Sharon - Season 1 - Episode 25

5 years ago

Sharon - Season 1 - Episode 25

I kept looking at her as she left, I didn’t even know I was smiling to myself. I was called out of my illusion by Melody, he hit me with his textbook and it startled me. That was when I realized that Sharon had been long gone and what I was smiling at was just an imagination in my mind.

“Wetin you dey look nah? Your shima don move since. You still stand dey smile. Wetin dey sup?. Melody asked confusedly. I walked past him smiling and went to pack my books . while I was arranging my books, chidimma walked up to me, she was staring at me in amazement.

” was it my ears or did I just hear you apologise to someone? “. She asked.
” what do you mean “. I pretended I didn’t know what she meant.
” Oh come on, you just said sorry to someone, seriously?”.
“Is that how much you’ve been studying me?”. I asked her and she smiled. She didn’t expect the question so, she couldn’t say more.

” Okay, sorry. Are you satisfied?”. I asked mockingly and we both laughed.
“So, have we gotten our friend back?”
I smiled when she asked that, I was glad she didn’t give up on Sharon, even though she didn’t understand what was really up with her(Sharon).

“Well maybe you’ve gotten your friend back, we’re going to find out tomorrow”. I said as I hung my bag, ready to join the outlawz and she smiled.
” how long before your mum comes to pick you?”. I asked her to notify her that I was set to leave.

“You want to wait with me?”. She asked smiling and I shrugged.

” if you want me to”. I didn’t mean that and she obviously knew I didn’t so, she laughed.

”I’ll see you tomorrow joor”. She pushed me off. I waved her bye and joined my crew.
The next day, I returned to my usual late self. When me and Kelvin reached school, the Assembly was long over and the prefects were still holding up the latecomers, it didn’t seem to be such a lucky day for us because even the gateman was holding up his long cane this morning. He was such a fierce man and the last person you’d want to flog you. But he was rarely a Hostile person so, I wondered what could have made him quite mean this morning. Maybe the proprietor did a number on him yesterday. That old man has such a long mouth. Once he caught a sight of us, he started yelling at us to run up quickly at the count of a number I didn’t know, but he had already started counting. At that moment I wanted to turn back and run home but, I was with my cousin for God’s sake and I didn’t want to look like a coward to the others I jogged with Kelvin my fearless cousin, he was smiling so I had to fake one too. But it soon disappeared once we got to the gateman, knelt with the others. The prefects were all thirsty to flog us, both the ones that had nothing to do with lateness but, I’d prefer them to our huge gateman. Unluckily he decided he was going to flog all the boys.

some started crying in advance, while the brave ones like Kelvin laughed at them. I didn’t laugh nor cry,but I was so scared inside. He started flogging, the more I watched him whip the others the more scared I was becoming. so far only two boys stood up immediately after they were flogged, others were still rolling on the floor and I prayed I wasn’t going to mess up like them. I remembered a myth we used to practice during our primary school days;putting stones in your mouth to help overcome the pain of the Cane. I did it immediately without anyone noticing, not like I ever believed it works but, I needed something to believe in at the moment. it soon got to Kelvin’s turn and after him it’d be me. It didn’t take five seconds for Kelvin to receive his seven strokes on the back without blinking, the noise that followed from our class was encouraging and frightening at the same time. I didn’t know our classmates could see this,Sharon probably would be seeing this too and she’s the last person I’d need to watch me cry. Kelvin didn’t leave after receiving his, he waited for me to receive mine. He was smiling at me. I understood his message and I tried not to be afraid. I was able to endure the first two but the third one was much painful, it seemed like my back was peeling so, I blocked the rest with my arms. immediately he was done I picked my bag and joined Kelvin as we walked to our class. Once we got into our class, chidimma was the first to walk up to me, Sharon just sat there staring, if I hadn’t known the reason behind her act I would have thought she didn’t care.

“Hey, you didn’t have to be late again”. She said examining my arms, the red stripes from the whip was still so bold on my arms and imagined how the one on the back would be, despite the fact that I wasn’t fair in color yet the marks was this bold. That’s how bad it was when the Gateman flogs you. She didn’t know I was still in pain and I was even scared of saying a word because I might end up crying.