Five years ago,1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZUVtqpHQ4
February 13th, 2010.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TPZYL7FhT
Mpunde Girls Secondary School,1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN0RqKo6ih
Zambia.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeTQXx3c43
I gasped for air as I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkdjQ2SxvX
quickly sat up on my bed, holding my burning throat and feeling my lungs1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnsTwoWt3H
ache as air quickly flooded in. For a moment, I thought I was drowning 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBPOTfToBb
in water, but I was actually taking in air. I coughed out a little and 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiNTSbzco5
opened my eyes. The lights in the dorm were all turned on and the bunker1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkAiOGhH5i
beds were all empty. For a moment, I panicked as I quickly got out of 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSDtNTIUBg
bed on the bunker bed below, looking around the dorm. There was no one 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9luak5nJE
and I felt scared and worried. I quickly looked out of the window and I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rVrYwPKpn
realised that the sun was rising up from the east. I couldn’t help but 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw0ZUFLUWE
sigh in relief, but then again, I realised that I was running late and 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1T98sTTO9x
my dorm mates were obviously hitting the showers in the ablution. And I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJqEKh1Fmv
was the only one left in the dorm.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaXz2lQm5X
I quickly grabbed my 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2q3VFHBqq3
toothbrush, toothpaste, my bath towel and cloth. Quickly slipped my feet1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwvjIlZXsB
into my bath slippers and when I turned around the corner of my bunker 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvADxPhzIbY
bed to grab my bucket, I realised it wasn’t there. I sighed, this time 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8qfQkrBMw
in frustration.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzvVEXNiOr
Obviously because I knew1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OPu5ZH2lj
who took it. If it wasn’t my bunker mate, then it was probably one of 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAL1lBTnO4
the dorm mates. In my nightdress, I rushed out of the dorm and headed 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIldcK4IdZG
for the ablution. The ablution was one place where I found it so 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjvuRKB3lR
repulsive to be in. Despite it being cleaned every day, it was always a 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqIsdtOdhu
surprise how it gets messed up and flooded afterwards. When I mean 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd9BIso8xD
messed up, I mean the toilets is one thing you wouldn’t like to see 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HHrCK4HY3
first after you eat a meal. For a moment, I wonder if we really are 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKDecVwzdI
girls or sometimes we act like boys who like to leave a mess. We are 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9piWOEvTt
“GIRLS” for crying out loud. And as far as I know, we need to take care 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzt9LWBcrL
of ourselves and the environment around us. Looks like being in boarding1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIdd5yzRwE
school, you get to know that sometimes things aren’t always what you 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4lRdFn4ds
thought it ought to be.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqbYUQFQXY
On either side of the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuSeU8VCvy
ablution were the shower side and the toilet side. In between was a 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTi5gXIYTq
passage where people could move around and line up their buckets to get 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bleMbf030
into the shower cubicles. When it gets flooded, it’s pretty hard to move1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyegG3FJ7LP
around and many people have slipped and fallen. Trust me; it’s not a 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvJ35sbQpG
pretty sight when you see someone falling on their back into the water, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSLsmdlkDA
which was probably dirty. Luckily for me, that hasn’t happened, yet. I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF15Kp5mqBs
wasn’t pushing my luck on that one. One day, I would probably fall and 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hW2Cu4y6n
hopefully I wouldn’t break my bones in the process. At the far end of 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTmYtprmHx
the ablution were sinks where you can go and brush your teeth and wash 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68LqOc1Dxq
your face. And by the corner was a store room where we kept the cleaning1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzo1ufgYn3V
materials for the ablution.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JKHH7ZNeZ
I stood by the door of 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz1VPY02Dg
the ablution, and as usual, there were queues of buckets all lined up, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5erJZYQmY5
their owners standing beside them waiting for the shower cubicles to be 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqLK4o6QgP
vacant. I looked around for my bunker mate and I couldn’t see her on any1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvexBytnFn
of the queues. I considered her to be in the shower and so I went by 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaG8GFYgFN
the sink to brush my teeth. The ablution was flooded again and so as 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIkGZ1vYiY
always I had to be careful, taking a step at a time.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sjvJp0xjb
When I finally got to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYxsv71LRk
the sinks, all in one peace, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my head 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJO2oiJl4b
as though I was just struck by lightning. It felt more like a migraine 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vvrC7Mh5L
and I held my head, almost screaming out in pain. I saw a dark image 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnnNvEa51n
flash before my eyes and for a moment, I thought the lights went off and1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdMM4HCZEE
come back on. But when I looked around everything around the ablution 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlk1aqv1Ip0
seemed to be normal. Usually when the power cuts, we girls like to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJ3kD0n2Sx
scream, a lot, except for a few of us who are already used to the dark. 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptMkW2Nibn
This time, that wasn’t the case. Everything seemed normal and I felt 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqcU1zubtX
maybe I was being delirious.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfRDkpH0D2
“Hey, Diana, are you okay?”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv86rCeltrt
I turned to the last 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0uWDE7fQJ
shower cubicle which was closer to the sinks, and there wrapped up in a 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9grZISiczF
pink towel stood my bunker mate, Christine. And just as I expected, she 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAOAs4vZ7s
was holding my bucket. She slowly walked over to me, trying to avoid the1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw1cDKJkPa
dirty ablution water from flowing into her bath slippers.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmXplo6q6A
“Are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Christine had a worrying look on her face.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClr6Uk2wk2
“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.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmheNAwzMW
“You had me worried, I thought you saw something like a ghost.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qS2XHGtLD
“You know I don’t believe in such things as the ghosts that haunt people around school.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxILuPMdNWl
“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.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkfmYgQ7v3
“What happened to you 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10oYzthpaj
today, anyway? You’re usually the first to wake up when the morning bell1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyINsH6xkX
rings. But today you slept like a rock,” Christine added on, this time 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bN8DHiBtY
there was a concerned tone in her voice.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4KPsCij07
It hadn’t occurred to me1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbeyCW1oCH
that I had never heard the morning bell in the first place. I was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQK9d4xy1tc
always the early bird and I was never a heavy sleeper. I was always 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q9cElSNop
sensitive with whatever sounds I get to hear. But today, I hadn’t even 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8Lge3Q7Uw
heard my own dorm mates’ footsteps as they always rush out and into the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90WDgmXzYR
dorm.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyKSOlIFj4
“I guess today just wasn’t my day,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqW1qC8B57
“Well, you better hurry 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8SfUQf7ao
up then,” said Christine, handling the bucket over to me, “you don’t 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8z06TuSUBZ
want to be caught by the prefects when it’s time to clean up the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjkHv1DqGi
ablution. And that’s not how you want to start the day.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaV4SQXHvF
I scowled again as I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkRSbPt435
took the bucket away from Christine. As I mentioned earlier, the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqLj6fnOny
ablution always get cleaned. And we the pupils clean it with the senior 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeoyMWHwIL
prefects as our supervisors. At 6:30 AM, everyone should vacate the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WNECxgXLD
ablutions so that the assigned group of pupils put to clean up the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsXwDGVBCH
ablution should do their work. If you’re caught still in the showers, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡov8AywIvVG
you would obviously have to join in the cleaning process. And that 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcrM6tQsqU
proves to be twice as difficult when you know you’re also assigned to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrBVv3uMuk
another area to clean in school. As soon as I finished brushing my 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQbtvsQUc9
teeth, I quickly got out of the ablution to fetch water by a nearby tap.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY7Di5KGYl
Most of the showers never worked in the ablution, henceforth, fetching 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezzxhpb4bT
water outside.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUta5wNpoxb
Luckily, for me, there was no queue and I did things as fast as I could.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDvFHsHPYK
Afterwards, I went back into the ablution and quickly found a vacant cubicle.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSu3oIHjjif
After getting cleaned 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRXT5ogbsZ
up, I wore my beige school uniform, clean white stockings and I had my 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a4pvTivxj
black shoes, neatly clean and polished. I looked at myself in the mirror1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVtFWjPbP7
and made sure my short afro hair was neatly combed. I had cut my long 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFL0s5eA5w
hair a year ago before coming to this missionary school. As usual, one 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUX70HVO4qD
of the rules was not to come with long hair, especially if was it was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWG8sOvX9f5
permed. They strongly insisted on natural hair. I had to cut my hair 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AbkKbYL66
when I was going into grade 8 and I felt it was pretty unfair. But after1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDZ5KnmLlq
that year, I kind of got used to it. Surly they were just trying to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqX0HJpMvPp
promote equality amongst us, but there were a lot of things I never 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3N8oxkgiy
found amusing in this school.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0UTYNYIZ9
Mpunde Girls Secondary 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiu3PdLAZF
School, a Catholic school run by the Hand Maid Sisters. Located in the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5xniPLgPo
Central Province of Zambia in the town of Kabwe, but pretty much away 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKvSkqBHG9
from civilisation. When I say that, I mean the school is located far 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8q9VAS0m8
away from town and deep into the bush. It’s located in the farthest 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApIMZOobHi
rural part of Kabwe.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8fqzdYdbT
When I first came to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Z1DRuYOFL
this school to write an aptitude test to go into grade 8, I was greeted 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42isUdOwHb
by the lovely surroundings of the school. The lawns of the school were 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOM9hBYc25
properly well cared for, and there were beautiful flowers everywhere. A 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXh3NNMCl5m
beautiful Catholic church was situated right outside the school grounds,1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Zh3na1vuU
meant for the local people that lived around that area and for us 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX7mKRLtkh
pupils. The attractive colours painted in different Catholic symbols, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllteqXFKPf
inside and outside the walls of the church were astonishing to look at. 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3d5glIt7y
It looked more like art in my eyes.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNAn1GlCFn
At that moment, I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmlYKB61Sr
thought things were going to get better in my life. The school was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVn1ZVFZVE
beautiful and the Catholic sisters and teachers who introduced 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Gw8rlZ07I
themselves to us girls and our parents, seemed so kind. And I was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1qAhakCHg
Catholic, so attending mass wasn’t much of a big deal. I thought I was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjgXFsxKQK
going to love this place and make it more like my second home. But 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8jrHHuOcM
things weren’t the case when I got to know the school a whole lot 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWI5AaNFVT
better. I remember a certain friend of mine back home tell me that,1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XAHIrYFnK
most Catholic girl schools in Zambia were highly recommended because 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgOc7gRsXj
the Sisters were strict and pupils are disciplined. As far as I had 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1Twov3uzq
known, most Sisters were meant to be kind and loving, not strict and 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmun7yCscN
mean. It looked like I had been stuck in oblivion for quite a while in 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSbEIP0IO9
my life, that when I got to know what my friend truly meant, it was like1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcVgKpqS35
a hammer blow to the head. One's thing for sure, I didn’t like this 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHn3qiZfRZQ
school. Every time we begun a new term, I would pray for the three 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjA9VzyT36
months to pass by quickly. Whenever I came back home, it felt like I had1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzk3axDAk5
just come back from a beat-down, and as usual, losing the match every 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5weCrQHqzH
time.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iATePeV1t
The school was strict 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mmuzODi4N
and on point with their rules, I felt like a minion under their control.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyuO9S9d5A
Any little offense you make, they will take you as an offender. They 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsbDz2Sl7p
were strict with how you kept the rooms and the surrounding areas clean.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXIbZGy2Eu
If they found that nothing was clean or things were out of place, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBs4Pv0ibo
whether in the dorms or in the surrounding areas, either one of the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRiUl987oM
sisters or one of the teachers on duty, would call the pupils assigned 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDaIZ3bHqc
to cleaning the area or the dorm, out of class to go back and do their 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GzXd7lpvJ
work properly. And by the end of the day they are given a punishment, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV5actbSXA
which was usually to weed the garden, clean the poultry shack or sweep 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNWIGyIHVL
up the leaves in the orchard. To me, that’s like working twice as hard 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi63JvQiHo
as you usually do on a daily basis. There was nothing you could do about1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwGgJfI50c
that anyway. That wasn’t the only that ticked me off sometimes. Most 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCkpak2ilw
prefects were mean and complete jerks towards us. It’s even much worse 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1QYJ8HqCd
when you were in a lower grade. That meant more work, and if things 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx36nwArDHu
weren’t done right, punishment in the worst way, cleaning up the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2bO6TnkfB
disgusting ablution or weeding the entire garden, with your hands. And 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOVQGJDILj
they always had a special day to punish offenders. If you know you were 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxVF3Cu9cy
late for classes or attending meals and your name was written in any of 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtm52G9dguY
the prefect’s books, just know you will find yourself on the offender’s 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkU03yfAux8
list which is always stuck on Thursdays. That means after classes on 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNkZrvoRSI
Thursdays, the first thing you would want to see first is if you’re on 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1T9loV6YLB
the offender’s list. If you aren’t, then it’s just a time to relax. If 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ANLePiebF
you are on the list, get ready to thoroughly clean up the whole school, 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ARuhAvt1r
you aren’t going to get off that list so easily if you didn’t work. 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNADYxItgUe
You’ll just find yourself on the other week’s offenders list.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUgQ0XGete
Enough about what ticks 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsAiHamrf7
me off in this place. It was 7:00 AM and that meant it was time to get 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsZHO0BOjL
to work. The way we were allocated to our places of work is according to1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcZb21wLjj
dorms. There are 10 dorms in school. The size of the dorm also depends 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZzO04s5l1
where you’re allocated to work. For example, the second biggest dorm 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNsMHYD2ZM
called Dolores, which I’m in, usually worked in big places like the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOqNieGYw2
orchard. And smaller dorms like Xavier A, usually worked in smaller 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMck1tNFod
areas like the kitchen area or the ablutions.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJLXjuUd2u
It was time to go to the1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB3vbx4Ffb
orchard, and as usual, we were always greeted by the sight of leaves 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ25dofFX5i
everywhere in the morning. Most of the time, people would usually sweep 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6zhj5i03L
up the leaves with a rake, but here, we would use brooms made up for the1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfq8bilwA3
strongest tree branches. It was more than enough to sweep up the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3mwhUDxex
leaves. So, we got to work with the brooms. Since there weren’t enough 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjqTi6alqp
brooms, most of us had to wait until one finishes her potion and gave it1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyofIB0rHH
you. I was one of those waiting today and I stood under a tree. 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCCxgTtq7S
Christine came up to stand beside me. Our dorm prefect, Chileshe, stood 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYD9XueLl3t
in front of us, doing her duty, to supervise.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYa8VLsORR
“Hey, are you going to tell me why you couldn’t wake up today?” Christine asked, nudging her elbow to my side.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5D9oAvSm0
“I don’t know,” I replied. “And you are such a bad bunker mate. You couldn’t even wake me up.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOVS7GcKNf
“Huh?” Christine looked confused as she looked at me. “I tried to wake you up, but you were as still as a rock.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MTKsmo1af
I now stared back at Christine with a frown. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear you at all.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RdfonczRx
“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.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FIHhFex60
I shook my head. This 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQf5YS4u2m
was ridiculous and Christine was taking it like it was one big deal. If 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwYMKsgY89
she was going to start talking about ghosts again, like she usually 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKyxOl7QTi
does, I didn’t know what I would do to her that would land me in serious1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ9JIaVg13
trouble.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5V2S4vqKr
“Christine, all that just happened to me today. It’s not like it’s going to happen again,” I said.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX02fKjvEDR
“Diana, you had me worried,” said Christine. “What if you didn’t wake up?”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhqzEYLeha
“But I woke up, didn’t I?”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTtPeOqQ1s
“Somehow I feel that there is something you aren’t telling me.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UCnPbr7jP
I grew startled by what 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkde0REO3Mb
Christine said. I was just about to ask what she meant by that when 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AJ8K3b3TT
Amanda came back from sweeping her potion and Christine was quick enough1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2YkICd5Ky
to get the broom before anyone else. I could feel that Christine was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzJimMRErF
really mad at me and the confusing part about it was why she was taking 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM5Babs57p
all of this seriously. If I wanted an answer, I was so not ready to get a1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCYOB4zRWt
ridiculous one from Christine. She was so superstitious about things 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTy6SXFbQV
and I wasn’t coping with all of that ever since I first came to school 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SSQKxuDu5
and learnt mysterious things that I wasn’t even willing to know.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6Y97T6DCW
Amanda came to stand 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySL85WqUZq
beside me as we watched Christine head towards her portion of the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9w4EhkKrq2
orchard. I drew out a breath of air. Amanda who had a bunker bed right 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqBfXrzdAS
next to Christine’s and mine, looked over at me. By the look on her 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImRMNc8iRu
face, I could tell she knew what Christine and I were arguing about. I 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJtEDe0EsL
wasn’t even ready to hear what she had to say. Hearing from Christine 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8OK205DWQ
was more than enough.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIIWt8sgTf
“I wouldn’t be so mad at Christine if I were you,” said Amanda.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDe5jmUiFBt
“I’m not mad at her,” I said, “I just feel that she is making a mountain out of a mole hill.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BQN4v3gns
Amanda folded her arms 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34KiOvSMV3
across her chest and leaned in closer to me so that people wouldn’t hear1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUMYwpNkb8
us. “I was there when Christine tried to wake you up. You didn’t even 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡensoLQiwDf
move an inch. You just laid there. And you looked, I don’t know, dead.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMuqcMa8fJ
As far as I had known 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqJQwkudLw
Amanda, she was one person who always aired out her honest opinions 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuedoypbF9
about things and she was one who wouldn’t even lie. She was quite 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2v1quBR2b
terrible at it if you ask me. I knew what she was telling me right now 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnQJUxhiuG
was the truth. I swallowed, still finding it hard to believe what Amanda1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBx0RlXYag
had just told me.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1akDuJDPYG
“If I was like that, why1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLqmPL2XHz
didn’t you call the nurse or inform one of the prefects?” I turned to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G94DcSNQD
face Amanda, her brown innocent eyes staring back at me.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiJqQ1wGpn
“Christine was scared 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSheMG5G431
when she couldn’t wake you. She almost freaked out and I told her that 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrAIsIcaZM
you would be fine, that you were just in a deep sleep. I told her to 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQ0wMHudVz
leave the dorm and that I would watch over you until you woke up. We 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFQOdL85bD
didn’t want to attract any attention among the dorm mates until we were 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXgM5K9i7g
sure you were okay.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4wUj0hHac
“Where were you when I woke up? I didn’t see you and the whole dorm was empty.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftIqCeKWj0
“I was standing by the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSrH5dd7Ix
door of the dorm when you woke up. And to be honest, you woke up in the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWNhj206Wo
weirdest way possible. It was like you were given CPR and was suddenly 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoNW9VH0tZ
revived.”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7nV6CaaDt
Now that Amanda had 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslbmA9A1Cl
mentioned it, I did wake up in the weirdest way today. I felt like 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdd3osDqc4u
someone had pumped in water into my nostrils when it was actually air. I1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR4Jm9L7wB
could still remember my throat burn and I held it again without even 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU51eykrzb
realising it. I looked up at Amanda and she gave me a sad smile.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHMveh94kl
“And you told Christine?” I asked when I obviously knew the answer.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtDNDfxDZ2
“You know I couldn’t lie1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzaX5RSqQm
to her. She was worried and she has every right to. And so was I. What 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DUKPIHd0s
if you never did wake up? Have you ever thought of what would have 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRPXU3R7CX
happened if you had died in your sleep?”1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveXT1uprWo
I took in Amanda’s 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5O6c3XWyf
questions into consideration and I looked at Christine who was busy at 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1W2eIHCrc
work. It was obvious that she was avoiding me. I swallowed hard and 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvO4d2Saoc
stared off in a distance. All Christine was trying to do was help me out1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDfIPsCNLX
and I was acting like a complete jerk. But she couldn’t blame me for 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhF9M8lqdHs
it. I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the first place.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV1Re1b7lw
It was now my turn to go1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiADesJZYc
and sweep as I took the broom from my fellow dorm mate, Chilufya who 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdyX3XPI5i
was a grade ahead of me. I went to my portion under a few guava trees. 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCcw0AUitN
Before I could bend down to start sweeping, a sudden wave of pain gushed1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqqkjhzTfb
down upon my head. The pain was so unbearable, that I almost screamed 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylefC0sm4e
aloud as I held my head.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksXu57Tx8P
As I looked around the 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQJpblRKcS
place, everything seemed blurry. I tried blinking my eyes a few times to1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlo9oIwutj
refocus my sight, but that didn’t seem to work. I leaned onto a tree 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSF8VMYseUp
for support and I soon felt a jolt of dizziness and I felt like I would 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdX2Wg6IJf
throw up at any moment. Soon, voices of concern surrounded me and I felt1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3jWfkl1BR
a warm familiar hand hold my shoulder. I saw Christine looking at me 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnp9ulDGvfr
and with our other dorm mates surrounding me.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPgjRAuFc0
My vision was still 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7rY7TQoi9
blurry and my head ached like hell. What was even worse was the fact 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OWGU2yNh1
that everyone was talking and I couldn’t get a thing they said, not even1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVaL6xDwcJ
Christine who was right next to me. I felt so confused that I was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamDSrMi1Tu
afraid of running mad with all the noise. I looked around and I noticed 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUsoX5TxRh
that my vision was getting worse. I could notice a few of my dorm mates’1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvIO6wML3Z
faces including the dorm prefect, Chileshe. I saw Amanda at the far end1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0PM6vJjPE
of the crowd, looking scared. And I noticed someone standing right 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7PUPTBaPS
behind her.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11gNOLbX1G
At that moment, my 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZIoT2eELp
vision cleared when I saw the tall person who was standing behind 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfVp579m3P
Amanda. I felt a burning sensation run through my body, but I was 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgghVeHnkGo
sensible enough not to scream. I continued to look at the tall figure 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rIJWoWwmq
and out of nowhere, a flood of images rushed through my head in a quick 1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAh4E3LpwE
flash.1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXG7mGzhY4
Right before I could figure out what had just happened; I was falling into a pit of darkness, right into oblivion.
1177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyUU54k1B9
and then Add to home screen.