“Hey KD, are you back from prep so soon?” he asked, trying to sit up.
“Yes, I’m back. Jake, do you always get this weak anytime you fast?” I asked.
“Hmmm, KD, it’s not just the fast oo. When I went out to meet Priscy, something happened. But don’t worry, I’m okay now. And hey, thanks for the mashed kenkey. I never knew you could prepare it so well.”
As soon as he finished talking, he tried to lie back down, but I stopped him.
“Hey, it isn’t okay. Whatever happened out there, tell me. You can confide in me. I’m your friend—harmless as such. And when it comes to secrets, you can count on me. Even if you don’t want us to talk here in the dorm, we can go out. Yes, let’s go somewhere more private. I’m willing to hear everything from you,” I said, trying to convince him.
He hesitated at first, but I kept assuring him he could trust me and that I wanted to help. Finally, he agreed to talk but not in the dormitory. He wanted somewhere just for the two of us. He got up, wore a white shirt, but quickly took it off. From his bag, he pulled another shirt and wore it.
I saw the bloodstains on the white shirt he’d removed. My heart raced. Something was definitely wrong. But I acted as though I hadn’t seen anything.
He walked with me slowly to a secluded area in the boarding house. There were no students around—just the two of us. He sat on a concrete block while I stood, anxious to feed my hungry ears with whatever story he was about to tell. He motioned for me to sit beside him, but I declined. “I’m okay here,” I said.
“So now, Jake,” I began quietly, “tell me what happened. Tell me everything. I’m ready to listen. Even if your case demands prayers, I’ll pray with you.”
He started speaking, and I listened without a single interruption.
“KD, thank you so much for being a friend. At first, I thought you were just acting, but I now know you’re real. I’m sorry—I can’t tell you everything that happened. I’ll only tell you what you need to know.
“Priscy, our prayer director, came to me with a report. She told me that a certain guy had been proposing to her from the very first day she set foot in the school. She warned him countless times to stay away, but he kept putting pressure on her until it even affected her studies. She showed me the guy one day, and I went to warn him. From that day, the guy stopped approaching her, and she finally had peace to study.
“She told me another problem we were fasting over, but I can’t tell you what that is.”
He paused, then continued.
“Hmmm KD, after I had gone to pray with her at the praying ground after the fast, she showed me a letter. As soon as I read it, I knew that same guy had started his nonsense again. I told Priscy we should go to him one last time and warn him. She agreed.
“When we got to the science block, the guy was still there studying with his friends. The mistake I made was going to face a strong guy like that on an empty stomach. As soon as I finished warning him to stay away from Priscy, one of his friends pushed me. I tried to prove I was ‘man’ enough to stand them all.
“KD, all I realised was that I was on the floor and they were landing heavy punches all over my body. Priscy? Oh, she was long gone. I was left alone in the hands of those tyrants.”
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