Five years ago,810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTsQvHYXK5
February 13th, 2010.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsHrOXpQs3
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEoXU5yEUY
Zambia.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsbcjB3DuC
I gasped for air as I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoTgYemC2e
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsLNjQdkz2
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x9aOqNVJt
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rMs1KUWMj
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uvOdIEH9M
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17l3XBTbG2
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsLkgzy1hb
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzS2pbzQAn
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wMxVrCaBD
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7elnbLgm5
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCZtW3FjWC
was the only one left in the dorm.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PybA5aby7
I quickly grabbed my 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90kgzwq7QE
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdC4Pn4M1kQ
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpwgQjBJ2X
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAsUqZCZRp
in frustration.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6T3DkBpk3a
Obviously because I knew810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a1NpJ4jl1
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPad9WWOlo
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0w5d6jFV2f
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpJhlDuGMt
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5779bJze3s
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSX0bUD16O
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbhqZlcV3b
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2XTWwE2ia
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOJmMT3Joj
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsVL0A748m
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K1iKlyhv6
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVn2usAVy1P
thought it ought to be.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWje3PBkOu
On either side of the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFoB5AaVrq
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSJ0lux0m9
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VhPnRFXKf
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3QO7xmjuT
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKGnlDR3wF
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMh7EMDEwc
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8Sds24Lzp
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2I9U44MhC
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfkKLLxHPS
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeePagbrg4
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjnCvSL6HJ
materials for the ablution.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQ0QmnYpuX
I stood by the door of 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a8GwqbP1w
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxFTwXt4bE
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5aXpbu4uV
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXiSPWH5Sz
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZEF0BVKB4
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtLb9y81ED
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi2OxcX1Vw
When I finally got to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVETu2EQUs
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkRzgo0GCa
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8hGGiInqJ
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnBaNw7D42
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77HJT4kei3
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3W5SqSUkhn
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiO6HvhbqP
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cUd86W2zQ
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYnD6SQxBF
maybe I was being delirious.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dHglFPdgW
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNCDBVW4Ye
I turned to the last 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0X9aXQtqh
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTLA0jgZEl
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkImc4vTWuH
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyucVJ3kqCx
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WfDGz8b0A
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcp91VVBbU
“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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1apiKLkph
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlf2I6E58Q
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2Li1fvxfm
“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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiry0pro11
“What happened to you 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnstMlDPZ66
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDcYynXHgu
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx16Tlzkr5
there was a concerned tone in her voice.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHeA2EBSoV
It hadn’t occurred to me810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaqxJ6r6T2
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6sc50GS8D
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCnT9tNDgI
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAUXdRmJy7
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ918vD5V2Lb
dorm.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTu9jYo86D1
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHx5pQ6rLM
“Well, you better hurry 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRvka6FVQv
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTZxsTFYpV
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwbyaIoaRJ
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5YENS94yN
I scowled again as I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyhrVhZQqD
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhDIAJQyYu
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeA87IydFZ
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS0YYzjeuK
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT1JRVVtfc
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJEU84phGR
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jo3r5ISYo
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4hgw1zMAH
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7LAhc7RNs
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhg8AGWShrm
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIlCEiajVv
water outside.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjRxMVmTBO
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsqOYAf3uw
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52dFGPymOl
After getting cleaned 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRxGLbUcxc
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF65RjUtcs
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyPkYT0ETZ
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KSG87yKN9
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX8Vx1WCid
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82jTvemK2g
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCfXFmKPCm
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7pxu2rwvS
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO3UUodlby
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAGqETDQj4
found amusing in this school.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiBUca6BeG
Mpunde Girls Secondary 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArs5cOvr04
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Mr1IFMxKm
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHySruQWEY
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxzjWBsodc
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjekyUQ0WMw
rural part of Kabwe.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYMyuVzNkj
When I first came to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRepbSa6vgr
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVt8Mxf14N
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsq4fBKExDJ
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAFxKp8tXZ
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWeseZEKXd
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCwyClxpzU
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXEW1hjPGV
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYe3SmkgTo
It looked more like art in my eyes.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxstMVexAl
At that moment, I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV7NGisuX5
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDwjmYKCWu
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawxoB932px
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrZkxQ7v86
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpXIYrZiFE
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EpYgAtmOX
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsGKjGRBWX
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cElqzusWI
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKYk2CHNOi
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeuqVGCvFQ
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YBwTsnhtK
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdGeCH4rS0
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG4CgABfyM
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSe7bgH5tDp
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvLtZWImiK
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEfARAmQAm
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5DMUWdf2t
time.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESDsifs2dD
The school was strict 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXLyrDSSri
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptvwg3cLqi
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO3dKaEq88
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM0Jcfx19y
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAYW7JMp1E
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUihYvVfro7
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ziZoX7dmv
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN5krYov6r
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0sxyq0jUs
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TPcxptbBh
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgIdaQyrHh
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41k9NDn78E
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMYspmoqC9
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFFqQmGVks
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjotJ6eQARe
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNriFAMvHd
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2ppw8iaiw
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5h1CjaSIl
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqjv2LKkXP
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWGuS47QLp
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxZFFzgeuP
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMk86J8KqoK
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrn7sFMmin2
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nEFRIBPAo
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtCbewt5ZD
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqmIo0LWkO
Enough about what ticks 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxVFG6y8Mf
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8bE0nvtMq
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErdEzFhhAP
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTbHkz0PUW
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhznRYVev8
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIjvCMfDUJ
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IIwZ7EgHU
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFyO7EhUBP
It was time to go to the810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ15dA8b5pB
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WO6Pz7m9O
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuB5AcOO2rV
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfY2lXA71O0
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskThV23OJx
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnkcqquTrE
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4gDiPhoak
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMKSMnEyJX
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdHQjTt9M6
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGEItWogkW
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwC18QjBXa
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFyOc90mQg
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlZ8G7v5tb
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzQs0DUMI9
“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.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0IiPygkCA
I shook my head. This 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCZJfmAufl
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsvaI6imTC
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7OzIdeEC8
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeFhHTtF5K
trouble.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7omYZqZ8Z
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FYfwGW5JP
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4lzfisiJu
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaWLBt34W3
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvjKbiCHrg
I grew startled by what 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXRsnFOVzk
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYt9EpZTq0
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjrTFOJEQl
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUleABsU2C
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uC72MTV7t
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vBXkIbV38
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1p2HInYPG
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99KEbVYrwV
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtCj7NpHYZ
Amanda came to stand 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHEyuSgD21
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pZgW9y0O9
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3TLy4Eyyv
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0Zxb1TdhQ
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEWBX6QQe3
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrrmS9d9aa
was more than enough.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfJuRHTyZB
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyqXk0dcI8
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTcbMmBzIF
Amanda folded her arms 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk6DvDhmL4
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3IVx1Bbcf
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3MvQY3lJD
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifYN4qWZib
As far as I had known 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCztDpMKpa
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgGaeAbavB
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaalmpv7yk
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFAgDG992v
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrC9SzhiOF
had just told me.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqKcwVwNKQ
“If I was like that, why810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoe9lMzwMNK
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom2DP5Afqt
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhSKZIaoEp
“Christine was scared 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjyDKTSw5U
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfiYbp75rG
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sUiqJDBwt
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN95JPci3AD
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BqsicgbMl
sure you were okay.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzl95TU5lZ
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7lFCJnWGr
“I was standing by the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhCfAyttv3
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYdokHsUZ6
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN35fOlammF
revived.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV4HToZeSd
Now that Amanda had 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvE51dJvqB
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODLTQ9To1e
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFpr41byw8
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u1VZrjMnd
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCnu283ahg
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrNyVL8ekx
“You know I couldn’t lie810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYbPRZJbYB
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Xp8CzQcpF
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEtg1SrNnt
happened if you had died in your sleep?”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn2CcnP6j8
I took in Amanda’s 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoguVzjKmg
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXuIGHxXjo
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp2uGbnrhn
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YMUkmYFD8
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7GGBLbjT6
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyleV1dsB5D
It was now my turn to go810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6cLUx2k6n
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaw57fyILLy
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LyH8VemBf
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfmvhExmjT
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3fxF2jga0
aloud as I held my head.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsVNpX8IbY
As I looked around the 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7QM82Pof4
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBCOjU3ocF
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTorZlCljO
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhg22C6wPR4
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4qHmCaEEI
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyPCOdZHyy
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrTxUR3CRO
My vision was still 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz9w22Eyhe
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQWBYZciLl
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvsiqBL8bg
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LFI7C06NK
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppVtcqOkFU
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpxtCHBt0v
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eSSDXPNXp
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqlB6b4ufs
behind her.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmzBijH3NT
At that moment, my 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFvFalGVLe
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMQetC1c7x
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyWluPhRmx
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pDOH3TR2l
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrIgIZccRD
flash.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1kTe0oRkr
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FUQvy8rB4
