I woke up to complete silence in the room, I lay still in bed while my thoughts ran a summary of the events of the previous day and tears flowed down my face! It wasn’t fair! I hadn’t done anything to deserve these malicious lies that had been told against me! I got up and looked around, there was no one! That was odd! Normally the hustle and bustle associated with Monday mornings were at its loudest! There were usually girls booking turns to have their bath in the bathrooms and some bathing outside. Girls who dint have water would beg from those that did have promising to fetch it back when they came back. Seniors barking out orders and beds being hurriedly made, girls dressing up for classes, and rushing to catch breakfast before classes started! I checked my wristwatch! No wonder! It was a few minutes after 8! I had overslept! Normally girls who wake up earlier wake the others that didn’t hear the wake up bell! So it was pretty weird to wake up to total silence. It was already bright! Dang! Those girls took those witchy accusations pretty seriously! So serious they totally ignored me! Left me alone and now I overslept! Psheeeww!
I stuck my hands under my pillow and located my glass case, took out my glasses and wore them. Couldn’t see anything without them! Then I scurried down from the bed (top bunk) stepping on my bunkmate’s locker which was beside the bed and jumped down. I looked under my bed for my water. I had taken time to fetch them the day before just after lunch! To my horror I couldn’t find my bucket or my plastic container. My mum had taken time to inscribe my name on them so they would be easy to find if they were ever stolen! As dem fear me reach! Dem no fear to kpake my water! Dem no fear say juju or witchcraft fit dey inside the water! Pschhew! Well someone in this dorm will have to have water that I will use to have my bath this morning! I started searching from bed to bed! I found my bucket a couple of rows down and off course it was empty! Not long after I found a bucket of water! I turned it into my bucket and on my way back I found my keg at some senior’s corner and thank God there still was some drinking water in it. I carried it!
I hurriedly had my bath, dressed up in my light blue shirt and navy blue pinafore, brushed my teeth and took off to class! I had missed breakfast so I will have to do with lunch! I then headed straight to the JSS block. Thankfully on my way to class no seniors or teachers stopped me. I got to class, thankfully again the teacher for the second period was late! Integrated Science! As I stepped into the classroom! The loud chatter I had heard from outside became silence! Sigh! Those who were aware of what had happened the previous day were updating those who didn’t. And somehow along the line the story got even more contorted. Now I had learnt that during the confrontation I had uttered some sort of incantations which had thrown Chinenye into a fit! I said nothing! Chinenye’s younger cousin was in my class so she was giving them her version of the story, I wasn’t shocked, we had never seen eye to eye about anything! The students with their seats close to mine had shifted their desks to give me as much space as could possibly be allowed. our teacher wasn’t going to show up so I opened my desk and brought out one of our literature textbooks ‘as you like it’ by Shakespeare and started reading!
Soon enough i could see from a corner of my eyes that other girls from our block where coming to peep and stare at me through the windows! It seemed everyone was waiting for something! Probably for me to vanish or explode or fight or just something to fuel the gossip! At the thought i smiled sadly, i really dint have the energy for any more confrontation! I had lost all my friends in the twinkle of an eye! I was hungry! Visiting day was still 3wks away! I just wanted to be left alone!
We went through the remaining of the classes without any unnecessary excitement! During English class, we were told we would be having an out of school drama act! I signed up! I couldn’t care less! Somehow I had to bring back some sort of normalcy to my life! Classes ended! I rushed back to my room and then headed for lunch room! I was early but I just couldn’t sit in the room and stare at those staring at me! I entered the lost and found/laundry room; it is close to the lunch room! I had met the nice but a bit elderly laundry man! We chatted a while, I looked around and soon after I heard the lunch bell ring! I left the laundry room and entered the lunch room! Since I was early I went to the kitchen to carry the pot for our table! On getting to the table, half of the girls ran! Table for 8 had now become table for 3! I dished my food and sat down waiting for the prayers to start so we could eat. I totally ignored every other person in the room! I kept my head low and avoided everyone’s gaze! I just wanted to eat and go! I could make out conversations around me and kept on hearing my name and witch in the same sentence. I sighed! It was going to be another long day!
After prayers! I hurriedly gobbled my food and headed straight for the tap to wash my plate and then to the dorm! I got to the dorm took my bucket to the tap to fetch water! I was just trying to be busy till prep time when we would have to go and read! As i got back to the room, my bunkmate howbeit reluctantly told me that some seniors in Greenhouse had sent for me. I told her thanks but i wasn’t planning to answer anybody just yet. I climbed my bed and decided to take a nap till prep time.
I heard the bell for prep go! I heard the girls start leaving the room! I counted slowly to 50 hoping that most girls would be well on their way before I left. I knew if I was caught in the room while others were at prep I would be punished! As I heard them leave I got up, jumped down and took off to prep! I could see the girls huddled together in front of me no doubt still talking about me! It was so painful! I kept on asking myself, ‘why me! Why me! What did I do?’ as soon as I got to class! I started on my assignments, and then I continued reading my novel!
I was pretty engrossed in the book and oblivious to the going-ons around me! We had a senior monitoring us so there was a limit to the noise that could be made except she wasn’t around. Not long after the same seniors from green house again sent for me to come to the SS2 block! And this time I couldn’t avoid it! I put my books away in my desk and followed the JSS 3 girl they had sent to call me. They had asked her to make sure I followed her back! It was already about 6pm and it was the period of longer nights and shorter days so it was already getting dark. I got to the class and waited outside the door! No junior girl was allowed to enter a senior girl’s class without first being asked to come in. I waited by the entrance while the JSS 3 girl went in and told them she had brought me and then she was dismissed! She came out and left! I was still standing there! I could see into the class as it was brightly lit. I hated seniors! Their wahala was too much joo! After waiting endlessly! I heard someone (one of the girls) say in a loud voice, ‘Jump in!’ when they ask you to jump! You jump! So I jumped in! And the lights went out! Total black out! Kai!
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