Dada, the devil wrestler, is dead!

Kenny felt she had escaped the troubles and crisis for the day as she helped her mum to dinner and looked forward to bed as her throbbing muscles craved rest and she strategised for the coming days in her head. But she knew it was the beginning of the rest of the day for her immediately she heard a rude knock on the front door, it must be a parent of one of the boys she dealt with, she thought to herself. It was a bigger surprise, Mr Dada was at the door!

Stepping into the living room she sighted 'the beast' with koboko and canes as if going for a masquerade show. Dressed in just her fluffy night wear, Kenny knew she had murdered sleep that night.

“Iwo, you think you can run away from my grip? Before you turn bad I will basterdise all your buttocks”

“Emi Charles O-o o layinka”, he stammered beating his chest. “Emi onamoloju iya e"

I just want to show you that evil has no hiding place with me. Egberun Saamu e ko le sa mo Olorun lowo. I will give you 25 strokes here on this centre table in the presence of your parents”

He quickly rearranged the centre table for the task and ordered the girl to lay flat on it as her parents watched in amazement.

Whip! Whap Whip! Whap!! whap!! the cane sang as each stroke made contact with her almost naked skin. Kenny tried to muffle the scream but Mr Dada was too adept in beating to miss the mark. After about 8 lashes she screamed in agony. Yeeeeeee! Mummmiiiii, yee, e gbami o! Aaaaaaaahhhh! Aye mi ti baje o!

“Don't worry, your life has not spoilt yet, but I'll spoil it for you if you dare come late to lesson tomorrow”

“Daddy, thank you. I must go now, I still have 4 other places to visit tonight. They are a group (stressing his last word) and I will show them that I Charles Olayinka will never condole any nonsense, over my dead body” he sauntered out the door as he barked order at his boys “Lanre, Tunde da? Oya let's go”

The news of the treatment melted on Kenny and her friends preceded them to school the next day, although no one was there, sighting the girls confirmed the story. Much as they try to fake the effect of the lashing they got the night before, their stepping betrayed them. None of them could sit comfortably in class. That was Mr. Dada for you, he wrestled the demon in every one of his students personally. He would never overlook the least act of deviance or rebellion.

Rumour had it that he was a black-belt karate fighter. I never get to ask him but seeing him fought the “Baba Cocoa boys” when his continuing education centre was at a primary school in Jabata, Oyo left me in no doubt. Alongside his friend, Broda Tunde, Mr. Tunde Owonikoko, they would fight and chase the boys out of the school premises. Mr Dada was fearless, bold and an excellent teacher. He literally opened our heads and poured integrated science into it.

Although a good teacher I would not have prayed to attend Mr. Dada's school if he had had one back then, for the fear of cane. He ran the Dynamic Continuing Education Centre, Oyo (DCECO0 with his friend. Theirs was a union made in heaven. Tunde Suulola was the one with business acumen, running the business aspect of the investment while Mr. Dada handled the pedagogy and discipline aspects, both were top-notch.

Mr. Dada taught Integrated Science at the junior secondary classes while Tunde Suulola taught Biology at the senior classes. The transition was smooth and it would be hard to attend DCECO from JSS to SSS3 and not pass Biology. They both made me love the sciences, especially Biology. Mr. Dada, as the pedagogical watch-dog could patrol the length and breadth of the school 50 times in a day, all between 3 and 6pm. Although with a squinted right eye, he was eagle-eyed.

Judging by his sight you could avoid or afford wrath. Those that knew his sight weakness always exploited it. While pointing at a defaulter or offender, be sure it wasn't you, if you judge by his sight you could think he was pointing at you rather than your classmate.

Woe betides you if Dada was around when a subject teacher pick a grouse with the class.

“Mr. Alao, they are making noise abi? Don't worry, you'll meet me as hard as a bullet, continue making the noise” In a space of 7 minutes he'ld be through with a class of about 30 students, two strokes of cane each.

No one would ever forget the bashing he gave Dare Akande and "Rocky". He caned them like he would kill them, we never knew he was wrestling the beast in them.

Mr Dada would beat you and ask your parents if you told them. "Se omo yin jise pe mo fi egba ba idi oun je?"

Exam period at the 'lesson' was much more fun and pressure than in school. If you could pass examination in DCECO you'll come out in flying colours in your school.

Mr. Dada shaped our lives greatly and seeing him after school was fun. As predicted or envisaged, his union with Tunde Sulola ended in catastrophe with the coming of women into their lives. Tunde went on to succeed as an educational businessman with fortune in external examinations and later a school. With the dwindling social value went the prospects of Mr.Dada as a strict disciplinarian and astute teacher.

If the liver ailment that killed him had come in person, I am very sure Broda Yinka would have wrestled it down. As death silenced his baritone voice of science teaching and quenched his thirst for quality education embroiled in discipline I wail in my soul, silently praying that his impact on our lives will be felt by those after us as we hope to keep his memories alive.

Rest on, my indefatigable teacher. If on your pilgrimage to yonder anyone raised doubt to your probity don't hesitate to come back to welcoming hands of loved ones.