Chapter 3

• Japheth's POV
• I stood outside our class at the balcony. I was a form four student which was good news to me because I would be completing my high school by the end of this year.
• Schools here in Africa were totally different from schools in other continents and to me.... school was a torture, I never understood anything the teachers taught... not because I was stupid but because I wasn't interested and I also came to school because I wanted to avoid my father's dramas.... Yes! my father was one dramatic man and he never saw anything good in whatever I did. He oftenly opposed on my suggestions and ideas.. he never supported me nor let me make decisions on my own and that is what I hated the most because he made me feel inferior and less important.
• Even though I wasn't a classroom smart person, I was a street smart person and I was proud of it. At least I was good at something though my father never understood that. He was such a critic and I would be lying if I said I didn't like him at all.
• I don't know why he despised me but now I had made my own decision to do my own things... my own way without him following me around... without asking for his consent, actually I was fed up with school... I wanted to be out of this place.... I was fed up with exams especially this one the teachers called "mock exams".... just like the name implies, they are real life mocking papers because the so called exams were thought to determine what one would gain in their final exams. There was only one solution to stop these exams.... the only way was to strike and if necessary, we would even burn down the school to ashes as long as those exams never came my way.
• "Hey man!". Someone from behind spoke. I turned to see who had jogged me out of my thoughts.
• It was Fred. Fred was my best friend and we lived in the same neighborhood. Though we are friends he always complained about me because he never understood me....my actual feelings and desires... he always said that I was a cold person with a cold heart like an animal. And somehow, he was right. I rarely made friends and I never liked to be social. I loved my own company or sometimes Fred's company though not too much.
• I was an introvert?..
• "What do you want?"I asked trying hard not to sound angry.
• "Come on man.... why are you so bitter? Anything bothering you?" He asked. His last sentence reminded me of mother. She also complained about my introvercy and she always prayed that one day I might change my attitude. I shook my head to clear off the mist of thoughts clouding up in my head.
• "NO...nothing's bothering me." I responded.
• "You sure?" He asked again.
• "Very sure" I said flatly trying to sound truthful.
• "Okay .... I just wanted to let you know that everything has fallen according to our plan... we're just waiting for the right time to attack". Fred explained, hushing his tone a little to avoid prying ears from eavesdropping on our conversation.
• "Thats good. Remind the gang..... everything must follow the plan this night!. Nothing changes!" I remarked. Yes! we were striking this very night and I had a group that opposed exams just like me. No matter what, this plan had to work. And I had a strong feeling that nothing would come my way.
• Planning a strike had to be in full secrecy. If not, then we'd be expelled from school or even sent to jail. We didn't want any of this to happen so, secrecy was our top priority.
• "Yes boss!" Fred exclaimed teasingly before he left. He was funny and humorous but I never laughed to his jokes..... I was used to them anyway!. I just couldn't wait for this night to break... I was anxious. The thought of my Father reprimanding me for this act...
• I didn't want to think about it. I wanted to have my way this time and no one would stop it.
• SEVEN HOURS LATER....
• It was one o' clock at night when Fred and I made the first move which was to switch off the lights in the main switch which was located in the security department. At this hour all of the security stuff were asleep. Two boys from my gang had locked them up from outside to avoid them from getting out once we started the rampage.
• We had also locked the discipline master in his quarters because we knew with him around, none of our plans would work. He was one tough man and I would be lying if I said we all didn't fear him starting from his outrageous looks.
• So as to avoid the innocent sleepy students from getting hurt, we decided to burn the classes instead of the dormitories. We quickly but quietly moved to the classes. Fred and other two boys carried the jerry cans containing the petroleum which we had sneaked out of school earlier to purchase.
• I had the matchbox.
• They poured the petrol along the classrooms walls then I lit one of the matches and stared at it with a sly smile on my face before I threw it on the poured petrol causing it to light up.
• We had arsoned the school.
• I cared less about the damage which would be caused by the fire. The rest of the gang consisting 50 boys was at the school's back gate (exit gate) waiting for us.
• We shouted, "Fire! Fire!" for the rest of the boys to wake up and because they would cause a comossion while trying to put out the fire, then my gang and I would get the chance to escape without being noticed. Thank God to the director of the school, there were no cameras installed.. so unless some snitches tell us out, the school management will never get to know who did this.
• That was what I thought. Of course, if the school's register was called and we were found absent, they're most likely to suspect us.
• But who cared?. So long as those exams never saw my face. We weren't the first school to strike, many schools in the country had strikes.. Reason? The mock exams.
• No one wanted the mock exams. Unless the classroom smarts who could handle the exams then we'd leave them to do it.
• Christina's POV
• I was peeved out on what Jackline had told me earlier. I had heard before when schools striked because of exams they did not want to do... or unpleasant food they had been served, those strikes brought chaos and in most cases some students would end up loosing their lives. I was afraid... I did not want to be among those who would be on the list of death.
• I shifted uncomfortably on my desk, wondering when preps time (personal study time) would end for me to approach Jackline, so as to get more information about the strike. Well of course, I could approach her now but I did not want my name to end up in the class representative's naughty list..... So the only option was to wait for dorms time.
• It was eight o' clock.... only one more hour for this waiting to end... I couldn't even concentrate on my books, I found myself turning to look at Jackline countless times perhaps she would look back at me and at least smile or grin or whatever she could do to at least to calm me down. I looked around the class, everyone seemed calm and comfortable... or perhaps they weren't aware of what had been planned by the form three's and four's.
• I felt weak, If only there could be a way because I didn't want my classmates to be victims of the coming strike... I turned again to look at Jackline who had leaned on her desk, she seemed stress free and less anxious. She was seated next to her best friend, Trizah. My eyes met with hers, I remembered we were best friends before Jackline came between us and she decided to choose her over me.
• I held no grudges with any of them.
• She gave out a wan smile, I mirrored it. Surely, she was aware of what was going to happen hours to come.. If only communication wasn't so stiff between us, I would have asked out information from her instead. I turned back to my books but then Jackline spoke out aloud from where she was seated, "Christine! stop looking at me like that... or do you want to fuck me?" She asked making the rest of the girls to burst in a sudden uproar of laughter.
• My head shot back to look at her. I just kept quiet and shook my head. I didn't want to talk back and get my name in the naughty list, I was afraid of the law unlike Jackline who was used to getting punished over and over again.
• "I already have someone to do that, I don't need another!". She added as she sat upright then wrapped her hand around Trizah's shoulder.
• What did she mean?. That they were lesbians???. I was puzzled so I turned back to my books, as they say the best way to defeat your enemies is through silence.
• "Jackline Mutheu!. Shut up or else I will add up your name on tonight's naughty list!" The class representative yelled from the back of the class where she was seated.
• Jackline turned to look at her end gave out a laugh while Trizah gave out a sly smile.
• "Go ahead lady boss, I'm not afraid!". Jackie yelled back.
• What did she mean by her statement? Or is it because of the strike that was going to take place soon? Is that why she was unafraid of punishment?. Now I was reassured that the strike was going to take place. Right now, even prayers wouldn't work.
• "Don't dare disrespect me Jackline! I'm your class representative."
• "Who said I was disrespecting you?... Everyone here knows that I am used to punishment so writing my name on that piece of paper you fancy calling the list over end over again wouldn't change a thing!" Jackline retorted.
• "And by the way, I have something to ask all of you..." Jackline added as she turned to face in front. Now by her statement, I was sure she wanted to announce to the whole class about the strike. Words can't explain the feeling I felt.