Omotara Akinsowon

Lagos, Nigeria.

I Heard A Rumour

Sheila walked down her street, dragging her feet along with a distraught look on her face. Why had she not studied more for her English test?

Possibly because her parent’s late-night yelling had taken away her focus from studying the day before the test. Sheila remembers the disappointment written on her homeroom teacher, Mrs Jenkins’ face when she handed her graded English test to her. She had gotten a D on her test, a grade that was certainly a below-average grade for Sheila.

“You have to study harder, Sheila, or else you will fail this class,” Mrs Jenkins admonished.

During recess earlier that day, Sheila had heard two girls from her class whispering about her behind her back. “I heard a rumor that Sheila’s Dad is a drunkard.” The first girl said, snickering.

“Did you hear, they say her mother is a prostitute and a drug addict.” The second girl said and giggled.

Sheila had struggled with her tears. Her family was the town’s laughing stock. Her parents had lost all sense of normalcy and decency ever since her older brother died in a car crash. Rumors flew about their family’s pitiful state, and they had spread like a wildfire. Funny, how a little girl’s life can change completely when she hears the words “I heard a rumor.”