DEFILED - A STORY
The moment the holiday was over, it had dawned on me that I have to get back to school. The stress of having to attend classes throughout the day, the night classes, the practical, and everything wearies me. I would think of the food I enjoy at home and would not want to resume school. Urrrh! I should be leaving for school first thing tomorrow morning to start life from where I left it. The holiday is over, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Somehow, I did not feel like going back to school. Apart from the stress of classes, I had a negative feeling about school. I felt resumption should be postponed, at least for my sake. Well, it is normal to have negative emotions so it was easy to shrug my bad feelings off. My bags are packed, and mum (as usual) had filled it with lots of foodstuffs. I would not need to go to the market until after some weeks because everything I would need was packed.
Dad and mum had taken me to the park and waited until the bus left. Mum cried as she waved at me, but dad did not. He held his wife and consoled her. 'Your daughter is not dead. She is only going to school'. These words would not comfort her as tears flowed freely from her eyes. It was her habit to cry whenever she sees me off at the park. Well, I do not blame her. If I had just one child, I would do the same.
I arrive at the school hostel at about 4:30 pm, and I do not rest because the room is dusty, and my roommates have not returned. I keep my bags outside, fetch water, and start dusting and cleaning the room. Its been three months of long vacation so you can understand how dusty the room can be. I wait till about 7 pm, and I conclude that Felicia and Adaku would not come back today. I detest having the place all to myself, but what can I do? I'll have to sleep alone tonight, and if they don't come back to school tomorrow, I will sleep at a friend's place.
I'm worn out from the day's stress, so I hurriedly take my bath and go to bed. I doze off almost immediately, and I can guess I was snoring. Just by midnight, I hear a knock on the door, and I wasn't sure if it was in my dreams or reality. I hesitate a while then the knock comes out louder. I wake up to realize that robbers are attacking the hostel. 'What do these guys want from students?'. The knock becomes louder, and I hurriedly look for my clothes in the dark to put them on. I had not finished wearing my clothes when the door was tugged open, and to my amazement, four masked men walked in.
Confused, I began to cry and beg at the same time. I searched the room for every valuable I can lay my hands on – my phone, laptop, ATM, and cash. I even offered my foodstuffs, but I got a slap from one of the men who thought that was an insult. I start shivering as one of the men approaches me fiercely and says, 'commot your cloth.' My hands didn't move. I stayed mute. But the man came closer and yanked the half-worn gown off my body and starts to fiddle with my breast. I had never had someone touch my privates except when mum bathed me as a child. I was a virgin. I belonged to sexual purity until the marriage school of thought.
How was I going to explain to everyone that I was deflowered, not by my husband but a total stranger? People would blame me for everything. As I scream, tears rolled down my eyes. It was a painful experience. I could feel my blood flow from the bed to the floor. The man was satisfied and had beckoned on his colleagues to continue.
I would kill myself after this experience, I had said. Who bears such pains and continue to live?
I lay down on the bed, crying until I hear a fierce tap on my shoulders. It was my mum. Guess what? I was dreaming! I was right, resuming school today is not a good idea. I'll probably return to school next week.