Five years ago,785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ796EIM52t8
February 13th, 2010.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfTNw7JJd1
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88MHDZnCka
Zambia.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BtKmIreOq
I gasped for air as I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJLstOw3dq
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHSfb0JgxH
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrNh3qraDg
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDrx6KSvrQ
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxvkfPKSZG
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdNsolO1xV
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNZGzpKo58
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqb5lLm23w
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpiv0oNBBw
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5MpoOUY1k
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn7JsMH1uz
was the only one left in the dorm.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdXfO823HM
I quickly grabbed my 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7LaqwxLE9
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYAKF9xEIk
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNvw1m4jms
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRULcMCT4n1
in frustration.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4zY0nmCyn
Obviously because I knew785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBPckYSXYI
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjwnAk3T7G
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxJoOujkTg
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLqmiEKUZo
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhmV6kN4xF
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCrTynKIfR
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH6nFvXBpa
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7EnckJBQl
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLAwWtte8f
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscIHzqTzGm
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cR6ARYkld
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShsAxs9Dfx
thought it ought to be.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGSx7vzmmT
On either side of the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSVgxs2M6f
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaVLEyfsTw
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDInidVWyz
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrc8gJCSmr
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZllloDFZ8L
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYwDiSRaOi
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItwHjTFD0c
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBSFVnff63
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGep9RCRbH
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIo2ERtHJxP
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnh3wQo4l1J
materials for the ablution.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlunO8VuG4
I stood by the door of 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDrYCNYKyg
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGhc9UhzKM
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyX5B4kqSg
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqqDN6gBIG
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMohuhauNXp
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9h7lqaxfHe
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxysT8i8qX1
When I finally got to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUEcNlnfL1
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1ZeV7PKLs
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqA6dIvxmq
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhdtNCsi6p
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcccB2TyH63
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDuDZlqZPd
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKtr5T3T4z
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbeTiJdAdP
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3CccVy8dq
maybe I was being delirious.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJJHkWLr9G
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHbCiImlQF
I turned to the last 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPU28SO9ZM
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQDTTjiIlq
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWYFC5cL9s
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmZK0hFE6j
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVb12b0y0X
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzPsXQEgbG
“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.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmw4NQ6Lfk
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHp8zHSXRN3
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4SpXB9mSX
“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.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvRlTfiRju
“What happened to you 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvTWlGPBzx
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaK7e5djWC
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosNOJHJz1i
there was a concerned tone in her voice.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9TBFhciUP
It hadn’t occurred to me785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUjwqz3ml7
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeK7jA0tNbS
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0gNlx6hGw
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI24XTKpYNb
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAD3oCWpHu
dorm.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8D4OpkeC8
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2hNNeLMZk
“Well, you better hurry 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99pL5yJ57H
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJmLSdEo2K
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNngDvun517
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkhstslEZb
I scowled again as I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75RKou32OV
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycoFNVyd82
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVrQswpgEl
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qUChTS9og
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1pXBP7nbB
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Xhc6dGJOm
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzuwuOYh9M
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnQbMVTLih
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0udiYf2vH
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQGoSAs2pD
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQgRtSHi9R
water outside.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwyHSELJsT
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkHvVLj8K2
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLcgjWvBzH
After getting cleaned 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rXaGWmpzU
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimvUAXg3Cx
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw78yT484gm
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjp2UUFSTDb
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jpkEAN9zI
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2dEImnNP1
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaUEu0zEi8
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSEHNX4LKA
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKqsO3GZOU
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6E4GWV0exz
found amusing in this school.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RIKMAsEry
Mpunde Girls Secondary 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDI9FJAQZPY
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSkbTcwtqv
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rXU0sypWN
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhCW9gnxu1
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1Tk3NyQ03
rural part of Kabwe.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iQwKOpasv
When I first came to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWMxkf1fHl
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpquPc6Zlk
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M3f8O2fEC
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXtVgl9QMd
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2RstMjyWG
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyz5t6TM0Y
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlDjayac92
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwjNcT1RSQ
It looked more like art in my eyes.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGZqSXiOJ3
At that moment, I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVKeAKWs8m
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSftqKxz1I5
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTdBv8MtZR
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YMaROpflg
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGAyFkwSP8
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzk3SHHrZys
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFg9hvxLkxw
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDqHfe6OQt
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi2wTFwW28
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1pKo7N3eG
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlFhgQ9A1C
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8wvo4yb3n
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyLCq6IjFO
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsG2TEYFDw
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Du7szjOCT
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wR5jt4q7w
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaWdwFZGvA
time.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OZuQmIgEc
The school was strict 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsq0qxKRqg
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0coDz7O8Iw
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lqOvhqJG6
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBdGsYb7sr
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcHdKrc9jw
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbuLUaJujY
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBiJEj8c2B
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTj7Lkxeynn
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrbeVOJAI3
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0irRJGrdt
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LKTGPi3Q4
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQiEvXO3xo
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzsOAJ6znk
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8h2WYfwFJ
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYD6T0OtLs
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjXxOnbCc2
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaILMvaMZ6
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOw6Qr3Hnp
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcOziy1Ekn
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRx7USbois
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFLakGUKEi
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPCichchw1
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TBHxwIlVG
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1F87y4IIc
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11UsfmfEMa
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gKWWt4U4u
Enough about what ticks 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9jEwEqDbS
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVE9GFHBFb
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG93S0rdpEH
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UUqPYxwAT
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgeaca2tkr
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVZCGdr2wV
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDB2N9GRri
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWgRWZ1W6K
It was time to go to the785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukoLKdA4sP
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3XawkhFYL
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvNa8lTZwM
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXqPgAw8TN
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7I73VWk875
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnZ7Kuqacz
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGybkW45oO
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1Mu8QLeub
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgFVgpePEp
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1JAeUqHJw
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHK09idKgf
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ056XaPlXXg
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoOMv4LfsG
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqDHVeg0lU
“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.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDwZeIdvNN
I shook my head. This 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCMOo3sIW8
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT84u9wrKv3
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfG4fHYZOwn
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqVZGoiNuH
trouble.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMucjzez9WU
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWJa4ZZ4vL
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN47ZraeaMR
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXohSwHjmzi
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12Zqr2uvhk
I grew startled by what 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSljcz53fHs
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcQAamHty4
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlBRvuV3SK
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gXUZyBsFg
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyE3vr4U3Xl
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNzHUYtwtp
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFICnbidra6
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDnXbNeQuo
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0PQDeSy5T
Amanda came to stand 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgQpAV7oMZ
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUsp6ba54i
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdegzURxlGW
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF7TCFt16o
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP9gUMPEN3
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwMC6CE3Jo
was more than enough.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7GRG24aOr
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlARnIjLrb
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrsymoBDjD
Amanda folded her arms 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVxYuZApPT
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2z44BOrZp
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13gBMTryss
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPy2s45Uvv
As far as I had known 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSCkNmP9rH
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnuBGFCEit
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhUxOu6yt8
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvRbMQn7yS
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkEvcMAqA9
had just told me.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJninxfzHDj
“If I was like that, why785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdIkKu1khC
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqTT8SF5fa
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwwQMSUOZU
“Christine was scared 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLkvTgI3mk
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQS6xC4t2K
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqAyZivlQ3
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYIIq9chsM
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCX8uqM22y
sure you were okay.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtGRTs4qFJ
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dOfguUPQD
“I was standing by the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRr5Js61jmY
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnE1wJCIUZ
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0ekmbmwvx
revived.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwEMYX0v78
Now that Amanda had 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLtCzr119H
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2fb04NJDr
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiKVQgaako
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUda8pijukX
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ItkHVXrEj
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vIWNlkdxa
“You know I couldn’t lie785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01qL6D7RFZ
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd219VrMuSg
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX02ownFTra
happened if you had died in your sleep?”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKncd9yFGX
I took in Amanda’s 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S6hCWSKQm
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ177iEOcSX
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH58duDRLzJ
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEe4Mv4ObKZ
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIV5HvhHBr
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z7ALL2r1k
It was now my turn to go785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7Ql7qty2c
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61BoqQupwL
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtSMfaH8wk
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOp4mzPszk
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvfG3p9oeT
aloud as I held my head.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYrq68gfYN
As I looked around the 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI77tgVeC6z
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT5ygIERik
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEN1kMtHzP
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GzroQITvC
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63fxReEdLQ
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFLQsKVZlp
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS6x04qqw9
My vision was still 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiNubtVXLZ
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25WYOXV7EU
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbAXSeFg8r
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEisg0QEiR
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlacw591xb3
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJMQqpvN3Z
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDk2qZDTN2
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhAhiCRx9x
behind her.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSilaFTcgn
At that moment, my 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP77JABjKp
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLd1pcCnPQt
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5FhGDqHzY
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsRNslDvKT
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gQAtGmE84
flash.785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkbdnrYoiJ
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9ckhdY8sO
