~16th May, 2005.
A boy is born on a rainy day at 11:35am.
A boy destined for greatness, a happy baby, a cry baby.
My name is William Mumembe one of the main characters and the author of this story, this is an account of the past four years of my life, the two years spent with Christine and the other Spent trying so hard to move on, she was my source of happiness, my source of comfort and my source of displeasure, we will find out later in the story as we slowly progress.
I can't possibly Narrate my entire life story, however I will only highlight the time I spent with her, the days I remember, how could I possibly forget all my happy moments.
~9th January, 2018.
The first day of high school, I remember this day very well. After clearing primary with outstanding results, I found a place at my now former highschool Arakan Secondary, for most of my current friends we moved to junior high school in this time frame our minds still young, innocent and most importantly happy and satisfied.
The day before I was scheduled to start school I was so happy and filled with the urge to learn, no normal teenager would be happy to go to school especially on a Monday, but I guess this was a unique boy a boy named "William".
Before I knew it, it was already daybreak. I woke up super excited, soon after i prepared myself for school, i had breakfast, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and polished my shoes. I made sure I was tidy and that I looked presentable.
My mother took me to school that day, I arrived at the premises at around 06:30am my mother left me there and a teacher directed me to my class, 8th grade (8U) where it all began, I was the 5th pupil to arrive in class that day, the other characters who have minor roles aren't important but made a significant impact on young me.
Before I knew it, it was already 7 o'clock in the morning and lessons began with half a class, my class teacher "Mrs N'guni" taught me everything that has to do with business, she was a tribute to the person I am today.
It was so quiet in class to the point that you could hear each other breathing in and out, it was so quiet because none of us were familiar with eachother and none of us was comfortable and free with each other it was all just a big ball of awkward silence.
" I mean we're all boys here right? We don't have to engage eachother immediately right? Right, so just play it cool William, pull your shoulders back, head high and walk" I thought to myself.
We are all boys and no one is going to make the first move,
"why did I even have to learn at a single sex school? Jeez I guess that's a story for another day" I contemplated.
...but fortunately enough for me, I found someone who I learnt with in primary one of my close friends "Ishmael Sakuwaha".
This lad was a tall slender boy, with an outgoing personality, apparently he was this goody two shoes that everyone adored and cherished. He is both an introvert and an extrovert with a brilliant mind, one that would match up to my own if he put in enough effort, then maybe just maybe he would give me some trouble in the intellectual perspective but inevitably I would still win. To add on to this two faced boomerang, He had a heart made a gold, but that heart now remains a a myth long forgotten and disappeared into the fog, who knew that even a heart made of gold would one day become rusty and ugly, futility is inevitable in the world of humanity but that's a story for another time, let's continue Shall we? And explore the wonderful word of "Willy and Chrissy". The girl who got to close to my cardiac muscle's defence system and didn't leave a trace of her presence. Welcome to a glimpse of the average Zambian teenager's love life.
"Come to think of it I don't think I'm an average teenager, if I was I wouldn't have grabbed your attention as I have done so, but now since I have you in my treasure chest of secrets hehehe read on and acquire knowledge. But it's a good thing isn't it? Of course it is. Let's proceed readers".
In class that day we had a little chat, we talked about one of our old mates who got his head stuck between the bars back in primary at recess it was really funny. We caught up, had a laugh about alot of amazing memories but one of the topics involving a scandal between beasties attracted a lot of attention to us like a moth to a flame and everyone kept quiet just to listen to us, it got awkward, and then we suddenly stared at each other holding in our laughter, but eventually we burst out in laughter thereby attracting attention to ourselves it was such a funny and satisfying thing. We hung around eachother and got to know some stuff about each other, we got more comfortable, too comfortable if you ask me we made alot of rackus which would surely not go unpunished. It was all fun for a few minutes but what we didn't know was that "Arakan Secondary was hell in it's rawest form".
A feared soldier who's name rings bells to anyone who was at this school in the time frame of 2018-2021 his bold walk made students pave a way out for him "Eh move out!" He would shout in a scary voice, this man was none other than "Mr Mwiinga" the only man that could single handedly beat up the whole school with his wip, we will get to him shortly.
I always miss my childhood, no depression, no trauma, no rejection, no existential crises, and most importantly, no anxiety, the life of a young adult isn't as easy as it seems inevitably this is all I can say for now.
My class had no idea what was coming but neither did I, this continued for quite a while, we made alot of noise which really irritated Mr Mwiinga, as we were casually talking, the door suddenly opened and a giant man in army uniform walks in with a foot long wip, he says in a commanding voice
"Who's making noise in here?"
The Rage in that voice sent a shiver down my spine, at the utter of words everyone stopped talking, because we were filled with fear of the knowing perfectly well we all contributed to the noise, he asks again only this time it's scarier than the last.
"Who's making noise in here?"
No response from us.
"So you have decided to keep quiet? I guess I will have to beat it out of you" he adds.
He closes the door abruptly as he slowly walsk to the first column of the class like a slow acting poison slow and deadly he then proceeds and grabs the first guy at that desk, I remember very well the first guy to get his butt destroyed was Lingson, Mr Mwiinga well known for his signature one stroke beating, Gave Lingson one good one, the class screamed..
"Eh can you shut up" Mr Mwiinga shouts angrily
Inspite of this lash Lingson did not even flinch.
Dalitso: the guy didn't even move he-.
Mr Mwiinga: I said Shut up, who is talking? You there come here. (Mr Mwiinga pointing in Dalitso's direction)
Dalitso: me sir??
Mr Mwiinga: you're very stupid aren't you? I said come here.
Mr Mwinga grabs Dalitso, pins him against the wall and gives him one good one, I was so frightened to see the excruciating pain on Dalitso's face. Mr Mwiinga continues his rein of terror, by now nearly half of the class is laying face down on the table after getting whooped on the butt by his wip, he calls out to me in a terrifying voice.
"Come here"
As I walk to my doom The door opens just in the nick of time, "I'm saved yes, yes,yes" At this point I really thought I'm saved from a brutal beating, as my grade teacher walks in.
Mrs N'guni: what's going on in here sir?
Mr Mwiinga: these chaps were making a lot of noise, so I'm welcoming them to Arakan.
"What the butt is this man talking about? This is more like an act of violence than a welcome" I grin to myself
Mrs N'guni: Oh yes sir, carry on. Boy's this isn't primary this is high school you need to grow up.
The class: But madam-
Mr Mwiinga: eh can you shut up you think this is a tarven or a beer joint?
At this point I knew what was coming my way, I walked towards my fate my butt would never be the same again
.
"Maybe if I run away and tell my mother she might still get me a place at another school, yeah, yeah I can do that, umm that window has a burglar bar so i can't escape from there even if I tried to"
However the fate of my butt was sealed in a foot long wip.
"Grab the desk" yelled Mr Mwiinga
The adrenaline produced in that moment was enough to power a small car, I was uneasy and scared.
Mr Mwiinga: my friend can you behave, don't rub your ass after the stroke or else the stroke count will be erased.
Me: but sir-
Mr Mwiinga: can someone hold him, I said hold him.
Two guys were forced to grab my hands and pin them on the desk, as I tried to free myself, Mr Mwiinga who had a devilish smirk on his face acted in true solitude and gave me the stroke of my life "whoopa!" And my ass was no more.
"don't cry William this is a boy's school don't cry, don't cry, oh no I think I'm going to cry" I thought to myself
Tears rolled down from my eyes as I walked away to take a seat, the pain was unimaginable, I felt like a thousand scorpions dipped in hot sauce were put on my ass and ate through me, I instinctively rubbed my butt to relieve the pain but the more I rubbed the more it felt like some sort of relief but I could still feel pain, Dalitso was still in a bad mood because he was the second one to receive this dangerous blow. After Mr Mwiinga was done with us he yelled
"Welcome to Arakan young men"
No sooner had Mr Mwiinga leave did Mrs N'guni enter class. Everyone was boiling with rage from all the pain, we were ready to take a bite from our teacher.
We all said at the same time-
"What did we do?"
Mrs N'guni: you made noise, so you received a gift for your work, this is a military school and we will deal with you how we see fit.
Our lessons carried on quietly, and as we approached the end of the day, the rage gradually reduced and before we knew it class was over and we packed our things in readiness for home.
"why would they do such a thing to us, I bet they don't beat their children like this, I wish I was a bucket eish"
At this moment I learnt physical pain, which is better than the emotional pain I felt after I meet Christine but that's for later. Back to the storyline present, It was the only time Mr Mwiinga did that to us that year, things went by smoothly and before I knew it, it was already the second term.
~ June, 2018
Ishmael: luyando has big boobs ah!
Dalitso: it's the bra don't be deceived.
Ishmael: False accusations, those things are like Mini watermelons.
I walk in on them while they have this conversation.
"I wonder who luyando is"
Me: Ishmael what's up!?
Ishmael: oh hey William, you're just in time to clarify my point, I want to ask you something.
Me: is it about luyando's boobs? What about them? And who is luyando?
"Boobs are meant for babies to suck on isn't it? Yeah,yeah then what are they talking about? These two are total idiots" I thought to myself.
Ishmael: yes it's about her boobs William, I don't know why but I've had a strong attraction to luyando's boobs over the past month.
Me: boobs are for babies.
Ishmael: but what if boobs can also be for us? Huh William have you thought about that? I mean that wouldn't be so bad would it?
Me: come to think of it the last time a girl hugged me I had this strange feeling, i-
Door suddenly opens and everyone keeps quiet, in walks Cornelius screaming something about-
Well can you guess what it was? Bet you can't. Find out in the next chapter of Willy & Chrissy "First level maturity"