Five years ago,751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfxDUbreNd
February 13th, 2010.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0j0KAjmCJ
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFtCXfeT4q
Zambia.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB82noHeKln
I gasped for air as I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWELgLijm0K
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWh4BAXrYx
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxAI2RNALs
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5Q8Xs5rEQ
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqKAsLyG2r
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaUff9dEMA
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrTH4gfA7b
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8bA8SaVYD
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlA9zVU02N
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LXBPLjV6F
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQkTETrEZm
was the only one left in the dorm.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4mMQAgTLr
I quickly grabbed my 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DF3NQZbVp
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UUqh1z1QG
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO5GtFnftH
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqQRiNuHOo
in frustration.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtn8gH65bR
Obviously because I knew751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q1fNBz5Bb
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk2XGdQGXJ
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOCAiwqFlB
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjg6x5tg6V
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnfBA7Iqpp
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBhYHyZip0
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx44NwXFDEA
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtTWGnerTT
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmqjk0hMnG
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYWukBGy2b
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43k7ec86jR
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYGcBrwyzu
thought it ought to be.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjrkeXJzBU
On either side of the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuXPrT4jDv
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xkqqFjtxH
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvOasD7pq6
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQT7v1cT0Mt
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQZxWZVpGm
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0zmnW8zuc
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgz3HCnVSaW
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiWgCefKyk
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm84rDiY1c9
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNRStiY8nD
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6NbHZKL9v
materials for the ablution.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafsrS0BHVu
I stood by the door of 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybdqH7r42P
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjfh7pUvns
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2Pu5Jytqs
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqlrEeqgYK
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTDMfcYSRg
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsgio3dyfl
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQh7MIOJ7ac
When I finally got to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N76iJCPvQ
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDGi4GUoo4
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lT6ORgdmH
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1FRyzCG7W
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdw4VFe4Hlj
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnItl5lwK8k
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkJ2dPdXn5
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIyGKnrv81
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jYcTpWp85
maybe I was being delirious.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUGoeXm6f0
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Tht82LdbE
I turned to the last 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30DPY4tsi6
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUNe6gveQW
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTE4zB54NO
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2MnRHCqh4
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKO8ke5053
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSB0hWPmNxg
“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.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDTyqxxCwo
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7k5Ac5MYPO
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFvnbIcwFu
“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.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQ2XuZOOo0
“What happened to you 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡic0g9ltVxE
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs07CgnMwU
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm3TcwEv0l
there was a concerned tone in her voice.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc9rplfU4f
It hadn’t occurred to me751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoYQjKe1zj
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrBtOAO7HP
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qIz4KQKXO
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVW7uNFFcZ
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgc8FgLjrS
dorm.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqOdNmhNJw
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSLVTbEHN5
“Well, you better hurry 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVjDRrvqqt
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjfK5AaQvi
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqChgQWRnS
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIWMb98vKF
I scowled again as I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukxcetR23W
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSCMiXp7DC
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTStGvAquW
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGTw9WUvRi
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1NGHSf9QN
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT8MddZn0u
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhlSU65oXA
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYyqlUGaST
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgekLRyR6v0
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRPtv56AB7
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCodWM4xDf
water outside.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPe2aCEdq1
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCTaSX3Ebs
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk6uOvkbSO
After getting cleaned 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJuzUzVi7L
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPPJhPswBb
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuWctEXlG6
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZexaVEfCUm
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqb6jGoJrCb
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG9sYdperz
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXXjxcu09F
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9Po6qxtLH
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3ESgq5ZWB
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU75Uwi5hL
found amusing in this school.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruaz3tCKxP
Mpunde Girls Secondary 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6220WCxHcq
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37wBHqUtu6
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtagpwCCsG
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuKKirdlCO
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7AGlD208a
rural part of Kabwe.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0BB7qhzhQ
When I first came to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRevNz2ke7s
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDansiICJws
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0FsxUvrZ5
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMqI7c4BXT
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjSXHMMDmq
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3a2NXYBkc
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKUplZs2P3
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7mMNbyIPm
It looked more like art in my eyes.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjxeU5jLAz
At that moment, I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ip1Dwkuf0
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0jnyMxfid
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCQsb2tAsw
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemAucCU5Pl
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqleA9CpfF
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLm9qaoayT
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaVnZ5nIRa
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamUHiOFHNk
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVdKQ0qg2W
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohmVR8pZ4M
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGxEnQEHgw
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbHoHRIN8O
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3b5oMeATzq
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK4rrdM4xJ
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGmNwoO9Va
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2VW8lFWyj
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7T0WlJlBP8
time.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIGX5pKyzE
The school was strict 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMefenCg1d
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9KIIMCPFE
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0b1eoPLCJH
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtHlZrOsEt
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iQhs29LJA
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAU44WF6SmR
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxafHmLOOl3
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SAFJH75uf
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerjpdEYAYS
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy2Xog7dhW
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxpeZIk91B
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveeGHGbU98
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOACp5LtcKt
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjtygwh90Z
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1Fk39Bo3L
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyucFOJ6xZi
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyDWFZbMoj
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouNZywlYjU
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAcfjJeiwx
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5cGygfJh0
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRofVwTSjIL
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuAlEvKOPn
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2uTbz23KP
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAOJiSCM1l
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvwuDUUgUg
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA4IZqINjB
Enough about what ticks 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5OVtSDMTr
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhYLwF9HC9
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81nrYsNGBX
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtY02II7ya
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsuqosf74o
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5laCXXm3Yo
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfkHvAPxQj
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywS2P4KoW2
It was time to go to the751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0OxdpJsGZ
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZifIpy0cO
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrlDf5xUOO
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaAealU7Pe
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrsiZRo49F
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5K8zkv0OW
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OlTCdVRIP
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9qlQp8ozu
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn70K1kmkiP
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyGcWNAZpv
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3DsqYl2hP
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWettA6G1u1
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpX6mM5gF2
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDqHFzcQul
“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.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4HwreVpHC
I shook my head. This 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqqNErPytY
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrC39Diyma
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuuFOlKWc6
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdfamzwsV8
trouble.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BHr0NcP7u
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUtK0aLSCZ
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6oxd1WvKY
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOvM3SMbBg
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCSTe9HPs0
I grew startled by what 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyxqmE8bUz
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmS5fRwPQU
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyOdk5kjUW
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNB5quRIZ1
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fbGrKSZ0T
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UYEc82YWt
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8xHD785oX
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG3ENDdf99
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlgHMLKpm0
Amanda came to stand 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkU7nNjLWG
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabbL1qMMkR
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpXc5ZZvcf
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcebz5PkiO6
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4I13AtVCHa
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8ZmksQyBW
was more than enough.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrb8sDkhOo
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTDrIidlXa
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGrn7XQSFB
Amanda folded her arms 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd4wQs9waw
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0juszxjoM
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLFj2VH8o9
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTDYZzSNph
As far as I had known 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7vgFklwMk
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkDT6BwiiI
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWAAqKCeEq
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIhhUO3nGy
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtxYgHvFLx
had just told me.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmeD5t1js2
“If I was like that, why751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcBjW00duM
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdhQHTbESN
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCNsarbglT
“Christine was scared 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDeLyndRpC
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBxr5xfdMn
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4pp9RL3Rm
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PrPjagMc6
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1IZ3hLg75
sure you were okay.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwdDi4GztD
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSCWYI0MD9
“I was standing by the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm8POtRH04
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2vN414YFj
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDxI3I0hsI
revived.”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoqQkvclsZ
Now that Amanda had 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdwtEQarmn
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOmsnQupjU
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwmxguN7Gf
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm7KywkwPh
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGgvkZJlWK
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVwaHQB9wi
“You know I couldn’t lie751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcgGKtQaq8
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFHuk71VDh
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wF4dhxVQr
happened if you had died in your sleep?”751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNoCIviBOC
I took in Amanda’s 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9l9Bz1i0k
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JHcqK4buJ
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXUDYQ4yRy
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcm9Qqorq2p
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ktglmHLPy
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTyM9XXrLQ
It was now my turn to go751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbBvI7767A
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KAXwoPvuz
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65AaPefJ4B
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgADsZLkonW
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDY5D5MmLU
aloud as I held my head.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkN982SuzK
As I looked around the 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYt5HjNeTgM
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkpPJzzClr
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFniccNxmf
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5ZUmY64Gq
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1M55SPqOf
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zoYgrJlfE
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltvwqDmydU
My vision was still 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel3zWnDTjx
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxtiW8Pvzg
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqm08ZXDAI
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamIQNqi06X
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQv0aXAPyPG
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65Ajl7OICd
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BeCIez3IA
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy1PcJyNjr
behind her.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0yVNKBffF
At that moment, my 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdbo1hjyFT
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMHylqYs7x
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB32lp22NRu
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5PmS6mseG
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUjWOPgXW5
flash.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyRHCI0k7f
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxXfNC58dl
