Five years ago,754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwGGKsbZKK
February 13th, 2010.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfWU6KYg85
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHy1rb0zNI
Zambia.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyx6mbJ9hf0
I gasped for air as I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F5GDhiMbs
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe44JLBQpwQ
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6enYdxvFNh
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdSkqiGWya
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4oX9xzMb3
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN1j3BIMv3
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxf8prApPW
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWy0xZjFtAA
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbNfSjYpQA
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPV7dtXspE
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHu1AvKwsjs
was the only one left in the dorm.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3WIYK7xou
I quickly grabbed my 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NQQq732ZZ
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQK3RoLimm
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlP6d3KarQ
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6JmRk4yN3
in frustration.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAStuBScMv
Obviously because I knew754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo8OlqorXI
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjMhYa424q
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGw5Aeojmd
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIIrPSsBeP
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfh6Hrby3Z
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2xsUPmdWY
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztZLB8b2hF
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24A8lJldMA
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdNrGdNBPG
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClD8Fik6g0
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn3rpL4DUX
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrOGKQCrEl
thought it ought to be.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rDusEavY0
On either side of the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfPurZCOnA
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYl5Q9vkBLt
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b653dwagx
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOKk3AJ3DN
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbI3OZOmBA
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumbxIgyFsr
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0PEQw7jKs
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNYlWwIUWk
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEOHKPJpdF
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6psdNhNBJ
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Z0FIkE5Tc
materials for the ablution.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjgQnZq24b
I stood by the door of 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UZDAYL4AD
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYetpdwk7V
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoAipjFuDH
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWhu4kz8DR
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy6pcV44gX
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXbMJRJ4OJ
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbLtmhps6c
When I finally got to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3a5UOmeFVk
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9PvNaPF6i
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OoEMNXv3v
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEI87C4H5C
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05ViUFi5bk
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXxQbNdE1f
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0CLGZQzfR
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUeIKYNXWb
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC24f8OQx0T
maybe I was being delirious.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqFPeYMmUo
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhgM1I15tc
I turned to the last 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3u8v11znt
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq4WhcL0LY
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOF0MA2w32
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdi8ZkRVz2
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggi5Iqcf7T
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemD7nJsG5l
“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.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63COsJuBR6
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3ZS0QKFZg
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneTTpCT6pD
“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.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEg3VTwmRf7
“What happened to you 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHz0fEUEqq
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEjhdJRm9p
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsQjiMitvo
there was a concerned tone in her voice.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AWAPIG6HT
It hadn’t occurred to me754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kU9WFcKT7
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUVJz68kvg
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AKuRsSitK
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81qqL65m08
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUVRe9oB5s
dorm.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcfjSH7M7R
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxPGY4RF7W
“Well, you better hurry 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOVcEf7L6B
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbn78P2lyt1
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBHcc5MuLv
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjWwQFfSNR
I scowled again as I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvhynyrNdS
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4SIo3toHk
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdF6SjdwIH
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisOAtC92IV
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKk5T7sN1M
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rOEUfwReQ
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNWlNMVbjg
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aT0fp4AnS
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeWlk6fBUU
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVCZQJr8ud
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRK7ucjNGN
water outside.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeZ1ytiiIv
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJZyg5bDxI
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvtmliMQJT
After getting cleaned 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH5VZ6Qg9C
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ4uBIpKEE
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSfPhINMPA
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDomCotQ5B
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjkTKNYVF0
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnzHbioRNH
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZmQuseGKp
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMokYOeKyct
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT912kHbM8Q
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrMugOYJJ8
found amusing in this school.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgorJZW0IgP
Mpunde Girls Secondary 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEb7KSSJJu
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4BV8oYOmA
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGwh30bWqv
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBe8Uy5Lz7
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxC6JQ5zGde
rural part of Kabwe.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBsQI78Qxn
When I first came to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBKpqtkwKu
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTnFMxnc1o
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgFfya77Dh
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2ug3ctJgJ
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoZiAxOSgi
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaD1ZHYIjb
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ik0ELGE71
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7Dak3pINR
It looked more like art in my eyes.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9HnxIS0gj
At that moment, I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc0HKyu8J4
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLcbwyyRut
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hnV69YirE
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZgashV9qk
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvg4BldNFH8
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyLsFDOhHO
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtY8RFyRJe
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92bcA5d5dX
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgQqEcOD1d
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5A1wcgOyO
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp14WiZcf2L
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJES1Eg02hG
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qqOJjzrK9
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA56nRUIjTE
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAch49RfK8g
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbUCaZwOoG
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNEp7PEzOo
time.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQVEWRbNgU
The school was strict 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dG1bwUDkc
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWq2I3KrZM
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcLKpn68fJ
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrnBU70HVz
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxAh2KCJlb
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGQcwwNScY
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6SdcC564x
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACA7Oh7Bti
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjmmgBvZ6e
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOYwDH5KBY
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfYJSbpGkP
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImvrojRxVS
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkjKcXGTUi
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZd9RgXJjy
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTznM4WOyW
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnwclVFaiH
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqEECESbdt
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpG3HMVqi7X
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbT8DG7UOQY
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLd5jyLXd7g
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡat2f3QW1pp
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUchdZB1s0n
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGfcIHbjH5
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7KcfAUyMn
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosiJXtVt4N
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBG3qddn8Q
Enough about what ticks 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMi9xomMtd
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHUsdLO8x3
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mo0k6KY95
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvXPRRAmLX
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWjIBW45sA
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcGp55HJpS
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq11WFXDvDT
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzblTzQu8pa
It was time to go to the754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVhG0Sftla
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwC7KUoXXA
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJm5wml3LpO
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTxv4K8JaH
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZFXC29bVV
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLpiL3n2ED
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap6zXWAlx8
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhauvIYZnb
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJ9IyFfMRD
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21DDAJhoS4
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLG3edeWIo9
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3wjCxDyxH
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOoCvN7j6B
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBol8kkmvT
“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.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VfNLdEOGW
I shook my head. This 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKXyGdyetS
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4V920Jgpz
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVqd8Gm6Wx
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73ifU6GQT9
trouble.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRlBb0bto2
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRXshwBjW0
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKkhm0dKYB
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMT9nQT16Yt
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgH14v8TyP
I grew startled by what 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCENUlJj2EJ
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KpYL37sDk
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLliQwhiobo
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OEIOsPBYc
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVkg1iWL3P
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrYJxP4UKR
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvUoGPrNlD
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVmgCoTB40
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuuawkxh4q
Amanda came to stand 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5UpfGgtih
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlSDYF1bi3
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjVk2Pmt39
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMubo9gTuM
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu5xg6WsBb
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLd7BsMzf8P
was more than enough.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcldscDXML
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4wKnODUFQ
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLsrrnH3EO
Amanda folded her arms 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2rOnRSEpV
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gepONUYn3
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj06t9WCtA4
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0lTqmJYQB
As far as I had known 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBkk8QfViV
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjTBfsUoyg
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPGJKcHE21
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iHkZu8A3X
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNflb7sGJuL
had just told me.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK7wXesybQ
“If I was like that, why754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAkBswktfo
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYqFPJuhnW
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvNEn8ffi2
“Christine was scared 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeL1NnpHG6
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJq6indgPk
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHNb4Dfs9J
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWjYn3lsKP
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwjBYRim3f
sure you were okay.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrh0XZjN9o
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8Kwexetln
“I was standing by the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9XeyKR1mR
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdesKu9tekG
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVgNs18DZq
revived.”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrroELwqOIX
Now that Amanda had 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZDwbNHIMN
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz1PwAdAWL
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2axsgPRIA
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSmKLJ2iqN
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoGDifh7eP
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh786Rvf3Pi
“You know I couldn’t lie754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7hrt6YbnI
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLoh5QAg31
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFgGCoD1xn
happened if you had died in your sleep?”754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JaWvMHEaj
I took in Amanda’s 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyJlTag80z
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkMC2vLEf7
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNxmY8RCsa
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXs5L07StAc
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNamGISyKC
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhXh3lJ2aN
It was now my turn to go754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zNyd0BEWx
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62IVly7VvR
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQJ3HGIsuR
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7T9QVEGxC
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbJeZ9eRht
aloud as I held my head.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6b7vo7l06
As I looked around the 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvAffpw1Cj
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GvhasXuYR
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicLrcnVBK2
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJLIisNZNT
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczqLR3roVf
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEN0j9tDkAe
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlZteUJQPR
My vision was still 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQ6oJ0vTJ6
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjn20SlatW
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNqVZqP8X5
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfYVLmXskU
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP8vqgMWvl
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFvb5hpZmH
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6yNHwAIC5
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP8sIZ2VDq
behind her.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p86pUmmMf
At that moment, my 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT11oaIVdJF
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwMKYh1gGH
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEckjpfc6XN
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZbzcN98Ka
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5nMCVdZy9
flash.754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVwU5EaBGK
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
754Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk856g8Ze8w
