My own side of the story (pt7)

As if the things already happening in my life were not bad enough! Haba! Which kain winch wahala be all dis eh! I was as surprised as they all were! I wasn’t expecting it and they were all acting like I took the light, I was a bit confused and I didn’t really know what to do, I was having so much rotten luck recently and truthfully I dint need any more controversial coincidences! I stood in front of the class in the dark waiting for all mighty NEPA to bring the light or for the school generator to come on, whichever came first. It was taking a bit longer than usual; I could hear the girls whispering amongst themselves wondering if the rumours that had been spreading were indeed facts! I stood there in front of the class wondering what sort of interrogations I would be getting and I was half hoping that I won’t be given any unnecessary punishments or asked any witchy questions though I was quite sure that was the precise reason I had been summoned. I sighed! My life was just getting more and more complicated! It seemed minutes had passed by and still no lights and then out of nowhere I heard someone in the dark say, ‘jump out!’ I knew she was referring to me but I wasn’t sure what to do or say so I just stepped out of the classroom. It was dark and no one would know if I jumped or not; besides it won’t make any difference.

If the first incidence with the light was a coincidence well this time fate had it in for me because as soon as I stepped out, whether it was NEPA that brought back the light or the generators had finally kicked in, all I knew was that I stepped out of the classroom and voila! The lights came back on! I didn’t really care for coincidences but I didn’t want to find out what those girls would do to me! As soon as I saw they were distracted by the amazing occurrences of a stupid coincidence, I took off as fast as my legs would carry me! I could hear them shouting at me! Calling me all sorts of names! Why did things have to go from bad to worse for me!

I ran half way and then I started walking to the dining hall area! It would soon be time for dinner! In the distance I could hear the bell signalling the end of prep time! Sigh! Here I was hoping that the whole witch thingy would just about die off instead it was just getting worse! I felt like screaming and shouting and killing someone! I was just so frustrated! Why me of all people?! It had been just a little more than 24 hours since I was first accused of witchcraft and my whole life had just about changed! I hated Chinenye even more; I hated her with every fibre in my being! I hated them all! My mum would say hate was a strong word but I dint care I hated them all and her especially! She was evil! I wished for all the horribly bad things to happen to her, I wished she’d drop dead! I wished she’d choke on her food! I wished she’d fall sick and die, I wished she not wake up ever again! But above all I wished she would just open up and tell people that it was all a lie! I wished in vain! And I didn’t have supernatural powers so I couldn’t do anything to her either! I cried and cried! I wished I was home where I was safe with my family and my real friends! Where my biggest offence was sleeping too much! I hid, crouched in one of the dark corners near the hall! Thank God for the cover of night!

I calmed down wiping the tears from my eyes and then the bell went off again this time signalling dinner time! I dint know if I should wait for the girls to come or I should go in first! I wasn’t sure if I should sit down or go to the kitchen and get the food for my table! I wasn’t sure of anything; I could hear my heartbeat in my head! I was terrified, so much so I was willing to just forget the food and go to the hostel! Then I heard the rumble in my belly and that was the decider! Ahh dang it! I was hungry and I wanted to eat.

I watched the girls come in and some head for the kitchen! I watched my table which was visible from the door. I counted 6 girls at the table, and then 2 of them stood up and went to the kitchen. I entered the dining hall and went straight to the table! I avoided the eyes of every girl in the room. I tried to sit down at the table but the girls covered all the available spaces with hands and legs and they didn’t let me sit! I went around to the other side of the table and they blocked it too. I looked around for any other table that had space so I could seat, but whichever table I went to the girls at that table would block me from sitting. The 2 girls followed by a number of girls from the kitchen came back to the dining room with the food! They smell of the food made my tummy growl! They dropped the food on the table, I stood there now confused. I walked back to my table and the girls at my table told me in very clear words that I could not eat with them, that no girl wanted to eat with a witch. I told them I wasn’t a witch and that was all some made up story, I insisted that I had every right to sit and eat or at least take my fair share of the food but they refused!

I noticed that some girls started to join my tablemates! I couldn’t face them all! So I started moving backwards towards the door slowly! I was so hungry, I pleaded with them to please let me take some food but they refused! One SS1 girl came and took my plate and cup from my hands and threw them outside! She said I had no right being in the hall with them! I had kept on working backwards and soon I felt a drift of cold air on my legs so I knew I was almost at the doorway. I looked at the face of the girls; there could easily have been 30 – 40 girls standing menacingly in front of me walking towards me and I was really scared of being lynched. I could hear the growl in my tummy but my heartbeat was a lot faster and louder because I was very afraid!

I took another step backwards and miscalculated and stumbled and fell backwards, I hit the floor with a loud thud! The girls laughed at me and happily went in to eat! I picked myself up gingerly, looked into the dining room with longing but I didn’t have the liver to enter. I turned and started to look for my plate and cup that had been flung out! My Mum will kill me if I lost them! I started crying while searching for them. It was difficult to find because it was dark! I looked and looked everywhere! I was soo hungry, My glasses were wet from tears and my sights were blurry but I kept looking until finally I found my plate I picked it up, washed it and then headed for the dorm! I told myself I would come the next day when it was bright to search for my cup!

I walked back to the dorm and by this time I was crying so hard! I don’t remember if it was from not eating or not being allowed to eat! But I cried. The only other place I could go to for free food was the Matron’s house but it was already too late so I just had to bear it besides there was no need bothering her this late maybe another time! I had to find another way to find food. So many thoughts were running around riotously in my head as I headed straight to my room, the week had just started, it was just Monday! How would the rest of my week turn out to be! Fear no go let me go chop for dining hall again when those girls dey there! Dey fit chop me to pieces! I was going to have to befriend the kitchen women somehow so they could give me food directly from the kitchen, that way I wouldn’t have to starve to death! But for tonight at least I had some provisions left thank God! I opened my locker! I still had some ovaltine and some oxford cabin biscuits which I hated! My mum had insisted that I take them with me and I usually gave them out so anyone who wanted! She had removed them from the usual box they came in and put them in a plastic container to keep air from making them soft! Thank God for my Mum, I opened them and I ate some!

Yum yum! Cabin biscuits had never tasted so good!