Vanessa was running late to class once again. Despite staying close to school it always seemed like she stayed farthest from it. Farther than those that actually stayed far away. It was the third time she was late that week. She approached her classroom door with a pounding heart. Her body sweaty from the running as well as her palms from all the nervousness. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, took a deep breath and knocked on her classroom door. The doors were always left open during class and she could clearly see her best friend Jemimah smiling at her. Jemimah started to mimick how she was going to get caned for coming late once again. Just then Mr Okot the maths teacher turned and walked towards the door. She had been praying on her way to school that it should be anyone else but him in class when she arrived. But alas, there he was.
"Vanessa... who do you think you're coming to my class at your own time? The headmistress?"
She looked up at him and then to the side and didn't say a thing. The guilt had her.
"This is the third time you've been late this week. Do you know what that means?"
"It's Wednesday?"
Mr Okot held his chest in shock. This late comer was trying to be arrogant and funny now? He felt gravely insulted.
"No way you're attending this class. You should leave now."
"Sir, I must attend this class. I am terrible at maths and you know it"
"That is not my problem. Be gone"
Vanessa forced her way past the short matte black man as he stood at the threshold. He turned to grab her but she was already inside and almost at her desk.
"VANESSA!" Mr Okot was shouting at the top of his voice. Everyone could tell he was agitated. He was fuming and extremely angry. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CLASS!"
Stubborn Vanessa did not move a muscle. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared straight at the blackboard. She figured he probably wouldn't do anything to her. Oh how wrong she was! Mr Okot wasn't going to let this 10 year old P.5 girl disrespect him and get away with it. She had to be put in her place. He walked straight to her desk, raised his hand and smacked her right cheek with the back of his hand. The thunderous clap of his backhand making contact with her face echoed between the walls of the classroom like a sonic boom. The white print of Mr Okot's chalked fingers were visible on Vanessa's plump cheek. He had slapped her into a brief amnesia. For a brief moment she could neither speak nor tell where she was. She could feel the burning sensation on the side of her mouth. It radiated across her face like she had a fever. She rubbed it with her small palm as tears started to well up in her eyes before they rushed down her cheeks. She screamed in agony from the excrutiating pain. Mr Okot was not about done with her but she was already screaming and this angered him the more. He grabbed her pinna and twisted till she screamed some more. Holding her by the ear, he had her on her feet and was pulling her to the front of the class. As he approached the door he let go of the ear and smacked the back of her head. Right above the nape. A slap powered by anger and rage. So powerful it sent her sprawling onto the dusty floor. She lay there for a while. Thinking. The more she thought the angrier she became. She wished she had super powers. Because then she could lift him with her pinky and toss him around. Or telekinetically dismember him. Decapitate him. That would probably give her and some of her classmates joy. It made her angrier that she couldn't do anything about it. Probably angrier than him by now.
"Get up and get out". The barking voice cut her day dreaming short and got her back on her feet.
"I should probably just leave this stupid class. But if he lays a hand on me one more time I swear to God I'll end him even if it kills me", she thought to herself.
Her blood was boiling with rage at this point. Her small heart was pounding so fast. The adrenaline surge made her feel invincible. She has chosen the flight response. Just then he grabbed her by the neck to force her out.
You could almost see the gods holding their mouths and saying "ooohh he shouldn't have done that. She's gon' burn him"
She quickly turned around and with all her might swung her spread palm towards him. Landing one last slap on Mr Okot's face. It clapped like two well brushed and dusted pieces of wood smacked against each other to start a race. The print of her dusty palm was visible against his matte black cheek. The rest of the class looked at her with their jaws dropped. No one had ever dared but she damn right went all the way. The rage was strong with this one. Out of embarrassed the short black man left the class at once never to return that day. Perhaps he had to go and regroup his troops and return with more ammo. It was then that she felt her palm was on fire. She had to run some cold water over it to feel fine.