Five years ago,876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LeLwYTZaz
February 13th, 2010.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaB3lPzy7i
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8p0YuDi8x
Zambia.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2iJs7QmFv
I gasped for air as I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29lfUtY97T
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGJIOfGyVR
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEx0Uixq4P
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYfdQiHqNJ
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpg1lR9lYH1
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhtAFvyIBn
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0M2jrhQnIU
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lMzLdaoyV
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0iRRlMLck
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgKCxBY0JF
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP25XRZobgf
was the only one left in the dorm.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7Xjl8dcCy
I quickly grabbed my 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbx26PjsL3X
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafgj3LhMGj
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwVH5vM4hO
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3PqFYIaIR
in frustration.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpe3xjoewHV
Obviously because I knew876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDGKPx3A3m
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFsBald0Fh
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc661tN9p2U
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWRMU17BbO
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMADL2WBqTw
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGfM4GjPm0
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwES7zI3Fwf
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyQShyxQMT
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa2KOIefaU
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbqVIqWOaA
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFryAoSameD
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeCKH8RFOj
thought it ought to be.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfVJ33GKyh
On either side of the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoq79byGRaf
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqNgAjdhfL
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExMq6qBjte
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQJrT5XSx1
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcHC5ruc8j
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBdHe4sG0k
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELfpfCiKY5
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlz0sVgE9Pg
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQlkdab3dc
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAvNYIvOsi
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwDDJbZTjn
materials for the ablution.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWRQMiOHUR
I stood by the door of 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIS97KyR4OF
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZn7uGnm0gn
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWVoyzO5tV
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmykGLogbrW
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpLtmroEtY
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0hZ1OkPjm
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cvsYhgs32
When I finally got to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4Ewk9DLQ1
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8U633up11
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhda9cGCa1w
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY1tEH7jj6
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2c0h8MG1hc
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOApWv4Qgf
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq8uGN8Cni
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZCsXBMPXF
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1x9bHHAokH
maybe I was being delirious.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkyJ18xWub
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClzWcpQSdn
I turned to the last 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrVgVU23iK
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus3RMcA62c
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA8o9M463U
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdv2OBDMKG
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDslp3YMl1Y
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCf47WBaD5
“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.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrB4Er7RqV
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MhbIxKOOd
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8vNXqiDFB
“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.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeTNudo4Dv
“What happened to you 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0o0pzMUCxj
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqIDOgrfyQ
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEt0jiL0D1
there was a concerned tone in her voice.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaSK9s7l05
It hadn’t occurred to me876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGjvwT5LBU
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNzEJMfErY
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuApVFTdSE
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2fHketae2
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyFoNyngG0
dorm.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUMdto8nYF
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKeOIPseFZ
“Well, you better hurry 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo6GpCCE28
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUln5kkrwlH
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc0Tew8iSt
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyG27gLmOqq
I scowled again as I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYkZ38cfda
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVhLfXVFFN
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTsJLSdQSy
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLayRQ48W9
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6RRKzE4UO
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRYYGFXjqb
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jho2ZAXH8
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ip5w1Afo8
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbkEntuGPj
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhicNAVCUcX
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZ5LnJe4U0
water outside.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv10h18zvF
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iwF14lXpp
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVrqeHqxbI
After getting cleaned 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbXM9FzmSs
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9jQJ7xC35
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mkw3sNBXe
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBnD0kKEI0
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13BsU7wNTl
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcISzovLRvn
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWSg7NaaJl
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5MbYikK5J
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzmTNfeXUt
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sO67Z0rOz
found amusing in this school.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5pRyr5v9z
Mpunde Girls Secondary 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhMCkhFivj
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsrQ9nlg6i
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2tvtfarbn
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqRyraopiq
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKysNxz0YMk
rural part of Kabwe.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsAa51ONQh
When I first came to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrv88cZtPK
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHR76sH0Uo
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpzhEjZpGe
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaqvCUeEnT
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtTVKxIIZd
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qCIpAiJUO
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ9DfSMnGL
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZVzLbiTRl
It looked more like art in my eyes.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP9VYeuwwG
At that moment, I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge5GYkv9nR
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyV7jH1GSQ
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4d7OAq3of
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc2qhsH974
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbxEeITGun
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HmQCAEgkQ
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZob0dLneW
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaLZxH9R6X
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4ovCbIora
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDY8jp8PTtN
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2zMoi6W90
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1plgyRlNU
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaOp3KHX1D
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRbW2jinnW
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykfx1alXuo
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ4DuMMIqf
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWWaATI7G1
time.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFkd4lkTPg
The school was strict 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNXuJTswIn
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRP6EqJxBjS
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4hLkk2WA2
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMm6tXjgGJz
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIjwvJCUYU
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc1EZfV1eE
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFQbqufxkX
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqO3B047Gl
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumT44moOCx
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4M3fFUuNRz
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgTUdOGMn8
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn73ulo6TIL
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoB6smTSCqd
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjCF3aMA2h
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnL0BEBtWY
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrYfwsJzer
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxkR6EnL6G
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiomONlY0Ll
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEDB1HDXaT
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWWZx4vjn0
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3Q0suC1i3
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9e0vxuKeI
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02DVHq4hhE
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3bi969zRX
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJbvvyYZt1
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu339RhctIT
Enough about what ticks 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQhN5XzIpY
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZSsFtdBBA
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QOzQiWp9l
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WIAxffgic
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhy8dfXITq
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTs00yD8M6
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbr30C8lRO
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkWn23ByBJ
It was time to go to the876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfOy3NCRnq
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF2U8tOpI4
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmk7po6BjY
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsm3t04boj
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTRpT8JJJf
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHw85WWkua
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4mw4mgR8F
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWREC6EcQgp
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI98JTX82S
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4CBwxpnc9
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilA4r8GxP4
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIWG8vf2M8
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMLo2HSGO3
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY30Ub70L9
“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.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9v7eJclN5N
I shook my head. This 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQcDy9u6ij
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgcuHA4Ij4
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMUGVunLSv
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFBVq1DmgE
trouble.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbrzoKmu5k
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXnoie90Kf
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PV2Fwz2Ip
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiv4iK8mgy0
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8L1ALtxuz
I grew startled by what 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSRFUTbPPO
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBX5ayhaLm
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2K2ux1cvm
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgHWTnVsbX
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUGNsIUgAl
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurS9s6tF5K
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZ2U2TFc2m
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1VHYpRgry
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIH8kcpOer
Amanda came to stand 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1psAAtOhJ
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NHt6RpneI
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinrWZTukRu
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLhPIrWsdU
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOp21ZDWrQ
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRpIm7lOQW
was more than enough.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWrpieZhUc
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0amUkjmxFT
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKLJCLRj0K
Amanda folded her arms 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z3GmEbujr
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZgGZx3LTj
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuSRnqjZwL
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCI1Yj9eakj
As far as I had known 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi75i4sYMI8
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbyDIi9XkU
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao1NfnJRst
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQeS4Yped0
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXD19lNjee
had just told me.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnR8WjDLBHl
“If I was like that, why876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFxhnXE6DV
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJ7BpBKw5r
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx20qGfmqNL
“Christine was scared 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMyLf48sde
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wNdthUihi
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLNuk5FVRM
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbfzQKEKTd
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHq4xrfNS4
sure you were okay.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4UV6QBlKm
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnqYcFdXkJ
“I was standing by the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs59rAc5OPa
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cxOJoIOfi
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BkJOWUaLq
revived.”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkE4PqwoQGt
Now that Amanda had 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9scxpMea3
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZu0zp35Jj3
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQwRKJygiI
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfZ4M8Uva9
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Nn6Pt2esU
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo3IxZWAQh
“You know I couldn’t lie876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuuIF9x5eg
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG91WbQjzIr
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmo753CFztO
happened if you had died in your sleep?”876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBvcENOly1
I took in Amanda’s 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdDafuuspE
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpyS79Vx8P
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWmpNgVU9U
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9T2l9cQqWU
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteP5GB8v59
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbKHzh05iK
It was now my turn to go876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66P6378AhD
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAwcDf54wf
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrn7ngmzKB
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT411soaZYS
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tFlS947Qc
aloud as I held my head.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoy83GOjIjl
As I looked around the 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvapWUFvYT1
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRH3R4h33P
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAskMtFQ81C
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLg55XDtTL
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBdjnAk3yA
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcZ7mMxjHa
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv91cmu1OCz
My vision was still 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVpfDlgh8A
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJ9ZS60Mbn
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFR59eBGkE
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgZU3kzlSM
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DiS8o0luI
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6n9l5pAFb
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpnNd89OPf
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1gKoNGnbt
behind her.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OUKdoSLYE
At that moment, my 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRHlrkZs5j
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VjxIBHzo4
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGUftS24kQ
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UkCxoBDVf
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq2C1SaGKh
flash.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaOgLzQFPD
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoJ0oPTCnj
