LIFE, ABOVE ALL
Episode 22
“Most often what our children really need from us is our attention.”
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TIYA
I walked down the long corridor to the headmaster’s office. I took a deep breath and knocked at the door, ‘come in,’ was the response.
I walked in and firmly closed the door behind.
The headmaster was sitting behind his desk. To the right side sat Mrs. Kandeya my class teacher and to the left sat my father, he looked unhappy.
‘Sit down,’ Mrs. Kandeya (teacher) gestured to the empty chair.
I sat down while gazing at my father.
‘Mr. Phiri, you came at the right time,’ the head master began, ‘This is Mrs. Kandeya your daughter’s teacher and she was just telling me a few things concerning Tiyamike before you arrived,’ he said.
Father nodded his head.
‘Tiyamike, I think you know why you have been called.’
I choose to remain quiet.
The headmaster looked at my teacher and said, ‘You can go ahead madam.’
‘Thank you,’ she replied, ‘As I was telling the headmaster just before you came, Tiyamike’s performance has gone down plus her behavior these days leaves much to be attended to.’
Father cleared his throat.
I could feel my heart thumping rapidly in my chest as she explained my change of attitude to my father.
‘Today I even kicked her out of my class for not concentrating and instead of being remorseful, she just clicked her tongue and walked out of the classroom, I seriously don’t know what’s going on with her.’
‘Do you have anything to say for yourself?’ The headmaster asked me
‘No,’ I shook my head, what could I even say under such circumstances
Father shot me an evil glare, ‘I send you to school and this is what you do?’ he asked
I kept quiet.
‘Answer me!’ he growled
I still didn’t respond.
‘Calm down,’ Mrs. Kandeya said, ‘she is just a child and what she needs is guidance. I personally feel she hasn’t gotten over her mother’s death.’
‘Is she the only one to lose a mother?’ Father asked
‘No, she isn’t but people grieve in different ways maybe being rebellious is her way of coping with the pain.’
‘You are right,’ the headmaster responded, ‘How best can we help her?’
‘Counseling,’ Mrs. Kandeya responded
‘I will not waste my money paying for her counseling fees she is such an ungrateful child.’
‘We have a counselor at the school and we offer free counseling sessions.’
‘Okay.’
‘This girl has always been brilliant and well behaved so we will try our best to help her get back into shape,’ she said
‘And Mr. Phiri, there is also need for you as a parent to sit her down once in a while, give her attention.’
‘I am always there for these children I don’t know why they are behaving like street kids.’
‘Lies! Lies!’ I wanted to say but I kept my cool.
‘How is the relationship between Tiya and your new wife?’
‘Well my wife is a good woman, she is a good with children, Tiya has just been stubborn and she has refused to recognize her.’
I laughed and they all looked at me.
‘I am sorry but you and I know your wife isn’t all that loving.’
‘Tiya!’ Mrs. Kandeya called
‘I am just being honest.’
I hated the way he described his wife, why was he trying to make her look like an angel when she was the devil’s advocate?
‘Enough,’ father,’ screamed and I kept quiet.
‘You are such a disgrace,’ he said
‘You need to calm down,’ the headmaster said
He stood up, ‘I am taking her home with me now I will sort her out.’
‘She is only a child please don’t be so hard on her, what she needs is your love and support.’
‘Thank you, if that will be all, we shall take our leave.’
He grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the office through the corridor. I tried to break loose from his grip but to no avail.
I looked back at the windows most were filled with pupils faces watching as father dragged me while ranting and raving. I got in the back seat and dropped my back on seat next to me. He got in and drove off.
He pulled the car in front of our house an hour later and we both jumped out.
I walked into the house followed by my father.
‘Hold it right there,’ he yelled as I was about to rush towards my room.
I stood completely still afraid to move, I was petrified of what he would do or say.
‘What happened?’ auntie Stella walked into the living room, ‘You are back home early, is everything the matter?’ she asked
‘Can you believe this idiot? I have been sending her to school and she has been misbehaving.’
‘Darling, I think this child has demons,’ Auntie Stella said, ‘She needs prayers.
‘You are the one with demons, evil witch,’ I shot back at auntie Stella
‘What did you just say?’ Father asked
‘Your wife is the one with demons not…,’
Father raised his hand and whipped it hard across my face cutting me short before I could finish my sentence.
‘You know what?’ I angrily yelled, ‘I am fucking tired of this nonsense, I hate you both so much. I wish you had died instead of mum.’
With that said I dashed down the hall to my room.
He burst into the room a minute later carrying a hosepipe in his hands.
‘You think you can disrespect me?’ he roared
Silence
‘What the hell is wrong with you?’
‘I just want my mother,’ I said
‘Then you mother you will have,’ he said before the beating began.
‘Clack,’ the hosepipe struck my bare flesh.
‘I will kill you so that you can reconcile with your mother,’ he kept hitting me with an amazing intensity.
The beating was intense but I didn’t cry neither did I scream. I was quietly waiting for him to finish so I could get on with my life.
I was quiet as he continued pashing on my legs, bu.tt and back.
I think I have sort of become immune to pain because no matter how much he beat me, I didn’t cry.
‘You will go to the farm as soon as you write your exams because I might end up killing you here,’ he yelled
‘Darling let her be,’ Auntie Stella held his hands back she always came to my aid at the last minute. Demon of a woman, I will get back at her.
‘This girl will be the death of me,’ he screamed.
‘It’s okay.’
‘I don’t know what I deserved to have her as a child, some people have normal children and this is what I got.’
‘Ouch,’ I felt those words deep.
Auntie Stella held his hand and walked him out of the room.
I was s0 angry, I wish I could tie him up and beat him the way he beat me.
Anyway I stood up slowly and went to the bathroom I took a cold shower and went back to my room. Then I slumped on top of my bed and lay back closing my eyes.
This must be the worst day of my life, how could everything have gone wrong?
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