Five years ago,800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cpppAOPX2
February 13th, 2010.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkAxzioBgg
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBAcgqMQXg
Zambia.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSrGhwxsLg
I gasped for air as I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmFNiN89ki
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa7fJqxX1e
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsARfeNQGir
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLjgr2IWF7
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSq3FpQbCt
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpAM5ItQPr
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNj4L1mFWLW
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRLXWbHEFf
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeNs8iDULv
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56aEN7o1Dv
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC670u12fsl
was the only one left in the dorm.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRnd6mE8m6
I quickly grabbed my 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZ8kIh0Emq
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1X3uDLXDA
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AF8rqX76d
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQOlsaV1jm
in frustration.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxf2mIBmlOG
Obviously because I knew800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kJjCV4Uta
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVcW4YeaHR
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1xasifiTc
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqSdchAGfZ
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEot5zQFtO
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRUN6gZIJH
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7Cv4gnoBk
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh5Bg8sEHQ
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWhKqC1vDE
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRYw2kHZNB
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMY1AnZ6cOY
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZv5K5wsds
thought it ought to be.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPUH7rpVF2
On either side of the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrS8G5Vkzj
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvVuCmqwza
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBeofApmhG
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNWQokoaKh
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AayyshntV
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBaMwF70aW
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuB7s2a8S7f
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPpNSpnxwL
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9v59QLLgW1
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1auXoyuUSV
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDFvYmb4gk
materials for the ablution.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQmIXcVhp4
I stood by the door of 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30LwV70A5y
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFT3v6NOvV
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydVvDzLBND
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63gPbAlKvm
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlX8N45Z01
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdlNavgBeS
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdyLUfD5xE
When I finally got to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6Y5JaFSL1
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkxR7uuptT
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvmo3wNHLA
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SE5OK4pDx
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnUyNvnXJY
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPcZVWbl1E
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71j0d1hxVE
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8m1XN81fBA
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThzgJUoSK2
maybe I was being delirious.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuW2nelQATq
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kTeKrGBGQ
I turned to the last 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNStswP7TRC
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4KTqUGZcV
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPUWrAg5mt
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrE7W48pWp
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpqtlJHmPF
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsoGPfaNGp
“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.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdBYRQ45pB
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNanJPrCsBi
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRi4CLvYftu
“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.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwoVUeXLC3
“What happened to you 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEq2Ofz5KQ
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxR2dIguEC
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMzJlWlDop
there was a concerned tone in her voice.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmGZLoqlle
It hadn’t occurred to me800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbKdSQewVW
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7RMxtKyUC
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLfmcPog7n
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULpxoSD3iB
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNiccaTGKy
dorm.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZfMDH2Dhf
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpPJjndTbz
“Well, you better hurry 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuiITA6g2h
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXRiPSK3VD
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDVW5V51Vi
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMAaaq8dfS
I scowled again as I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YGc5xjfTn
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sLC4wbRaR
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK3H3zKgag
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsryTM5CPA
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcVfbfDjPs
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBni1I8ac3
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEZCWSPDLh
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDsVBbe2cK
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5wRWGIvXE
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh93JynEYU
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMApJcAktv
water outside.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxcfHDbAKI
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIedtWphcSf
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9i1cIZijM
After getting cleaned 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqSWR4pMXg
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMHLIN1GOx
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoxIAsLk7G
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4Y2baqqrU
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEbGD6swgk
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ310LWgl7CG
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPhGdHgvmk
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkaGfxeIst
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdo77ywjfX
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgN5ID52Wmm
found amusing in this school.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeIHNkPoiV
Mpunde Girls Secondary 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjeBVMllMS
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVncN7uy2xq
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDNih6h9Lo
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSdUvwQ7jP
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpScZK2Bg6
rural part of Kabwe.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IDjY13fMh
When I first came to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gBs9pCIKc
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIXH4IeFoG
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUPgdpZc9r
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydsZllZt9U
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzexiiFpCGS
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXW0I5awsa6
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJelxbzoDsB
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJezaGtgGj8
It looked more like art in my eyes.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TGvq0jLbf
At that moment, I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4btXkoERgb
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzRJpyLCnL
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYguJcR5K8
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5koyMpMgnz
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuWtTuyaxt
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSV6vgD8VJ
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqfQiOyuqs
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeNh30s52Y
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWDVhsdMWv
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKNNHXlLbx
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWacVHMszxx
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP7UVctHmN
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2hvPiJxt5
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtD3oWRcv7
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi46ody7Lz
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieTSTRLj4k
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxF6TiaUQw
time.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiIdCWGY52
The school was strict 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivV9mB4oTu
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Qf9yCUTA4
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIS5H9ojxq
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7jPkqCn2s
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKeInEcPM2
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eDTN5OKMD
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGe5LFlhgJU
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5pqKKqkvI
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJRd354iBy
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmS4aytUAFX
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjppr5KoiI4
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OOewizBg8
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWrmNvSUAW
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZwiWNLCTz
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QYighnUxg
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFWDI6WsFy
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhveEhWlEPd
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVc9TzLUHf
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpLN5zsSYU
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWhvre4QQ1
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOOkzdx0It
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtJwfEHL9H
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdYVCs76HH
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIt82ci4K0c
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pFqAHrboL
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7WUJjPKkL
Enough about what ticks 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhTdjG95Kn
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjXUvIpI6D
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hJqQ7YBeK
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VTcVITqYw
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOQDzH5lGg
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWSHTOPqXb
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4o6uC60ger
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOppX7qhK6
It was time to go to the800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuESiJaZkI
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYlsREMpK9
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoD7PWCGQ1
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pULf8iScn
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcjQpcAxtb
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUs9YEVLpil
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcWGQ9Oqsz
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNzNXuGyZn
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwSHVe7Cew
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJwyGPvCLe
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhm91E84hnC
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRuh6rgkcG
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSiUvbdUMz
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTfBNVlvuP
“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.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlqM0XkEkT
I shook my head. This 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD35gNgihD5
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr1mmBIVcM
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfo5OLn9ar
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBJ1pOEOQ3
trouble.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCEcc3R10u
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkqdjYtXoM
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7atQfe5a8L
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMEXA84wEy
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vPlsU5uRz
I grew startled by what 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMUexQEwDk
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9Iky4wJKO
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG3WLxrwBD
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYKFpk41WK
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPpY8uMsLO
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClj3vliE7I
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4bKthfNF5
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDmWuaKmPG
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduIClqGuXm
Amanda came to stand 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauodYS21lS
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtt1puDfpv
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoBjsY6Gj4
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzDtb6CrQM
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2noGeouPz
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdOqQXBvxT
was more than enough.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKPoOBgQGP
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRjuQDEhyZ
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1nudr4dOw
Amanda folded her arms 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSmcBAlfVi
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq89ILi84rb
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr9WFLqHNY
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2TOuphMFs
As far as I had known 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0hHXmCpTi
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6UJteyGc1
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJvNtabUbL
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs7jeSWQGY
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllOeIY8mze
had just told me.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzuMWqI2b1
“If I was like that, why800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHNuMog0G6
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6TVuYAaOm
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVcOrkFXMs
“Christine was scared 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUG0XOVUdrw
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxwOMvoei8
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwg7ZpbECz
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ0RrfiGOS
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1LZJ3Xwvd
sure you were okay.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxPb3ehuJC
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqNnaY7gMQ
“I was standing by the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTFOmCPZDC
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssYtG4Vf2x
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyqipHJC54
revived.”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExrzOm4CZH
Now that Amanda had 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WSmGw22B4
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMWhEey33b
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVWc7rMxY2
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP9OUorOvf
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyAMOpEYVw
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2kiQuD16p
“You know I couldn’t lie800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKKPHvnBrO
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSAbKv2qtu
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbVReeT7jd
happened if you had died in your sleep?”800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UnO8XBEGI
I took in Amanda’s 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhA8VMqwzi
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyE34mZQnO
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzq59thHxQ
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouBhEgC5vu
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSxTSQQn8a
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkiiuGvLPy
It was now my turn to go800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuTMnzDHU4
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqZeZ2g0m8
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49lVNhzUCm
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzzs4Q4Mb0
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHZNirPsUn
aloud as I held my head.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdx6eBHrLxX
As I looked around the 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kZ2ap8cL8
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAVUwUPNTp
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7qDkpug6r
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpmksv4edO
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oqjijQ9Fz
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lDkorrZa0
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziQfAl4jTU
My vision was still 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr918FDqtc
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlKbl0S1GX
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqctd2c6dj9
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7DYpaGwQU
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUIVpUUzQ6
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8q3dztgqy
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6JEwHfY0C
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruHRgzaWRv
behind her.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTzUpzhtKr
At that moment, my 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9SuMzo7QW
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeVM5fXoKI
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanVSK3zlkf
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUfxKFVAjl
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMypsstmbn
flash.800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuB9witX3d
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp33iME6hUg
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