Warrior Queens

‘’Good morning everyone’’

‘Good morning to you Mummy,’ replied (Mariah and Sarah Jeff Kennedy)

Mariah is the eldest daughter of Monica and John Kennedy and Sarah is their second child. There are pretty young girls of six and five years but it’s very hard for an outsider to understand who is older. They look similar and people mistake them to be twins but there are not.

‘Mariah, tell daddy that breakfast is ready’ said Mummy

‘Okay, thank you mummy. Mariah walks and knocks on daddy’s bedroom. Breakfast is ready daddy,’ she said.

Daddy replied, ‘OH, thank you Mariah. Am coming,’

Mariah gets back to the dining table, she pulls a seat and takes her plate.

‘OH, mummy. Are we having porridge and cassava again for breakfast. Why not eggs and cake,’ asked Mariah

‘For me what about blackened salmon sandwiches with coffee,’ Sarah said

‘I understand my dear that you are tired of porridge and cassava but that what we have. And by the way, we are lucky to be having such for breakfast. There are people as we speak now who even don’t know what they will have for breakfast but only look to the sky for a miracle. So my dear take your breakfast with one heart dear,’ replied Mummy

Daddy joins the conversation as he walks to the dining table;

‘My daughter wants eggs and cake plus blackened salmon sandwiches. That is right honey. Isn’t not they fault to demand for eggs and salmon sandwiches, we should be able to provide everything their heart demands or wishes but unfortunately that’s not possible. The best way to live a good life in this life is to live it by your means,’ daddy replies as he takes his seat.

‘There is a boy at school who always follows us whenever its breakfast time and his intention is to see what me and Sarah have packed for breakfast. I don’t know what to do about it Mummy,’ Mariah says

‘Don’t be ashamed of anything dear. Just bring out your breakfast and enjoy like I don’t care about what you think after all you are putting in your stomach,’ Daddy replied

‘He just makes fun of us, like pretty girl are feeding on maize today. Oh, how sad. Things like that,’ Mariah replied

‘Anyway, if it becomes monotonous. Just inform your teacher about it,’ Daddy said

‘Isn’t that like stalking on someone,’ Mummy asked

‘Exactly’ Daddy (John) replied

John Kennedy (Mariah and Sarah’s father) was a mechanic who had a workshop in their neighboring trading center and he repaired motorcycles and bicycles while Monica was a stay home mother and the two worked had to ensure that their daughters get good education and basic necessities of life.

One afternoon, Monica was called to urgently come over to their school. She rushes to school and finds out that both her daughters were engaged in a fight and beat a fellow pupil so bad and pieced her face with a fork. This guy comes and finds Mariah had finished her breakfast while Sarah was still eating and he asks Mariah to wash his plate to which she refused. He grabs Mariah by the collar and a fight erupts. Sarah joins the fight and grabs the guy’s leg while Mariah hits him with plate. The guy falls to the ground, Mariah pieces with his face with a fork and he is seriously brutalized. After receiving a briefing from the school counsellor, Monica was told to take her daughters home and will be informed about the next step.

As the two walked out of the school compound, Mariah appeared calm as if nothing serious had happened but one would tell that she was not in her usual jovial mood. Mariah felt like the big sister, she should have done better and now the whole blame is on her.

’I told you to report anyone who stresses you at school but not to engage in a fight,’ Monica said

‘I couldn’t take it anymore of his bully’s Mummy,’ Mariah replied

‘Now what if one of you was seriously beaten, how would you feel,’ Mummy asked?

Their home was not far from school and the two walked home together.

Upon reaching home, Monica receives a call from school and was told both parents to go there on Monday and meet the head teacher meanwhile Tom was in hospital and was doing well.

Monica says this to her daughters’ ’I have just received a call from school and they want us to meet the head teacher on Monday me and your dad. Now do you see the gravity of this matter, we can be told to look for another school and this is the best nearest government school that we can comfortably have you in’.

Mariah and Sarah kept quiet only waiting what will happen after the meeting.

Daddy returned late that night and did not want to bother her daughters but preferred to talk to them the following morning.

Tomorrow morning while having breakfast, ‘Mariah and Sarah, I had everything,’ Daddy said

‘Yes, daddy, it just happened but I am sorry for causing all this, now people look at me like I am a terrible person but honestly I know I am not,’ Mariah replied while Sarah kept quiet.

‘It’s good to know that you are not what people think you are. Now my question is, do you want to be fighters?’ Daddy asked

‘Be a fighter daddy,’ Mariah replied

‘Yes. I mean professional fighters,’ Daddy replied

‘No, I don’t see myself to be that kind of person,’ Mariah replied

’What about you Sarah? daddy asked

’Daddy, I want to be a professional model, ’Sarah replied

‘Am told that Tom, the guy that you beat pushed you to the limit. He asked you to wash his cup and plate as if you are his workers but you don’t put out fire with fire,’ Daddy said

‘Yeah, your father is right honey. What you should have done is to ignore him and report him. simple like that,’ Mummy said

‘Okay, I am sorry mummy and daddy. It won’t happen ever again,’ Mariah replied

Mariah was an emotional kid that whenever, she realizes she is in wrong, it becomes hard for her to control tears running down her cheek.

‘Its fine. You are better people now,’ Mummy came hugging both Mariah and Sarah

John and Monica rode their motorcycle on Monday to their Mariah and Sarah’s school leaving them at home. They arrived at school and found out that the head teacher was waiting for them.

Mr. Biggs as he was commonly called was known to be nonsense man in their community who had done a lot to improve the educational standards in their community. He was known as a leader who dwells much on facts to make his decisions.

As Jacob and Monica were ushered to Mr. Biggs office, they found he was on phone but the office attendant directed them to take their seats and wait for him. Mr. Biggs later joined them for a brief meeting;

‘Mr. John and Mrs. Monica, am glad to receive today. And I don’t think that we have ever met face to face, right,’ he said

‘Thank your sir, we have been warmly welcomed and you have a nice office,’ John replied

’I presume you know why you were called here. Last week a scuffle happened here but thank God medical examinations indicate that the cut on the boy is not serious to warrant plastic surgery and from the facts that I have gathered from several sources and from fellow pupils that were around, the boy is the one who provoked your daughters to act the way they reacted. I am also being informed that that boy has a nagging tendency and wants to push around things according to his taste and preference. And for that matter, I want to apologize to you that such incident was not identified early enough and stopped. I have also requested for Mariah and Sarah’s last term report and I was impressed without a doubt that they are promising young women who are destined for big things in life and so we cannot cut their story short as you may have heard from rumors,’ said Mr. Biggs

The above opening statement from the head teacher was a big relief from John and Monica as one could tell from a distance.

’Thank your sir,’ John and Monica replied in chorus

‘Mr. John, does your daughters go for private karate lessons or something like that,’ Mr. Biggs asked

’I have never taken or enrolled her for such lessons,’ John replied

They put up a pretty good fight. I am told. We are going to hire extra staff to ensure that such incidences should never happen again in our school,’ Mr. Biggs said

Monica asked,’ sir, so when should they come back to school because we were told to leave them at home’.

’Make sure tomorrow they are here to continue with their studies,’ Mr. Biggs replied

‘Thank your sir and have a good day,’ John and Monica replied as they left Mr. Biggs office.

John and Monica walked out of the meeting with high spirits and jumped on their motorcycle. John proceeded to work as Monica was dropped at a junction near their home.

Mariah and Sarah watched their mother from the window as she walked to home and they noticed this could be good news.

Mummy (Monica) sat on the balcony and called on her daughters to join her;

‘Yes Mummy,’ Mariah replied

‘Prepare to return to school tomorrow. Had it not been your good grades, I would be now looking for a new school,’ Mummy said

‘Thank you Mummy and Daddy for your tireless efforts and I promise never to disappoint you again,’ Mariah replied

The following morning Mariah and Sarah went to school as usual but back in her mind Mariah knew she would receive some backlash from fellow pupils but was prepared to handle anything that comes her way. As she entered her class, everyone was quiet and she pulled out her seat and placed her books and bag in the drawer. One of the pupils from behind the class shouted, ‘’she is back. The warrior queen is back’’, and this drew a lot of laughter from fellow classmates.

Mariah maintained her composure as she pulled out one of her books from the drawer and made herself busy. Some of her close friends came over to welcome her and make sure that she does not feel out of place.

Mariah and Sarah later that evening as they walked back home and she asked her sister? Do you know that pupils in my class now refer me as a warrior queen, what about you? Didn’t they say or call you anything, she said

‘No nothing, they were all quiet in my class but whenever I looked around, they fear me now. Nobody touches my thing,’ Sarah replied

When they reached home, Mariah said,’ Mummy, your warrior queens are back’

Who said that to you, Mummy replied

‘That’s what they call Mariah at school,’ Sarah said

’What, ‘I told you to report to your teachers if these guys provoke you gain,’ Monica said

‘No Mummy, it is not like you think. I am more feared than ever now. They nick- named me a ‘’warrior queen’’ and to be sincere I like that whole phrase of it. I think it’s cool,’ Mariah said

’So you like being a warrior queen, does it sound funny to you. Is it what you are telling me?’ Mummy asked

‘Am cool with that Mummy. Small girls like us tend to ignored and not taken seriously but this is empowering us to overcome our greatest fears,’ Mariah replied

‘I think it’s cool too,’ Sarah said

‘But Mummy, promise me that you won’t mention anything like that to Daddy because he may take it serious yet this is just fun,’ Mariah requested

‘Okay, go change your clothes and come and help me in the kitchen,’ Monica said

‘Just a minute mummy, we shall be with you shortly,’ Mariah and Sarah said