Leila's Shock

The school bell rang, signaling a break. Jake, John, and Ryan seized the chance to escape.

Gathering their things, they left the classroom. Jake stopped at the entrance, looked back and shot a nervous glance at Elara before he left.

Elara stood there, watching them leave. Her mind was full of questions. Jake's last menacing glance at her made her cower in fear.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Marcus approaching until he was right beside her.

"Well, well, Elara," Marcus said with a smirk.

"What's got you so worked up? You're always so serious. Be a lady" he teasesd while shaking Elara.

Elara barely glanced at him, her thoughts still on Jake and his friends. "Not now, Marcus," she snapped and chuckled.

The classroom buzzed with activity, and Elara's shout drew attention. Students began to gather around, pulling out their phones to record the scene.

Marcus, however, was not deterred. "Come on, Elara," he said, leaning closer. "You've got to loosen up a bit. Anyway, we both know you're interested. Why not just admit it?"

Elara tightened her jaw; she was losing her patience. "Marcus, I've told you before. I'm not interested. Leave me alone."

Marcus did not give up, his eyes gleaming with pride. "I've been thinking about you a lot lately. We'd make a great couple. Just give me a chance."

The murmurs among the students grew louder.

"Is he really going to keep pushing her like that?"

"She's already told him 'No' a hundred times."

"Look at how she's tensing up. This isn't going to end well."

Sandra whispered, "Someone should stop him before he embarrasses himself."

Another replied with a funny, mischievous giggle, "Hell no! This is getting exciting. I'm recording this." It was Marvin Tailor, his face full of excitement.

Elara's frustration reached a breaking point. She turned to Marcus; her voice was as cold as ice.

"Marcus, I'm warning you. Stop now, or you'll regret it."

Marcus was not paying much attention. He reached out to touch her arm. "Why are you so uptight? Just one date… what's the harm?"

Elara boiled with anger. Without thinking, her hand flew out, landing a sharp slap on Marcus's cheek. The sound of the impact echoed through the room, and Marcus stumbled back, clutching his cheek in shock.

The classroom fell silent, astonished gasps escaping from the students. Some with their mouths agape.

Marvin Tailor zoomed in, capturing every moment of the drama.

"Whoa! She actually slapped him!", Sandra exclaimed.

"I can't believe she did it. He deserved it, though." Grace replied.

Marcus looked at her with a mix of anger and embarrassment, "You… Did you slap me?"

Elara's voice was firm. "Yes, I did. And I'll do it again if you don't stop pestering me around."

The murmurs grew louder as Elara felt everyone's eyes on her, but she cared less. She was fed up with Marcus' advances and the commotion of the morning.

Marcus, realizing the attention they had drawn, scowled and stepped back, "You're going to regret this, Elara. I only wanted to make good use of your beauty. Such a waste!"

Elara frowned but didn't respond. She stared him down until he turned and stormed out of the classroom, leaving behind a wave of gossip and buzzing phones.

***

Meanwhile, in the house of the Hawkins that morning, the family sat on the straw mat having breakfast. Talila had recovered. He sat with his legs crossed.

The sun shone through the thin old curtains. It cast a soft light over the small room where the family gathered for breakfast. The effects of the previous day's events lingered in Talila's mind. His head was throbbing with a dull ache, he held his forehead which was wrapped in bandage.

Having returned early from her morning shift at the hotel, had gotten breakfast ready. She

served the simple meal she had prepared: porridge with slices of bread.

Tanya watched the situation quietly; she could sense that there was tension in the air. The previous day's events had dealt a deadly blow to the family.

As they began to eat, the usual clatter of spoons against bowls seemed muted. Talila broke the silence. His voice was hoarse from the previous day's outburst.

"Marko," he began as his eyes hovered over Marko's lips. "What happened to you? Where did you get those bruises?"

Marko was quiet for some time. He began to think about a believable story as his heart raced.

"Daddy already have too much on him, I can't burden him with my troubles too", Marko thought.

Then he stared at his mother, "Mama will also not be able to stand the truth."

As Marko continued to think about what to say, he noticed that the family was still waiting for his response. He swallowed, his stomach burned with nervousness. Then he looked into his bowl.

"It was nothing serious, just a little accident at school." He replied, the sound of his voice receding as he ended his statement.

"What kind of... little... accident is capable of causing you such pain?" Leila cut in.

"Tell us what really happened Marko," Tanya said with a pleading face, she was curious to know why his side was red and swollen.

Forcing a casual tone, he said with a smile, "Just a little accident at school. I tripped during gym class."

Unconvinced, Talila frowned, "When did Norham high school get a gym class?"

Marko realized that his mouth had betrayed him.

He gulped.

"Marko, you know we're a family. We share the burdens of each other," Talila replied but he didn't probe any further, and just went back into silence.

Leila's paused in mid-air. She studied her son carefully. She could tell that there was more to the story, but she said nothing.

Marko shifted uncomfortably, changing the focus to his father.

He looked at him and asked,

"What about you, Dad? What happened yesterday? I came home and found you lying on the ground…"

The room fell silent. All the attention now shifted to Talila. His eyes grew distant as he recalled the events of the previous day. Leila and Tanya leaned in slightly to listen. They didn't want to miss any part of the story Talila was about to say.

Talila sighed heavily, "It was the fire," he began, his voice trembled as he recounted. "It swept through our farms, it consumed everything. All our maize… gone. I tried to save what I could, but it was no use."

It was left with a month to harvest the crops. The burning on the farm really caused a great havoc.

Leila was taken aback. She didn't realize how devastating the bushfire had been until she heard from Talila's own mouth. She became tensed and her grip on the spoon tightened.

"The fire was no accident," Talila continued, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and

disappointment. "People say it was deliberate, that someone set it on purpose. But who would do such a thing? And why?"

The family didn't know what had happened in David Thompson's house the previous evening. But as the rumors spread, they couldn't help but suspect the village chief.

Tanya's eyes widened. She tried to understand what her father was saying. Marko clenched his fists.

"It's very possible Jake will have a hand in this," he was deep in thought. Jake was always after something. His was full of mischief.

When Jake and his cronies met him, they had come from behind the streams. They had skipped the afternoon classes that day and the fire seemed to have occurred exactly the same time they came to confront him. He couldn't shake the feeling that everything was connected, but he had no proof.

Leila's face darkened as Talila spoke. Fear gripped her and she wondered how they were going to survive. The idea that someone had intentionally destroyed their livelihood was too much to bear. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, it tightened, and her vision began to blur. She became stiff.

Talila shook his head slowly. With pain in his eyes, he continued speaking unaware of Leila's predicament, "I don't know. But I swear, I'll find out. No one's going to get away with..."

Before Talila could finish talking, Leila collapsed on the floor with a soft thud, alarming everyone.

"Mama!" Marko shouted. He leaped from the floor where he sat. He was consumed with fear.

Tanya also screamed in horror.

Talila, despite his weakened state, jumped to his feet. He trembled with urgency. Kneeling

beside his wife, he gently shook Leila, "Leila! Leila, wake up!" His voice was filled with panic.

Marko was in a dilemma. He needed to get help right away, but the nearest clinic was miles away, and time was running out. Without thinking, he rushed outside, his voice hoarse with grief, as he called for help.

"Somebody, please! We need help!"