ps2:
We continuously live with the choices we make. Vicky made the wrong choices, Nmachi made the choice to avoid her.
But For Nmachi, I wouldn't blame her because of the circumstances she was, kinda overwhelming for a 14 year old. She had no friends, so she didn't understand what it meant to be a friend.
Get over the mistake, but learn the lesson.
Those updates where emotional. Well done Skarlett

Hear! Hear!

So sad to read about Vic's death... Peer group sent her to an untimely grave.
weldone Skarlett.

skarlett:


I'll mention you on how to soon

Thanks alot.I appreciate

applelady:


PM is sending a message to someone you want to communicate with privately, that is private message. Click on the person's moniker and you will see send message, then click on that. The person will reply you if he/she wants. Then you take it from there.
Welcome to Nairaland.

You are such a darling...thank you very much

God bless you

The next belle wey u go carry go be ejima...

Amen?

Weldone skarlett...
Can't wait for the next episodes.
So sad Victory had to die. It was so unfortunate, she was mocked and scorned even by her best friend nma indirectly. Nma was wrong to have avoided her, how could she ignore her when she needed her the most. Knowing fully well that she was raped. yes I get the fact that she doesn't want to get entangled in her issues with the bad girls and boys in the class. I also think that if victory had a good mother-daughter relationship with her mum, she would have easily confided in her mum since it was a rape and not consensual.. I feel for nma too tho, she will live with the guilt for the rest of her life.

jagugu88li:
Hear! Hear!

. [color=#000099]*In Bieber's voice* what do yhu mean??

jagugu88li:
Hear! Hear!

. [color=#000099]*In Bieber's voice* what do yhu mean??[/colour]

jagugu88li:
Hear! Hear!

. *In Bieber's voice* what do yhu mean??

ps2:
.
*In Bieber's voice* what do yhu mean??

Hear! Hear! can mean a lot of things but in this context I meant I'll drink to that, as in,I agree with you.

Say I propose a toast, soon as I'm through speaking a person in the audience can say Hear! Hear!, with everyone joining in. It means they agree with whatever I was saying. Hear! Hear! Listen to that,listen to that

I really feel for victory

johnwizey:
I really feel for victory

Me too

ps2:


I got it... I'm curious about yhur moniker tho.

Shoot, what about it is making you curious?

ps2:

How's it pronounced??

jàgúgú.....you're funny

If Madam Skar.lett catches you scattering her thread, you're in for a high jump

nice one skarllet ,those Igbo's there made it to sound adichian

skarlett it's Monday already

rosalieene:
skarlett it's Monday already

And the sun keeps shine ever brighter...

How are you Rosa?

Okay I'm here finally, its sad Victory died, really don't blame Nma

Rip Vic... And the guys should be punished severely

Skarlett you're gifted Coman continue o

rosalieene:
skarl.ett it's Monday already

ps2:

Abi.... Oya skarl ett berra come Hia and keep your "updating by monday" promise,, or I'd send my DSS team to check up on you.. Hope yhu're alright??

mhisbliss:
skarl ett don't leave us hanging, hope you're alright

Laveda:
Okay I'm here finally, its sad Victory died, really don't blame Nma
Rip Vic... And the guys should be punished severely
Skarl ett you're gifted Coman continue o

Good morning guys, I apologize for not keeping my promise, story will be continued shortly.

Awon derailers

skarlett:








Good morning guys, I apologize for not keeping my promise, story will be continued shortly.

Awon derailers

A good story evokes emotions. Keep the ball rolling.

Twenty-nine


Their exams started that Monday but Nma felt unprepared for it. Victory wasn’t the only one absent for the exams, Ejike and Johnny were also noticeably absent. The school was abuzz with news of the ongoing investigation of Victory’s death and the alleged rape charges levelled against the two school boys. Ejike and Johnny were called in for questioning on Monday and finally arrested on Friday when their classmates were rounding off their exams. News of their arrest and possible arraignment before a court filtered around the school and once again, Nma found herself in the spotlight as most people speculated that she was the one that told Victory’s mother what had happened.

So many people seemed to think that Ejike and Johnny had it coming for them after what they did to Victory but Alice and her crew didn’t seem to think so. They went after her with a vengeance. She could see the indignation in their eyes but she tried as much as possible to avoid confrontations with them until her exams were over. They finally had her cornered that Friday.

“Reporting them to the authorities won’t bring Victory back,” Alice charged in the hallway, “what do you have to go snitching on them for?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nma said.

“Yes, I do. If you were such a good friend why did you hate hanging out with Victory and why didn’t she tell you she was pregnant in the first place. Now you’re trying to be Miss Do-good and rat out those innocent boys to the police,” she said furiously.

“That’s just stupid. You don’t know how stupid you sound,” Nma snapped back at Alice. She was tired of her, tired of all of them.

“Of course we’re stupid,” Alice declared caustically. “Meanwhile you seem to be trying very hard to make up for something, what is it Nmachi? Why are you so keen to see Johnny and Ejike punished?”

“Victory was my friend, she didn’t deserve to die the way she did.”

“Oh really?” Alice cocked her brow, “the last I remember, we were the only friends Victory hung out with.”

Cynthia and Lisa nodded firmly in agreement with Alice.

“And to her everlasting regret, I’m sure. She wouldn’t have gotten into trouble if she had stayed away from the three of you.”

“Just listen to this girl,” Alice said. “What are you trying to say?” she asked, coming closer to Nma and putting her face in hers. “Are you trying to put the blame on us?”

“Yes, you girls are nothing but trouble, I wish she’d seen through the shallow façade of coolness you try so hard to portray to your empty cores.”

Cynthia charged forward, “insult us one more time and you’ll regret it bastard.”

Cynthia poked her bony fingers in Nma’s chest. It hurt as well as the ugly word but she didn’t back down. Instead, something inside her snapped. She hated them for what they’d done to Victory and how hanging out with them had directly or indirectly led to her death. She hated that they called her names and had finally had it up to her neck with their bullying. Using the textbooks she carried as a club, she slammed into Cynthia’s side so hard, she fell down and the girls screamed around them. Cynthia was stunned for a moment, but she lunged suddenly and rammed her head into Nma’s shoulders. Nma was knocked out of breath but managed to hold her footing and position her knee to hit Cynthia in the stomach. She fell on the floor with a loud groan. A crowd quickly gathered.

Before she could come at Nma again, Mr. Sylvester and Mr. Okoro quickly grabbed her. She kicked furiously and swung her arms to get at Nma but they held her firmly and led her away to the Principal’s office. The uniformed guards came running down the hallway and the crowd was ordered to disperse. They led Nma to the Principal’s office behind Cynthia.

They made her sit in the outer office that belonged to the secretary and brought Nma to the principal’s office.

****

The principal, Mr. Ovunda, was a burly man with a thickset frame and intimidating biceps. They had been told he had been a very good wrestler in his youth, challenging and defeating all his opponents in the local wrestling ring during the village’s festival. His frame was foreboding and of all the teachers, students dreaded his cane. He had a deep baritone voice that went well with his frame and seemed to tell all students to behave around him. But even though, the sight of Mr Ovunda could be scary, his attitude wasn’t and he knew when to strike a balance in being firm and friendly with everyone.
The teachers generally admired him as did some of the students. He didn’t have favorite students but everyone knew he favored intelligent students over the lazy ones.
Nma was greeted by his look of astonishment and then disappointment when he saw and was told what had occurred.

“Well,” he said after the teachers were gone, “do you want to tell me what happened?”

“She attacked me in the hallway,” she cried.

“Why?”

“Because I told her and her friends they are to blame for Victory’s death,” Nma said. She had to look away from his steely gaze that was trained on her. “I hate them. I hate all of them and they hate me. They always have.”

“Why have they always hated you?”

“They just do because I tried to tell Victory to stay away from them, they call me stuck up but look where she ended up. They caused it and they call me a bastard,” she added.

“Do you think fighting in the hallway would change anything?”

“No, but I was tired of their nastiness. Their pushing, bullying and making fun of me just because…” she paused and tried to rein her temper.

“Just because?”

“Nothing, they just hate me,” she said.

“Well, you know the strict rules we have here on fighting. I didn’t expect you of all people to get into a fight considering your calm nature but you broke a school rule and will be punished like everyone else. Mr. Sylvester will give you twelve strokes of the cane. You’re lucky school is almost out, you’d have been punished more severely,” his gaze became more piercing.

“I’m beginning to get worried at your conduct in school, Nmachi. You used to be one of our sterling students and now all of a sudden you’re kissing a boy in school and fighting now. I think your parents should be…”

Nma knew where the conversation was going and tried to look contrite.

“Oh sir,” she said quietly and tried to make her voice sound as meek as possible. “I’m sorry for all my misconduct and I promise it will never happen again.”

Although he tried to look firm, Mr. Ovunda’s voice softened. “I hope it doesn’t. Now go and call me Mr. Sylvester and tell your fellow fighter to come in,” he said.

“Alright sir,” Nma said and went out. Once outside she motioned for Cynthia who was staring daggers at her.

“Filthy bastard,” Cynthia muttered under her breath as she passed.

*****

Nma felt her heart constrict in her chest as she walked home and willed herself not to cry. She had tried hard not to cry when Mr. Sylvester’s cane stung her palms like pepper on the tongue. She’d borne her punishment bravely even in the face pf the derisive mocks and jeers from Alice and Lisa but inwardly she’d been weeping. It was bringing her such grief that their words stung like a scorpion especially as it was the truth. She didn’t know her father and he didn’t know of her existence either.

When she got home, she stayed in her room for the rest of the day, and later that night when Mama came to call her for dinner, she refused to eat. The next morning she didn’t come for breakfast too and Mama went to her room.
“What is the matter nne? Why don’t you want to eat?”

Nma looked at her and turned away.

By Sunday morning when she hadn’t come out of her room, even Papa was worried.

“I don’t want that girl to die in my house Nena, what’s the meaning of her behavior?” she heard him in the hallway.

Mama came to her room again. “What’s the meaning of this attitude Nmachukwu? Since when do you reject food in this house? You want to starve yourself to death okwa ya?”

“I don’t want to eat anything Mama,” she said weakly.

“God forbid, you shall eat even if its by force.”

Nma’s head and bones ached and she kept drifting off to an uneasy sleep, waking up troubled by nightmares. A stone-faced man sat opposite her, staring at her from the shadows, his hard eyes glittering just like Papa’s. It was Papa.

“I’m not your father,” the man said in a cold, hard voice.

“Your real father doesn’t love you. Nobody can love you. You’re nothing.”

His voice faded into the darkness and Nmachi woke up trembling, feeling disoriented. She lapsed into sleep again to see another man cloaked in white stretching out his hands towards her.

“My beautiful daughter, come.”

Nma tried to speak but she wasn’t sure. Are you my father?

He seemed to read her thoughts and said, “Come, my beautiful daughter, I’ll take care of you.”

Nma felt herself drifting towards him but just before she could reach him, darkness enveloped her and she felt herself being sucked in it. What’s happening to me? She tried to scream but her voice was lodged only in her throat and then there was a blackout.


Tbc tomorrow

Thanks for the speedy response, Dominique

These spambots like to look for trouble sha. Skarlett, you've been unbanned jare. Lemme go and read up.

This is my first time reading such a lengthy stuff on Nl, i think it is interesting and you quiet good. Maybe i should just wait when you start a new story cause i just can't start from the beginning, nahhh I'm dem too busy to try


Skalett i just pop into ur profile, all i can say is scream oboi. I have this thing with beautiful ladies that have the asset in the right proportion

Interesting! I hope the recent worries of Nma will not affect her academics performance thereby derailing her ambition sha! But truly you are doing a good job with the story but the theme of the story hasn't really depict the story line as some of the core actions are not hidden to two or more persons; in all kudos to you and I say more inspiration to your medula oblongata.

teepsee:
This is my first time reading such a lengthy stuff on Nl, i think it is interesting and you quiet good. Maybe i should just wait when you start a new story cause i just can't start from the beginning, nahhh I'm dem too busy to try


Ska lett i just pop into ur profile, all i can say is scream oboi. I have this thing with beautiful ladies that have the asset in the right proportion

Lol, alright

Thanks

I feel so sorry for Nma.

Hmmmm