Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Esther
"Did you guys study for the test?" Esther enquired as they walked down to their various classes.
"Yah I've been studying but I don't even understand why we need to study. It's all a waste of time." Rebecca groaned "Anna come let's go"
Esther rolled her eyes and hugged Rebecca and Anna as they parted to attend their own classes.Ester turned to Jane "Did you'll already do the test?"
"Yeah we did"
Esther eyes widened in joy "Really?!" She exclaimed."Can you tell me what came in it? You don't have to tell me the answers just like tell me the topics. Pretty please." Esther pleased
"Ok. Wait let me write it down on a piece of paper. " Esther watched as Jane quickly scribbled notes on a piece of paper.
"Thank you so much" Esther squealed in joy,engulfing Jane in a hug and running to her class.
Esther spent a half-an-hour going through the notes Jane had given her, her hopes high in passing the test. The teacher walked in and announced that the test would be handed out to the class in the next fifteen minutes. Esther looked around and saw that everyone was talking amongst each other. She felt as if she stuck out, for she was the only student with colour in her class and in the whole school.
She found herself lucky that she even managed to have an education. Her mother ad made sure to enrol Ester into one of the quality-filled schools. And Ester knew she would always be indebted to her mother for that.
The time they had enrolled her. Esthers father had still been with them and they hadn't been struggling. She would have even called themselves a middle-class-family. But now they didn't even fall under the category of a third-class-family.
At least that is what she would have said a week ago, if thing were still the same. For she knew a third-class-family couldn't afford to have a cupboard full of groceries. Now, Ester wasnt aware in which category her family stood.
After her father left, everything came crushing down and it became difficult for her mother to keep Ester in such an expensive school. Esther admired the determination her mother harboured to keep Esther educated even after she wasn't able to afford schoolfees.
This was why Esther strived to pass this test. For if she was one of the top 10 people with the highest marks, she could stand a chance of getting a scholarship.
That would surely help her mom30Please respect copyright.PENANAwIEgtWrbWi
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and put less stress on her.
"Ok, everyone your time is up. Pack away all books." Esther read through her notes one last time before packing them away "Your desk should be empty with nothing but your stationary" The tall bearded invigilater man said
"But sir. Don't books fall under the category of stationery"
"Raul if you dont want to fall under the category of the worlds stupid mistakes. You'll shut up"
The class erupted in laughter as Ester shifted uncomfortably,the anxiety kicking in.
As the test was placed in front of her. Her eyes filled with miserable tears as she skimmed through each and every question. She realised that nothing Jane told her to study was present in the qeustion paper and fear built an abode in her heart.
She wondered whether, the tests that were given were different for each class,since Jane had given her other information.
Or maybe it was just that Jane had lied to her.
She refused to feel animosity towards Jane. For it was possible that Jane must have mixed things and had mistakenly given her wrong information.
All the questions she had spent studying in the past hour was useless for none of it came in the test in front of her.
She gulped. Closed her eyes. Exhaled. Inhaled.Picked up her pen and started writing to the best of he ability. All the while praying for knowledge and guidance.
~~~~~~~~
"Guys. I'm totally depressed" Esther complained
"Why? What's wrong?" Rebecca enquired
"The test was awful. I doubt I even passed it"
"Aww shame. Lucky us we'll be writing next week"
"Really. You're so lucky. But Janes class wrote the test already."
Rebeccas face scrunched up "really?"
"Yeah. That's what she told me "
Jane walked towards them and as she arrived, she waved to them with a smipe. "Hey guys"
" Janeeeeeee" Ester whined
"What's wrong "
"The notes you gave me. None of it came in the test. I'm depressed"
"Really? Oh I'm so sorry" Jane said. She walked up to Esther and gave her a hug.
"Did someone die? Why is everyone looking so gloomy" Janet came and said,a bright smile on her face. Esther turned to her and frowned. She felt Jane shift uncomfortably beneath her but paid it no heed
"Esther is sad because she failed the test" Rebecca said casually
Esther glared at her " I didn't fail!!!" Rebecca shrugged nonchalantly
Janet's eyebrows rose in surprise " You wrote the test ? Please tell me what's coming in it. What topics are there?"
Esthers eyebrows furrowed in confusion "Aren't you in Janes class?" Esther enquired. Janet nodded at the question. "Then how come Jane did the test but you didn't ?"
"Who told you Jane did the test" Janet asked
Esther removed herself from Janes embrace "Jane. Didn't you say that your class did the test"
"When did I say that "
"How do you mean when did you say that you yourself gave me notes on the test you said you did. Why would you lie about something like that?!"
"Ohhh no I thought you were asking for last year's work "
"Why in God's name would I ask you for last year's test!!" Esther yelled. Anger boiling in her chest30Please respect copyright.PENANAHqO9nJQrZG
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"You liar"
"Don't call me a liar. If you can't bloody take a joke then that's your problem."
"Why would you joke about something like that. You knew how important that test was to me "
"Ohhh please forgive me that your parents are so poor enough not able to afford ordinary school fees. How was I supposed to know that you couldn't take a bloody joke" Esther's heart seemed to stop beating and when it resumed it seemed to come at a faster rate.
Tears threatened to escape her eyes but she blinked them away refusing to seem weak. She turned around,picked up her bag and walked away.
Her heart broke deeper into more pieces as she looked back and saw nobody running after her.
Then she realised that loneliness was painful.
~~~~~~~
"I'm going to slap you. Hold his hands." Esther scolded as she walked home after getting the children from creche. She scowled over Gabriella's pouting figure.
"Dey went to the toilet and didn't wash their hands.Deir hands have germs " Gabriella whined as she she put her hands on her chest. Her face scrunched up as tears came down her face.
"I don't care! Hold his hand"
"Nooooo"
"Gabriella. Don't get me mad."
"I don't want to"
"I'm going to slap you!"
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
"Gabrie..." Esthers words were cut off as she looked up and saw her front gate wide open. Her yes furrowed in confusion for her mother was the only one that had the key to the gate, however, her mother had gone to work and was only coming back late in the night,plus she would never leave the gate wide open.
Esther walked into her compound cautiously, she refused to grant the fear, that knocked on her door, access to her heart. That was when ice-cold fear shook her to the core. Right before her stood the housedoor broken in two pieces.
The first thought that crossed her mind was that someone had broken in. A tap on her back caused her to flinch. She turned and saw Gabriella's frightened face and behind her stood Thomas and Isreal playing with the sand. She had no time to scold them. Her first instinct was to take the kids and run atleast until the house was safer for their return . She turned to begin her sprint but froze as a van pulled up right infront of the gate.
"Isreal. Thomas. Gabriella. Behind the tree!" She yelled in her inside voice.
She sighed in relief as they complied with no fuss. Fear was evident on Gabriella's faces as she gripped Esther's hands but Thomas and Isreals' ignorance saved them the heartwrench as they ran laughing and waving their hands up in ecstacy, thinking that it was all a game. Esther grabbed them and lay them down behind the tree peeking behind it to see what was unfolding. She saw four men walk down from the car, and the rifles that stick out of their pocket linings caused her jaw to drop in dread.
They marched into the house like men on a mission. She snuggled up to Gabriella as tears flowed down Gabriella's face. Esther tried her best to keep her composure for she knew that her emotions were wiping off on them. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth hoping that she was doing it right.
Five minutes later the sound of heavy footsteps brought Esther out of her trance she looked up and saw the four men exit the house, their faces void of expression they stood tall at a height of 7ft1 at least that's what it seemed like to Ester. They were followed by two more men, Esther's heart skipped a beat as she saw the hammer and axe in each of their grips. Inbetween them stood a slender woman her face caked with make-up. Her face was plastered with a scowl as her eyes trailed over the houses perimeter.
Esther watched dumdfounded as her uninvited guests neared their car. It was as if they walked out of a movie for it was very abnormal for white people to be seen around the community. That widened Esther's curiousity as to what their mission in Floryd truly was.
Her heart was at ease as the perpetrators entered the van and drove off. She stood still for a second her back resting on the tree as she stared at Isreal and Thomas as they attempted to eat the sand cake they had made. She didn't even have energy to stop or scold them. She took a deep breath and looked down at Gabriella that had fallen asleep in her hold, burying her face into Gabriellas hair, just for affection. Esthers face scrunched up at the stench of dirt and grime.
Esther tightened her hold on Gabriella while standing up from her crouching position.
She walked into the house and stopped in her tracks at the sight before her. Her jaw dropped in utter shock, her eyes could not believe what they were seeing.30Please respect copyright.PENANA4qLfsABefs
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She blinked once,twice and all over again.
She fought the urge to collapse as her legs buckled beneath her. Gabriella shuffled in her hold. 30Please respect copyright.PENANAnbX8vKWRx7
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Esther squeezed her eyes shut and pinched herself hard, thinking it might all be a bad dream and she would wake up any second from now.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and the sight before her remained as gruesome.
She then realised that it was not a dream at all but it was simply reality.
"Oh my heavenly father..." She murmured in dread
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