Chapter 16: In Detention No One Can Hear You Scream

“For someone who’s on her way to detention you look pretty dressed up.”

Lindani ignored her roommate as she attempted to get her braids into a high ponytail. She was kneeling on her bed, her hands resting on the wooden ledge just below the mirror as she wrestled the ribbon around her hair. Everyone was excited to watch Bend it like Beckham as the Saturday night movie but Lindani couldn’t care less, she was planning on having a much better evening.

There was a knock at the door just as Lindani gave up and decided on a modified ponytail instead.

“Come in.”

Alinafe opened the door wide. She flung it away from her as though it were on fire. It hit the edge of Lindani’s bed with a crack and shot back. Alinafe stepped into the room quickly, the door slamming behind her.

“Hello Lindani.”

“What do you want?”

“Rude. I hear you landed yourself in detention and forced my brother to go with you.”

“I didn’t force him to do anything, he did it all by him-.”

“Whatever.” Alinafe said, extending her palm towards Lindani’s face, “If you get my brother in trouble again, I’ll make sure you get expelled.”

She gave a wide smile. Her lips pulled back so tight over her teeth that Lindani thought they might fall off. She opened the door and left.

“These doors really should come with locks.” Lindani’s roommate said.

“Or a Mosquito net.”

_

Detention was always held in the Classics block. Lindani had once heard a senior say that they did it on purpose so that you could watch all your classmates heading off to Entertainment as you walked past.

The lecture theatre was the senior haven in the Academy. Sandwiched between the Library on one side and a row of four classrooms on the other, the seniors stood as faux gate keepers, scorning any form one who walked by them.

“Already in detention. What are you five?”

Lindani kept her head low and kept walking as they cackled behind her. The first three classrooms were dark and she practically ran towards the florescent glow spilling out of the last window. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the figure rounding the corner until they had practically collided at the door.

“Ow!”

“Are you okay?”

“Blessings?”

His white teeth shone as he reached out a hand towards her. Lindani took it and got up, holding onto his hand a little longer than she intended. The door opened, flooding both of them with light. Sir. Hornbaker’s long shadow fell over them.

“Stop dilly dallying about, this is detention not high tea with the Queen.”

_

Sir Hornbaker had intentionally removed the clock that hung above the dusty blackboard so Lindani and Blessings marked the passage of time by his pacing. Sir. Hornbaker was very methodical about it, he clasped his hands firmly behind his back, his head bowed low as he took five long strides towards the door and four quick ones back to the edge of his desk. Blessings figured that two full pacing rotations to the door and back was about three minutes.

Their punishment was copying Ecce Romani from front to back in a separate notebook. Kondwani, a form two boy who was in detention for pulling his pants down during Chapel, realized that if you asked Sir. Hornbaker any question even remotely related to Latin, he could go on a full lecture for at least ten minutes and they could have a break from writing.

Kondwani had just managed to get him in full swing on the origin of the word ‘salary’ when they first heard it.

“Ah yes, Salary is my favorite. This will be a great ice breaker at a party. Salary comes from the Latin ‘sala’ which literally translates to-.”

“Where ya going crazy?”

The voice came from outside, a loud hiss that only reached the people in detention because there were no other sounds to diffuse it.

“Salt. Salt is the literal translation. Do you know why? Roman soldiers were paid in salt instead of gold coins-.”

A thud as something hit the ground.

“Leave me alone.”

“Salt was more valuable than gold to a soldier because they could preserve their food on campaigns. So your salary is-.”

“Leave me alone Nathan!”

“Jumping Jehoshaphat what is that racket?” Sir. Hornbaker said.

He skipped his five long strides to the door, covering the distance in two instead. Everyone got up as the sounds of struggle reached them. Out in the courtyard, Nathan and Khadija were in the middle of a fight. Nathan had several scratches on his face where Khadija had clawed at him. He was standing above her, one of his arms twisted around her neck as she struggled.

“How do you know I’m even here?” Nathan said, “Maybe its all in your head.”

“Stop this violence at once young man!” Sir. Hornbaker said.

“You’re just a crazy little girl. No one wants you here.”

“let her go Nathan.” Lindani said.

“You need to control your fat pig Blessings.” Nathan said.

Lindani ran through the classroom door before anyone could stop her. She tackled Nathan and all three of them hit the cement , Nathan’s skull bouncing off the grey slabs as he took the brunt of the fall. His grip around Khadija’s neck loosened. She got up and ran, not looking back as Lindani sat on Nathan, pummeling his face with every word she said.

“You. Think. It’s. Cool. To. Pick. On. People. Who. Are. Different?”

Nathan screamed and covered his face with his hands.

“Why. Are. You. Screaming? This. Might. All. Be. In. Your. Head.”

Several arms pulled Lindani off Nathan but she managed to land one good kick on him before that.

“What the hell is going on here?” Mr. Luwilo said.

Sir Hornbaker looked from Nathan’s bloody nose to Lindani’s tear stained face.

“Oh nothing, just a demonstration of Gladiator battles.”

Only 4 more chapters until Year One of President’s Girls is over. Like this story? Press that little heart at the bottom of the screen and spread the word. Until next week

Khumbo Mhone is an actor, writer, and producer currently living in Malawi. She writes about young women coming of age in confined spaces, Fantasies featuring repressive African governments, and annoying quirks on returning home. She is currently working on ‘The Devil’s Daughter’, her first full length novel about witchcraft and women in Malawi and prides herself on once catching a fish with her bare hands as part of a coming of age ceremony. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.