Can you recount a student who forwent his or her priority? Food is for the mouth. What do you think will happen if it is put in the nose? Misplacement of priority.
Read this short account of a student who instead of learning, resulted in writing love letters to her male colleague. What do you think happened? Keep reading.
Akua was a shy, quiet girl who grew up in the serene town of Cape Coast.
She had a passion for books, enjoyed helping her mother sell kenkey at the market, and loved spending her free time at the beach, where the soothing ocean waves eased her heart. Akua attended a well-respected secondary school in the area, Cape Star Academy.
Though she wasn’t the most vocal in class, Akua was recognized for her kindness. She would share her notes with anyone in need and often assisted her classmates with their homework. However, Akua carried a secret—a heavy burden concealed behind her polite smiles.
In her final year of secondary school, Akua found herself developing feelings for Kweku, a lively and confident boy in her class.
Kweku was the type of boy everyone adored: intelligent, athletic, and always ready with a joke. Akua admired his talent for making people laugh, but she never found the courage to express her feelings to him.
One day, during lunch break, Akua’s best friend, Afia, urged her on.
"Akua, you have to tell him. What’s the worst that could happen? He might feel the same way!" Afia teased.
After some hesitation, Akua decided to write Kweku a note. She poured her heart into it, sharing how much she admired him and how his kindness inspired her.
She slipped the note into his textbook during history class, hoping for a positive outcome.
The following day, Akua walked into the classroom with her heart racing. She saw Kweku reading the note, surrounded by some of his friends. Her stomach knotted. They were laughing.
“Ei, Akua likes me?” Kweku exclaimed loudly, waving the note for everyone to see. The class erupted in laughter, and Akua felt her face flush with embarrassment. She wished she could vanish.
"Kweku, stop," Afia said, defending her friend. But the damage was already done. From that moment on, whispers and giggles trailed Akua wherever she went.
The teasing didn’t stop.
Classmates would mimic Akua’s quiet voice, calling her “Kweku’s wife” or singing mocking love songs as she walked by. Even at the market, some of the younger students from the neighborhood would point at her and laugh.
Akua’s once bright spirit began to fade. She stopped going to the beach and refused to eat.
Her grades, which had always been excellent, started to decline.
Her mother noticed the change. “Akua, my dear, what is wrong?” she asked one evening. Akua shook her head and replied, “Nothing, Ma.”
But it wasn’t nothing. Inside, Akua felt shattered, as if the world was closing in on her.
One night, after days of relentless teasing at school, Akua sat alone in her room. She stared at her textbooks, reflecting on how everything had gone wrong. She felt hopeless and isolated.
Akua wrote a brief note to her mother:
"Ma, I’m sorry for disappointing you. I can’t bear the pain anymore. Please forgive me."
The next morning, Akua’s mother found her lifeless body in her room. She had taken her own life, leaving the entire community in shock.
The news of Akua’s death spread quickly. At school, students who had once teased her were filled with guilt. Kweku, in particular, couldn’t stop blaming himself. He remembered how kind Akua had always been to him and others.
“I should have been kinder,” Kweku said, tears streaming down his face.
The school organized a memorial service in Akua’s honor, where teachers spoke about the importance of making learning your utmost priority as a student.
Akua’s story became a lesson for everyone in Cape Coast. The community recognized the need to pay attention to learners’ friendships at school and home.
Questions
What kind of person was Akua before the incident with Kweku?
Why did Akua write a note to Kweku?
How did Kweku and his friends react to the note, and how did it affect Akua?
What were the signs that Akua was struggling after the teasing began
What kind of friend is Afia?
What measures can schools and communities implement to prevent similar tragedies in the future?
Comentários