It has never been this long before (I think)
The year is 1993. Our heroine stands at the back of the primary 1 line, her dress still crisp from the iron, her socks still a brilliant white and her shoes? Well, nothing lasts longer than a Kiwi shine. She stands between Land and Rover, her two best friends. All three of them are looking directly at the boy in front of Land’s backside.
“Is he?” Our heroine asks.
“He’s not!” Rover announces.
“Aya! She’s telling the truth! Look, you can see the line!”
They begin to giggle hysterically, holding onto each other for support. In the midst of their fits of laughter Nugu, the class monitor, turns behind to look at them from her place at the front.
“You guys keep quiet! Mrs. Boring is talking important things,” She whisper-shouts.
All three girls toss baleful glances at Nugu but shut their mouths and go back to their positions in the line. It is then that all three realize that something important is happening.
Friday assembly is usually a long day. There is the anthem then praise and worship (Entebbe Christian Academy) and it ends with one class or other being saved. Today is supposed to be p.6's turn but something is different. In addition to all the teachers, and the nurse, a group of new people are standing looking very official and important.
“What is happening” Rover asks Land and Yz.
“Kyoka Nugu. Mrs, Boring hadn’t even started” Land says ignoring Rover’s question.
“Good Morning School” Mrs. Boring declares, interrupting Rover who has opened her mouth to ask again, and her voice carries across the large grounds.
“Good Morning Mrs. Boring!” the school grumbles back.
Satisfied with the response, Mrs. Boring nods her head and continues.
“Today we will not be having our usual assembly because we have visitors. These people here are from the ministry of health and they have come here...”
Yz is on full alert as soon as she hears this. She looks around at the classroom block and her fears are confirmed. Men are carrying sealed boxes into one of the upper school’s classroom. She can’t read the words that well yet but she knows UNICEF because she is a doctor’s brat. And it is stamped all over the boxes, UNICEF.
Land and Rover follow her gaze and notice the boxes as well.
“What is in the boxes?” Rover asks.
“I think they are injections,” Yz says.
Horror fills Land and Rover’s faces.
“Yz, Land and Rover, listen to the headmistress” A prefect has appeared from nowhere and towers above them.
They realize then that the headmistress is still talking.
“...is a very bad disease so these people here are going to give us vaccinations. We will do it class by class starting with baby class. Everyone remain in your line until you are told to move by a prefect or a teacher,”
And then Mrs. Boring clicks her heels away from the stage leaving her school in the sun. As soon as she is gone, the school bursts into whispers. In the nursery lines, the children begin crying and Yz is struggling hard to keep the tears at bay herself. Her friends meanwhile are panicking.
“Injections? No one told my mother and she can’t allow!” Rover says tossing her braids.
“Wama, yes! For me, I don’t get injections, even when I have malaria! My daddy he can hold a whole electric pole and beat you if you try to force me, he told the doctor at the clinic this other time!” Land states defiantly.
Yz does not speak. Her mother would be thrilled at the idea of vaccination. In fact, Yz would not be surprised if her mother had something to do with this. The memory of being held down on an examination table as she was injected for malaria at her aunt’s clinic is still very fresh, mostly because it was done by her mother. Oh no, when it came to her injections, her mother belonged to the dark side.
“...even when I don’t like potatoes, they take them off my plate” Land is still going on about the wonders of her daddy.
Their class teacher comes up to them then, two other teachers, and three of the Ministry of Health people behind her.
“Line up properly, and then walk in the line behind the top class,”
Land puts up a hand and Mrs. Nugu’s Mother looks at her.
“Yes, Land what is it?”
“I don’t want an injection and you can’t force me! I will tell my mother!”
“Your mother knows. She signed a sheet,” She focuses her next words on the rest of the class who were listening anyway. “All of your parents know what is happening today. Otherwise you would be at home,”
Yz hears this and decides it is time for action. She taps, Land and Rover who are busy looking dismayed. They turn to face her, all hope gone.
“We are going to run and hide so they don’t inject us” She says.
They look at her in disbelief.
“They will catch us. Look, they even brought Mr. Mean for our class. They will catch us and make us first” Rover says, defeat written across her features.
Defiant, Yz shrugs.
“Me, I’m going to run. If you’re coming, come”
“I’m coming,” Land replies immediately.
Rover looks at them both and finally nods. “Ok, fine, we go”
The three girls watch the teachers for the best moment. Their line has already moved to stand behind the top class and the first of the baby class are now entering the classroom turned vaccination point. Yz watches as her fears are confirmed. Baby, her cousin is carried kicking and screaming into the room. There is a short silence then a scream erupts followed by loud wails.
Baby’s cries startles the teachers and they all turn to see.
“Now” Land cries.
And the three girls are off. At first no one notices, then Nugu cries, her whiny voice carried by the wind to the three rebels.
“Mummy, Yz, Land and Rover are running away!”
That is enough for the teachers. The three men who had been sent to the p.1 class are chasing after Yz and her friends, Mr. Mean in the lead but finding it hard to keep up. They run to catch naughty children while the girls run for their lives.
The rebels head up the slope to the nursery block where their classroom is, the teachers not catching up quite as quickly as one might assume. Rover is the one who finally asks the question that needs to be answered.
“Where... are... we ...hiding?”
“In the... girls’... latrine... men are ...chasing ...us... and ...they can’t go in there,” Land offers immediately
This seems too simple for Yz, too easy.
“I don’t ...want... to ...hide.. .there,” She says, her instincts shouting against it.
“We... go ...there!” Land insists.
And Yz realizes that she chose the wrong people to rebel with her. These people are giving up so easily. Even now they choose the easiest route rather than wait for the right way to be shown to them. She is six and Darwin is more than a decade away but she knows that it is about survival of the fittest.
“I’m... not... going... with... you,”
“Fine!” Land says.
There is no time to argue, they are at the nursery block now. Land and Rover turn left to go up to the latrine and just like that the weak links are gone. Yz turns right and enters the classroom block. She runs to her classroom and ducks beneath her desk. She pants and listens to the screams of her friends as they are caught.
“NO, MR. MEAN, IT IS BAD MANNERS FOR A BOY TO ENTER HERE!”
“You... are... going ...to be... injected”
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"I HATE YOU!"
"AAAAH!"
"Even if you bite me, you are still going to be injected"
"MUMMY!"
Then the yelps, screams and cries get farther and farther away.
Yz can’t believe her luck. She crouches, afraid to breathe too loudly for fear of being caught. It feels like she is under there for hours but eventually she begins to hear voices, or rather sniffles and threats aimed at the administration. She stealthily climbs out from underneath her desk and sits down. Thinking quick she crosses her arms on her desk and places her head on top of them, the standard I am crying but I don’t want you to see me crying position.
...The funny thing is, I got away with it. Ha! Rebel, my friends, rebel!
The year is 1993. Our heroine stands at the back of the primary 1 line, her dress still crisp from the iron, her socks still a brilliant white and her shoes? Well, nothing lasts longer than a Kiwi shine. She stands between Land and Rover, her two best friends. All three of them are looking directly at the boy in front of Land’s backside.
“Is he?” Our heroine asks.
“He’s not!” Rover announces.
“Aya! She’s telling the truth! Look, you can see the line!”
They begin to giggle hysterically, holding onto each other for support. In the midst of their fits of laughter Nugu, the class monitor, turns behind to look at them from her place at the front.
“You guys keep quiet! Mrs. Boring is talking important things,” She whisper-shouts.
All three girls toss baleful glances at Nugu but shut their mouths and go back to their positions in the line. It is then that all three realize that something important is happening.
Friday assembly is usually a long day. There is the anthem then praise and worship (Entebbe Christian Academy) and it ends with one class or other being saved. Today is supposed to be p.6's turn but something is different. In addition to all the teachers, and the nurse, a group of new people are standing looking very official and important.
“What is happening” Rover asks Land and Yz.
“Kyoka Nugu. Mrs, Boring hadn’t even started” Land says ignoring Rover’s question.
“Good Morning School” Mrs. Boring declares, interrupting Rover who has opened her mouth to ask again, and her voice carries across the large grounds.
“Good Morning Mrs. Boring!” the school grumbles back.
Satisfied with the response, Mrs. Boring nods her head and continues.
“Today we will not be having our usual assembly because we have visitors. These people here are from the ministry of health and they have come here...”
Yz is on full alert as soon as she hears this. She looks around at the classroom block and her fears are confirmed. Men are carrying sealed boxes into one of the upper school’s classroom. She can’t read the words that well yet but she knows UNICEF because she is a doctor’s brat. And it is stamped all over the boxes, UNICEF.
Land and Rover follow her gaze and notice the boxes as well.
“What is in the boxes?” Rover asks.
“I think they are injections,” Yz says.
Horror fills Land and Rover’s faces.
“Yz, Land and Rover, listen to the headmistress” A prefect has appeared from nowhere and towers above them.
They realize then that the headmistress is still talking.
“...is a very bad disease so these people here are going to give us vaccinations. We will do it class by class starting with baby class. Everyone remain in your line until you are told to move by a prefect or a teacher,”
And then Mrs. Boring clicks her heels away from the stage leaving her school in the sun. As soon as she is gone, the school bursts into whispers. In the nursery lines, the children begin crying and Yz is struggling hard to keep the tears at bay herself. Her friends meanwhile are panicking.
“Injections? No one told my mother and she can’t allow!” Rover says tossing her braids.
“Wama, yes! For me, I don’t get injections, even when I have malaria! My daddy he can hold a whole electric pole and beat you if you try to force me, he told the doctor at the clinic this other time!” Land states defiantly.
Yz does not speak. Her mother would be thrilled at the idea of vaccination. In fact, Yz would not be surprised if her mother had something to do with this. The memory of being held down on an examination table as she was injected for malaria at her aunt’s clinic is still very fresh, mostly because it was done by her mother. Oh no, when it came to her injections, her mother belonged to the dark side.
“...even when I don’t like potatoes, they take them off my plate” Land is still going on about the wonders of her daddy.
Their class teacher comes up to them then, two other teachers, and three of the Ministry of Health people behind her.
“Line up properly, and then walk in the line behind the top class,”
Land puts up a hand and Mrs. Nugu’s Mother looks at her.
“Yes, Land what is it?”
“I don’t want an injection and you can’t force me! I will tell my mother!”
“Your mother knows. She signed a sheet,” She focuses her next words on the rest of the class who were listening anyway. “All of your parents know what is happening today. Otherwise you would be at home,”
Yz hears this and decides it is time for action. She taps, Land and Rover who are busy looking dismayed. They turn to face her, all hope gone.
“We are going to run and hide so they don’t inject us” She says.
They look at her in disbelief.
“They will catch us. Look, they even brought Mr. Mean for our class. They will catch us and make us first” Rover says, defeat written across her features.
Defiant, Yz shrugs.
“Me, I’m going to run. If you’re coming, come”
“I’m coming,” Land replies immediately.
Rover looks at them both and finally nods. “Ok, fine, we go”
The three girls watch the teachers for the best moment. Their line has already moved to stand behind the top class and the first of the baby class are now entering the classroom turned vaccination point. Yz watches as her fears are confirmed. Baby, her cousin is carried kicking and screaming into the room. There is a short silence then a scream erupts followed by loud wails.
Baby’s cries startles the teachers and they all turn to see.
“Now” Land cries.
And the three girls are off. At first no one notices, then Nugu cries, her whiny voice carried by the wind to the three rebels.
“Mummy, Yz, Land and Rover are running away!”
That is enough for the teachers. The three men who had been sent to the p.1 class are chasing after Yz and her friends, Mr. Mean in the lead but finding it hard to keep up. They run to catch naughty children while the girls run for their lives.
The rebels head up the slope to the nursery block where their classroom is, the teachers not catching up quite as quickly as one might assume. Rover is the one who finally asks the question that needs to be answered.
“Where... are... we ...hiding?”
“In the... girls’... latrine... men are ...chasing ...us... and ...they can’t go in there,” Land offers immediately
This seems too simple for Yz, too easy.
“I don’t ...want... to ...hide.. .there,” She says, her instincts shouting against it.
“We... go ...there!” Land insists.
And Yz realizes that she chose the wrong people to rebel with her. These people are giving up so easily. Even now they choose the easiest route rather than wait for the right way to be shown to them. She is six and Darwin is more than a decade away but she knows that it is about survival of the fittest.
“I’m... not... going... with... you,”
“Fine!” Land says.
There is no time to argue, they are at the nursery block now. Land and Rover turn left to go up to the latrine and just like that the weak links are gone. Yz turns right and enters the classroom block. She runs to her classroom and ducks beneath her desk. She pants and listens to the screams of her friends as they are caught.
“NO, MR. MEAN, IT IS BAD MANNERS FOR A BOY TO ENTER HERE!”
“You... are... going ...to be... injected”
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"I HATE YOU!"
"AAAAH!"
"Even if you bite me, you are still going to be injected"
"MUMMY!"
Then the yelps, screams and cries get farther and farther away.
Yz can’t believe her luck. She crouches, afraid to breathe too loudly for fear of being caught. It feels like she is under there for hours but eventually she begins to hear voices, or rather sniffles and threats aimed at the administration. She stealthily climbs out from underneath her desk and sits down. Thinking quick she crosses her arms on her desk and places her head on top of them, the standard I am crying but I don’t want you to see me crying position.
...The funny thing is, I got away with it. Ha! Rebel, my friends, rebel!
1 comments:
when are you going to rebell against the establishment?take me, take me...
REPLYhi! thanks for commenting. I'm always open to new ideas. I can't wait to hear yours.