The story centers around a dark skinned female citizen of Nigeria sometime in the 90's till now. How she was brought up and trained to be a submissive wife and a domestic help to her husband. She was told she couldn't go to school because school was meant for the male child, because they are the head of the house, so they can rule the home. Something happened to her that changed her whole life. All her life she has tried to prove to everyone that she was valid and she was human like the male child. Will the incident make her or mar her?
Chapter One
CHILDHOOD
All my life I’ve been treated to accept whatever is served to me, been treated like an animal, ended up in places where I don’t know, ended up with people I don’t know, trauma from different experiences. I had a very rough life. I lived with both Nigerian Parents and two younger brothers. I was the only female child and I was the one that did all the domestic chores. My brothers were told to go to school while I sit back and fetch firewood, clean the house and wash their clothes.
I begged my parents to let me go to school, they refused, they told me Education is for the male child and Home making is for the female child. Time and time again I was bullied, time and time again my rights were trampled upon. I was always taken advantage of because of my gender. I’m not allowed to do this , I’m not allowed to do that, I’m supposed to know how to do this and how to do that. Never have I ever stood up to my parents, especially my father. He was a dictator in that house. He didn’t Cherish female children at all, he only pampered his son’s and left me to my mother to take care of.
My mum tried her best but each time she brought out a suggestion my father would tell her “I’m the head of this house, you can’t tell me what to do.” And my mum would quietly back out. It got to a point where I was sure that being my father’s daughter was a sin. I was disgraced In a way I would have never expected. My brothers were having a discussion, and I wanted to make a suggestion and my father shunned me by telling me “How dare you interrupt a conversation by two men, you are not worthy of such honor.” I cried myself to sleep that night. It was a night I’ll never forget.
As usual, I went to get firewood, and before I came back, my father had packed all my load out awaiting my return. I came back, saw my mum about to cry, Saw my dad and a council of elders with a man in traditional outfit along with his entourage. I was shocked for a second. Before I was able to gather words My father said to me, “Meet your new Husband.” Like I didn’t hear my father, I asked him to repeat the statement and he almost slapped me, if not that I dodged it. My father has already married me off without my knowledge. I asked my mum about it, she didn’t even know until the time she sent me to go and get firewood. It was my dad that ordered her to send me out after telling her his plan, so he will have his way with my luggage.
Before The Lord and Man, My father didn’t know this Man from Adam. The so-called husband just came to my father one day and told him he wants me as his wife. He paid my bride price and other rites and dowries, and told my father that his next return would be to take his new wife home. I was just 15 when he married me off. My father just handed me over to him without hesitation. All it took was to come and request for my hand in marriage, pay the bride price and dowries, show up and pick me up. And Just Like that, I stepped foot out of my father’s house.
Chapter Two
FAR AWAY FROM HOME
My thoughts circled around “How am I going to cope when I'm just 15?” Well it gets worse. The Person that was my supposed husband was a trafficker from Cotonou. He didn’t Marry me off, instead he trafficked me from my Parents all the way down to Cotonou, along with some of his other victims. Before the journey, the man kept me for about 1 week. He mistreated me and malnourished me. I hated my life at that point. I questioned God why he made my life a living hell because it was becoming unbearable.
I was almost raped by this man and a few of other men but the Lord gave me strength to continue the hustle. I remember the tattoos and scars at the back of those men. Our first attempt didn’t work because their boss, who was the husband, wasn't around. We saw an opportunity and we took it. The sound of my clothes tearing as they rip it off me like maniacs. The voice that kept telling me “Open your legs it wouldn’t hurt if you don’t struggle, just open your legs.” It hurt me more than I could imagine. I wasn’t pained by just the forceful sex, I was hurt that I allowed myself to be taken advantage of because I gave up.
I remember vividly, they were all men, two held my hands two held my legs to open them for the one that raped me. I realized that was all I could do at that point, there was no way I could over power 5 men on my own. I just gave up and let them have my way. I screamed and screamed but who was going to hear my voice in the middle of the waters? Who was going to come for me in the middle of the ocean to save me? That’s right, nobody. I had nobody. I was all alone in the hands of the devil and all I could do was play along.
Days passed and I was still struggling to walk properly. I suffered a very terrible trauma from the incident. I couldn’t talk for days, my voice was cracked, I couldn’t eat for days. Some of my co-victims laughed at me, some sympathized with me, some didn’t even care, they just wanted to escape before it got to their turn. I was frightened by the scared faces I saw. The innocent children taken away from their parents under false pretense all for the sake of money.
When I recovered I tried as much as possible to stay on my own and mind my business, for my safety. I was tired of everything to the point where I felt death was a far better option. But because the Lord still had purpose for me, I believe, he didn’t let me die. I tried so many ways to die, it didn’t work. I just became more insecure, angry and violent over time, but at the same time I became gentle and observant. The side you see. Depends on the situation you meet me in. But I became strong again and started planning my escape
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