chapter 1
Jersey: I can’t believe in a matter of weeks we will be joining high school.
Kerry: Sure time really flies. (Looking at her friend she notice she is not concentrating on their talk) Hey Evana what are you thinking girl? Evana realizes that she was spacing again. Hey am okay girl she answers.
Jersey, “but you don’t look like it.” Heeey I mean it, just thinking I have four more years in this village pisses me off. “Huh,” Jersey scoffs, you think you are the only one we all are dying to leave this place.
Evana looking up the river, “to be honest am gonna miss this place especially the river, this is the only place I find peace.” Jersey, “you not the only one the water has a way of calming ones nerves.” Kerry “hmm as much as I want to leave I will miss my mom.” Evana and Jersey in unison “sure we know that,” Evana looks at her friend Kerry and realize how different they are in their families both rank number two in a family of ten but in opposite position. Evana is the second born in a family of ten while Kerry is second last in a family of ten. Apart from Jersey who came from a family of nine which they consider a lesser number. One thing is clear they came from large families which is common here as children are considered as a sign of wealth. The three of them have been friends since class one and by mare luck thy have made it through, being classmates for the last eight years. One of the thing bothering each one of them is that they are not sure if they will go to the same high school. Evana dream school is a local Catholic school named St, Francis Lare, she just prays that she gets the marks to get there, Jersey, is not much concerned all she wants is to go to any school, as she is sure her dad can afford, Kerry is already sure she will go to the local government high school where her elder siblings schooled.
Despite the fact that high school might separate them thy promise that no matter what they will remain friends and make sure to meet during holidays. However, unknown to them they have four more years in the same class and school. They will meet new people and the friendship they have protected for the last eight years might came to an end because one of them will get her first boyfriend and this will cause drastic changes in their friendship.
After their small girl time the three of them part ways, the river has always been a neutral place to meet as they always find excuses to go there, either taking the livestock for a drink or fetching water for household use. Evana looks for all the sheep and try to shush them to rush home as it is getting dark and she is all by herself today her mother did not ask one of the younger siblings to accompany her to the river as she always does so that she can get updates if her daughter was talking with men along the way. Evana is lost in her thoughts she almost had a head on collision with her neighbor Danny, one of the guys that girls fight for, poor girls because the guy has never been concerned. He is just a happy soul with a killer smile, not that our girl Evana doesn’t find him charming, especially by the fact she loves tall, dark and handsome guys, but, again her mom face warning her on what she will do if she finds out she is seeing a guy.
Danny is polite and asked if she is okay, hearing his voice, she finds herself in that situation where she really want to talk and say, “yes Danny am fine thanks for asking,” but the poor girl only shakes her head and gets out of the way. Danny looks at her and says, “Hey Evana, you look afraid, I will stand here and watch you as you close the valley.” Evana suddenly realizes that she is at the beginning of the shallow valley, although its shallow it’s dark and scary as on the right side there is a banana plantation and on the left side there is long nippier grass and bushes. Also you can’t see a person from the other side, what makes the valley even scarier is the stories that people tell around the village. But that does not surprise her like the fact that Danny thought she shook her head because she was scared. Anyway she looks at him and say thank you as she shush the sheep to go home faster.
After locking the sheep shed, she goes into the main house where she is welcomed with a slap on the face by her mother. The slap does not take her by surprise like the words that follow, “now you have grown some breast you can now go hugging men on the road!”……. she stands there with her mouth wide open, no word came out of her mouth, no tears rolled down her burning cheeks she was in shock. Her reaction irritated her mother, and the next fifteen minutes all can be heard is Evana cries for help and asking her mother to stop which falls on deaf ears. Her siblings are watching from a distance for making even a sound makes them the next on the line. Evana tries to tell her mom nothing like that happened but the mother says, one of the little sister saw it when she was going to check on her. What will Evana do? Does she or her siblings deserve this? Can she run away? She is just fourteen……
