Latifa
She was a bully...
I was a seven grader student. Grade 7 is the first year in Junior High school in my country and I needed to move to a new school. School was near my house, just five minutes walking. I was happy and anxious to meet those new kids from the same town where I lived but from different neighbourhood. The first day was a bit hard for me, I met new girls who seemed speaking a different language to me. They approached me and they said hello acting friendly. I replied yet I didn't feel good about it!
One of the girl asked me laughing, "You are the major student from the boys' school?" I replied, "Boys' School, What do you mean? I was in Ouhoud Primary school." She laughed so loud with the other at me and said, " we call it like that! you understand now why YOU were major." I did not understand the joke back then, so I laughed too but hesitating. Then they started talking to each other about their summer vacations and the latest gossips. I was just watching in silence.
One of the girls, named Souad, lived near my neighbourhood asked me if I knew Her and I denied; actually I did but I was scared to say yes. She was acting perfectly nice offering me the seat next to her. I remember her saying, "I always have the front seat because I wear glasses." Souad was not a smart student, she needed someone like me to use to get good grades, people cannot just be nice without expecting something in return. We started our school life and all the teachers and students were aware that I was being exploited.
One week later, a student joined our class, she was thought to be dropped out from school. Souad commented that her family are very poor and they cannot afford school fees. She sat behind, Souad waved to her and gave her a sign to meet outside after the class. Souad introduced the new girl to me,"Latifa, this is Safae, she was the first of her class from the Boy's school." and she winked at her. I saw that, and I was confused. Latifa looked at me with her blue bagged sharp eyes, and skinny cheeks and said, "now we will be the first of the class, and you should help us with that." I replied, "How can I help?". She said, "you will do exactly what I tell you, if not you will regret it." I got scared... How am I supposed to do what she tells? I am not a slave of hers, what kind of people can do that? I asked myself those questions and I went on my life ignoring it.
I remember the day of the math test, Souad was next to me and Latifa behind us. Souad was just copying from my paper the exact answers while Latifa was harassing me that I needed to write all the answers for her in piece of paper and give it to her without the teacher knowing. And I refused...
We went out after the math class, and Latifa turned to be violent to me. She grabbed my shoulder and started shaking me, threatening me and menacing for more violence if t repeat the same mistake with her again. I was scared, I talked to my sister about it, she could not help, she advised me to report her, but I was scared. I decided to give her what she wanted, I gave up.
Latifa started to have good grades in all subjects thanks to me. All the teachers knew that but they could not do anything towards it. At least to change my seat. It annoyed me, how come all my efforts can go for someone else who is doing nothing. I was pissed off and angry all the time, I had hated her for that until the day I went to her house with Souad to check on her as she was absent for couple of days.
I remember that day very well. I didn't want to go, as I don't care if she is sick or not, I am happy when she is not around. Yet, Souad insisted to go to there to check on her. She mentioned that her mother is very strict and old school, but I continued not giving a shit! we needed to climb certain stairs, and then go down in a valley! the house was very hard to reach. Here we are in front of the door trying to keep together before we knock the door. A middle aged lady opened the old heavy wooden door, she was wearing old dirty dress covering her messy hair, and her face was naturally angry. She studied us carefully and asked, "what do you want?" Souad started to shake and tremble, and I replied, "we are here to check on Latifa, I am Safae and this is Souad. We are her colleagues, and we thought that maybe she is sick." she looked at us and said, "Latifa will not go to school anymore. She will marry." We stared at her with surprised eyes. She continued, "yes, she is a good girl, not like you! you will never get married because you will become bad girls with bad reputation, and nobody will notice you! Also Latifa is not doing great in school so it's better of her to get married." I notice Latifa, she was behind her mother looking at us from the dark angle of the living room inside the house.
It was the first time to see Latifa defeated. That girl who scared me to death, threatening me, using me as a cheating machine, is like that! Her eyes were giving me signs, saying how lucky I was not be like her in the same situation. She was getting married but she was not happy about it. She felt like an innocent prisoner who cannot say any word defend herself. I felt sad for her! it was true that she was not performing well in school, but I was her only way to stay there, and I was not happy doing it for her. I was in that dilemma for quite long time, until the day I saw her again after four years.
She was holding the hand of a toddler, and carrying another one in her arms. She was wearing a green dress with a scarf on her covering her head. She was alone. I wanted to say hello, but she looked away feeling ashamed of me. I saw regret in her eyes for what she had done to me, I saw jealousy because I was in high school already, I saw misery in the way she was walking, I saw poverty in her kids and own clothes, I saw sadness deep in her eyes... And I never saw her again ...
