“Stephanie! Stephanie! What’s wrong with you?” Mrs. Robert shouted as Stephanie kept shaking and grunting, while in Mrs Robert’s sitting room.

“Help me please!” Stephanie shouted as she kept grunting, with her veins popping out on her skin.

Mrs. Robert ran inside quickly and came out with a bottle of water and forced it down Stephanie’s throat. It took thirty minutes before Stephanie got herself back as she kept panting. Then Mrs. Robert allowed her to rest a little bit before she threw her questions.

“What’s wrong with you, Stephanie?” Mrs. Robert asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what’s going on with me. Each time it comes, my hair changes its color, my veins get visible and it feels like my blood is boiling right inside of me. It hurts so much.” Stephanie said as her eyes became teary.

“How long have you been living with this ailment?” Mrs. Robert asked.

“Six years and still counting. It all started the day mum came back home and broke the news of dad’s death to us and accused me of killing my beloved father. It started that very day and it happens twice a week. I am alive but already in hell,” Stephanie said as tears dripped down her eyes.

“Have you told your mum about this?” Mrs. Robert asked.

“I wish I can but I can’t. Even if I told her, it won’t change anything rather she would wish for death quickly to come and take me because she thinks I killed her beloved husband. She carries this so much hate in her heart for me.” Stephanie replied.

“This ailment is really strange, and it looks like black magic. I wish I know what to do to help you. I wish I can do something but sadly I can’t do anything. This is totally strange.” Mrs. Robert said.

“Don’t worry about me Mrs. Robert. I have already come to accept who I am. I have come to accept this sickness and I have come to live with it. My prayer is that I live long enough for my people to know the truth that I am innocent of the crime I am daily accused of.” Stephanie said.

“Stephanie dear child; everything is gonna be okay, alright?” Mrs. Robert said.

“Alright I should get going now.” Stephanie said standing up.

“Hold on a minute.” Mrs. Robert said as she walked inside and came back with a flask and some cash.

“Here have this.” Mrs. Robert said.

“What’s the money for?”

“I will be going on a trip. It’s just for some days, and I will be back. That’s 300 dollars. It’s definitely going to be okay for you till I am back, and guess what? I prepared your favourite.” Mrs. Robert said smiling.

Stephanie stood up and hugged her tightly. “I hope that someday I will be able to repay you for all your kind deeds.” Stephanie whispered into her ears.

“Don’t worry, Ok? Just take care of yourself. That’s the only thing you owe me.” Mrs. Robert said, still smiling.

Stephanie bade her goodbye and walked out of the house. Immediately she walked into her house, she met her mum and Kimberly sitting on the couch and laughing at God knew what. Stephanie pretended like she didn’t see them and made to walk away into her room, which was now just by the kitchen downstairs.

“Where are you coming from, and what are you with?” Elena asked.

“Food and I went out,” came the curt response from Stephanie.

“How many times have I warned you not to leave the house?” Elena asked.

“I’m sixteen mum. You have denied me everything, school, food, happiness. Will you also deny me the freedom of going out?” Stephanie asked.

“The last time I checked, this is mum’s house and not yours.” Kimberly said, coming into the exchange of words between Stephanie and Elena.

“And who the hell are you to tell me that? I am not dumb like you, Kimberly.” Stephanie replied smiling.

“How dare you call me dumb?” Kimberly yelled.

“And how dare you try to restrict my movement, you devil of a sister?” Stephanie fired back at her.

“Mum!” Stephanie shouted immediately she noticed her mum advancing closer to her, as she knew she would try to hit her or push her.

“Not one step further Mum else you will regret it. Just leave me alone. You and Kimberly have already done more than enough. You both jointly treated me like a stranger in my own father’s house, because you think I did something. You both have made my life a nightmare for the past six years. You both have denied me food and worst of all water. I can’t even remember how the kitchen looks like because it’s been a year now I haven’t walked in there. You both have already done more harm than good. I go to bed every night wetting my pillow with tears, nursing the wounds that have been inflicted on me by my own mother and my own sister and I had to stop attending to my wounds. Do you know why, Elena?” Stephanie asked with her eyes popping out.

“How dare you call me by my name?” Elena shouted.

“Interrupt me one more time, and I will do the dreadful because you both have pushed me to the wall. Back to where I was before I was rudely interrupted by you, Elena. I had to stop attending to those wounds because it was inflicted on my soul, and the ones inflicted on my body turns out to leave scares which will be so difficult for me to forgive you both. I have tried as much as I can to avoid you both but no, you kept saying things that tend to piss me off. And please I beg of you with the name of whatever creator you serve, leave me alone. Don’t try to push me too hard anymore because there is a limit to what one can take. I didn’t kill Dad and one more thing, don’t try to question my movement again. You have denied me everything and I didn’t complain. Let’s just keep being the strangers we have become in this house.” Stephanie said and walked away. When she got to the door of her room, she stopped and turned her back.

“Don’t ever try to hit me again because you won’t like the outcome.” Stephanie said and walked into her room.

“Who does she think she is?” Kimberly yelled.

“She has bitten more than she can chew. I have to do something to Stephanie. She is now becoming wild and it’s really getting on my nerves. I am her mother and I own this place and if she wants to stay here, she is gonna obey and do every single thing I want her to do. She killed my husband, and doesn’t deserve to be happy. She deserves every punishment that comes her way. She deserves everything, all of it.” Elena said as tears dripped down her eyes.

“Don’t worry mother; you don’t have to cry because of her. Don’t worry, ok?” Kimberly said as she hugged her mother.

* * *

“Ahh!” Stephanie shouted as she got to her room. She flung everything down and broke the trophies she received while she was in primary school.

“What kind of life am I living? They have done enough to me. They have killed my spirit and my body. How can they believe that a ten year old girl killed her own father? It’s six years now and yet they still harbour such hatred in their heart for me because of a crime I did not commit. Where did I go wrong? Why was I born into this world, into this type of family? They denied me everything including food and water, and I haven’t been to school for six years now. I don’t even know what the outside world looks like. My world crumbled right in from me even before I could start building it. This life is completely messed up. My life is shattered, the only ones that are meant to love and care for me are the ones meting out this injustice on me. I don’t even know how the life of a sixteen year old girl is meant to be. Six years of my life have been completely wasted and still they don’t want to learn the truth. On the other hand, I am battling with my people’s hatred for me and here I am suffering with an ailment that I have no idea where it came from. What type of illness makes someone’s blood so hot and changes her hair colour? What kind of life am I living? What type of life filled with pain, sorrow and misery am I living? Countless times I have thought of ending my life but I do want to stay and find out the truth on what really killed my father. My body is filled with scares and it keeps bringing up nothing but bad memories. God where are you? Come to my aid. Do not keep silent to my pleas.” Stephanie shouted as she flung herself on the floor and cried herself to stupour. She kept murmuring inaudible words as she questioned God on why she was created if He knew her life would be filled with such a painful story.

“Why did you send me on this journey Lord, why?” Stephanie muttered.