“This child is possessed by a demon,” shouted Calvin.

“Baba, we need to speak to her,” Christine rubbed Calvin’s shoulder.

“I work hard to do everything for her and her brother, and she steals. I buy everything for her. It’s like we aren’t giving her everything, while some families struggle,” he said harshly, breathing fast.

“Let’s put our heads together and agree on one thing… Let’s talk to the pastor,” she said calmly.

“Will he help? I’d rather take her to juvenile prison,” he shouted.

“Don’t be hard on her. We need to be calm and gentle,” Christine said, sitting down exhausted.

Debbie hid behind the wall, listening to the conservation between her parents. She felt her absence made things better and remembered the voice telling her that Calvin hated her. Maybe her mother too, no wonder she falsely accused her once. She rushed to her bedroom and took the Paracetamols in her drawer.

“Your parents don’t want you. Imagine you in a juvenile prison,” the same voice murmured in her ears.

She put all the pills in her mouth and drank water. It was better than being in a juvenile prison. Debbie felt hot and she lay on the bed breathing hard. A pain occurred in her stomach then she vomited continuously on the bed.

Christine opened the door to call Debbie for supper and found her daughter. She screamed for help. Calvin left his newspaper on the table and rushed to Debbie’s room. He called the ambulance while Christine cried, holding her daughter.

“Stay with me,” she said with tears on her face.

The ambulance came and Debbie was rushed to the hospital. Christine’s eyes became teary and Calvin tried to comfort her but she wailed loudly on his shoulder.

What had changed their daughter to be a moody girl? She was a loving and cheerful baby girl. Calvin remained quiet and hoped his wife would agree that Debbie needed tough love by sending her to juvenile.

Debbie didn’t murmur a word when she became conscious. She got discharged after a day.

She was sad and didn’t say why she tried to commit suicide. The doctor had advised she see a therapist and Calvin allowed her to go after school. They were advised not to ask her reasons of attempting to commit suicide or it would worsen the condition.

“What is going on in your mind?” Miss Brown asked.

“I don’t know, I just do things I don’t understand,” she answered, sitting on the couch.

Debbie was seeing Miss Brown at home.

“Your parents work hard to provide for you and you steal. Tell me what’s going on with you,” she asked calmly.

“I don’t know,” she answered.

Debbie watched the therapist, hoping she would end the session sooner. She didn’t trust her and if she told her a voice told her what to do, wouldn’t she say she was insane? She smiled when Miss Brown left at 3:45 p.m.

She grabbed her jacket and shoes to took a walk along the street. She stood looking at a lingerie shop for a few minutes and went in. She got tempted by a pink bikini she was looking at on one of the manikins.

“You know how to get it. Do it and it will be yours,” a voice spoke in her head.

She went to the shelf and took two and placed them in her pockets and walked away. There was a man on her way, holding a newspaper. The man dropped his wallet and she picked it and never called the owner. She ran fast to arrive home and hid the bikini under her bed. She checked if the wallet had money, it has R2000. She hid the wallet under her bed and placed the money under her pillow.

She went to the kitchen and prepared tripe and pap, her dad’s favourite. She danced and sang while she sliced the vegetables.

***

Tell us: What do you think of Debbie’s behaviour?