The Queens Vengance

      I stared at my computer debating in my mind on sharing my story with others I had written a few chapters on my experience but I have never shared that part of me with anyone else no one knows the full story they only know the bits I have told them I hover my pointer at the delete button but then decide against it. And for the first time after writing, I decide to read my story from the beginning. It read:  That day was like every other day there wasn't a warning or a sign that could have saved us all, it was an ordinary day, in fact, it started out as boring. I woke up early and swept the compound we lived in it was a large compound we had three huts and one silo for storing grains that was harvested from our farms.  then woke my sister Mariam to help me around with the house chores  Mariam was as lazy as I was if not more. The only reason I was so dedicated to helping mama with the house chores was that I was trying to convince Baba to let me go to school. I come from a family of five with three brothers and one sister.  In my village sending a girl to school was seen as a waste of time since she would get married to someone else and would not carry on her fathers name as a legacy the boys, however, had it easy it was a tradition in the village that at least one male child should be educated it wasn't compulsory but of course it earned you bragging rights. With three brothers and hardly enough money to feed the five of us my dream of going to school as Baba would say was "impossible". Within the hour Mariam and I had finished sweeping the compound cleaning the house filled the clay pots with water and made Pap ( Kunun  Tsamiya ) with the firewood mama had used to cook dinner last night for everyone it was potato season so I boiled the potatoes that Baba and my brothers had harvested from the farm. It was not a nice combination but it was filling at least. We sat on the mat and ate in silence I rushed my food " ke calm down before you choke on your food , how many times do I have to tell you to chew properly like a lady" mama cautioned me while eyeing me and taking half-filled spoons of her pap my brother Sadiq chuckled, " mama this girl is no girl see the amount of food she eats as though she farms with us she does nothing at home and yet eats like us " Yusuf the second born said while pointing towards my plate  and shaking his head in disbelief if I was any fairer than this I would have blushed red, I didn't reply them I didn't tell them that going to the stream was a kilometre walk from the house or that I made those trips more than 4 times a day since Mariam was too young to walk that long, or how I had to turn semo or pound yam for 7 mouths to feed instead I gulped down my pap while Mama still gave me a disapproving look I stood up quickly " Mama i am done with all the house chores and cleaning can I go out now" I ask eager to go down to the neighbouring school, she nodded her head with a sigh.  I walked with a smile plastered on my face greeting everyone that I met on the way to the school, silently hoping that it was maths period the maths teacher was nice knowing that I loved school but couldn't afford it she let me stay in class during her math period after she caught me peeping from one of the windows since then she let me join the class and would speak to other teachers to let me join their classes too I didn't write any of their exams but she would get me the exam questions and I would answer them and give them back to her, even though I had never gone to school as a student I could easily compete well with any student she would say. The students didn't bother me most times. I tried to make sure I could answer any math question the teacher asked since most of the students hated maths it made me feel happy whenever I answered correctly. A nerd looking boy was attempting to answer the question Mrs Abiola the Math teacher had just asked when we heard it at first it was distant but then it became clear with each sound, gunshots, " stay inside and wait for me and no noise " Mrs Abiola said as she went to find out what the sound was, teachers had already gathered outside It wasn't long before someone shouted " guns" and there was panic teachers told their students to go home everyone walked away as fast as they could. Most students, of course, ran the teachers however chose to walk well except for the music teacher he had his pants drawn up and shoes in his hand as though he had just seen fire on a mountain if this was another time I would have laughed my heart out. I walked as fast as I could it would take me at least 30 minutes to walk back home I saw some women running from my village, women children, men I stopped to ask them but no one answered me they only told me to run back to where I was coming from, it left me confused I had to be sure where my family was, I had to go back home and check for them. Sabeeha asked me while running towards me I walked up to her " Zainab are you mad?! where are you going to ?" someone asked I didn't bother to wait and reply. At first, I saw fire on some huts from a distance but I was still too far to be sure what it was smoke wafted thick in the air. And then I saw them.  They were standing on jeeps and trucks with guns and shouting, firing shots in the air. I quickly hid in the bushes hoping and praying that they wouldn't see me. It was one of the longest moments I have ever had waiting for the unknown. I could hear my own heartbeat fear had gripped my lungs, I had to remind myself constantly to breathe gently. They were slowly approaching when I heard a movement in the bush behind me. I tried not to panic and stayed as still as I could. The rustling got closer, and that's when I saw it a snake a large one. It took all I had in me not to scream. I held my breath at that moment and the snake glided pass not bothering to look back at me as though I was not interesting enough for it. But I had been brought up by tradition to know that whenever a snake glided past you it was a bad omen.