My own side of the story (pt8)

Days passed by howbeit slowly! The whole school had heard about Devorah the Witch! My classes were always interrupted, its either one teacher wanted me to narrate a story I dint know anything about except for the role as a witch that had been given me or for their staff room amusement. It was so bad that the teacher (a sister) that was given my pocket money to keep for me and give me anytime I needed it decided that as a witch I didn’t deserve it. In fact she still owes my parent N250 till date.

Prep was almost always interrupted; always some senior student in some senior block either wanted to punish me, or send me on some ridiculous message hoping I will defy her so that they will have a chance to bully me or use me to practice amateur exorcism. Every time I passed, it wasn’t Holy water or blessed salt or blessed oil that was being sprayed on me to my amusement, bewilderment and annoyance. It was because of all this deliverance attempts I had stopped going to my normal church, mid week services and fellowships and had started going to catholic mass on Sundays though I wasn’t a catholic. I was tired and fed-up of being used as topic for repentance, I was tired of every service ending with an alter call where all the girls will be looking at me waiting for me to stand up and confess and accept Christ and denounce witchcraft. I could no longer stand them trying to deliver me! I wasn’t possessed and I wasn’t a witch. I was just a falsely accused and tired child. Catholic Mass gave me peace. I wasn’t an example, I wasn’t judged! I wasn’t ridiculed; the sisters in church didn’t bother me. The Rev. Father allowed me to take Holy Communion. It was nice and peaceful! I resolved that for my remaining time in School I will become a Catholic.

I couldn’t have a decent nap in the afternoons. I would sneak out to hidden places just to get some rest or be alone or do my homework. I was doing badly in school which was very unlikely considering I was the typical brilliant child, I couldn’t say if the teachers were taking it out on me or I was really doing badly. I know I wasn’t submitting my homework on time because they were almost always incomplete because I never had enough time to focus on them.

I had been banished from the dining room; eating everyday had become an ordeal! The kitchen women allowed me to scrap up scraps after everyone had eaten either in the afternoon or evening! With that at least I had one meal, then a couple of times I would go to Matron’s house to have another meal! I wasn’t eaten regularly and I had become so much thinner but I wasn’t going to die of starvation just yet!

I was no longer allowed to have my bath in the morning with the other girls so I had to wait till when they left for classes before I could have my bath or do my laundry which meant that I was always late for classes. It was on one of those days, one morning that I had just had my bath and dressed up for school but my only housewear was dirty and I needed to wash it so it could dry before I got back from classes. In the beginning, I had come to school with 2 pairs of everything, My Mum had labelled everything with my name boldly which at this point was to my disadvantage because the girls were determined to frustrate me out of school that almost everything that I washed or kept as soon as they saw my name on it, they threw them out in places where I won’t be able to find them. I almost always never found them and even if I did they were unsalvageable. I couldn’t afford to buy spare clothes from the laundry man so I had to make do with whatever I had left. Once they had taken my glasses from the cupboard where i kept them and whoever it was had thrown them into the gutter! I spent 2 days looking for it! And when I eventually found them they were covered with green algae! I washed and washed but I could never get the algae completely off the rims!Sigh! I wore them like that. Another time I came back from prep and found my mattress missing! That night I slept on the iron spring and woke up in the morning with criss-cross spring marks all over my body! I was so afraid to take of my rubber shoes because I was afraid that it will be taken as well and then I would end up walking around bare feet. My slippers, my canvas and my other pair of sandals had been stolen so the one pair I had left I hadn’t removed from my feet in over a week. I had asked the Nun who had my pocket money to give me some so I could buy another pair of slippers but she totally refused me! My own money! I had no choice! This one pair of sandals on my feet was going to stay on my feet. I bathed in them, walked in them, and slept in them and I grew a feet fungal infection just because of that. My feet stank! But that was the least of my worries.

Anyways like I said it was one of those mornings, I was off course hungry, tired and sad. Wishing at some point I could go back home and never have to see the 4 walls of FGGC Owerri, I was wishing things were different, I was wishing I had something to eat, anything at all! I was wishing when a senior walked up to me! She wasn’t someone I had really noticed before or seen! She wasn’t one of those that had punished me or sent me on ridiculous errands. She looked nice in her navy blue skirt and light blue blouse! I saw her walking in my direction and I thought to myself here comes trouble! I knew I wasn’t supposed to be in the dormitory at that time but I dint have much of a choice! It was my only chance to do personal stuff without being tormented. I had stopped crying and kept my face down concentrating too hard on the clothes I was washing. I was hoping and praying in my mind that she just leaves me alone and goes away! Why did my luck just have to go rotten continuously?

She walked up to me and asked me in the words and in the voice I can never forget! ‘Have you eaten?’ remembering that day! A fresh set of tears began to flow! I dint answer! I wasn’t sure what to answer! She asked me again the same question! I still looked down and said No! She paused then she asked me, ‘do u like cornflakes?’ Cornflakes????? I thought to myself is she joking? Those were like my favourite cereal of all time! Cornflakes???? I loved cornflakes! I could eat it the whole day! Morning, noon and night. Heck! I still do like cornflakes! I looked at her with tears in my eyes! Yes I do like cornflakes I answered her in the smallest voice ever to come from my lips! she smiled! It was the most beautiful smile I had seen in a long time! I smiled right back at her! Then she said, ‘oya hurry up so you can have some and then we can walk to class okay?!

Quickly I rinsed off the clothes and spread them. I left the buckets, they weren’t mine anyways, and I followed her to her room. Her room wasn’t far from mine so I was surprised I didn’t know her I mean she was in SS2. She had a nice corner decorated with pictures and stuff. She told me to seat and I sat quietly! She opened her locker and I peeped! She had lots of goodies in it! It was a treasure chest for any girl. She brought out a bowl, sugar, milk, cornflakes and water. I heard my tummy rumble! Food! It felt good to know I would eat! I made the cornflakes just the way I liked it! Not waiting for the cornflakes to soak in the milk! Still crunchy just the way I loved it. Perfect! I must have eaten like half of the pack of cornflakes! It was unbelievable and so gooooood! She told me her name was Nwanne but everyone called her Nwi! She knew my name already! She asked me basic stuff like where I was from and all! She told me she had a younger sister in jss3. We chatted a while and she told me it would be ok and that I was free to come to corner at any time! When I was done she asked me if I was ok and I told her I was! She rinsed off the bowl and said we should go to our classes!

I walked with her and we chatted all the way! When she got to senior block she watched me walk on, I turned and she waved! I smiled! I had a friend and I had eaten! I wasn’t alone anymore It felt good. With a smile on my face, I stepped into class!