We know our parents have different opinions about what schools to put us in when we are approaching our teenage years especially as regards to secondary schools for different reasons. Some say they must be private schools, some say government school. Some say mixed schools some say single gendered school (I mean either an all boys or all girls school) whatever the reason I believe it is usually for good.
Nevertheless, I say put your kids in a mixed school! Why? well when u get a bunch of girls or boys together they tend to be more mischievous since they do not have the distraction usually gotten from being or hanging around with the opposite sex which is socially very healthy (that’s strictly my view!).
But let me explain!
It was one of those nice sunny Sundays, we had come back from service, we already had breakfast and lunch and we were just generally chilling! Some of us that like to sleep like me were taking naps peacefully and others that don’t were grouping together and sharing stories or general gist.
In one corner not so far away from mine a JSS2 girl was being accosted by our seniors as usual, she was being asked to explain her reasons for not going to church that Sunday! She was a tall (for her age then) fair skinned girl with short curly hair. She had a perfect shape and she was of a privileged background! In other words her Papa hold enof pepper mehn! Her name was and still is Chinenye Mbadiwe!
Pause! You might be wondering why I mentioned her name since I have deliberately avoided mentioning any others even mine at first. Well it is because this entire preamble is just so we can get to this point! Pay close attention because inasmuch as this story started about twenty years ago, the story still has not quite gotten to its end!
On a different day and time! Our paths probably may never have crossed and if it were in a mixed school, she will probably be busy receiving or rejecting love advances from one boy or another. Unfortunately her parents like mine thought that a mixed school was a no-no and therefore sent her to an all girls’ school.
Nevertheless on this said day! When asked why she didn’t go to church, she replied that her reason for not going to church was me! Yes! Me! Me! Debbie Debora D'vorah Amarachukwu Nwa ANAGA (daughter of Sam Anaga)
Yes! Yes! I know! Another name! But offcourse it is MY story! I get to be the actor na!
Anyway where was I? Ah yes! She said I was the reason she didn’t go to church that Sunday! Now it is important to note that our paths till that day had not crossed! I mean I knew her younger cousin who happened to share the same room with me before I moved hostels and we were in the same class but she had her clique of friends and I had mine.
How did I get from my beautiful life to being the reason for someone who was of the catholic faith not go to church! And she gave her reasons. She said as I remember vividly like it was just yesterday that her bible had been seized and she had been given specific instructions not to go to church or any other Christian gathering by me! She also said that she had been initiated into a coven a few days ago and she had been having meetings at night at some uncompleted building and that the person responsible for it all was me! Yes me! Small me!
Well it was a girls’ ONLY school! How else do u expect a bunch of very idle girls to behave?!
I was in my world, on my bed napping away and dreaming of spaghetti and meatballs (my favourite food at the time) and what a rude awakening! I felt a bizillion hands on my body waking and shaking me up! I dint even stand a chance! They should try it now! Anyways they jacked me up and escorted me howbeit rudely to my accuser!
I was still in shock and had not been brought up to date yet! So I stood perplexed wondering what the reason was for the excitement and sudden flurry of activities. I stood in front of Chinenye and the words I heard coming from her mouth were, “yes she is the one! She told me not to go to church! She seized my bible! She is our leader and she initiated us! I was so shocked I burst out laughing! That was an April fool’s joke though it wasn’t April! She had to be kidding! Me a witch?! How now? She should just stop! These were my thoughts amidst my uncontrollable laughter! The reaction I however got stunned me! I was still looking at Chinenye waiting for her to say it’s all a joke when the girl burst into tears! See serious crying! No! (Wrong choice of word) WEEPING and screaming! Then she said, "I can’t look at her face! She will kill me! I can’t look at her face! I am scared! Please don’t make me look at her! I am scared so scared! She is too powerful! She will do terrible things to me, to us! Please take me away from her!"
Okaaaaaay?! So no joke! She was either a very good actress or she actually believed what she was saying and it was no longer funny! I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable so I stopped laughing! She was being consoled and protected like seriously! This was ridiculous! It had to be some sort of joke but the looks I was beginning to get were scary! They actually believed her, I was stunned, and I had not uttered one word to my defence. How could I? Where would I start from? What would I say? First I was junior so I wasn’t even allowed to speak unless asked too then secondly I had just been accused? Where would I start from? I still couldn’t believe it! I looked around me and I swear if it wasn’t that those girls were scared to death they probably would have beaten or stoned me to my death! I was in shock! Sleep commot from my eyes sharp sharp! My mouth was dry and I could feel all the hairs on my body standing! I was terrified! No one but me noticed this and how could they? I had been tagged; I had just been accused of being not just a witch but a broom/plantain/groundnut shell flying, night meeting, bible seizing, hypnotizing 75-year old witch, and the leader or head of the coven! with POWERS all in the body of a small 9 year old JSS1 girl!
When things go bad sometimes they go very bad! My life took a turn for the worst! It was the moment I am still struggling to forget!
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