I saw the girl lying on the floor unconscious, at the back of the classroom. My chest tightened. Her body looked so still that for a moment, I thought she was gone. I froze where I stood, unable to move. My throat felt dry, my palms sweaty.
I wasn’t alone. Four boys were already there, and Jake was among them. His eyes darted nervously from me to the girl.
“Ei, what’s going on here?” I asked, trying to sound bold, though my voice betrayed me.
“Relax,” Jake said quickly. “She just fainted. Let’s carry her outside before people start gathering.”
But his words didn’t settle me. My mind was racing—how did she end up here, alone, and in this state? And why was Jake and the others acting as if this was normal? I looked down at her face, pale and motionless. Was this really fainting? Or something worse?
“Are you sure she’s breathing?” I asked.
“Of course she is!” Jake snapped, too sharply for my liking. He bent down, pressing two fingers to her neck. “See? Pulse dey there. Let’s move before teachers come around.”
The other boys nodded in agreement, already reaching for her arms and legs. They moved too fast, too eager, and that made my stomach twist.
Something felt off.
I stood back, unsure. A part of me wanted to run for help, but another part whispered, if you involve yourself, your name will enter this matter—and you don’t want that.
So, I watched. I watched as Jake and the others lifted her like a sack of rice, struggling with her limp body, whispering things I couldn’t catch. They carried her out of the classroom, through the back door, where fewer people would see them.
I hesitated for a moment, then followed quietly.
The compound was almost empty at that hour, and their footsteps echoed unnaturally loud against the concrete floor. My heart pounded in my ears as I trailed behind.
At the far side of the block, they laid her gently under a neem tree, fanning her with a book. She remained still, her eyelids fluttering only slightly.
“She’ll be fine,” Jake muttered, his eyes avoiding mine. “She just needs fresh air.”
But I wasn’t convinced. Something about the way he said it, the way the boys exchanged uneasy glances, told me more was hidden here.
For a few seconds, I stood rooted to the ground, torn between wandking away and demanding thewalkingBut before I could speak, one of the boys hissed, “Charlie, let’s scatter. If teachers come see us here, trouble will start.”
Just like that, they abandoned her—leaving her slumped against the tree as if she were a bag no one wanted to claim.
I stared at Jake. “We can’t just leave her like this.”
He shrugged. “She’ll wake up. Don’t stress yourself.” Then he walked off with the others, not once looking back.
I lingered, my conscience battling my fear. Should I stay? Should I run for help? My feet felt glued to the ground. In the end, I forced myself to turn away, whispering a silent prayer under my breath.
That night, sleep wouldn’t come easily. The image of her motionless body haunted me, and Jake’s dismissive tone kept echoing in my mind.
When I finally closed my eyes, I promised myself one thing: tomorrow, I would find out the truth of what really happened to that girl.
No comments:
Post a Comment