class to read and I assumed the other three roommates who
were absent had also gone to read.
The two girls remaining in the room
with me and Benita came and gave their own round of slaps. The accused was now staggering when Beniya came back with a long wood hard enough to kill the girl. As she raised it up, the three of us, the roommates, held her hands so she wouldn't murder the accused. Benita dropped the wood and swept
her right leg against the thief's legs and she fell
down. Benita had told me before that she had
attended the Soldiers' recruitment training but failed the medical test. I believed her right then.
I looked at the girl crumple on the floor and before Benita killed her, I decided to interview her, at least to know who she is. She was now sitting on the ground where she landed from Benita's force. 'Who are you?' I asked her again; this time gently.she was crying but it was only the tears that were
coming out. It was then I realized she had not even uttered a word since it all started. Not even when she fell to the ground. 'Why are you in our room'? I asked again. 'Can you even talk?' She shook her head then. I was now confused. Why was she shaking her head?
So, I asked again, 'Can't you talk?' She shook her head again. 'Wait, is it that this girl is dumb?', I asked the girls.
The girl then nodded her head and pointed to her mouth and then shook her head left to right. It hit me then. The girl is dumb but not deaf. That was the first time I am seeing a case like that.
My anger changed to pity immediately. 'Are you dumb?', I ashamedly asked the girl to confirm. Again, she nodded her head.
'Can you read and write?' She nodded again. 'Get me a pen and note!' I said to my roommates over my shoulder. I collected the pen and wrote on the note, 'Who are you? Explain yourself.' I was almost in tears as I read her fine handwriting, 'My name is Mary, I am Johan's elder sister. I am a student of federal
University lokoja. I was traveling to federal polytechnic Ida but our bus stopped for the
night at national Open University. So I decided to sleep with my sister till tomorrow morning. She
brought me here around 12 am and went out to night class to read. She gave me the bag to keep for her. So I decided to use it as pillow so that it won't be stolen'.
I held the note with the guys at my back as all of us read it. I became so weak I almost fell sick'The girl is innocent.' I needlessly announced.
When we realized this, even I was ashamed of
myself.
Benita just stood there with the wood she almost used to hit her, looking as if she was the one who had been beaten. I am not sure, but I think I saw tears in her eyes as she realized she had just punished an innocent
Girl.
So we knelt down; Benita and I, we knelt down and clasped our hands so she will know we were really sorry. With tears in our eyes, we told her, 'We are sorry. Sorry for accusing you wrongly and beating you for it'. The dumb girl just smiled with bleeding lips from the blow I gave her. She smiled and looked into
our eyes. And I could see pity in her eyes. She smiled and shook her head and then wrote in
the same paper. 'It is Alright. I took the pain
willingly. Please don't beat my sister anymore. I knew why you were beating me. Johan had always been a thief, right from home. But please don't report or beat her again'.
Tears dropped from my eyes as I read his sacrifice. She deliberately allowed us
beat her just so that Johan will be free. I lend my hand and raised her up as I used my
cloth to wipe the tears from her face and blood
from her lips. It was then my own tears flowed from the corners of my eyes.
Written by Hannah Onimisi..Onimisi..FUL
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