A SENSE OF TIME

Is comfort a good enough reason for ignorance? The fresh air and the mid afternoon sun had never been more exhilarating for these four young ladies. In this part of the world they were royals, looking down from the rooftop at their mediocre, obedient classmates as they sat down in class waiting for their teachers.  Super Nova Academy, unlike its name, was as basic as any boarding school. A three story block building with a grey and light blue finishing. In the middle of the night, when all the lights were out and everything was quiet, the building could have easily been mistaken for a haunted mansion. Maybe that is why rumours of ghosts and haunted cats were a favourite topic among the students. The assembly ground at the center of the school was bare, unable to grow grass from the constant trampling upon by hundreds of students everyday. But from the rooftop, discovered by a rather petite, dark skinned girl, from this rooftop, Nessi and her band of mischiefs, could pretend that they were somewhere else. Today, on the rooftops the girls were watching the clouds. "That one right there is Mrs. Chendo, look she just discovered Kate sleeping midway through her lecture. She sure is in for it now." Jane, a light skinned, tall girl spoke pointing to the clouds. " Oooh! She is in real trouble!" Jude, Jane's identical twin, exclaimed a little higher than a whisper this time. The twins complimented each other very well, so they kept the same company although they were different in every other way.  As she stood, she cleared her throat, arched her back to immitate the teacher. Pointing at Jane she said, " Young Lady! Aren't you ashamed of yourself? I will be sure to make an example out of you! Stand up! To the front of the class, right now! You know the drill. Head between your legs, Pinch those ears. Let me see you squat girl!" The girls could not stop snickering. "Its very peculiar that the clouds are recalling what happened yesterday. Say Jane, do you think they can predict the future?" A very mature voice emerged from the snickering. A voice of Nessi's bosom friend, Lucy. Lucy as she had stated severally before, had been cursed to mature faster than the rest of the young girls. Having developed her woman features earlier than everyone in her class. Jane and Jude studied that clouds for a while. Searching for an answer. Jude responded, " I am afraid the heavens do not respond" "Perhaps not you" Nessi replied, getting up quickly, "but if we do not leave right now, we will end up just like poor Kate" "Do you see the future?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Lucy's voice. " More like I saw a blue streak pass the 4th class and if I am not mistaken we have less than 10 minutes to get to class before Mrs. Chendo." No more questions needed to be asked. It was not beyond Mrs. Chendo to cane the girls and there was no doubt in the girls mind that any form of lateness without permission was sure to be met with lashes. The girls quickly climbed off the rooftop, down the drainage pipe and into the storage room. They knew from now on they had to be quiet. Nessi led the girls. She would go first to check the way, then signal the rest to follow. Good. Now they just needed to go up the stairs and round the corridor and they would be class free.  Tip Tap Tip Tip! 'What is that?' thought Nessi, 'No! its Mrs. Chendo. She is getting closer.' They could no longer slowly and quietly cross the classes, while bending over each window. They needed to be quicker. She made the call. The girls would run. And if they ran fast enough, no teacher would be able to recognize them. 'Let's go.' She whispered to her team. And without thinking the girls sprinted into class and took their sits. 'Mrs. Chendo! Mrs. Chendo!' Jude loudly whispered as she sat down. Immediately, the once relaxed, loud class. Turned forward, rigid and dead silent. The tipper, tapper of Mrs. Chendo's high heels grew even louder. 'Class 7! Everybody stand up!'Mrs. Chendo spoke with such boom in her voice just before she entered the class. Could it be that the girls had not made it? Had they been spotted? The girls feared that the loyalty within the class was not strong enough to keep their identities hidden. Mrs. Chendo walked in carrying a large pile of papers, three large English books and a cane balancing on top of it all. The girls could be relieved, they were not discovered. But the frowning on Mrs. Chendo's face meant dire consequences for the entire class.  Despite English being one of the most spoken languages in the school, it was also one of the worst performed subjects in school. Mrs. Chendo thought that by ruling with an iron fist she would have her students perform. But the fear she had hoped to manipulate to gain results was working against her. Because the students were scared of her, because they hated her, they rarely read for her subject and always gave out bad results. This did not phase Mrs Chendo. The worse they performed, the worse she got and so the cycle of disaster grew. Mrs. Chendo looked through her glasses to her students. Each one making sure not to meet her gaze. She was a large lady, but  her large form should never be mistaken for the lack of muscle.  "I have never taught such a stupid group of girls in my life." She spoke disgustingly under her breath. "Look at this!" Her voice was higher now. She picked the pile of papers and slummed them on the table. " You call these results?" There is no difference between you and the street children who have never been to school" She breathed out heavily. The girls kept their gaze to the floor, hoping not to have their names called. "Jude and Jane! To the front" The girls shocked, looked at their teacher confused and absolutely terrified. " Yes you! Now!" The girls ran to the front hoping that it would ease Mrs. Chendo's anger. "Here we have, dumb and dumber." The group of girls began laughing, not all but most. Nessi and Lucy, for obvious reasons, and a group of 3 girls that sat across the class from them didn't even smirk.  These three girls, Angie, Diane and Wendy, were the smartest girls in the class. It wasn't certain whether the girls didn't laugh because they knew better or because they had nothing but pity for the twins. In the world of studies they were far more powerful than queens, they were the masters of the chess set. And that was the base that founded their friendship. "What are you laughing at?" Mrs. Chendo scolded. She picked up the pile of papers and threw them at the class prefect. "Give out that trash! I am sure everyone wants them, and if they don't neither do I" The Prefect picked up all the papers, with the help of her desk-mate and they distributed the papers. At this point, it was clear that the girls would not be in trouble, at least not for sneaking around the school Needless to say it was a rough afternoon for the girls in Class 7. The English lesson could not have ended sooner, but Mathematics was next and the girls could at least let their out frustrations then. The Mathematics teacher was a short, kind man, Mr. Okello. Who loved to smile and gave full support to all his students. Especially to 'dumb and dumber'. So, when he entered class and read the fear in the students faces, he knew he needed to give the girls time to talk.  "Teacher, I don't understand," said Lucy rubbing her red, swollen palm. "Why do teachers think that caning will help me pass? It's not like the pain puts any information in my skull. I know I can read English and I speak it well. But the moment the fear kicks in, I forget everything." "Sometimes, I even forget my name. So when she calls Jane I answer" Jude said in a low, defeated tone. And the entire class started laughing. Not because the joke was very funny, but because they could relate to what Jude said. And with that the lesson begun. Mr. Okello was never one to weigh in on how other teachers taught and if he had any opinions he kept them to himself. It is quite a pity that he did, because he knew what the students felt and if he had spoken up just once, perhaps the great student- teacher divide created in a century old ideal of school would have narrowed. But he never spoke, so we will never know. After the class Mr. Okello asked to speak to Nessi. Nessi detected a hint of dissappointment in his eyes which scared her. So as she walked slowly and quietly behind him towards the staffroom she thought of all the things she might have done wrong. She was sure that she had done all the assignments. Sure she didn't do too well in the last test but that was weeks ago and she knew she would do better the next time. 'What could it be? What could have made Mr. Okello disappointed in her?'  Mr. Okello walked into the staffroom and invited the little girl in to take a sit. She held on to the door frame for dear life. "I didn't do anything. I swear. I'll do better. I promise". The words seemed to come out in one breath from Nessi. Mr. Okello noticed the fear in the little girl and decided to encourage her with a smile. "Come in first. We do not have much time." The noise on the outside and begun dying down. The teachers were now successfully settling down the students into their preferred clubs. Nessi sat down and begun to rub her fingers aggressively against each other. "How far have you made it in your history class? Have you reached the roles of our ancestors?" "I don't understand what that has to do with Mathematics." She answered carefully. "You're right it doesn't." He posed to rephrase his words, "have you ever heard of special people, able to do special things?" There was silence. "You mean like prodigies?" "No, I mean like you." Nessi looked down. "I don't know what you are talking about." She rubbed her thumbs against each other He leaned on the table to get a little closer to her, "You do not need to hide from me. I'm like you. Not entirely, but I have the ability to see others with special abilities. And this is why I called you hear. Not to talk about Mathematics. At least not today." He smiled, "I see you." The smile faded, "I also see.. a darkness in this school and I swore I would protect you, but its getting harder to do that when you continuously use your power haphazardly. Even when absolutely unnecessary. Your father must have taught you..." "My father doesn't know." She blurted out. With this one sentence she had for the first time admitted to being extraordinary and it scared her. Mr. Okello turned around to look out the window, "How irresponsible..." All other words were a murmur after that. He turned back to Nessi, "What about your mother? Your mother must..." She shook her head "She doesn't know either. Then how did you, do you know how to control it?" She shook her head again, with her eyes low. "You do not need to be ashamed." His voice was gentle. "No one taught you, so there is no way you would have known. Keeping this a secret was very smart of you. I would have loved to teach you how to control it, but am afraid it is too dangerous here. The more power you use the more the darkness grows." He sat down. "Your powers are linked to your emotions. In the next few days, as I look for a way for you to control them, please do not put yourself in situations that may spark fear or extreme anger, or even extreme joy. Can you do that for me?" She nodded yes. She was determined. For Mr. Okello, her favourite teacher, she would do anything. "Mr. Okello, I would appreciate if you would allow your students to attend their extracurricular activities. We do not want to raise dull girls in this school, do we?" A high pitched authoritarian voice came from the door. "Of course, head mistress." He signaled Nessi to leave. She ran passed the headmistress, cutting through the heavy smell of florals, not looking up to see her expression. The headmistress walked into the office and closed the door behind her. "Mr. Okello, it is very inappropriate to be seated here with a female student all on your own. It could ruin your reputation. See to it that it never happens again." The Head Mistress in her pink suit, was now leaning on Mr. Okello's desk, inches from his seat.  "You are right." He turned to look at her, "but it is just as inappropriate to be met with you in a closed room, especially when we are this close." Miss Thorne smiled. She was just above 30 years of age and had taken a fancy to the middle aged teacher. She sat on the table. "I cannot say I understand the predicament. You are single and I am single, can we not share a private moment together?" She said as she run her hands behind his ear. Mr. Okello, taking her hand off his ear and setting it on the table, smiled "Perhaps not within the school grounds. We do want to set a good example to the students, don't we?" He immitated the Miss Thorne's speech patterns with his last sentence. Miss Thorne took in a deep breath. " I suppose you are right." She got off the table, "but you cannot hide from me forever. You've said it yourself not in school grounds" Walking towards the door, " I will be waiting for your call before the end of the day. You schedule the time and place we can resume this... invigorating conversation." Mr. Okello stood, "Of course Headmistress". "And I do hope that you will leave the 'headmistress' nonsense when we meet."  She banged the door as she left, as Mr. Okello fell to his seat. 'I have to do this, for Nessi,' He thought to himself, 'or I will never know where the darkness is coming from. I am sure that it comes from someone in the school but such powerful dark magic doesn't reveal itself so easily'. She was here. After the clubs, Nessi, Jane, Jude and Lucy, met up to talk. They were all in different clubs and after an hour apart, they had a lot to talk about. Nessi was with the school magazine as a writer and needed to catch up the group on all the latest gossip. Jude was a scout and in a few months she would make to be a commander. Jane and Lucy were in drama, but for very different reasons. Jane loved to entertain while Lucy thought that the club was so big it would be the perfect place to disappear, so they told their stories to the group from on and off the stage. While Jane explained her excitement for the upcoming Drama Festival, they were interrupted by Brenda, the school magazine's chief editor. "I just got the scoop Nessi, of a person living within the school forest. This story could make the front page. Do you want it?" Was she seriously asking this question, "Of course!" "Great! I expect to see the story on my desk, by the end of day, tomorrow." Brenda smirked. "But wait! Nessi. The school forest is out of bounds without supervision. You cannot go their alone. What happens if you are caught?" Lucy warned. "I will take full responsibility. I'll talk to Mrs. Chendo if things go south." Brenda reassured the team. She could not afford losing such a big story on a technicality. Jude looked at Nessi, "We'll go with you." She said Nessi, Jane, Jude and Lucy headed for the forest. Super Nova Academy was a very peculiar school, geographically speaking. The school stood beside the forest and yet very little flourished when planted within the school. And since the headmistress had no interest in cutting down the trees, the school made use of the forest. Food would be planted between the trees, enough to feed the students with fresh fruits and vegetables.  Lucy looked around as they got deeper in the forest. “It might have been a student playing a joke on the rest of us. I think we have gone far enough let’s go back. There’s nothing.” “I agree” Jane was quick to answer. “Its getting way to dark. And right about now, is when the thing attacks.” What thing?” Jude asked rolling her eyes. “You know the thing that attacks and kills everyone in like all horror movies. And I am not going to be killed today. No- sari.” Jude ran to Nessi’s side, and put her hand over Nessi’s shoulder. “Ignore her she is after all in theatre. We can go further.” Nessi stopped and looked around. It was getting rather dark, and she couldn’t tell whether it was because the trees were gathering or because the sun was setting, but the forest was giving her a very eerie feeling in her stomach. “Let’s head back. We haven’t seen anything and I think it would be better if we tried in the morning, after breakfast. For now, let’s go grab dinner. I will tell Brenda everything, she will understand.” As they headed back, Nessi began to hear “Aris matahandha, kier sashanta.” The words repeated themselves over and over and she held her head, shut her eyes and began to scream in pain. "Nessi! Nessi! Nessi! Are you Ok" Lucy asked getting to her side. She couldn't stop screaming. Jane and Judy caught her as she passed out. Then darkness. "You finally came to me." A voice moved with the wind. Quiet but clear. Growling but pitchy. It sounded like the combination of female and monster. "Who are you? W-w-here am I" Nessi asked, as she got up. Gathering up all her courage to understand her sorroundings. It was still dark but she could feel and hear the water beneath her feet. Yet it felt like nothing. It was neither warm nor cold and it didn't maker her shoes or clothes wet. It's like it was just an illusion. "I am in your head silly!" The voice said laughing like a possessed child. The wind rushed past her face and she felt a presence right in front of her. She punched her but nothing. "Oh! Silly, am not actually here." She laughed, "Now," the presence came in closer, "show me." Flashes of images rushed through her head. Flashes of the past; Men, women and children happy together. Flashes of a young girl with a white patch of hair speaking of ghost like people destroying everything they know. Flashes of death, a lot of death. Then flashes of the resurrection of the dead, of the wiping out of the entire world and the rebirthing of a new. Flashes of more blood and death. “Aris matahandha, kier sashanta.” the voice repeated. "The cleansing is coming. Thank you, little seer. We shall meet again." and she disappeared. "Hang on Nessi."  Jude shouted as she ran as first as she could carrying her on her back.  "Jude put her down."  Jane told her, noticying something wasn't right with the tiny body they were carrying. "What?" "Put her down now!" That was a command more than a suggestion which Jude acted on immediately.  Jane examined the young girl, then she begun to shake vigorously, "She is convulsing."  "Hold her down." Jane said calmly. They did, "Then what?"  "Nothing. We just wait." Jane looked up to see the panic in her sisters eyes. "I know that's not the answer that you want to hear, but that's as much as we can do for her."  A crowd of curious girls begun to sorround them. They had somehow made it out of the forest. "Fight. Girl fight." Jane would whisper in Nessi's ear desperately. The Date. Mr. Okello pulled the chair for his date. He sneezed. Was it just his imagination or was Miss Thorne nervous. 'Impossible,' he thought to himself, 'the lady has nerves of steel'. He remembered seeing the Headmistress face off representatives of the government who had come to buy off a piece of the forest. She was fierce. She not only scared them off but also embarrassed them in front of the staff and kicked them out.  Yet today, that aggressive woman somehow seemed nowhere to be found in the lady that sat right across from him. She would not meet his eyes and prefered to gaze elsewhere. Her ability to speak seemed to have been taken away and she kept biting her lip. He sneezed again. "Bless you!" She hurriedly gave him a napkin, "I am so sorry, Mr. Okello. I honestly thought... well," She straightened up determined not to waste her time on nerves. "I was nervous when you accepted and asked me out on a date, so I must have put on a bit more perfume than I intended. Forgive me. Perhaps we can look for a seat outside for some fresh air?" He agreed, "Please just call me Tom. We are on a date anyway." She smiled. The Arabic restaurant was well known in these parts of the city and getting a seat was a bit difficult. Especially, one that assured their privacy. They got one on the first floor, on the balcony by the daisy flowers. The busy streets below seemed very far away from where they sat and the sky played artisan for the day, giving them a deep blue sky and cotton white clouds that joined together and disjoined like a pack of Legos. The conversation was good, the food was good and the environment was good. 'Now is my time' Mr. Okello thought. "Marian, I have to ask." She looked up at him curiously. "I have noticed a few strange things happening in the school. You are the principal and I was hoping you can give me some answers." "What strange things?" She asked, trying to cut through the steak she ordered. "Well, for starters..." and the phone rang.  Miss. Thorne took a glance at her phone, "I'm so sorry, its the school, it might be important." Miss. Thorne picked it up, her face turned from happy to serious, to sheer panic. "THEY DID WHAT?" She shouted over the phone. "WE WILL BE RIGHT THERE!"  Dead Bird Falling. Mr. Okello and Miss. Thorne pushed their way through the huge crowd. At this time nearly everyone at the school was looking to see what was happening by the forest. Nessi's convulsions had stopped but she was still unconscious. Pencil between her teeth, she was soaked in cold water to her waist. "Maybe we should try applying mosquito repelant above her lips. I bet the smell is bound to wake her up." another girl suggested.  Jane caring for her refused "You have poured cold water on her, slapped her, placed a pencil between her teeth. You are not going to apply repelant on her nose!" She removed the pencil. Lucy, Jude and Brenda did their best to keep the crowd back but they kept moving closer as it grew bigger. "WHAT HAPPENED?!?" Miss Thorne demanded. The girls looked at each other, how were they going to explain that they went into the forest unsupervised. Lucy whispered to Brenda "You tell her, You said you would handle it."  Brenda gave her a defensive look, "I said I would handle Mrs. Chendo. Miss Thorne could have me expelled." "Then what.." Lucy begun before realising that the principal was looking straight at her. "You seem to have a lot to say, Miss Nyambura. Enlighten me on today's events, and make sure not to miss a single detail." Miss Thorne said walking towards her. Lucy looked down. "So you have nothing to say." She turned to her next target, " What about you Brenda?" "They went into the forest unsuprbised." Brenda blurted out so fast her tongue couldn't keep up. The four girls looked at her in disbelief. How could she?  "Yes, yes, yes, I figured as much. I want to know why they did it. And because you seem the most willing to give that information, I suggest you start talking." "Well... I ..." She stammared. "Nessi! Nessi! She is waking up!" Jane shouted and the attention went back to the girl laying on the floor. Nessi opened her eyes slowly. Her vision begun to adjust from black to white. Then she could see. She could see something black headed for her face, fast. She quickly moved to the side and heard a light thud drop right next to her, followed by screaming. Miss Thorne bent down and picked up a dead raven. She looked at it. Her eyes widened. " I want all the girls indoors right now. No girl is allowed outside without supervision and permission!" She yelled to make sure every girl heard it. "Back Now!" The girls dispersed quickly. Some frightened while some curious. "You!" She pointed to Jane, "Take her to the nursery, get her checked." Jude and Lucy helped Jane pick and carry Nessi on her back. "What's going on?" Mr. Okello asked the principle. "Signs of dark magic. Someone used dark magic today and the forest is angry." "What do you mean the forest is angry? You do not think it is Nessi, do you?" She stood up, " We need to get inside now!" Another bird fell to the ground, then another, then another. Miss Thorne was closing the door behind her when a frail old womans hands stopped her. It was the matron. She quickly squeezed into the room and Miss Thorne closed the door. And when they looked outside, it was raining dead birds.  Miss Thorne turned to the Matron, "Did we leave anyone outside" "No, Ma'am. I was the rast one in." She answered, with a heavy accent. Mr. Okello couldn't wait any longer. She had more questions than answers. He gently pulled Miss thorne asside to ask again, "What just happened?" Miss Thorne looked at Mr Okello, and her eyes glimmered. This sent a little shiver down Mr. Okello's spine. "This Mr. Okello, is not a discussion to be had in the hallway. Perhaps my office is a more suitable environment. We wouldn't want the children eavesdropping at our conversation. Now would we?" She ended with a wink. Mr. Okello released her arm and took a step back. "I am sure you are right miss, but..." "Well then, you know the direction to the office, lead the way." turning to the Matron, "Mrs. Thuku, please see to it that the girls spend the rest of the day indoors. And keep an eye on that Nessi girl and her crew. There is more to their story than we are led to believe." Turning back to the mesmerized teacher she said, "Mr. Okello, please..." The principles office was on the ground floor, with large windows. From them a clear day could be seen in all its splender. But for today the most peculiar weather could be seen in all its gruesomeness. She drew the curtains with a "No need for such a sight." exclamation. "You do not seem at all shaken by today's events." Mr Okello commented, no asked. "The Super Nova Academy has been in existence for many years and even before that my family was the gatekeeper to the forest. From a very young age I have been told stories of the forest. The magic it holds and the promise we held as the Njiri family to protect it." She begun to enter into a daze, " The forest must not be touched or encroached into. Its magic must not be used for evil, it must be kept pure. The forest must always have a Njiri to carry and protect its soul." "What do you mean?" Mr. Okello whispered, going closer to the young principle. She was lost in her thoughts, "Today, someone, something, entered the forest." Miss Thorne smiled, "She is just throwing a tantrum. All this will be over before sunrise." "She? You mean the forest?" Mr. Okello asked. "Of course, who else do you think I was talking about. But that is not important. What's important is that you are here, with me. Our date seems to not be over yet." She loosened up her bow on her green shifon dress, "Would you like a cup of coffee?" Mr. Okello looked everywhere else. 'Should I leave?' he thought. 'But if I did... no not yet.' So he stood up and walked to Miss Thorne and whispered in her ear. "I was hoping for something a little stronger." Which made her smirk. So, by the bottom drawer on her table she took out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. 'Today. I have to know the strange connection between the forest, the school and the abnormal, today.' Mr. Okello thought to himself.