THE CHAIR
August, 2021
This short story was a winner in the WriteFluence 2021 competition.
The plot deals with Jessica Harper's journey as a former lady of privilege trying to make a difference in a rural area, as an English teacher.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Story Quote
"Ntunda smelt like many things. The poultry that roamed free. The burning of newspapers. The fumes from old taxis. It was squalid to the outside world, but it smelt like redemption to Jessica. Jessica walked into a classroom that was barely bigger than her bathroom back home. An old wooden desk greeted her with a worn-down carpet in front of it. No posters on the walls. No blackboard or chalk. And barely any light through the small windows. The kids flocked in and perched themselves on the carpet. Their eyes locked onto her blonde hair, as they placed the underside of their palms on their chins. Her heart pounding faster and faster. See it through, she thought. One day. Get through one day."