GIVE ME A HEART
???
CHAPTER 4??
I was walking down the beach at sunset. The wind blew sweetly against my face and I smiled peacefully. Then I stopped and stared fixedly at the girl sitting on a chair, staring at the sea.
It was her. The same girl. I took up courage and walked over to where she sat. She noticed me coming and yet she made no effort to look my way. As usual I couldn’t see her face.
” Hello,” I spoke, waving at her. ” What’s your name?”
She didn’t answer me. She only smiled and gazed lovely at the sea.
Suddenly the sea waves roared and I turned sharply to look at it only to find myself in an emergency ward. The girl had disappeared and so had the sea and the beach.
I looked around and sighted Cain sitting on a chair close to someone on the bed. I didn’t see her but I saw Cain cracking jokes with her, trying to cheer her up. Then I heard a thunder clapped. I turned around and found myself in a cementry. It was filled up with a lot of people in black mourning clothes and dark umbrellas. I stared fixedly at the crowd under the rain, paying respect to the deceased one in the grave.
From behind me, I saw two men arguing. The stronger of the men was leaning on the other man, calling him vile names. On the ground were the man’s crunches.
” You could’ve saved her,” he yelled at the weaker man. ” You monster, because of you she’s dead.”
” I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean for any of these to happen.” he yelled at him.
” Sorry?” The crippled man cried. ” Sorry won’t bring her back from the dead would it? I hate you. I hate you I wish you were never born.”
” Cain, please,” the other man pleaded as the crippled man shoved him away and groped for his walking crunches.
Cain? I asked. Why does he looked older and with crunches too?
Then the ground cracked opened and the earth swallowed me in. I screamed as I fell into dark space and I was still falling when I woke up immediately, soaked in perspiration. It was a dream. It was just nothing but a dream.
???
Veronica came into class when we returned from the assembly ground early in the morning. Everyone were talking and laughing at the words written on the black board. She moved over and stared at the black board; her mind wide awake, her mouth slightly opened in shock.
Someone had written:
VERONICA’S MOM IS A WH0R£. SHE’S SLEPT WITH MANY MEN WITH HEART INFECTIONS THAT’S WHY VERONICA DOESN’T HAVE A HEART.
The class found it amusing and they whispered amongst themselves behind Veronica’s back. Everyone turned and returned to their seats but Veronica remained in front of the black board.
I came in with Naomi and we laughed as we passed her. ” Such harsh words,” I said out loud. I wonder who could’ve written those words.”
Naomi giggled. ” Yeah, I wonder.”
The class seemed to think that was funny and they laughed amongst themselves. Veronica still stood before the black board, her hands balled up in fists.
I settled down on my locker and called out to her. ” Hey, diseased girl, you can’t stand there forever. Our English teacher is coming in any moment now or do you wish to become our English teacher today?”
She didn’t answer. Just then, Cain walked in. He paused then turned around and stared at the words on the black board. He looked at Veronica as he saw little films of tears welling up her eyes, then he looked back at the black board. It was as if he was reading it over and over again.
Then to everyone’s surprise, he walked to the window and grabbed the board duster. In front of the kids, he wiped the entire board until there wasn’t a trace of white chalk on the board. It was as black as coal. The class suddenly became quiet. Walking slowly and gently towards the opened window, he washed his hands cleaned with a bottle of water. He didn’t rush, he took his time. Everyone watched him silently as he dried his hands and unwrapped a lollipop and stuck it in his mouth.
He returned back and inspected the black board for any trace of white chalk. ” Better. Much better,” he nodded then walked over to his seat. ” Sorry for spoiling your fun, everyone. It just didn’t seemed right to let our English teacher to read such offensive words so early in the morning. Now the board looks more darker and beautiful than before, don’t y’all think so?”
Nobody answered him. They were all too ashamed of themselves to reply him. He shrugged and sat beside me. I glared at him. If only he’d known I was the one who’d written those words as part of my schemes to get at Veronica. What in God’s name is his problem?
Veronica still stared at the black board. This got everyone wondering why she stood before the board even though Cain had already whipped off those mean words. Veronica then did something that shooked the class ten times than Cain just did some minutes ago.
She grabbed a white chalk and wrote quietly on the board. Everyone sat forward in their seats, curious to see what she was writing. ” What’s she writing now?” Someone behind me asked rhetorically.
Cain, who’d been looking out the window heard the whispers and turned to look at what Veronica was writing. When she was done, she turned around and faced us with her most charming, kind smile.
The class, gasped. She’d written:
GIVE
ME
A
HEART!!!
There was a five minutes silence that filled the class for a long time. Cain had stopped licking his lollipop, Naomi was furious and I was shocked beyond words. This girl is a w!tch, I knew it. Doesn’t she feel any pain? Why is she always smiling and nice?
Then English teacher came in and lesson began.
” I KNEW YOU DID IT,” Cain wrote in my book and looked away.
I became furious. After lessons, during recess we all went out to buy snacks. Our canteen is located at the first floor of the senior class block. We usually stand in a single file in order to control the crowds.
I sighted Veronica standing by the side. The boys and girls had refused to let her join the line probably because she’s the diseased girl. So she stood alone, waiting for the crowd to clear off. I saw my opportunity and went to fetch a bucket of water. I climbed the stairs up to the second floor and looked out.
She still stood alone. Waiting patiently. Heaving up the Bucket full of water, I yelled out so that everyone can hear me. ” Look out.”
Veronica saw me as I splashed the water down towards her. She tried to move out of the way on time but she was already too late. The water soaked her up from her hair to her feet.
???
” It was an accident,” I said as we wheeled our bikes out of the bicycle shed. ” She shouldn’t have been standing there in the first place.”
” Andrew,” Cain said. ” Don’t you think it’s about time you cut out with the bullying stuff. You’re seriously gonna get yourself into trouble someday.”
I scoffed. ” Why? We used to do this together back then. So why the sudden change?”
” That was before,” Cain spoke. ” People change you know, don’t you think it’s a about time you change.”
” What has gotten into you?” I stopped my bike and faced Cain. ” Why are you being soft these days? Is it because of her? You barely even know her. Ever since she started schooling you’ve been against me, lately.”
” Like I said,” Cain spoke. ” People change”
Just then I saw Veronica coming out way. She was still wet to her skin with the water I poured at her.
” What’s she want?” I asked as she moved towards me. I thought she wanted to slap me but she only stood before me and stared eyeballs to eyeballs with me.
I waited, hoping she’d raise her hands on me so that I’d find enough reasons for me to beat her black and blue. Instead she opened her mouth and put her hands as if she was begging me.
” Can we be friends?” She asked politely and hopefully with that tiny voice of hers.
” What?” I asked, not sure if I heard her clearly.
” Can we be friends?” She asked again, her eyes glittering with hope.
I stared at her for a long time not believing my ears. ” You’re such a freak,” i yelled and pushed her aside roughly. I moved on wheeling my bicycle along with me.
She went after me and grabbed my arm. ” What are you….” I spoke.
” Please,” she pleaded. ” I want to be your friend.”
” Get your hands off me, diseased girl,” I barked at her and kicked her with my foot. She fell to the ground roughly.
I mounted my bike and turned to Cain. ” Come on, Cain. Let’s go home.”
Cain stood still with his head bowed down. He was clutching hold of his bike with rage. It was as if he was trying to get control over his anger. He then moved over to where Veronica sat on the ground. She was sobbing now. Cain raised her up to her feet and turned to me. I received a shock. His eyes were red.
” Go on without me. I’ll catch up,” he said with a gruff voice. ” Come, I’ll take you home,” he said to Veronica.
I didn’t move. I watched as he settled her on his bike and took her home. Veronica was still sobbing. She buried her face on Cain’s shirt and hid her face away from me.
Cain didn’t come to visit me as usual at home that day. I was going to tell him about the strange dream I had. I even texted him but he didn’t reply.
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