by Tasur Muteyian Veronicah  (This essay has been slightly edited.)

I am one girl who is always moody.  I can decide to be happy or to be sad.  I can hate someone and I can show that I hate you by my facial expressions.  My big round and white eyes can make Mrs. Lucifer take to her heels. My eyes become bigger when I’m annoyed.

“Veronicah” is the name which I’m always referred to by cook, teachers and fellow students.  Any cook at my school will always know me first.  I really do not know the main reason.  Perhaps because of complaints.  I’m known for my complaints about little food.

There are some things that I hate and do not tolerate, but also there are good things I love.  Being called rude or stubborn is something I hate most in my life.  I prefer being called Miss Luicfer to being called rude and stubborn.  The other thing I hate is being accused of something I did not do.

In my life, I have undergone a lot of challenges at Sirua Aulo school.  I cannot tell you all the challenges because they are very many.  There is one that I will live to remember.  I vividly remember the day as if it were yesterday.

It was Saturday, 14th of July 2013 in the afternoon.  According to Sirua Aulo routines, we were supposed to go to the river and wash our clothes and also clean our bodies.  We were used to the school routine.  It was on this Saturday a girl by the name of Sheryl whispered to me.  “There are some girls gossiping about you.”

I was shocked.  Gossip is what I hate most and I went to the river angrily.  I could not talk to anyone.  This was unusual because I am always talkative.  My friends were curious.  As I told you earlier, I am always moody and was really annoyed.  I decided not to be silent and warned my fellow girls about their behaviour.

I became more emotional and began to fight with a suspect.  In our fight my fellow students began making a lot of noise which attracted our teacher.  We told her our cause of fighting.  When invetigations were found to be true, we were told it was “A dangerous stage called adolescence.”

It was in this stage I became involved with a boy.  I had been replying to his letters and was ashamed at what I had done.  I swear never to let the dangers of adolescence ruin my life.