Blurred Vision

Not So Long

It was difficult to continue without Anderson and Amara but my only consolation was Asah.

She was very understanding and helpful.

At a point when I thought I couldn't make it anymore because they teased me about becoming a defenceless lawyer and that my clients would even have to defend me if I ever got a job.

The taunts were getting out of hand and for long, I hid my tears from everyone except Asah.

SS2 was a hell of a year for me, I had no friends whatsoever and only Asah was there for me, Nora tried her best but I did not like her as a person and at times, she laughed along with them behind my back.

Flourish also became friendly but she was too impatient.

Asah was everything I would wish for in a friend and I reciprocated her gestures in anyway I could.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, when we were writing the first term exams, a teacher sent me to SS1 E to get extra foolscap sheet from her colleague.

I went obediently but the woman was absent.

As I was about to leave,  Kosi stopped me. "Hi"

"Hi" I muttered.

"You've not been looking happy, what's the problem?"

"Nothing" I shook my head. I could see Asah gazing intently at us. Wisy was beside Kosi chewing gum nonchalantly.

"Is it because you are in arts?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't you get tired of talking about someone's life?"

"Anderson is not here to defend you this time!" She snapped and my heart clenched, Wisy burst out laughing.

"He's lucky he left the school immediately, my father would have dealt with him" she continued.

"I didn't talk about Anderson" I murmured.

"Ryl, it's not too late to change your mind towards this path you have chosen" Wisy told me.

"I don't need your stupid advice" I gritted my teeth.

She scoffed. "You look pitiable, so sad, I bet you won't win the beauty pageant with this look"

I kept quiet and slowly walked out.

"Flat thing!" Kosi called out and Wisy laughed, not just Wisy, other people laughed including boys.

Tears rushed into my eyes and I just ran away crying.

  God, what did I do to deserve this? Who did I offend? Please help me Lord, I don't have a defender. I need you.

I cleaned my eyes thoroughly before entering my class, I was sick of education, I was tired of laboring in a place where my feelings were being hurt badly.

The likes of me were rare, an emotional lawyer, everybody said I can't argue, a needed trait of every lawyer but then the kind of argument I see in a courtroom is what my mum called logical argument... A constructive argument is what Amara called it and Kennedy called it an inspired argument, when you know you are right, ideas formulate in your brain and you can't help but speak out.

I could go for Kennedy's explanation but facing what I faced at school, I didn't know if I was right, I didn't know if my classmates weren't right to be taunting me and the reality  of everything was staring at me, I don't even know when I'm right.

With the first term exams completed, I contemplated switching over to science while there was still a slim chance but Asah was pissed.

"You have to be kidding me, Ryl, so you just want to tell them that they are actually right?"