CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: VANESSA
"Maybe she is a poor girl," I concluded with a shrug, as though the words could somehow explain away the mystery that had been lingering in our minds since Benita threw that cryptic statement earlier.
"That was my thought too," Victoria admitted, pulling her towel out from her box. "But at the same time, I feel that might not be the real reason. Something about her doesn't add up."
"Who knows?" I replied, shrugging again as I started unbuttoning my house wear. The curiosity about Vanessa was burning in me, but I tried to act as if I didn't care much. Still, deep inside, I couldn't shake it off.
Victoria kept herself busy, folding her dirty uniforms into her bucket. "My thought was that maybe she didn't pass her first common entrance examination. That would explain why she waited for a year."
"I guess you're right," I said, now reaching into my box for my towel. "But honestly, I don't see it as such a bad thing. At her age, being in grade seven with us is still okay. I mean, some people even start later."
"True talk," Victoria agreed, nodding, as she pushed her uniforms deeper into the bucket.
Suddenly, Morayo's voice cut into our conversation like a playful interruption. She had been standing there for a while, leaning against the wall with her mischievous smile.
"What are you guys talking about?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear. "You people are really slow. I've been listening since."
I looked at her and smiled faintly. "We were just shocked at the fact that Vanessa seems to be the oldest in grade seven."
Morayo burst into laughter. The kind of laughter that draws attention. "You guys will not seize to amaze me. Is that what is disturbing you?"
"What's funny?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
"The fact that you two are worrying about someone's age," she replied, laughing even harder. "Just because she's the oldest, that's why you're panicking? Come on!"
"You're just laughing unnecessarily," Victoria said, tying her towel around her body and glaring at Morayo.
"The funny part is that you're worried about Vanessa being the oldest, when we literally have the youngest girl right here," Morayo teased, pointing directly at me with a triumphant grin.
"Don't even start that," I warned her, though I couldn't help smirking a little. "Yes, I know I'm the youngest, but it's not the same thing. At least mine is because of intelligence. I skipped levels. It's not a crime for her to be thirteen in grade seven, but it's still strange, you know."
Morayo folded her arms. "I hear you. But you like bragging sha."
Before we could continue, Victoria broke in with impatience. "Are you two still going to stand here arguing, or are we finally going outside to wash clothes? Time is going."
"That's the question I'm supposed to ask both of you since!" Morayo fired back, moving her body from blocking the corner.
I chuckled and bent to my box. "I'm coming, just need to grab my soap from the corner zip." I searched through my things until I finally pulled out the small bar of washing soap.
As soon as we stepped out of our room, we spotted Vanessa. She was standing not too far from our door, almost as if she had been waiting for us the entire time. A bucket filled with clothes sat at her side, soap resting on top, and her bath bag neatly arranged next to it. Her towel was tied around her body, her skin glistening faintly from the afternoon heat.
"Hay!" she called out with a warm smile as soon as she saw us.
"Hey," Morayo responded first. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Well, it wasn't really that long," Vanessa said with a little laugh.
"Sorry for keeping you then," Morayo added. "We didn't even know you wanted to wash with us."
"Yeah, I didn't exactly tell you," Vanessa admitted, grinning. "I thought I'd just surprise you guys. Ha!"
Victoria, always straight to business, waved her hand. "Alright then, let's just go wash. I still have something else to do afterward." She walked ahead, her bucket balanced confidently in her hand.
We followed behind her, and soon the sound of water splashing, clothes rubbing against washboards, and countless chatter filled the air as we reached the laundry area.
The laundry room was one of my favorite places already. Lively, noisy, but in a way that gave you energy. Drama was always around—girls quarrelling over small things, someone shouting because another splashed water on her clothes, laughter bouncing from one corner to another. And the best part? There was never a shortage of water. For a boarding school, that was a blessing.
We found a free corner where the four of us could sit and wash without disturbing others. We placed our buckets on the ground and began fetching water. Soon, the repetitive sound of splashing and scrubbing filled our small circle.
And then, Vanessa spoke.
"About what Benita said…" she began softly, breaking the silence that had settled among us.
All of us froze slightly, waiting.
"What about it?" Victoria asked almost immediately, her curiosity piqued. She had been just as unsettled as I was by Benita's words earlier.
I felt a quiet relief. My friends often said the questions that swam in my own mind, sparing me from saying them out loud.
Vanessa sighed, her hands stilling in the soapy water for a moment. "It's kind of a secret I don't wish to tell others."
I frowned down at the shirt I was scrubbing. So why mention it then? Why bring it up if she had no intention of sharing? Her words left me both irritated and more curious.
She was dangling the truth like bait in front of us, only to yank it away.
"Then why even say anything if you want to keep it a secret?" Morayo asked, her face twisted with curiosity and mild annoyance. She stared at Vanessa as if to say, What exactly is your deal?
I almost laughed at Morayo's bluntness. She was voicing exactly what I was thinking.
"I didn't say anything yet," Vanessa replied calmly, meeting Morayo's gaze without flinching.
"Are you kidding me? I heard you," Morayo fired back, dropping the cloth she was washing and turning to face her properly.
"Morayo…" Victoria's voice came sharp, like a warning. She didn't want the tension to rise.
Morayo glanced at her, sighed, and reluctantly turned back to her clothes. But the spark of frustration in her eyes was still there.
Vanessa looked at each of us, her expression softer now. "To be honest, I actually want to tell you. I feel like you guys can be trusted. Maybe it's too early, but something tells me you won't betray me like others did before."
Her words hung heavy in the air. I squeezed water out of the shirt in my hand, but my mind was no longer on the washing.
Her past story?
What exactly had she been through that made her so guarded, yet so eager to confess?
For the first time since meeting Vanessa, I felt a strange shift. It wasn't just about her age anymore. It wasn't about her being thirteen, or waiting a year, or even failing an exam. No. There was something deeper, something hidden, something that even Benita knew about but we didn't.
And now, it seemed, Vanessa was ready to tell us.