?♀️MARRIED?
Episode 7.
©Miriam Edem
Mary looked at me as I placed my hand on my forehead,
“Hiannn like this are you okay? She asked.
“Do I look like am not okay? Maybe I’m just hungry and I don’t have the appetite either, I replied and breathed out.
“Okay does that make us friends now? I missed us o, Mary said.
“Happy missing plea-se, I said and Mary pla-yfully hit me and I smiled.
We walked home together and the compound was a little bit dry while she pas-sed to hers. I got in and took off my uniform and had water to drink still I was feeling uncomfortable.
I decided to sit outside for fresh air when I saw one of my sisters walked into the compound and I greeted her. Her face wasn’t good as she replied me, then she sat on the pavement there.
“Any problem? I asked.
“Hmm Sharon everyday has always been a problem, she replied.
“What happened na? I asked.
“Hmmmm Sharon, your sister is in prison, she replied. I know the 2 of them works as a cleaner in an organization outside the village, how come the other is in prison? I wondered.
“But how…….”you don’t nee-d to ask how come o, Cecilia broke our big man son head with a bottle. I don’t still un-derstand how it happened because we heard him screaming as if he wanted to die and we ran down there, I saw Cecilia has alre-ady been held and dragged out and the oga son was also rushed to the hospital that morning. I have tried to see Cecilia and to know what happened but I can’t, they are keeping me away from her so I c@m£ home, She cuts in.
“Sister Cecilia is in prison and you’re sitting down? Let’s do something na, I said getting up.
“Sharon shey you’re seeing the road out of the compound? Just walk like that to the prison and re-lease her okay. So all this English I am speaking here is not entering your ears abi? I said they are keeping her away from me that’s why I c@m£ back so we can go with the rest of our eldest sisters, she angrily said.
“Hey they are not at home na and we don’t have that thing they call phone to call Chinenye mother, at least she has it, I worriedly said.
“Now that’s the problem, look I am very tired anytime they come back just let me know, she said getting up.
“But did he die? I asked her.
“I heard he was stitched up and that’s all, she replied and weakly went in while I sat down back. Aghhhh! Trouble always knocking every time, now Cecilia is in prison? That’s one very quiet sister I have and it was her mother who died in the city last month with her b©dy p@rts missing. Ever since her mother pas-sed on, she has always been extremely quiet and won’t involve herself in anything that happens in the compound, she didn’t even say sorry to me when I was R@p£d. Everyone thinks she is angry that we dumped her mother in the city and I un-derstand that anger, but what would have made her to break someone head at work? I wondered.
My eldest sisters returned and heard about it, and they left to see what happened to her. In the night I was still outside waiting for my mother who joined them when I saw them walked in. I went to Cecilia but she just pas-sed me as jet and went in saying nothing to anyb©dy and I heaved and followed my mother inside.
“What happened mommy? I asked giving her water to drink.
“Sharon the stupid oga son has been m©l£sting her and she has been warning him, but it looks like today he was not lucky at all and he c@m£ trying to f0rç£ himself on her, my mother replied.
“Oh that’s why she used a bottle on him? That serves him right, looks like we should stand up and fight against this ru-bbish. Anyone who want to dare us again should find himself in the grave that’s a very good attempt, I angrily said and my mom only looked at me saying nothing.
“Have you heard from your sister Mercy? My mom asked and I just left the room outside. I never want to hear that name around me ever since that incident. Though sister Mercy c@m£ back crying and pleading to everyone explaining how she was used and br@inwashed and threw away her own sweat of about 150,000 naira in the name of deliverance but it wasn’t my concern at all. I hated her name and the fact that she brou-ght this upon me, maybe I believed in her and the prophets so much that I don’t know how to start forgiving her. She swore to my mother she never planned any of that and my mother had to forgive her, but that was different for me because there was no heart to forgive at all and am not re-ady to do that until I find out I am not carrying any child.
But 3 weeks after that I returned from school with Mary very happy and carefree worried about nothing again at all when I saw blood on my p@n-ties and rejoiced it was my menses, that was about a week ago. But that day i noticed my sisters sitting outside.
“No b©dy went to work today kwa? Mary asked when she saw them.
“Oya dey go your house and don’t forget the test tomorrow o, I said waving at her and got into the compound but my sisters faces were not good especially my mother. I dropped my school bag first looking at them and trying to see who is not complete but everyone seemed complete to me,
“What happened again na? I asked because definitely there was bad news as everyone eyes were red.
“Someb©dy talk to me what happened! I shouted going crazy and Chinenye mother breathed out.
“Sister Mercy is gone, She dropped.
“Sister who? I asked.
“I had a call that she was involved in an accident, she continued.
“What! I said with tears running down my cheeks knowing I didn’t forgive her even though I never wished her that. Last week when she called on phone she wanted talking to me but I just ignored, I wished I did because that was the last time she called home and I suddenly felt like throwing up.
I immediately ran to the side of the compound throwing up and crying at the same time and my mom held me giving me water to rinse my mouth.
“Can’t we pas-s the age of 50 in this family? Why do we keep dying this way? I cried on my mother.
“Its okay, I think our sisters are dying in the city more than they do in the village, my mom said.
“So we will forever be stuck? We won’t go out is that what you’re saying? If we don’t get R@p£d we die young yet we are not doing anything about it, I said.
“What do you want us to do? No you tell me because the more we try to run away from this, it hits us bad in a more tragic way. Look at Amaka, she thought running away will solve it but she died a shameful death, Chinenye Mother said.
“Don’t talk to my mother like that, Cecilia spoke up.
“Oh just shut up! Chinenye mother shouted.
“No you all should shut up! You abandoned my mother b©dy there and you’re here crying for another person and even asked her b©dy should be brou-ght down to the village. Wow! And you’re telling me to shut up huh? Cecilia shouted back facing her.
“So you expected us to transport a b©dy that was found dead on the street gutter with her p@rts missing all the way from Ondo state to the village? Who asked her to sleep around there? Chinenye mother asked.
“My mother was not slee-ping around! Cecilia shouted and attem-pted to fight with her.
“Enough! Amaka is dead and she deserve our respect! My mother shouted on them while I only watched.
“Whatever killed Amaka we have no right to discuss it this way, and Cecilia its not what you’re thinking. You know very well we cried for your mother but the situation that time was different, my mother continued.
“You all have nothing to tell me, did you really cried for my mother the way you’re crying for the one who arranged your daughter to be R@p£d? This is just the beginning, Cecilia said and was leaving the compound.
“Cecilia! My sisters shouted on her but she didn’t st©p and I bowed my head…………..
The next day I kind of sle-pt late because I f0rç£d my self to re-ad despite all that was happening. But I woke up feeling so uncomfortable and quic-kly ran out to the backyard to throw up. When I was done I cleaned my mouth and turned to see my sisters looking at me,
“What? I innocently asked but my mother c@m£ out from no where and dragged me inside……………
?♀️MARRIED?
Episode 8.
©Miriam Edem
“Mommy what is it na? I asked because I didn’t like the way she dragged me inside.
“I thought you told me you saw your menses? My mother asked.
“Is Menses not blood again? I saw it na, I replied.
“Is that so? And you’re throwing up in the morning? She asked.
“Ahh mommy I don’t un-derstand o, its just normal throwing up na, I replied with a frown.
“Hmmm i see, Take this, she said going to her purse and brou-ght out something and gave it to me.
“What’s this? I asked.
“Go and urinate in a bowl and in-sert it this way, she said tearing it off and showed me how to in-sert it.
“Then you bring it to me, she continued.
“Hiann what for? What’s this sef? I asked.
“I got that at the pharmacy to give it to you but since you told me you’ve seen your menses I decided to keep it, this will tell us whether you’re pregnant or not, my mother replied.
“Ahhhh mommy plea-se st©p this na, I have moved on with this stage and i know……. “That’s why you shouldn’t be scared since you know you’re not pregnant. In fact you’ll do it here, wait for me, my mother said and left the room while I looked at the str!p in my hand with my heart beating.
“What is this again na? I thought I’ve pas-sed this level but its still lingering, I wondered and my mother returned with a used big tomato paste tin.
“Its clean, oya pee, my mother said keeping it down for me and I didn’t know when I started crying as if someone just landed me a dirty sl@p. As I squ-atted over that tin that was when the faces of my sisters appeared with the look on their faces when they saw me throwing up, there I knew that our fear is not necessarily the r@p£ but being pregnant.
“Why are you crying now? My mother asked when I stood up from the tin.
“Check it na, I replied so scared as my mom breathed in and di-pped the str!p into my urine and I closed my eyes ti-ght with my heart pounding ha-rd .
“Sharon, Sharon! My mother called shaking me as I closed my eyes so ti-ght and flew to the other realm instantly.
“What does it say? I shakily asked.
“Sharon, its positive, I don’t think the blood you saw was your menses, my mother weakly replied and my eyes bulged out.
“Its a lie! I can’t believe it, no! Its a lie, I know I saw my menses I won’t believe this! I cried out bitterly as my mom held me and my sisters ran in hearing my voice..
“What happened? My sisters asked but the str!p answered them as my mom kept hvgging me.
“I said it! My sisters muttered sadly…………
My mom encouraged me to go to school because of the test i sat up all night to re-ad, but I wasn’t myself after knowing after all I did to run away from such tragedy it still happened. I remembered Chinenye mother words yesterday where she said the more we try to run away it hits us ha-rd in a tragic way, maybe she was right after all and whatever is hunting us is just like our shadow and we can’t runaway from it.
I sat in the clas-s staring into my blank paper with my tears dropping on it,
“Sharon what’s wrong? Mary asked hitting me but I ignored.
“Sharon! A strong voice called out this time and it was my teacher. Very wicked human being with no human heart at all,
“Are you re-ady for the test or not? If you’re not just get out of my clas-s and st©p occu-pying space! He shouted as if I was his family problems. I just took my bag and left very happy I was asked to go out sef, I just wanted to cry and make my b©dy very uncomfortable for the bastard growing in me. I hated the being inside of me, he or she wasn’t welcomed and I swore to do all I can to take it out by fire and storm.
The test was over and Mary looked for me, she saw me sitting down at a corner with my eyes swelled up,
“God the father! What has happened again? Why were you crying that way in clas-s? Mary asked and I sniffed.
“Nothing, I was only washing my eyes, I replied.
“As in you were washing your eyes meaning what? Why don’t you go to the stream and di-p it there? Mary asked.
“plea-se just leave me alone, am going home, I said getting up.
“Wait wait wait, you know you can tell me anything right? Look at you na you can’t go home like this? Mary asked st©pping me and I slowly sat down back and didn’t know where to start, I just began to cry again while she confusedly looked at me.
“Mary I’m pregnant, I dropped and her bigl-ips wi-de-ned the more.
“No talk am again, who has it? She whispered.
“I don’t even know, I replied.
“You don’t know how which kind talk be that? I don’t know you to be slee-ping around or were you pretending? She asked and I looked at her.
“I can sl@p you now, I angrily replied her.
“Then tell me who has it, or were you drugged? Mary asked.
“No, I was R@p£d by four men and that’s where there is confusion, I replied her.
“Ewo! And you didn’t die? Mary asked.
“Thank you Mary, it was a waste of time talking with you, I said getting up.
“Sharon wait na abi you no want solution? Mary asked.
“You’ve given me the solution na, let me go and die, I replied her.
“God forbid I never said such a thing o plea-se, but sit first let’s talk things out, when did you find out? She asked.
“Today, I replied.
“Your mother knows right? She asked and I nodded.
“Its still very young abi? She asked again.
“It should be a month, I replied and sniffed.
“Very good, just leave that to me, I’ll go to my sister room and ransack it very well, some of their ab-ortion pills are still there and I’ll help you don’t worry, Mary said.
“Are you sure about that? I asked.
“Just cheer up, nothing will happen and no one will even notice, Mary replied and I breathed out then she laughed.
“I see why you were always very scared, you should have told me this na, she said.
“When you have a big mouth, plea-se don’t let the town crier hear about this I beg you, I said and she laughed hitting me.
“Shey I promised you that I won’t do it again didn’t I? She asked.
“You better do because I’ll kill you myself, I replied cleaning my eyes.
“Wait let me get you water to wash your ugly face, Mary said and I picked a small stone and threw it on her smiling having a small pinch of hope.
TBC