FGM – The Aftermath (5)

Jioni...

Friday afternoon belonged to the headteacher. It was after lunch that some of the students, like Jioni, who did not go home for lunch, noticed a mob of angry looking adults move towards the school.
Jioni strained her eyes to have a closer look at the gathering mob, something she had never seen in a long time.
As the school bell rang and Jioni made it to class for the afternoon classes, she suddenly became aware of the loneliness in the class. Where were all the others? The answer lay in the heavy murmuring and loud drumming that came from the direction of the staff room. It must have been the mob that she had seen coming. Why were they here?
Curiosity got the better of her, and she ventured out to see for herself. She saw them from a distance, a group of men, women and some children whom she recognized as coming from her class.
The mob was getting rowdier and rowdier, demanding some immediate action about std. 5P. The headmaster was having a hard time controlling the mob.
“I can’t even hear what you are saying,” he told the crowd. After some heckling and jeering and satisfied that they had shown their power, the mob settled down and started airing their grievances.
“Our children are being infected in school with strange diseases,” wailed one parent, “ and you are doing nothing about it, just collecting school fees!” The mob thundered as the point was made.
“Look at all these children,” added another parent pointing at his son, “they are full of ugly red spots and sores all over their bodies and it seems to be spreading very fast.”
Another parent joined in eager to make a point. “It is that Jioni girl who is behind all the misery in the class. Ever since she joined this school, there has been misfortune after misfortune. Now our children will catch AIDS and die very soon. We cannot have this in our school!”
The frenzy was starting to build up, the mob getting more and more excited as the word AIDS was mentioned. There was murmuring before one loud voice rose above the rest, “KILL HER!”
The others joined in the chorus and their voices rose higher and higher. It seemed like they were going to surge forward and get the headteacher, who raised both his hands in a desperate effort to get their attention, which he got after a long struggle.
“One at a time, please,” pleaded the headteacher. There was relative calm and the headteacher pressed on his point. “How do we know that she has AIDS? Only doctors can confirm whether or not one has AIDS.”
This did not go down well with the mob. A woman who worked as a cleaner at the district hospital was screaming her head off, “I work at the hospital and I have seen enough people die of AIDS. They have rushes all over their bodies and their hair look funny. Look at our children. What spots are these? Beauty spots?”
The clamour grew louder and more parents expressed their anger. “She’s even bewitched the teacher, who almost died in an accident yesterday! We have a witch with AIDS in the class and you are here telling us about doctors!” screamed another parent.
“We want that girl out of this school or we shall all pull our children from the school,” declared Menjo’s mum.
“Out! Out!” the chanting started slowly, gathering momentum before reaching a deafening screaming contest. The headteacher raised both his hand once again to signal for silence. He got it.
“Okay!” the headteacher responded calmly. “Jioni will leave the school today, she will not be here when you bring your children on Monday. Go back home and relax, for she will leave this school.”
There was thundering applause as the mob acknowledged their victory over the ‘evil eyed’ AIDS girl. They had won the war. As they left the compound with their children, the headteacher had no alternative but to dismiss the rest of the school. He had had enough for the day.
All this time, Jioni was in class, fearing to venture out. She knew that they were talking about her and could hear bits and pieces of what was being said, or rather shouted.
She looked on as the crowd dispersed and knew that her school life was over after just five horrible days.
No, she was not going to cry. She had exhausted her tears on the day of circumcision. Now she had no more tears to shed for this unsympathetic world
She silently slipped out of school, vowing not to come back.

oluochcliff@yahoo.co.uk