Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

“WHY ARE YOU SO IRRESPONSIBLE??” sounded in her ears all day, all night. She got used to it, but she was not immune to it. Especially when her father shouts those words to her. The volume of his voice is usually enough to activate her tears flowing down uncontrollably down her cheeks. She was sick of it. Of everything.

Her mother had another way. She retained all the privileges of exerting power over her by sending her on endless errands when she needed to use the computer until it was too late at night and time to sleep.

Her neighbours and friends couldn’t do anything to help. There was an unwritten law in society that says family matters should be dealt by the family itself. No outsider should interfere.

She changed. She was no longer the passive, quiet, clever girl everyone thought her to be. She didn’t realize it at first. She was so angry with her parents for taking her abilities for granted that she purposely scored 0 for all her evaluation exam papers. She merely presented herself at the exam hall, wrote her name on the answer sheet, and spent the rest of the 3 hours sleeping.

That would teach you to think that good results fall from the sky. Wouldn’t it be a shock to you, hmm? Isn’t 0 worse than the 3B I received for high school exam?

The lecturers were the first ones to be surprised. They never expected this. Not from her. Not from anyone, for that matter. They summoned her and counseled her and persuaded her to retake the exam.

She only smiled and said, “If you do not wish it to be my External Exam marks, kindly send this marks to my parents.”

They were taken aback, all right. No one had ever said that to them before. They tried to advise her. Her patience was running out.

“Either you send this marks to my parents, or I’ll get this marks for my External. I swear I will. I’ve already done it once. Don’t think I won’t do it again.”

Her parents weren’t surprised. They were furious.

But this time she wasn’t afraid anymore. She was prepared.

“Well, I did warn you that my exam was the day after, didn’t I? And still you refused to switched on the computer.”

“ARE YOU THREATENING ME??”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I am.” She was pleased that both her parents were quick on the uptake.

“HOW DARE… HOW DARE… HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?” he repeated as he slapped her over and over again.

She remained on the same spot with an insane grin upon her face. No tears came.

“FINE!!! YOU CAN STOP GOING TO COLLEGE FROM TOMORROW!! SEE THAT THIS TEACHES YOU A LESSON!!”

“Very well.” They couldn’t understand why she was smiling, even when she was grounded. She was scared to death of grounding. She loved school. They both knew that. Now, she was smiling?

She, however, was fully confident that her father was just scaring her. After nearly 17 years of living with him, she knew full well that he was too afraid to admit his weakness when it comes to educating his children. He would rather die than let her skip school, as she was the only child who excelled in academics. She was his asset. He daren’t get rid of her.

Sure enough, the next day, he fetched her to college as usual, silently and stonily. She smiled to herself. You daren’t be funny with me now, do you?

In school too, she had changed. No longer does she care for homework. Or classes. She continued attending classes… just to intimidate others with her formidable presence. Especially Applicable Mathematics classes. She was considered one of the whizzes in class, although she didn’t understand why. But now, she used it to full advantage. Whenever one of her classmates approaches her to ask her a question, she responded them with “I don’t know. Why don’t you go ask someone else?” and watch with delight as they scooted off at the sight of her evil face.

Yes, she was turning evil. She was beginning to realize it. And she was loving and savouring every moment of it.

Slowly, all her friends started to leave her. And she felt… free… as if she couldn’t bear another moment with them. What she wouldn’t admit to herself, though, is that she was relieved that they were leaving her so that no one will be dragged down along with her. She would be doing no one injury but to herself.

She became reckless as the wind. She couldn’t and wouldn’t get along with anyone. If anyone spoke to her, she responded with an air that dared them to remain a minute longer. Soon, everyone knew her. But no one could get near her spiritually anymore. No one knew the real her. That self has sunk beyond all hope. It simply disappeared into the dark abyss of her now evil soul.

She became the living dead.

– Finis –