I’m lying in bed with my legs crossed propped up on a pillow, my eyes closed and I’m going back in time to that day. The day time actually for me stood still. I had never felt more alone in my life. I was the youngest kid in the school surrounded by all these girls and from their looks I could see admiration change to something between fear, anger and bewilderment. I could read the questions in their eyes, ‘how could someone so small be able to cause so much harm and be so feared?’
I stood still and I still hadn’t said a single word. Where would I start? They wouldn’t believe me anyway! What would I say in my defence? I dint have powers! I knew that and I wasn’t a witch either! Though at that point I wished I was someone with super powers! It would have been so cool to have powers! Hypnotic powers to bend everyone to my will or a memory wipe so they would forget everything! Anything! My mind was running around in thoughts!
I stared at Chinenye! I gazed at her intently! I watched her and I was little amused at the tears and at the words that continuously poured from her lying lips being eaten up by the girls around her. I continued to look at her saying nothing doing nothing just standing there and looking at her. Slowly, very slowly my own fear and terror turned to rage and hatred. I was angry, very angry at her, at them all! I had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment! All I wanted was to have a life of my own! I dint want one created by someone! I continued looking at her thinking she was going to stop but things got worse!
The accusations came out vehemently; I was being accused of initiating a bunch of girls who happened to be day students so no one could find them! Then I was accused of stopping girls from going to church including her. She was catholic I was protestant, we didn’t go to the same church and I never missed a church service. Yet I stopped her from going to church? I was accused of killing her grandfather an Mbadiwe who died before I was born! On hearing this, I actually smirked! That was the most hilarious thing I had heard so far! I dint even know the man so she must have been joking. I had read a lot of books and I had a pretty good idea of how some of these stuff worked! My dad was a Deliverance Minister, a Reverend! I knew how it worked! I knew witches could only affect people when they are invited into the family. And invitation could only be done if a member of the family that was a witch invited them in. So even if I was a witch which I wasn’t there’s no way it would have been possible seeing we had just met in school. Off course I couldn’t tell them all that! How would it sound? How does it sound now? Besides they already took my smile the wrong way! It doesn’t always pay to be a know-it-all!
I had been standing close to 3 hours with all the hysteria around me, the gist had spread, so the group of girls had really increased and well you know bad news kinda spreads pretty fast! It wasn’t long before the whole school had heard! Seeing as the girls dint quite know what to do with the unfolding situation, they collectively decided that it was best to take us to the principal’s house.
After waiting a few minutes anxiously, we were told the principal wasn’t home! At this point they took us to the matron’s house; we waited for her to come out. Chinenye was still maintaining her story, I was still puzzled and when she was asked to face me she freaked and started crying again that she couldn’t look at my face that I was going to do lots of horrible things to her, that she wasn’t strong enough spiritually to face me. It was a little too much for me. I was hungry and tired! I told them all at that point that it was pointless. When they heard me speak everywhere became quiet!
You could hear a pin drop in the distance, the rustle in the trees from the soft evening breeze was so audible. The silence was like sweet music! I looked at them all, moving my gaze from one pair of eyes to another from one face to another and finally my gaze rested on Chinenye and I told her in hushed tones, ‘its enough!’ ‘I have heard enough!’ I told her, ‘Now would be a good time to tell the truth!’ she averted her gaze! I knew she was lying! She knew she was lying! What I really wanted to know was why she was doing it anyway! She said nothing! At this point the matron came out! The senior girl with us told her what had happened and Matron just laughed. She said, ‘you girls just like looking for attention! Go back to your hostels and forget about it, I’m sure Dvora is no witch and Chinenye is just making up these things!’
Well we dispersed and I hoped that everything would end there! I hoped that we would laugh it all like one big joke! I got back to the hostel picked up my plates and hurried to the dining hall as it was time for dinner! The dining hall was abuzz with what had happened! Those that hadn’t heard were being filled in by those that had heard. I heard whispers, ‘that’s the girl that is the witch!’ And warnings like, ‘be careful! I hear she is very powerful and dangerous!’ Phlease!
I tried to ignore it all and just sat on my table waiting for the food. As I sat down the girls around me moved away, giving me some distance. I said to myself, ‘Which Kain wahala be this na?’ I feigned not caring and just waited for the food. When the food came the girl dished for everyone avoiding my plate. I smiled again thinking, ‘Na wa!’ I took the spoon and dished my food! I prayed silently and I ate! Since I entered FGGC that probably was my longest meal ever. The hall was quiet! And I could feel the heat of the stares of all the girls boring holes into my back while I ate. Morsel after morsel of rice I swallowed, I noticed I was barely chewing just swallowing. Everywhere was quiet! The sound of plate to spoon was so loud. I finished eating and I stood up carrying my plate and left the hall. It seemed it was only then after I left the hall that everyone started eating! I could hear the buzz behind me so loud like bees in a hive. I shook my head and walked to the tap to rinse my cutleries! Normally we would have been a lot of girls chattering excitedly, complaining about the food and school the next day and we would rush back to the dorm. But here I was alone. A few girls had come out probably to check if I had gone back to the dormitory. I ignored them all and walked back. My heart was heavy and I was confused! I had no one to stand up for me! I still didn’t understand why Chinenye had said all those things! Why she insisted they were true! It was so confusing! It took a long time to get to quadrangle (my dorm) I was deep in thought! I got to my room, and climbed my bed! I lay down and finally I let the tears flow!
There are many things children have the strength to endure but false accusation wasn’t one of it. I couldn’t take it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I would have been facing a lot of girls I would have fought Chinenye for lying against me! I had to keep my cool! I lay down and my mind wandered around. Soon I could hear the girls coming in to the dorm! I pretended to be asleep! I dint want to be drawn into another argument or discussion and it will soon be lights out anyway! I heard the girls whisper about me! Saying all sorts! The things they said made me cry silently! I knew I had no one, no friend and I had to be strong! Sigh! It was going to be a long term! With these thoughts, I slept off!
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