When ₦500,000 had vanished from the school's safe Chinedu had already figured out who would be blamed for the money going missing.
And he was right.
At lunch time, half of the staff members were saying the same name.
Tobi.
The school cleaner.
The man that came first and left last.
The man who didn't like to look people in the eye and only spoke when it was necessary, a gentleman who was said to have been hard up in his finances recently.
One teacher remarked, "It must be him.
Someone else said, "Who else would've done it?
The principal called an emergency meeting.
Everyone was questioned.
All but Tobi appeared ready to fight to protect themselves.
Tobi just sat in a corner silently, looking at the ground.
It was strange that he was silent, making him appear guilty.
At least, that's their belief.
Three days later, he was suspended pending investigation.
No evidence.
No witnesses.
Just suspicion.
Chinedu wasn't very comfortable about it.
Not because he and Tobi were pals.
In fact, they hardly spoke.
There was, however, one thing that was not to be.
It was too tidy of a tale.
Too convenient.
One evening Chinedu was looking for old examination papers in the storage room when he saw a small metal locker that was left unlocked.
There were bundles of money inside.
He froze.
There was far more than ₦500,000.
Along with this money, there was a notebook as well.
He opened it up, because he was curious.
The pages were marked with names.
Dozens of names.
Each name was followed by a number.
He continued to read and he realized what he was reading.
Medical bills.
School fees.
Rent assistance.
Emergency loans.
For years, Tobi had been secretly assisting with the problems of struggling workers.
There is no theft of the money.
It belonged to him.
All naira entered in a register of accounts.
Every payment documented.
The following day, the true cause of the incident was found out.
A bursary officer had solicited money for personal payments.
The sum that was missing was never taken from the school premises.
But when it was revealed, everyone rejoiced.
Everyone except Tobi.
For although money had been retrieved, something else had been lost.
Trust.
The principal publicly apologized.
He was shaken by his teachers.
Things suddenly came back to them: all of the good things he had done.
However, Chinedu saw something different.
Now Tobi didn't smile anymore.
A week later, he resigned.
Before he leaves he gives Chinedu the notebook, "Why can't you give it to someone more deserving?" Chinedu asked.
Tobi smiled faintly.
"So you'll remember."
"Remember what?"
Tobi's gaze was directed at the school building.
“Sometimes people need no proof in order to know who you are.”
This is when he turned and left.
Chinedu recalled those words many years later.
The worst thing about suspicion, is that it asks questions.
It's that sometimes it convicts them before the truth comes.
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