Manjenje returned to the lineup, and he wasn't alone—he came with another teacher, known for being just as strict as him. Both of them carried more than one stick in their hands and stormed the front of the lineup like pirates boarding a ship. When they arrived, the prefect was ordered to sit aside, and then the teachers started speaking sharply about student discipline.
The other teacher spoke with the most anger, making many students start to fear, knowing fully well that serious trouble was about to hit anyone in that line. The sticks alone meant everyone could be punished, but instead, Rama was called to come forward immediately. He obeyed without protest and began inspecting the students one by one.
"When we talk about discipline for all students, it must be respected. Teachers here are like second parents; they take on your parent's responsibilities while you're at school. Stand still there, boy. You can't be disrespectful to your teacher when he calls you—be ready to answer," the teacher who came with Manjenje said fiercely, clearly ready to hit him.
"Please, forgive me, teachers. I haven't defied anyone, and I haven't been disrespectful to any teacher. I won't grab anything, and I won't allow myself to be beaten here—I haven't done anything wrong," Rama said quietly.
"So you're arguing with your teacher, fool!" The teacher, unaware why Manjenje stayed behind and let him go first, ended up raising a heavy stick and striking Rama in the shoulder because he refused to hold his stick down to be hit.
Rama, like someone possessed, stepped forward just one pace and then threw a strong punch that landed squarely on the teacher's nose, knocking him down like a sack of potatoes. He wanted to follow up with a second strike, but another teacher, who was his close friend, arrived at the lineup and quickly grabbed him, pulling him back. He held him and said, "Rama, stop. What you did wasn't right, and what you want to do next isn't right either."
After that incident, Manjenje stepped back about five paces after seeing his colleague fall like a weight, blood coming from his nose. It was a major disaster at school, and even the teachers in the offices had come over—including the headteacher and others—witnessing the colleague on the ground, with no energy left to strike him further.
Rama obeyed the teacher and caused no more trouble, staying silent while being prevented from stepping forward. His protector placed him behind so no other teacher would come out and try to punish him, because that would have been double trouble. He knew the boy well enough when it came to being wronged.
The whole school atmosphere became tense. A senior student had to be restrained from landing a heavy strike that could have knocked down a teacher. Students were immediately told to go into classrooms quickly, despite the usual morning advice not having been given.
Due to the severity of the situation, the headteacher ordered that the teacher be treated first. Rama and Manjenje were also called to the office immediately. It wasn't an easy matter; even he felt something serious was going on because the boy had no bad record. Despite seeming like a troublemaker, he had very good academic progress and discipline. He was praised by many teachers for that, and then it became astonishing to hear that he had hit a teacher.
---
"You, Rama, I didn't expect him to do that—hit a teacher like that in front of people," Monica said, sitting with her friends discussing the matter.
"I actually felt sorry for him—I knew he was going to get a lot of stick. But what he did… I've never seen him hit anyone like that before," Frida added.
"You just don't know Rama. That guy—just showing up is enough; if there were hooligans causing trouble, they would leave. He's usually calm, but if provoked, watch out. And be careful not to pick a fight with him," another girl chimed in.
When Rahima heard this, she rushed to add, "Guys, I still haven't forgotten. Back in form one, hooligans from our neighborhood went to his place to cause trouble and destroyed the front gate. What happened? He showed up himself, carrying a chain, beat the whole gang badly. One guy who got caught up in it—an boda boda driver at a daladala station—still has a big scar on his arm. That was Rama."
Many who heard that were left scared, since few had known Rama could take such action. Monica and Frida covered their mouths in shock.
"Wow! So don't think he's just gentle—I'm starting to fear him," Monica said.
"Don't be scared, Monica, until you provoke him; otherwise, he's fine, and you'll see he's just a friend," Siyawezi tried to reassure, after letting the others talk for a bit.
"But guys, this is a serious case. He could be suspended and told to come with a parent. Once he goes home, that's where the real problems start," Monica said, making Frida laugh. She added, "Seriously, friend, don't even say it—his aunt and Rama are a serious pair. You think he'd easily agree to just show up at school and side with the teachers?"
---
Angry, Rama was called to appear before the teachers, standing in the headteacher's office. Three senior teachers were there—the head himself, his assistant, and Manjenje. He stood before them while the others sat, eyes on him, aware of the serious trouble he had just caused.
"Ramadhani, you've been a very good student here. You're a great example to your peers academically, and your national exam results have brought us great respect. Since you came here, I've never heard of you being brought in for a serious offense, despite rumors about you being a tough guy in the neighborhood. Why have you done this?" the headteacher asked, pausing to let him respond. Rama had his hand on his shoulder where he had been struck by the teacher.
Hearing this, he explained, "First, I want to apologize for what I did. I know he's my teacher and my senior; I shouldn't have done that. But because of the circumstances, I had to. I've never been disrespectful or refused to honor any teacher here—I respect all of them. But this teacher wasn't the reason I was brought forward; I was accused of something I didn't do. When I refused to be beaten and said I didn't do it, he ended up striking my shoulder. My shoulder was seriously injured, and I've been in pain since. That's why I acted as I did. Honestly, it was a mistake, but even the teacher acted wrongly—there was no fairness."
After finishing, he continued complaining, feeling sharp pain. He kept his hand there while standing, and soon he let out a loud cry of pain as blood suddenly appeared on his shoulder. The interview ended right there.