WAZOBIA: A Tale of Two worlds

1

How do I begin my story?
Oh yes, I was in the military school,

"Look directly at your target, aim... and fire!"

The best my aunt could send me to, in the beautiful state of Illinois, America

"I wanna hear those guns clicking."

I was top of my class,

"Very well, miss Simbi"

Unbeatable, with an outstanding performance,

It was just too bad I wasn't joining the army

-

Our trainers were smart, well selected ones, straight from the army and paramilitary. I was practically on good terms with all of them.

There was this one though, this overzealous trainer that thought everyone would need help, even the ones who quite obviously knew everything - like me.

He annoyed me. But the reason percentage of it wouldn't be because of his personality, knowing who I was, but because of his gender.

As a young girl of twenty-one I hated men.  Hate is never a strong word for me. Growing up in a house where my father was more than thirty years older than my mom and subjected her to tolls of domestic violence everyday, I didn't particularly see anything to love in men.

I made it clear to my mother that I wasn't going to marry. Based on African standards, that was near abomination. I mean, what African woman wouldn't want to have kids, right? I didn't think like that, I saw adoption as pretty much of an option. I wouldn't suffer just because I wanted to nurture the fruit of my own womb, I could nurture another's, after all, the child was still pretty much mine.

I was a strict, no nonsense female who considered myself womanist, not feminist, womanist. I just didn't roll well with men.

"So, where are you from?" He asked while I tried to force feed three more bullets into my gun.

"Nigeria" I answered coldly after about five seconds had passed.

"That's in what continent again?" He asked, quite stupidly. I didn't answer him this time.

"Just messing. I know"

"So, you're training to join the American army" he asked, sort of a statement-question, as he steadied my hand on the gun. I pushed it off.

"No"

I gave my first shot.

"Then why are you here?"

My annoyance suppressed the answer that would've come out if I were a normal human being.

"Lemme guess, you're... Trying so hard to pass a taekwondo class and prove to your sensae that you're not a klutz" He said.

I looked at him, hissed and looked back at my target.

Then I shot again, this time, missing the target by just an inch.

I got angry.

"Could you leave" I said, still trying to focus on the target.

"Not until you answer my question"

Association was treacherous.

"I think you have a few other students to attend to" I finally said, out of frustration.

He stared at me, blue eyes looking intently for about five seconds before he left.

Then I hit the target.

I pulled off my visors and smiled satisfactorily.

Now that, was a good shot.