The Spirit Host

Christina's POV

Therefore, in our household, we make it a point to pay attention to our dreams.

People have a persistent tendency to attribute meaning or significance to their nighttime terrors and dreams. Which of these is correct.

The meanings or interpretations of one person's dream may vary greatly from person to person, and only a select few individuals are capable of understanding the significance of a particular dream.

Only a select few people, including my family and I, are able to comprehend what it means to have a dream. We have always believed that our dreams gave us insight into what the future could hold for us or what was going on in our spiritual life at the time. If we wished to prevent the awful things that were shown in our dreams from really occurring, we would pray against them or rebuke them in the name of God, and it would work!

This is something that I learned from my parents.

A few days ago, I had a dream, but I didn't pay attention to it or tell it to stop. It wasn't until I realized that my mother was no longer my spiritual home that I was reminded of the dream I had, which made me realize that I had already known about it. If I had just told it to stop, mother would still be my spiritual home. I needed her to lead me, to be my spiritual home. I needed her, and I got my strength from her. How was I going to get through life without her? If I'm not very spiritually strong, won't I be attacked mentally and maybe even die?

But maybe she did this on purpose. Maybe she no longer wanted to be my spiritual home. Why are you doing this to me? Wasn't I her daughter? The only girl she ever had? Didn't she know about all the risks I was likely to face? I was only 9 at the time. Too young to be left on their own. I thought about a lot of things and wondered where my life would take me. Maybe my mother didn't want to be my spiritual home anymore because my little brother was only a year old, but that wasn't a good enough reason. I wish I had the courage to ask her what went wrong, what I did wrong to deserve this. Then all of my many questions would be answered.

I had that dream again that night....

I was walking with my mom in the desert, but she was walking faster than I was. No matter how fast I walked, I couldn't catch up to her. I called out to her, but she didn't answer. Was she ignoring me on purpose? She was acting like she didn't hear me, or maybe she couldn't hear me at all. I tried again, but my cries and pleas for her not to leave me and to wait for me fell on deaf ears. Then a sandstorm hit. The winds were strong enough to quickly lift me into the air. I closed my eyes so that the dust wouldn't get in them. The dust blew past me, making a mess. I could feel dust all over my body, on my neck, face, arms, legs, etc., which was annoying.

I couldn't keep calling for help because of the dust. I also didn't want the dust to get into my mouth or eyes, so I closed my eyes and tried to cover my nose with my hand. All of a sudden, I felt a strong hand grab my own. I was scared when I was put back on the ground! I was about to open my eyes to see who it was when someone said, "Don't open your eyes. It's still dusty. You're safe here."

A man did it. I knew it was a man because of his deep, strong voice. He then made me put my head on his well-muscled chest and told me again,

"Don't talk. "I'll help us get out of this sandstorm." A deafening silence followed as he picked me up and held me in his arms like a bride before taking small, steady steps forward. And for the first time, I could say, "I felt much safer with this stranger."

Even though I didn't know who this guy was, I immediately felt more secure and had a peculiar sensation of belonging that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

End of the dream.

That dream came to me once again. Therefore, I now had a new host, who was a guy I was unfamiliar with. Even the back of the man's head was hidden from my view. I awoke on that particular morning feeling miserable because I couldn't wait to find out what he looked like.

However, I was unable to discuss my dream with anybody else. I just was not capable of telling anybody. If I informed my mother about it, I didn't believe she'd pay attention or even listen to what I had to say... It is obvious that she will refuse the offer.

How could I even start to tell her about my dream? I didn't have the courage to bring up that subject or stand in front of her and talk about it.

So, I chose to keep this a secret, to keep the dream to myself, and maybe the answers to my questions would come soon. I had to do nothing but wait!

NINE YEARS LATER......

Now that I was a senior in high school, I could honestly say that this was the worst educational environment I had ever encountered.

A total of 87 of us were crammed into the classroom, which was already at capacity. The director was just concerned with making a profit and never gave a damn about our well-being.

Because it was a boarding school for females, there was always something uninteresting to hear about. Having gone from a class of ten students in elementary school to a class of eighty-seven students in high school has made me very apprehensive and uncomfortable.

I always dreaded being called on in front of the class to answer a question, and I really loathed having to figure out a math problem aloud and in front of everyone.

My knees would quiver as though they were about to collapse under the weight of my body. The thought of working out that figure on the board, just to get it incorrect and have the females yell out in amusement made me feel dreadful on the inside, and I would feel like tears were going to spill down my cheeks.

I've hated school for much of my life, but at this point there's nothing else I can do except attempt to make the most of it.

The unpleasantness of school life was compounded by the presence of stringent regulations with harsh consequences for violators, such as being assigned to clean the school's uncomfortable bathrooms or verandas. The majority of young women would rather be flogged than subjected to the humiliating and humiliating cleaning penalties.

After today's courses ended, I headed straight for the dorms to catch some Z's.

Today, I just wanted to sleep and feel refreshed for some reason. I felt like myself again only when I was lying in my own bed. I felt a lot better on my bed, and only in the dormitories did I feel safe, even though there were four of us females in a single cubicle.

I removed my shoes inside our cubicle and promptly lay down on my bed.

Here came Jackline.

She was tall and not that beautiful if not for the tons and tons of makeup she wore everyday before class, and I didn't like her that much because she liked bragging a lot about her wealthy background any time you wanted to have a serious conversation with her, despite the fact that I'm a little lighter in skin tone than her.

She sat down on my closest friend Hawo's bed (a Muslim girl) across from me and gave me a glance.

She gave me the look that told me she was after something. That glare was the worst.

I glanced back at her and pondered the mystery of her unusually subdued demeanor today. She seemed like a shy, modest girl, yet I remembered her as loud, haughty, and caustic. Maybe this was her good side; after all, everyone has one. I finally decided to speak out after what seemed like an eternity of stillness.

"Jackie? What gives? I don't know why you're staring at me like that." I made an inquiry.

When I asked her that, she drew a deep breath, as if she had been holding it in anticipation of my inquiry. Her mouth slightly opened, and she looked away to say, "I'm fine Chris... nothing to worry about."

I went by the name Chris. A condensed version of my given name, Christine.

They were all well aware of my preference for Chris over Christine.

I frowned thoughtfully. The real her had left the building. Knowing that Jackline was probably anxious about something, I sat up in bed. It was obviously a major problem, whatever it was.

Was her family broke? In my mind,. I was relieved to hear that since it meant she would stop boasting. As I turned to face her, a sigh escaped my lips.

It's not like I was coveting her or anything. Truth be told, I came from a more affluent background than she did, and it may be annoying to listen to her talk about her family's accomplishments.

"What gives you cause to smile?" The question was posed by her. I was caught off guard by the question and had no ready response. Even though I had no idea whether it was true, I couldn't help but smile at the possibility that her family had run out of money.

"Because you're adorable when you don't say much." I lied.

"Really?" she smiled back.

I gave a quick nod of agreement.

Even though I knew it would be risky to strike up a conversation with her because she would inevitably bring up her family, I couldn't help but wonder what was bothering her, and I decided to do so anyway in the hopes that she would reveal the source of her apparent vulnerability.

"How was funkie yesterday?" I asked, trying to get her to talk and open up. (a funkie was a small social gathering when schools from the same county got together to socialize; there were no rules, but a modest charge was required to cover the cost of food and transportation).

"Ahaa!". Jackline yelled out in delight. "It was fantastic," she said.

"Never before have I felt so stunning as I did yesterday... I met maybe 10 dudes from different schools, and it was great.... I have their contact info, and when school is out for the year, I will give them a ring." She answered with a bright grin on her face and a trace of yesterday's enthusiasm in her voice and eyes.

There! she had shattered the illusion at last.

This elicited an enthusiastic "Oh, that's good!" I did add that I found it repulsive, or maybe I should have stated gross. I don't understand how she managed to date 10 men at once. But I was determined to find out more, in the hopes that one day she might reveal to me the source of her distress.

What Jackline enjoyed most, though, was the attention she received from males. She was a bit of a sexpot.

Please elaborate. It was my firm urging.

"Of course, my stomach is upset because I ate a lot." And she did really respond.

Is that the reason you seemed so troubled?" I was curious and proud of the results of my work, so I inquired.

She shook her head, then was silent for a while as though considering what to say. "Chris? One of the people I spoke with yesterday told me that before this week ends, there will be a strike and that they will involve our school." She went into detail, and although you could still detect some nervousness in her demeanor, the tinge of excitement was gone.

If I claimed I wasn't frightened by what she was saying, I'd be lying to you.

The outcomes of student strikes at Kenyan boarding schools were devastating.

To begin, bombings never occurred during the day. Second, many students would be hurt or killed in the flames that would imprison them in the dormitories, and some would even have mental stress that would create physiological difficulties from being beaten up by the students who were raiding.

My biggest concern was that I would be included in the "victims" group. The potential consequences scared me. I was always aware of the strikes via the media but never imagined I would have to take part in one.

"Jackie? "Are you certain about what you're saying?" I made an inquiry. She gave a quick nod and shifted to sit on my bed. I moved my legs to make space for her as I sat crosslegged and looked at her.

"Keep this to yourself. Okay? There's nothing to do except be ready; we can't predict when that night will come. Make sure you have enough money for transportation." Although I tried to resist, I nodded.

"Good... if you don't have cash, use the school's phones to contact your parents and ask them to wire you the money ASAP... I'll keep you posted on the status of the rumored strike." She whispered in a low voice even though we were the only ones in the dorm, and I nodded once more in accordance.

I believed that my parents would send me cash if I asked them to, but the question was, 'Was I going to tell them the truth about why I was asking for money?' Doing that would give the teachers eads up on what was going to happen and I would be labelled a snitch. The best thing here was to ask for the money as a normal allowance and shut up about what was going to happen, it was better if I kept peace with my fellow schoolmates than be labelled a snitch by the whole lot.

"Alright Jackie, I appreciate the heads-up.... I will get ready." I said. As she got off my bed, all she did was give me an expression of concern.

"Remember, keep this to yourself. Ignorance is dangerous." she said. I nodded again as she walked away, maybe to tell her closest friend Trizah about the strike and go to another cubicle...... It was unclear to me.

Although. Trixah would be the first one person to know about this information from Jackie due to their closeness.

In retrospect, I regret I hadn't pushed her to open up, but I'm glad I did because it prepared me for what was to come.

Japheth's POV

I stood outside our class at the balcony. I was a form four student which was good news to me because I would be completing my high school by the end of this year.

Schools here in Africa were totally different from schools in other continents and to me.... school was a torture, I never understood anything the teachers taught... not because I was stupid but because I wasn't interested and I also came to school because I wanted to avoid my father's dramas.... Yes! my father was one dramatic man and he never saw anything good in whatever I did. He oftenly opposed on my suggestions and ideas.. he never supported me nor let me make decisions on my own and that is what I hated the most because he made me feel inferior and less important.

Even though I wasn't a classroom smart person, I was a street smart person and I was proud of it. At least I was good at something though my father never understood that. He was such a critic and I would be lying if I said I didn't like him at all.

I don't know why he despised me but now I had made my own decision to do my own things... my own way without him following me around... without asking for his consent, actually I was fed up with school... I wanted to be out of this place.... I was fed up with exams especially this one the teachers called "mock exams".... just like the name implies, they are real life mocking papers because the so called exams were thought to determine what one would gain in their final exams. There was only one solution to stop these exams.... the only way was to strike and if necessary, we would even burn down the school to ashes as long as those exams never came my way.

"Hey man!". Someone from behind spoke. I turned to see who had jogged me out of my thoughts.

It was Fred. Fred was my best friend and we lived in the same neighborhood. Though we are friends he always complained about me because he never understood me....my actual feelings and desires... he always said that I was a cold person with a cold heart like an animal. And somehow, he was right. I rarely made friends and I never liked to be social. I loved my own company or sometimes Fred's company though not too much.

I was an introvert?..

"What do you want?"I asked trying hard not to sound angry.

"Come on man.... why are you so bitter? Anything bothering you?" He asked. His last sentence reminded me of mother. She also complained about my introvercy and she always prayed that one day I might change my attitude. I shook my head to clear off the mist of thoughts clouding up in my head.

"NO...nothing's bothering me." I responded.

"You sure?" He asked again.

"Very sure" I said flatly trying to sound truthful.

"Okay .... I just wanted to let you know that everything has fallen according to our plan... we're just waiting for the right time to attack". Fred explained, hushing his tone a little to avoid prying ears from eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Thats good. Remind the gang..... everything must follow the plan this night!. Nothing changes!" I remarked. Yes! we were striking this very night and I had a group that opposed exams just like me. No matter what, this plan had to work. And I had a strong feeling that nothing would come my way.

Planning a strike had to be in full secrecy. If not, then we'd be expelled from school or even sent to jail. We didn't want any of this to happen so, secrecy was our top priority.

"Yes boss!" Fred exclaimed teasingly before he left. He was funny and humorous but I never laughed to his jokes..... I was used to them anyway!. I just couldn't wait for this night to break... I was anxious. The thought of my Father reprimanding me for this act...

I didn't want to think about it. I wanted to have my way this time and no one would stop it.

SEVEN HOURS LATER....

It was one o' clock at night when Fred and I made the first move which was to switch off the lights in the main switch which was located in the security department. At this hour all of the security stuff were asleep. Two boys from my gang had locked them up from outside to avoid them from getting out once we started the rampage.

We had also locked the discipline master in his quarters because we knew with him around, none of our plans would work. He was one tough man and I would be lying if I said we all didn't fear him starting from his outrageous looks.

So as to avoid the innocent sleepy students from getting hurt, we decided to burn the classes instead of the dormitories. We quickly but quietly moved to the classes. Fred and other two boys carried the jerry cans containing the petroleum which we had sneaked out of school earlier to purchase.

I had the matchbox.

They poured the petrol along the classrooms walls then I lit one of the matches and stared at it with a sly smile on my face before I threw it on the poured petrol causing it to light up.

We had arsoned the school.

I cared less about the damage which would be caused by the fire. The rest of the gang consisting 50 boys was at the school's back gate (exit gate) waiting for us.

We shouted, "Fire! Fire!" for the rest of the boys to wake up and because they would cause a comossion while trying to put out the fire, then my gang and I would get the chance to escape without being noticed. Thank God to the director of the school, there were no cameras installed.. so unless some snitches tell us out, the school management will never get to know who did this.

That was what I thought. Of course, if the school's register was called and we were found absent, they're most likely to suspect us.

But who cared?. So long as those exams never saw my face. We weren't the first school to strike, many schools in the country had strikes.. Reason? The mock exams.

No one wanted the mock exams. Unless the classroom smarts who could handle the exams then we'd leave them to do it.

Christina's POV

I was peeved out on what Jackline had told me earlier. I had heard before when schools striked because of exams they did not want to do... or unpleasant food they had been served, those strikes brought chaos and in most cases some students would end up loosing their lives. I was afraid... I did not want to be among those who would be on the list of death.

I shifted uncomfortably on my desk, wondering when preps time (personal study time) would end for me to approach Jackline, so as to get more information about the strike. Well of course, I could approach her now but I did not want my name to end up in the class representative's naughty list..... So the only option was to wait for dorms time.

It was eight o' clock.... only one more hour for this waiting to end... I couldn't even concentrate on my books, I found myself turning to look at Jackline countless times perhaps she would look back at me and at least smile or grin or whatever she could do to at least to calm me down. I looked around the class, everyone seemed calm and comfortable... or perhaps they weren't aware of what had been planned by the form three's and four's.

I felt weak, If only there could be a way because I didn't want my classmates to be victims of the coming strike... I turned again to look at Jackline who had leaned on her desk, she seemed stress free and less anxious. She was seated next to her best friend, Trizah. My eyes met with hers, I remembered we were best friends before Jackline came between us and she decided to choose her over me.

I held no grudges with any of them.

She gave out a wan smile, I mirrored it. Surely, she was aware of what was going to happen hours to come.. If only communication wasn't so stiff between us, I would have asked out information from her instead. I turned back to my books but then Jackline spoke out aloud from where she was seated, "Christine! stop looking at me like that... or do you want to fuck me?" She asked making the rest of the girls to burst in a sudden uproar of laughter.

My head shot back to look at her. I just kept quiet and shook my head. I didn't want to talk back and get my name in the naughty list, I was afraid of the law unlike Jackline who was used to getting punished over and over again.

"I already have someone to do that, I don't need another!". She added as she sat upright then wrapped her hand around Trizah's shoulder.

What did she mean?. That they were lesbians???. I was puzzled so I turned back to my books, as they say the best way to defeat your enemies is through silence.

"Jackline Mutheu!. Shut up or else I will add up your name on tonight's naughty list!" The class representative yelled from the back of the class where she was seated.

Jackline turned to look at her end gave out a laugh while Trizah gave out a sly smile.

"Go ahead lady boss, I'm not afraid!". Jackie yelled back.

What did she mean by her statement? Or is it because of the strike that was going to take place soon? Is that why she was unafraid of punishment?. Now I was reassured that the strike was going to take place. Right now, even prayers wouldn't work.

"Don't dare disrespect me Jackline! I'm your class representative."

"Who said I was disrespecting you?... Everyone here knows that I am used to punishment so writing my name on that piece of paper you fancy calling the list over end over again wouldn't change a thing!" Jackline retorted.

"And by the way, I have something to ask all of you..." Jackline added as she turned to face in front. Now by her statement, I was sure she wanted to announce to the whole class about the strike. Words can't explain the feeling I felt.