Five years ago,694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3gDyaYsdj
February 13th, 2010.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMbAgn3KxY
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9T54RVnhx
Zambia.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYggTMypGCL
I gasped for air as I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrj5q0t3SzD
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0YvQtEetg
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQ28sFxz74
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RFCe71D5L
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzNW9GabEu
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHWRM8spvq
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sd5jhA4XY
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhcmj7MmAL
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm4oIBM2nl
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0o7xujo7T
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzkRCim7d4
was the only one left in the dorm.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRvgcCnerN
I quickly grabbed my 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqv0WCKVgly
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7R9ig9w6pF
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFS5iE3kxk5
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXDTWeHakq
in frustration.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBODHdaXCy
Obviously because I knew694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6sbhd1wY5
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEd8aOAJddm
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhZZtxnBLd
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLNOo31bvn
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNBlcBkgE2
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tE2dPEM6O
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VTqg7vQuK
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNWd9iEMpP
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAo2G3iN8p
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWaeiZExZv
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQX5TVD15G
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVajJoBzaQp
thought it ought to be.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hkZFWBzTP
On either side of the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRf8oVdXGl
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbBIxNISsV
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj3emYFeVt
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5004MIyzB
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrmA0tjhQC
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylFcJlE2KV
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Oa3LVjZZp
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQAmGMI4wK
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYdkm91EWB
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfZ4kxsX3P
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7gGKmapv9
materials for the ablution.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5exP9ndnHL
I stood by the door of 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3lcB6TyS9
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFdI9LV0sF
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbePB1haQ9U
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbHNoaOHHK
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD9v5hcy8p
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DQ9NBUviM
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88W2OyL5th
When I finally got to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlJo8RSi7i
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC9NvYQASv
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhdGtFovbw
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqa2h9TLUN
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrinXSzQA8
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJANVZF7rqF
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALByev26kq
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98cirHgXNP
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzeTItyUH0
maybe I was being delirious.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hfBlCtosg
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72GRhFe8qS
I turned to the last 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwmN2JP6sf
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTGTqBJ3cN
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJ3WhX89u2
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTW7teCSPK
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylA6spuZdr
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7XQmKmuqC
“No, I’m fine, just a little ache in the head, that’s all,” I replied, trying to act normal when I really wasn’t.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7CuxHErOo
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9mqv6XS2u
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvkiWlHcug
“Well, you better believe. One day it might just visit you,” Christine said that with a laugh. All I did was scowl back at her.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRm7TDrfACb
“What happened to you 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSq7hAmFZRY
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpEbzmgDJS
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhKy7o7Rec
there was a concerned tone in her voice.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19FCKpLIsb
It hadn’t occurred to me694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D11DsHzWy
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2mPoiDWW4
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTb3xD2oF4
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jeRKvSaQV
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FfqKbbsxn
dorm.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG0gWO3ugb
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Vaz3tX8o
“Well, you better hurry 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LXbj0g1lh
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c6qUSxsAn
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII34a6Vmnl
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zMZiS4lVL
I scowled again as I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhei85XdwB
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTXqqNUxqg
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6asomGDb9
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm40pM9j0qj
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aNakOEsA2
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OcQNcvP3x
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ5MlPACEN
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenJeIqt6Vl
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTUbE70pQj
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbh7BKWB8FK
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGER0k8ARxL
water outside.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tO2KrfC05
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptQ4NlN2GU
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUr95dz0Au
After getting cleaned 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxJFPshJm0
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhMOmdRlpL
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVIKHOuWdH
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacRp1PzOr9
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmzwD4eC47
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQ2DU14GRW
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXqOtJHxVt
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZergEPfUU
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVFNQ5lNqx
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpKQ49RX0U
found amusing in this school.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0Ozr1xbil
Mpunde Girls Secondary 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz47RrFKvDZ
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhMAMhsbej
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGiMdlUM6U
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvzoLB7ysz
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOF9VB9tiZH
rural part of Kabwe.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Sv9boiNsf
When I first came to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FesafdEv7
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgpduilF5Z
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGks66lSbbQ
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86AGy8xTYT
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALriPamY3a
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2JS1QqweU
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFK0YDTOwUp
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLPP6hsqt7
It looked more like art in my eyes.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LUMrWIe4S
At that moment, I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIOvq1WYiR
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhNI4JWLjv
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPmkX4gS8Q
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlO2msIexg
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegGINuICtb
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloQAHp47k9
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCqvEKyWzv
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡja864xcKZD
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBp1eRxMcM2
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡum1s7sfkgK
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPqaNmj8nk
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9piU6ntXg
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHc3y88Oml
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zfm7t8L7S
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTJjH31oFn
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIejXF7sE8C
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZPYZW0wuR
time.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zzW1n3WI4
The school was strict 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4vfHftTBV
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssmhhBqc0U
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTF1pHcmWz
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSMSORYdLb
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLTk2VAaoN
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakiPMMtCtZ
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnHY4nVhzT
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5njBbXzGr
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p1MHxUr1R
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RBVceU7n5
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnPMnpYgui
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTveslhC4BG
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eAY3JezZ5
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxAcdm6wU1
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJF8WitH0P
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTxfh6pCuX
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfPHDoTtD0
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoaq7f0CA4
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadFdexDRCi
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHk45QnIbn
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjZ3WPmKVc
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfZuQboD5C
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhZN5r23dF
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGQeiCLZif
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYbJF2pFSO
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioZ6udn9rT
Enough about what ticks 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNaqRLmQ3t
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFbQHKXEzu
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW2e34JJ7v
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7Ootl5FGz
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPhDfHFzSq
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYRDyhOzuE
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAS8TpN51fh
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZmcPQvClr
It was time to go to the694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnORJaVBqu
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAC1KB1rMO
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLcXXUAKKZ
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO9PcgrBfi
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9RT3sRFcs
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfsGX1jNwV
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X4bsPsBz0
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkq9MrlUpM
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ulo7TnQC3
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4XFyIheuI
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4sfXPbAmQ
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXUo4ltOIn
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabnH17UBaE
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLDmLj0HDo
“Not only did I call out to you, but I shook you too. You didn’t even budge at all. It was like you were dead or something.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJeQHPMUq1
I shook my head. This 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrbShWIX8h
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDMENe3Eux
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqTnFuITDp
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvLhbjjSVR
trouble.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUjO5m1Y5p
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhhYrhJqhb
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qRhn6Ld2l
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru2LXdc6Qu
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKqS8g3jZr
I grew startled by what 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICKUvhUhU8
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ccdbujPHr
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEPU30KkJs
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WORCgBTnD
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAZf46KSeV
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i1RZSGu8A
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvWkh0AFkx
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqUpkHPtYu
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvr3OXs5dIf
Amanda came to stand 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCDWZtPJDR
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvaAkUpXae
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WVVIfAPbu
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiCxged8s4
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGeDMTSbuP
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu24yrMZGv3
was more than enough.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlfPVOCmRK
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIK0za1jNE
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8V5qufeBUa
Amanda folded her arms 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQ9f8kKw3f
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPePNqqsaLL
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkcQhlXP9f
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sgQVXlAy0
As far as I had known 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUT78FBc2C
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMKVYxs8Jx
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtg8mqlZCll
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoaW5p9gNu
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP89HmQcBg
had just told me.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq0iwgkNWP
“If I was like that, why694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIL0xbdwbsC
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQcB2dDrme
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN47OPWC4x3
“Christine was scared 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoxNJ43YDV
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfl5uedzElp
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUQLmSgkIG
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAiagYQYlt
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vcfA2OLCN
sure you were okay.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegKXQiU3W5
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeVYa4MXEo
“I was standing by the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQxWCetvCc
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gh1kbvz2S
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkL6HjUFKI
revived.”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNqadWfipj
Now that Amanda had 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnfgXi1ruh
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdznOymym8A
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMS2faAA6E
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cjtER2wzk
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqlqk4zZOq
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5uI8dRFDd
“You know I couldn’t lie694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EXlCu6bep
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQg3cfFyzz
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNblF6kEg9
happened if you had died in your sleep?”694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00Zhpr9mpS
I took in Amanda’s 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOInUudR3a5
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt6MxqascF
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00C5dygymu
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohYHkiPVMX
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6E7TXNQyF
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLamfgcZYU
It was now my turn to go694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKaycjglj7
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCd2HtFnTC
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTWOi5cP7u
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEV45nZ0OW
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80QFAkMd1p
aloud as I held my head.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigMHy1G2B4
As I looked around the 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARMUaKqYhi
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kVr3EGN65
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdQT1UeUbE
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMiaw61mUO
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0VSVuztQ3
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPllhoUp7hR
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbezxzDOHM
My vision was still 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3m2m5TL8F
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGqUwp9GUx
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVZFNLOA2M
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKAwcbruUS
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLzFz18VTA
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOTLQVSsfW
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCEo7MltdU
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIk972H5tQ3
behind her.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKIDVKrBnf
At that moment, my 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXpqkMqVq9
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWUasVB4g1
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4MRZ3om0u
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZPxFAmprA
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLlDzyIWMU
flash.694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxW6QZPh5C
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSY98QdImY
