CWRC Anthology

AMANDA

©2023 by Peace Abraham

Brought to you by Christian Writers and Readers Club

Amanda wished the morning could just evaporate from the whole day. Walking had become a huge task for her. 

"I wonder what made senior Temi to put down my name as the person to address the assembly today on self esteem," Amanda mused within her as she trudged towards the assembly hall.

Earlier that week, Temi, the assembly prefect of Verity Comprehensive High School, told her that she would be addressing the assembly the next week. This was a great shock for Amanda because she is the quiet type and never thought that anyone noticed her in this school, not to talk of picking her for such a task. 

Amanda had been battling with low self esteem for years and, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to get rid of it. This was as a result of the verbal abuse she suffered from her cousins who lived nearby. Her classmates weren't helping matters because they also used the opportunity to make fun of her. There was even a bully gang in her class who found joy in teasing Amanda.

She couldn't tell anyone about her predicament so she clammed up into her self-made shell. Her parents didn't notice either as they were always busy with their careers, traveling here and there.

The night before, Amanda couldn't sleep at all. She kept on thinking and panicking about how the whole event would turn out. The problem was that she was meant to speak about exactly what she couldn't get rid of: LOW SELF ESTEEM.  At first, she planned on escaping the challenge by coming late for the assembly but after remembering what happened to Segun, one of her mates, she decided against it.

Segun was beaten and disgraced after coming late for assembly just to avoid his presentation. Amanda couldn't bear to suffer the same fate.

After the morning prayers and choruses, Amanda was called up to the assembly podium to make her presentation.

Amanda's system went haywire. She wished the ground would open and swallow her. Her mouth and throat went dry and her armpits itched. On feet that seemed as heavy as tree trunks, she slowly made her way up. When she got to the stage, the mic was handed over to her. 

She collected the mic, but her hand began to shake visibly and she couldn't control herself again. The mic fell from her hand and shattered into several pieces.

Some students shouted at this, while some students laughed. She couldn't look up at this time, fearing she would pass out if she did. 

In a mocking tone, someone spoke up from the crowd, "Here's a good example of low self esteem. Amanda has just shown us practical." Immediately, the whole school burst into laughter, both the teachers and students.

Overwhelmed by shame, Amanda sprinted from the stage. She started crying profusely and gasped for breath as she ran blindly away from the squealing assembly. There was no direction in mind. She just wanted to escape from this trauma that she was sure would haunt her for the rest of her High School days. 

The voices of some teachers and Temi called after her, but that didn't stop her. She kept running until she was outside the school's gate.

As she bolted out of the premises, the doors of a black Sienna with tinted glass that had been parked there since the wee hours of dawn opened. Three masked men got down and grabbed Amanda from behind.

Alarmed, Amanda began to scream for help. One of the men roughly gagged her. Together, they effortlessly bound and carried her into their vehicle.

Some teachers that had gone after Amanda saw the quick transaction and tried to run after the vehicle but they couldn't catch up. They immediately called the police but no single line of the police station was going through. This really looked like a planned event.