Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,150,848 members, 7,810,265 topics. Date: Saturday, 27 April 2024 at 03:38 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / How Long Would This Continue? (413 Views)
Why You Are And Will Continue To Be An Unsuccessful Blogger / Good Advice To Continue Writing In The Face Of Challenges / Writing Prompt: Use The First Line To Continue A Story (2) (3) (4)
(1) (Reply)
How Long Would This Continue? by jonesbaba(m): 4:56pm On Jan 25, 2018 |
I screamed as he held me against the bed, his strong
hands covering my mouth. I had just turned five some
days ago.
The pain was intense. I tried to push him away, but I
couldn't and I gave up just as I had done some weeks
ago when I tried to lift the sofa in the living room. When
he finally got down from the bed, he spat on the ground,
pulled up his trousers and left the room in a hurry. I
wiped the tears with the back of my hands and tried to
sit up. But my thighs hurt so badly and so I lay there
numb.
He walked back into the room and stood in front of me.
'Sarah!'
I didn’t answer.
He called my name again and as if my crying button was
suddenly powered on, I began to wail. He rushed to my
side and rolled me over, pulling out the bedspread
smeared with my blood. I continued to scream. He
slapped me. I stopped screaming.
'Listen to me. If you tell anyone about what happened
here, I will kill you.' He barked, his big eyeballs boring
into mine.
When he heard my aunt drive in, he quickly covered me
up with a blanket and ran out.Aunty Dupe entered the
house with her cheerful and boisterous self and walked
into my room with a cup of strawberry ice-cream. Her
husband followed behind, peering from behind her,
making a face that reminded me of his threat.
'Sarah darling' she said, grinning.
She sat on the bed and gave me a peck on my cheeks.
'I brought you your favourite ice-cream.'
My uncle wouldn’t take his eyes off me. I remained mute.
'What’s wrong with you?' She touched my head to feel
my temperature.
'Sarah is not feeling too well. She’s been on the bed
since morning.' I glared at my uncle and thought what a
professional liar he was.
' I will make you a cup of hot tea.' She walked out
briskly.
'Now you be a good girl.' Uncle Richard and crawled out
quietly.
I couldn’t eat anything that night. Aunty Dupe was
worried.
As she dragged me to the bathroom for a shower, I
winced and pulled away. Now she was concerned.
'What happened to you?' She took me back to bed and
then noticed the bedspread was gone.
'Where is the bedsheet?'My lips didn’t move. She picked
another clean cloth from the wardrobe and spread it out
on the bed before putting me to bed and covering me
with the blanket.
Within minutes, I was on my way to dream land. That
night I saw my uncle followed by six men, all dressed in
black, approaching my bed. I screamed.
The sweet voice I heard woke me up the following
morning. I opened my eyes to find my mother sitting
beside my bed. I stared at her.
'Sarah, it’s mum.'
I stared at her. My mother stood up from the bed
puzzled. My father also walked in, ran to me and hugged
me tight. I didn't move an inch.
Mum just kept looking at me. I knew she could sense that
something was wrong. There was a strong connection
between us, a bond so strong that it crossed the normal
mother to child relationship. My father pulled me gently
out of bed and I spread out my legs, limping. My aunt
and her husband entered.
'Dupe, what happened to my daughter?' My mother
asked, clearly worried
'I’m surprised too. I came back from the market
yesterday and saw her in that state. Maybe it's malaria
or she is homesick.'
My mother faced me, ready to get to the end of this.
That’s how I know her. She wouldn’t give up. She sat on
the ground and pulled me in front of her. She tried
closing my legs but I let out a loud cry.
'Angel, what happened?' I remained silent
'You know you can talk to me right? Mummy loves you
and will keep you safe. When did this start?'
She felt for my thighs and I quickly pushed her hand
away. Just then, Uncle Richard stood behind my mother
as my mouth began to form some incoherent words. I
looked at him and the fear in my eyes returned. My
mother quickly followed the direction of my eyes and
caught her brother-in-law's glaring countenance. In a
flash, she got up and slapped my uncle. Then she
grabbed his shirt.
'What did you do to my daughter?'
Another slap followed as tears ran down my mother's
eyes. My father tried to pull them apart and my aunt was
already furious.
'How dare you accuse my husband falsely? Are you out of
your mind Shade? Are you insinuating that my husband
slept with your daughter, a six year old girl for that
matter?'
My mother’s face was covered in tears.
'Dupe I trusted you with my daughter for just a week.'
'Get out of my house!'Aunty Dupe shouted
My mother knelt before me and kissed me on my cheeks.
'Angel you know I love you and I will keep you safe from
that man. Tell me, what did he do to you?'
My mouth suddenly let loose and I began to narrate how
he dragged me from the living room to the bedroom,
how he covered his mouth with mine and pulled down
my pant. I showed her the place I was experiencing sharp
pains.
I had not finished talking when my father pounced on
him. My aunt just stood there speechless. I hid behind
my mother, afraid my uncle would kill me but then I felt
a soft hand grab me up and press my head to her teary
face. We left the house.
The nights that followed came with nightmares as I saw
my uncle appeared in my room several times,
threatening to kill me for speaking out. Every time I
screamed, I would find my mum beside me praying.
Over the years, I became familiar with the pattern of
waking up in the middle of the night to find her on her
knees, her eyes lifted upward. She and my father would
place their hands on my head and pray, calling out my
name and speaking soothing words to my ears. I felt safe
but I still couldn’t talk much. I had moved from the fun-
loving, charming damsel to a melancholic chap.
The three weeks I spent at the hospital had mum by my
side. It was later I found out from my Father that she’d
quit her new job after that incident. I began to heal
gradually.
That was some thirty years ago. Now I am a mother with
three wonderful kids and as I sit in my study room,
writing this short article which I hope to present
tomorrow at the Christian Mothers Conference where I
have been invited as a guest speaker, I see clearly the
roles of mothers in the life of their children. I wouldn’t
have gone far without my mother's love and affection
during those trying days.
As she has passed on the spirit of true motherhood to
me, I am hoping to do the same to my daughter who
interestingly will turn five tomorrow. I will be her best
friend and confidant. And just as my mother has done, I
will teach her to speak out.
**** **** **** **** ****
We should encourage our children to speak up and
reassure them of our undying love and protection. |
Re: How Long Would This Continue? by izaray(f): 5:09pm On Jan 25, 2018 |
What an educative write up...Weldone dear 1 Like |
Re: How Long Would This Continue? by jonesbaba(m): 6:55pm On Jan 25, 2018 |
izaray:thanks ....yeah |
(1) (Reply)
A Short Story "The Hairy Dog" By Zoroby / Ilorin / 10 Ways To Beat Procrastination
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 23 |