to it, but her stepmother loved money even more than humans.

She quickly got up and ran into her room, joy filling her heart immensely.

She would begin school! It was a dream come true!

She quickly discarded her clothes and ran into the bathroom.

She had her bath and sat down to a hearty lunch prepared by her step mother.

After her meal, she dragged out the bag of dirty laundry her step mother had already packed for her to deal with.

While she washed, she sang in happiness.

In no distant time,she was done and she visited the bathroom again for another round of scrubbing. She was treated to another delicious meal by her step mother who had already prepared the table before she got out of the bathroom.

The woman was being really nice...too nice that if Nancy hadn't handed her the cheque, Nancy would have felt the woman had something up her sleeves, probably she wanted to poison her.

She knew the woman was only being nice to her today, thanks to the cheque.

Though she wondered just how long the niceties would last.

She intended to fully enjoy it, even though temporarily, she didn't know how long it would last.

She finished her dinner and practically skipped towards her room.

She lay on her bed, thoughts of her first day at school filling her mind.

She drifted off to sleep.