CHAPTER EIGHT: UNVEILING THE TRUTH

Mr. Keith, having learnt about Jamie's rustication, felt a surge of urgency and concern. There was no way he was going to let Jamie get rusticated. When he learnt that Lucas's parents had accused Jamie, he became furious because they potentially wanted to damage Jamie's future. He made a mental note to tell Mark Hankins about that so he can personally deal with them but right now, he was going to deal with the matter at hand

Without wasting another movement, Mr. Keith picked up the phone and dialed the university's president, Mr. Wiebe Hill. The phone rang several times before Mr. Hill answered, his voice calm and steady, showing no hint of the turmoil that Mr. Keith was feeling.

“Mr. Keith, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Mr. Hill's tone was polite but there was a hint that showed that this would be a serious matter because Mr. Keith wasn't one to call to just say hi.

“Mr. Hill, it's about a boy in the university you govern,” Mr. Keith began, his voice steady despite the troubles inside him. “I've just been informed that Jamie has been rusticated, and it's because of the accusations from Lucas's parents, the Boswells, which are quite severe. I believe we need to address this matter urgently. Jamie's future is at stake, and I fear that a hasty decision might have long-term repercussions.

Mr. Hill's expression turned serious. “Jamie rusticated? I wasn't aware of that and it's unlike you, Mr. Keith to involve yourself in other people's matters. Who is this boy to you?” Mr. Hill asked.

“Wouldn't you want to know?” Mr. Keith asked, chuckling a little. “All I can tell you is that Jamie is the son of a prominent figure. He is really powerful and wouldn't want to be messed with. If he finds out about this, both your school and the Boswells would go down,” Mr. Keith advised.

Mr. Hill paused for a moment, absorbing the gravity of Mr. Keith's words. “I see. This is indeed serious. Let me take this up with chancellor Cole Blair, who oversees Jamie's campus. I wasn't aware of Jamie's status at the University. I will call him right away to discuss the situation and see how we can resolve it.

With that, Mr. Hill dialed chancellor Cole Blair's number. The phone rang a few times before the Chancellor's deep voice answered.

“Mr. Hill, what's the urgency?” Chancellor Blair's tone was authoritative, yet there was a hint of curiosity about what could prompt such an immediate call.

“Chancellor Blair, we have a serious situation with Jamie,” Mr. Hill said, cutting to the chase. “Jamie has been rusticated by you following the accusations from Lucas's parents, the Boswells. I wasn't aware of Jamie's situation before this call. We need to review the circumstances surrounding this decision and ensure that it is handled with fairness,” Mr. Hill said but there was silence at the end of the line.

“Are you there, chancellor Blair?” He asked.

“Yes, I am, Mr. Hill. How did you know about Jamie's case because I didn't inform you about it,” chancellor Blair's demeanor changed instantly.

“It doesn't matter. I want you to reinstate that boy back. I know you did that because of your closeness and loyalty to the Boswells but the situation is out of our hands,” Mr. Hill said as chancellor Blair scoffed.

“Mr. Hill, you're forgetting this is the Boswells we're talking about. That kid insulted and offended them. It is unacceptable. Remember we can't afford to upset the Boswells. They've put in a lot of money into the university,” chancellor Blair said.

“I am aware of that. I'll be coming to school tomorrow. We can sit and talk about it properly,” and with that Mr. Hill ended the call.

“I hope Mr. Hill is not planning to do what I think he wants to do. We can't offend the Boswells for a street urchin,” chancellor Blair said to himself.