married at 16

episode one(1)

The bell rang and guest what??
It was jamila, my favourite cousin. She's too serious about school.
Ugh! She's so annoying.
I can't give up my sleep, I really can't.

"Cuzzo wake up, it's almost eight o'clock, we'll be late for school" said jamila

Well, the dream is over now, I have to face reality. I had no choice but to get up and pretend.

"Eight o'clock?
Mom is going to kill me". I feigned obviousness.
"I haven't even done my assignment," I added.

"What? Madam faal will suspend you for sure, what's wrong with you zahraa, why do you always take risk to be suspended from school???
Get up for goodness sake," Jamila ordered

"You've changed a lot, I don't know you anymore"she huff.
"Anyways, just hurry up....I'm waiting in the car". she added and left.

Thank God she left, I nearly died because of her lousiness, she thinks she's miss know all!!
I sometimes asked myself 'why am I even related to her, if not I had scolded her to dead.

"Oh, mom is calling!!!"
yes, you know what it means. She's about to yell again for keeping Jamila, afraid of what she's going to say, I try to play some tricks.

"Zahra!! zahraa!! what are you doing in the room at this hour? Jamila's waiting for you,"

My mom is doing everything she could to make me sad again before going to school. Knowing that she would scold me to death.....I had to think of something right away.

"O my gosh she's coming".....I mumbled and packed my things and rushed to the window, I opened it and jump. I literally hurt my ankle but hurting myself was better than mom's yelling. I can't bare it at all, I will either cry or keep thinking about it all over again in school.

Jamila's POV

I had prepared all my stuff for school, ready to go. I called my mom and asked....."Mom, have you seen my shocks?"
"I placed it in your wardrobe yesterday, have you looked for it?" She answered.

"Nope mommy I thought I'd left it outside. Thanks mom". I said that to stop my mom from getting those feelings she used to get last year, I felt so bad remembering that.

***

"Mom please call the driver, I'm getting late and I need to pick Zahra for school. I had promised and I can't fail her," I made myself so innocent for mom to call the driver quickly, I have been behaving like a baby since morning hoping to get what I want.

"I told him to come early since yesterday but I don't know why he isn't here yet" Said mom.....we waited for about ten minutes.

***

"Jamila the driver is here" ah finally!! Mom called and I went out, hugged her and boarded the car, off we go.

"Tring tring, I rang the doorbell but nobody answered, I tried several times but they couldn't hear the bell, I was about to give up when zahra's mom opened the door.

"Jami....." before she could finish I stopped her with greetings, "asalamualaikum aunty" I greeted, she greeted back with a smile on her lovely face.

"Hey dear how are you doing? your cousin is in her room....come in," I stared at her for a little while, lot of things was running in my head. thought she would say that Zahra left for school, I knocked the door to zahra's room which was not closed and all I could see was a messed room and a sleeping beauty. Huh!

"Cuzzo get up, it's almost eight o'clock, we'll be late for school" she was snoring like a tired goat, I tried so hard to wake her up but to no avail.

Zahra's POV

"Arhh my ankle....jamila help" I called my counsin for help because I started bleeding all of sudden, she came and escorted me to the car and we left for school.

"Zahra what happened? You were ok when I left you inside?"..... She looked at me with a weird expression,
"mila can't you see I'm hurting"
"What???" she asked

"Well....."I tried to tell her but I was afraid the driver would hear us and tell it to aunty zainab so I decided not to.

"Girl what happened" she insisted....I tried to show her that I can't talk infront of the driver and she understood.

"Zahra how about going to the hospital instead of school and I'll tell mom later" since she cares a lot she could not drop the issue.

"Wait, what? Noways! I am absolutely fine darling, you worry too much besides we are almost at school so...."

"It's fine then" she agreed, the driver alighted us and returned.

I tried so hard to make it to the gate, though jamila tried to help but i pretended like I was fine, "are you sure you are okay?" She asked and I replied in the affirmative.

"Can we change the topic please? You're always concern about me, lets talk about you now" I turned the tables.

"You're funny little girl, why wouldn't I be concerned for my little sister, tell me?.....anyways my life is sooo boring that, we have nothing to talk about, maybe we should turn the tables" she fussed as if I would believe that.

"Boring huh, that's the only thing you always say but I'm not a kid you know, just don't treat me like one."

***

"Cling Cling" the bell rang and we headed to class. As I was entering, I saw Mrs faal , "damnn! jamila, I have to go back, else I'll go for detention, I forgot we are having math as the first period" I started blinking my eyes, ready to cry all my tears out. Mrs faal looked at us and all I could see was an angry big face staring....thinking that it was because of the assignment but what comes next is worst .

We entered and said our greetings to our classmates. I sat behind jamila and was trembling like a leaf.

Mrs faal called, "Zahra bint Abdullah can I have a word with you please?" The whole class was silent as I answered. She asked me about the homework and I couldn't say anything. She then took my bag and searched my math book but all she could see was the last classwork we did.

"I am very disappointed in you Zahra, you were among the best students but now you've changed," I was ashamed so I promised her that I will take my homework seriously from now onwards....there was a phone call at Mrs faal's table but I didn't think it was mine, I decided to leave when she stopped me and passed me the phone.

"Zahra, there is a call for you" said Mrs faal.... Jamila looked at me and had a questioning face. I took the phone while wondering who the hell it could be.
all I could hear was my mom's voice, the tears started dropping before I could talk.

"Zahra i'm on campus, come to the principal's office as I'm waiting and let me not call you again because if I do, it's going to be a different case," she shouted all this in my ears. All my classmates kept staring at me and I felt they heard all what mom was saying, I felt so embarrassed. I sauntered to the office to meet my mom.

I knocked the door and mom opened it.

"Zahra, come in" she said....I know she was disappointed in me so I took it to myself and did as she said without uttering even a single word.

Please learn and enjoy yourself, and yes don't forget to vote 😉.

Haddy Nyang✍