CHAPTER 17: A SNAKE BITE!

I woke up at the crack of down. The weather was calm because it was in a cold season.

I rushed to the bathroom and after taking the shower, I prepared myself quickly because I had to take my morning preps seriously.

I was in my final year in secondary school so I had to work extra hard for my final exams and also for the time I wasted.

Yes! I was in form four.

After the tragedy, I stayed at home for a long period before resuming classes.

I stayed for four consecutive months before finding another school.

It was after one year after the occurrence of the tragedy.

I was twenty years old, already a grown lady. 

Due to the problem with fees and Mr. and it s. Leonardpassingg away recently, I couldn't go to a boarding school so I was learning in a village school.

It was hard to wake up at three in the morning so that before I proceed to school I would have my morning preps but I managed.

My mum was very helpful. She used to wake me up but today before she could enter the room I was already awake. 

The school was far but anyway I had no other option. Most of the time I would be chased away from school for two months before I returned but I did not give up because I knew what I wanted.

I would borrow revision books to read at home for the time that I was not in school.

Eventually, my parents would get a bursary from the county government and then I would return to school.

It was hard to believe but in mathematics book three and chemistry, I read myself the whole of the syllabus because the teachers were quick that when I returned they would be finalizing.

But surprisingly, when I did my exams, I would lead the whole class which left most of my teachers amazed by me. Most of them would lecture their students using my name as an example.

After my morning preps,  I took my big bag that was filled with a lot of books and ran to school.

It was a place of 40 kilometres distance but I was used to it so it was not a big deal. I would carry leftovers that were if my parents got food the previous night.

I did that because in our school, we had to buy food and most of the time my parents had nothing to give me but I understood them and cared less.

After eight months in form four, I was about to do my exams.

I was very serious than ever. I remembered what Mrs Leonard used to tell me before she died because of a plane crash when she was travelling to her homeland ten months ago.

She used to tell me that 'A man or a woman, if you want to change the world, my daughter, always remember that hard work is the only solution. Don't stay behind and always complain that you are poor. You should forget your past and work hard for a better future for your family and the community at large. always let bygones be by gones'

She was my mentor but the cruel world took her away from me.

I became even stronger because I knew if I would always mourn for what happened, I would not attain my dreams of changing my family situation.

That day as usual I slept in the twilight so that I would wake up the following morning very early for my revision.

In the wee hours of the night, I heard something biting on my Mid scalp. I immediately rushed off of the bed and ran to switch on the lights only to see a long and huge greenish snake.

I was flabbergasted by the sight.

My legs were not able to carry me as I shouted, "mummy, daddy..." While weeping. I mustered the courage and ran into my parents' room. My dad had already heard me shouting, so we bumped into each other as he was rushing towards my room.

"What is wrong my dear daughter? Why are you ye.." 

"Daddy I had been bitten by a snake" I interrupted him.

"What? Are you hallucinating?" He was shocked beyond notice.

"What is it?" Mummy rushed to my side.

Without wasting time my dad jumped inside our room to check if I was serious.

"I  I have b-been bitten by a snake" "Whaaat are you saying?" She opened her mouth wide with shock.

She made me sit on the couch and inspected my head. Luckily, My hair was not plaited so she just checked while ruining my hair roughly because she was tensed.

"W-what?" She was shocked by what she saw. I could hear her hands shaking and I could also feel sweat rolling on my forehead that came from her hands.

"Have you seen it?" I asked as I was also shaking and stammering while still crying.

"I can see two puncture marks" She stammered while crying too.

She entered her room while on the other side, my dad had already removed my little sisters from the bed and was searching everywhere. 

My forehead was full of sweat as the pain became unbearable. At the same time, I felt nauseous. My vision started to blur as I called my mum.

"Mummy, please take me to the hospital" I whispered as I couldn't even see well.

And I blacked out.

" My baby, Richard?" Mrs Richard shouted as she was weeping endlessly. Panic was evident in her eyes as she was shaking while her heart was thumping rapidly.

Mr Richard rushed there and picked up the girl that had fainted. He was scared for his daughter. Without looking at his wife who was mourning endlessly, he rushed out of the house while carrying the girl.

In a jiffy, he came to a lonely place. There was a small hut made of timber all around.

"Open the door, witch doctor!" He yelled.

"What is it?" " just come out, now! And stop asking questions" He warned while clenching his first hard as an old man came out of the hut with a stick in his right hand. He had a long beard all over his face.

"Please save my daughter!" He begged historically.

The old man rushed and took the girl. He put her down and started running around her while speaking a foreign language. After some seconds, he spits on the place of the snake wound, several times. 

" Take her to the hospital now. It was not a normal snake that bit her but a demon that would kill her immediately. It is not usual to..."

Without even finishing his statement, the man before him had already disappeared with the girl.

He just shook his head and entered his hut.