Tales of a year: the Lagos dream 4

He was drowning; the water had come in through his nose and was threatening to sabotage his intake of air. His survival instinct propelled him to open his mouth and he did, slowly opening his eyes and panting heavily. He was sitting on the ground held up by someone and surrounded by a crowd of people who were curious to see what would become of him. Cries of thanksgiving rang out as the crowd gradually began to dissipate; the show was over.

Tales of a year: the Lagos dream 3

A slap on the shoulder woke Okekene up from the nightmare he was having, he had dreamt of two giant, rotten tomatoes chasing him as his children laughed hysterically at him.
"Wake up!" one of the women whom he had travelled with yelled at him with disdain. She dragged a basket of tomatoes to herself and placed it on the head of a middle aged woman. Okekene wiped the saliva by the side of his mouth with the back of his hand, got down from the truck and stood unsteadily, sleepy, famished and confused. This was Ibadan, he looked around the market where the truck had stopped. It was unlike any he had seen, it was big and very busy with a lot of buyers and sellers and there was so much food. His stomach growled in protest of the fact that he had not had anything to eat since his last night at home. He sighed at the thought of his wife and children, missing them terribly and wondering how they were faring.

Tales of a year: the Lagos dream 2

Mrs Okekene did not know what to do about her husband. Ever since the harvest celebration it seemed that he had been transported into another realm. All he could talk about when he did talk was Lagos; he suddenly began to complain about the fact that there was no meat in his soup while his younger sister could afford to buy a whole goat. He then stopped going to his farm, claiming that it was telling on his health. At this point she decided to speak up.

Tales of a year: The Lagos dream

There is such a thing as "the Lagos dream". It is the inspiration for my story today, it is the story of Okekene and his wife. Mr and Mrs Okekene got married in mutual consent (there is such a thing as a forced marriage and I will tell that story soon), they were members of one of the serious churches which frowned against forced marriage. Mrs Okekene was an housewife while her husband worked on his inherited piece of land as a farmer. His farm produce catered for the needs of his home and the rest he sold in the town on market days. What they had was just enough for the growing family of four. Mr Okekene and his wife were happy and spent a lot of time laughing under the shade of the mango tree beside their house.

Tales of a year: Elizabeth Part 2

Elizabeth sat on the plastic chair fanning herself, enjoying the cool shade of the mango tree. She sighed in relief, grateful for the miracle that had happened and hopeful for better days. After that night when Victor had beaten her into a coma, her father had had him arrested and jailed until she regained consciousness. As soon as she was well enough, he began the process of divorcing her from her husband because she wasn't brave enough to. After a lot of convincing from her siblings she began to see reason with the move and even started cooperating with the lawyer. Everything changed though when she found out she was pregnant. She began to reconsider her actions, she didn't want to rob her child of the ideal family that she had enjoyed. She decided that she would learn to tame her tongue and seek out business opportunities for her husband.

News of her pregnancy reached the ears of Victor whose ego was suddenly inflated. His manhood had been at stake; he had no job, was financially dependent on his wife, and had beaten his wife into a coma to the disgrace of his family. He decided that this was a second chance for him to prove himself not just to the village but to himself. He consulted with his family members who were at first reluctant to go and appeal to a woman whose father had thrown their son in jail, but eventually got their cooperation. Next he borrowed money from his friend to buy his in-laws gifts of goats, bags of rice, and kegs of palm oil.

Elizabeth’s father was furious that Victor even bothered to show his face. “It will never be well with you, you daft drunk! You dare to show your face?” he thundered. It had taken the pleas of Elizabeth’s brothers to calm him down enough to at least listen to what they had to say.

“Please my father” his mother pleaded, “He made a foolish mistake, that was how his father was. Please give him another chance. Our wife’s pregnancy is a sign that they’re meant to be. Let us not change their destiny.”

Elizabeth then came out and appealed to her father. “Please sir, he loves me and I love him too. I know he has changed.” With a heavy heart, he finally agreed and let her return to Victor and so far he had proved to be a truly changed man. He was home by six-thirty at the latest and ate whatever she served him, he had even told her not to pound anymore now that she was in her third trimester. He had also gotten a job as a clerk in the local government office and was constantly buying her gifts. What else could she ask for?

A car pulled up to her house and she watched in delight as her cousin stepped down from it. She had not seen him since he travelled out of the country five years ago. “Ebenezer! You are now fat o!” she commented as she hugged him. They talked for the next hour catching up on old times and laughing lightheartedly. Victor rode into the compound as Elizabeth rose to introduce her cousin.

“Welcome!” she said warmly.

“Ehn ehn” he said flatly

Ebenezer stared hard at Victor and then decided to leave, he could sense that Victor didn’t welcome his presence. “Sorry about that” she said embarrassed. Victor came out of the house shortly after and rode off into town as she carried his tray of food into the house from her kitchen hut. She set down the tray and wondered what his reaction was all about. Instinct told her there was trouble and that she should run but her heart reminded her of the latest changes. All was well.

Victor came into the house drunk and angry. The woman made a fool of him, he changed and she had made a fool of him bringing home some man with a car. “Welcome” Elizabeth said quietly, having learnt from her previous experience.

“You brought home a man with a car. I said it, I was suspicious that you got pregnant all of a sudden. I should have known that you brought home a bastard child” he said furiously

“That was my cousin, I would never…”

“Liar!” he screamed and slapped her

“Please…please” she begged fearfully, there was hatred in this man’s eyes.

By morning there was a mournful cry, not just for Elizabeth but for the baby boy who had been killed by his own father. 

Tales of a year: Elizabeth 1

Elizabeth sat pensively, looking at the clock every half hour. It was eleven thirty already. What kind of husband was this man? Just when she thought things were alright between them, he would revert to his old ways. She had prayed, she was always dropping a prayer point slip at the church, she had fasted endlessly, calling on the host of heaven to curb her husband's excesses and commanding fire from heaven to consume the enemies that were bent on seeing her marriage fail. Two weeks ago, she had been stunned to discover that she had gonorrhea again. Yesterday she discovered that all her money was gone from under her box where she kept the profits from her trading business, he had come home wearing a new shoe and very drunk. Today the landlord had come threatening to throw out their things if they didn’t pay the rent. Her marriage was really becoming unbearable and worse still, they had no child. She had suffered two miscarriages in the two years of their marriage. There was no child to console her, to distract her from the harsh reality of her marriage.

She heard his bike pull to a stop in front of the house and sat up; she was going to give him a piece of her mind today. What nonsense! She was an educated woman who had been working at the local government office and living large as a spinster in her village. She thought of the rich suitors she had turned down for this nonentity who had no clue what it meant to be a man, let alone a husband.

Victor staggered into the house and headed for the bedroom, it had been a long night of eating, drinking and sex. It was always a good day when the local government chairman was around; the merriment was endless.

“Where are you coming from?” Elizabeth asked irritably and held her breath as he turned towards her. His stench was incredibly nauseating.

“Woman… don’t bother me tonight” he said in a growl. “I am not your younger brother, I can go wherever I want.” he said, turning towards the room and wondering why he had bothered to come home.

“Maybe you should stop acting like my younger brother?” she retorted

“What did you say?” He said quietly, his anger rising

“I said stop acting like my younger brother and be a man!” Elizabeth said rising from her seat, blind with fury. “Your mates are working and doing their best to provide for their families, taking care of their wives. But you are busy drinking, messing around with dirty girls and getting into a lot of debt” she said, her voice rising. “Why can’t you be responsible…?”

The first blow smashed her lips against her open teeth and it immediately started to bleed. The subsequent blows rained down on her, shocking her with pain and paralyzing her with fear. Victor beat her passionately, like an energetic child given the gift of a drum and drumsticks. Each blow made him happier, he was making his own unique music and her screams were to him like a beautiful accompaniment. His happiness grew to passion, and his passion grew to desire. He dragged her on to the floor and exerted the rest of his new found energy on her, oblivious of the fact that she wasn't crying or moving anymore.

Tales of a year: Dinner and a surprise

Kate pounded the foofoo energetically; her husband always wanted it to be stretchy and thick. She stopped to wipe her sweaty face and check on the bitter leaf soup she was cooking in her kitchen hut. She returned to the mortar and picked up her pestle ready to continue with the pounding when she felt the first tightening. Experience had taught her that it was time and it would be quick. She hastened her preparations and promptly served the well pounded foofoo into a stainless steel bowl and covered it.

She let the next contraction pass and removed the firewood from under the simmering pot of soup. Next, she called on her eldest child: "Bring the brown bag in my room quickly!" she urged as she felt the next contraction coming. After it, she picked up her phone to dial her husband's number. It was switched off. Realising she was going to have to do this alone, she called on her eldest again: "Where you dey na?" The child appeared with a cotton brown bag and placed it on the bench beside Kate. "Go and call Joseph, tell am say make him bring him bike" she said hurriedly.

As quickly as she could, she found her way to the village's primary health care center. Joseph her neighbour helped her in, carrying her bag on one hand and holding her arm with the other as he called out to a nurse.
"Please don't shout here! Do you think this is a beer parlour?" she snapped at him
"Sorry..." Joseph said placatingly and lowered his voice. "She's in labour, please call the doctor"
"She don pay her appointment fee?" she asked irritably
"What is that?" he asked confused
"You people are not ready to..." she began angrily
"Abeg Joseph jus give her sometin, she no go gree call doctor for us" Kate said in between sharp breaths, bending over with pain. Joseph didn't understand it but he gave her a hundred naira note.
"Which kain money be dis we you..." The nurse was saying looking disdainfully at the note and holding it out to inspect it.
"Eeewuuuu!..." Kate screamed in pain, "The baby go commot o!" she said anxiously.
Seeing that this was an emergency, the nurse quickly led them to the nearest bed, stuffing the money into her pocket and asking her to spread her legs.
"Eh! I'm coming make I go call matron, doctor no dey!" she said alarmed, hurrying off.

Kate could no longer hold back the urge and she pushed out her baby on the bare mattress while Joseph looked on in  horror. The matron suddenly appeared, chasing Joseph away and picking up the crying infant. She cut off the umbilical cord and handed the baby over to the nurse who had brought out a cloth from Kate's bag to hold it with. The matron instructed Kate to cough hard to expel the placenta.
Kate lay back grateful for a safe delivery as the matron checked to see that the placenta was whole before she remembered.
"Wetin I born abeg?" she asked uncertainly
"Na girl" the matron said without emotion.

Kate got off the bike, thanking Joseph profusely before turning towards her house with her baby on one arm, her bag on her right shoulder and the placenta tied up in a polythene bag in her left hand. Her husband was watching a home video, licking the bitter leaf soup off his hands.
"You don come?" he said looking up at her
"Yes" she said tiredly
"Wetin you born?" he asked holding a bolus of foofoo in his hand
"Na girl" she replied as she sat down.

He shook his head and dipped the foofoo into his bowl of soup.

Tales of a year: Chalkdust

Dear reader, I have begun another series. This however is unlike the previous one (Glimmer) because each post tells a different story about a different character (or characters as the case may be). These stories are inspired by my experiences during my service year in a village in the north central part of Nigeria.

Mr James Obe the principal of the Government Secondary School, Igodo (popularly known as GSS) stepped down from his green golf car onto the red earth. The dry season was his least favourite of all the seasons. He had slept fitfully throughout the hot night, even the cement floor offered no relief. The mosquitoes streaming in from the torn window net into his stuffy bedroom had also tormented him endlessly. The weather only became tolerable around a quarter to six and he had slept peacefully for the next three hours.

He got into his musty office and sat down looking blankly at all the dusty old files and books that surrounded him. The lone trophy that the school had won for the state’s sports competition in 1979, and the three plaques he had received in the eighteen years of his career as a teacher which had been placed on an insect-riddled deteriorating shelve in front of him seemed to ask the question: “what next?” What a life! He had spent three years in this office upon the death of the former principal, and although he had looked forward to occupying this office for fifteen years, he now dreaded coming to it. There was a heavy burden of stagnancy and disillusionment that constantly weighed on his mind, sucking out his zest for life. Each time he came into his office he felt trapped; the brown bat urine stained ceiling on top of him like clouds of impending doom that were gradually gathering. He lifted up his eyes to the framed fading pictures of his predecessors and wondered what hopes and dreams they had had. Suddenly, he saw their mouths begin to call out to him: “James, James, it is time!”

He stared in horror and then promptly reached for his bag, searching for his bottle of gin. Where was the damned bottle? He found it and greedily gulped down its content. He looked back up at the pictures, they were silent. He sighed in relief and laughed maniacally. “You crazy fools! Why are you silent?” he said to them. His eye caught a letter-headed paper he had stuck under a file. He pulled it out and read it, then sat up in a bolt. The Inspection Committee was coming in today! How could he have forgotten? He glanced at his peeling leather watch, (it was half past ten) and walked briskly out of his office towards the block of classrooms.

He walked into the first class where the students were learning English.
“I will now reads the comprehension, listen carefully because I will ask question!” the teacher was telling the students who listened half-heartedly; it was almost time for the short break. They got up when they saw the principal and chorused: “Good morning sir! God bless you sir!”
“Yes, sit down… sit down” Mr Obe said in a slur looking around the classroom. “Who is this fat girl here? Ehn, what is your name?” he said laughingly as he swaggered towards her.
“My name na Martha Inla sir” she said quietly, visibly embarrassed by the principal’s alcohol induced rude behaviour.
He stared at her for a while then said suddenly “Ah! I came here for a reason. Some people are coming here today. They call themselves the Inspection Committee, so boys tuck in your shirts and you girls, tuck in your skirts,…er… shirts… that’s right…yes…” he said waving his cane randomly at the students. “Ok! Carry on Mr Ibu!” he said again and swaggered out of the class whistling the tune of “row, row, row your boat”.

The students burst into laughter, mimicking the principal as the teacher tried in vain to restore order to the class.

Mr Obe walked on towards the block of the senior classes and saw a group of boys playing a game of draught and bobbing their heads to P-Square’s “Do Me" which was playing on one of their China phones.
“Hey you there!… all of you…come back here, come back!” he shouted as the students ran away into their various classrooms and he ran after them. He did not see the big stone ahead of him. He tripped and fell prostrate, his face in the sand. He pulled himself up slowly, spitting out the sand in his mouth and dusting off the ones on his cream shirt, he had bruised his left big toe and it was bleeding.
“Useless children!” he cried, “I will find all of you, bastards!” he cursed as he limped back towards his haunted office.

Glimmer Part 17

This is the last post of Glimmer. I hope you have enjoyed it, please let me know what you think about the series. thanks again for all your comments and shares. Please follow the blog for the latest updates. A new post comes up on Monday!

The doorbell saved Deji from the worst mistake he would have made. They had been peeling off each other’s clothes and kissing passionately when the doorbell rang. Emmanuel had come to inform him that he was going to the next street for about an hour. Blessing had waited for him ready to continue, but his head had cleared and he shamefacedly told her that what they had done was a mistake that couldn’t repeat itself. She had begged him, telling him she needed his comfort to wipe away the trauma of the assault at home but it was too late. “You’re like a younger sister to me” he said and walked up the stairs.

Blessing was furious, no one had ever refused her. Men had always wanted her. It was time for option B.

It was exactly a week after Toke found about her husband and Blessing and today was judgement day for them both. Now Toke had a sweet disposition, she wished no one evil and tried as much as possible to avoid confrontation. However after the last time she found out that Segun cheated on her something within her changed. She stopped loving him and she only stayed in the marriage because of their children. She however remained civil, even courteous to him but devoted her energy towards her children and her career. For Segun to have cheated on her again and with a maid was too much for her to overlook, she became resentful and bitter towards him. Still she didn’t want to leave, she had married him for better or for worse. So she decided she would take away his pride just as he had taken away hers.

Blessing held the powder in her hand and remembered her mother’s instruction. “Pour it into his food and make sure you eat out of it too” she had said pushing the substance into her hand the morning she left for Lagos.

They were all seated in the sitting room reminiscing about the highlights of the party. It had been a good one, the kids had had such a good time.

”Can I have something to drink please?” Toke asked

“Sure. Blessing!” Titi called out

Blessing was angry, she was just about to eat Deji’s leftover.

“Yes ma!” she responded

“Bring a bottle of malt and a bottle of water please”

“Yes ma” she replied

“Thank you” Toke said as Blessing served her. “Oh! Blessing” she called out

“Yes ma” she replied, she wasn’t comfortable around this woman.

“I’m looking for this cufflink” she said bringing out a cufflink from her purse and holding it up to her. Dr Famakinwa almost choked on his water. What was Titi doing? This was his cufflink; he had been looking for it.

Blessing was confused, “I don’t know where it is ma” she replied. She hadn’t seen it before.

“Oh c’mon check your room; it must be under your bed, your pillow or within your sheets” she said smiling; this was more fun than she imagined.

Everyone else was confused. The Sowunmi’s a dear family friend to the Cokers and the Famakinwas , were embarrassed. Was Toke drunk? “What are you talking about Toke?” Titi asked. ”Isn’t that the cufflink we found in the kitchen? How could Blessing possibly know where it is? She doesn’t steal.” Titi said annoyed.

“Yeah, maybe not your money but she stole my man!”

“Titi we need to leave” Dr Famakinwa said rising.

“Sit down!” Titi ordered

Deji and Cynthia were at the dining, he saw where this was going and he believed it, he knew there was something odd about Dr Famakinwa’s visit the other day.

“Ask her what she was doing on the day you went for that burial and Emmanuel got into trouble with you,” she said to Bode. “Have you ever wondered why she didn’t open the gate?”

Bode knew something was off about Blessing but Segun would never stoop so low to sleep with his wife’s maid. Or would he?

“She was sick. She was asleep when we got home; she even went to the hospital. Didn’t she come to your office?” Titi said. This whole accusation sounded so preposterous to Titi and she pitied Blessing who by now was visibly stricken with fear.

”Segun left his office around ten that day, that’s what his secretary told me. And he didn’t come home until around a quarter to twelve. He was here, I assume stuck in Blessing’s room. Emmanuel told me that Blessing took out the trash around eleven at night. Does that even make sense to you? And on top of that I fund this cufflink in your kitchen where again I assume he must have dropped it.” She faced Segun, “Deny it” she dared him.

Dr Famakinwa’s head was bowed. He was humiliated, Toke had done the unthinkable, he never should have underestimated her. “It was the work of the devil,” he said remorsefully. “It happened only once. In fact I’m sure she charmed me because I never could have done it in my right mind”

This last statement snapped Blessing out of her shock of the unexpected turn of events. She should never have had Dr Famakinwa over that day, she should never have slept with Lasun who put her in a vulnerable situation with Dr Famakinwa, she should have listened to Mr Dike.

“It didn't happen just once." She said defeated.

"Shut up!" Dr Famakinwa said

"Aunty do you remember that condom incident? It was mine, his actually. He gave it to me, that was the first time"

"What? All this time?" Titi said unbelieving. “I thought you said it belonged to Deji" Titi said to Bode.

"Yes, I just assumed it was his. He used to have a girl over when he was here the last time, and you did tell me she was a virgin" Bode said in his defense.

"When we went for those tests he told me I had an STI, l had to sleep with him so that you wouldn't send me back. We are poor and everyone at home was counting on me." She said crying gently "I just want a better life!"

Blessing packed her bags and headed down towards the stairs the next morning. She thought about the many things she could have done right, her scheming had only ruined her chances of the better life that she so dearly wanted.

“Here take this,” Bode said giving her an envelope. Blessing looked at the cheque of fifty thousand naira and thanked her boss. How could he do this for her after all she had done? Titi looked on, angry yet sad at such a waste. She had planned to send her to school or help her learn a trade. Blessing had been such a help, but she had broken her trust.

Blessing walked on out of the Cokers, sad that the glimmer of hope that had come her way was lost. Mr Dike’s words resounded in her ears:

 “My daughter it is never too late to begin again”

Glimmer Part 16

Dear reader, I hope you have enjoyed the series so far. Glimmer ends tomorrow. I appreciate all the comments, shares and suggestions. Please follow the blog because there's more to come. Also, you can post your comments easily now, I've worked on the settings. Enjoy this episode!

Blessing was glad to be finally back in Lagos and away from the incident with Lasun; she had been unable to return the day before because of some family matters following the burial. She knocked on the gate and Emmanuel opened it greeting her warmly. He was genuinely glad to see her back for even though she had refused his proposal and he had moved on with Kemi, a part of him still hoped that she would reconsider. He watched her walk to the door; she seemed to have lost some weight.

Blessing knocked on the door. She knew the family would be at church but Aunty had said that Deji would be home. She was anxious to see him even though she had felt neglected by him in the past two weeks. A fair lady opened the door “Good afternoon?” she said

Blessing didn’t know who this was but she had a bad feeling about her. “Good afternoon, I’m Blessing the…”

“Maid?” the lady interrupted her, “You’re the maid?” when Titi told her in the morning that the maid would be returning, by default she had expected a scruffy timid looking girl. This one looked like her sophisticated younger sister.

“Come in” she said at last

Blessing walked into the sitting room and saw Deji sitting on the couch, with his legs outstretched. He had placed the remote on his bare chest and she thought he had never looked so handsome. He turned towards her surprised.

“Baby, you didn’t tell me your maid was so pretty,” Cynthia said smiling. “Sorry I forgot to tell you that she was coming today, Aunty told me to tell you before she left.” she said placing her head on his laps.

“Good afternoon Brother Deji” Blessing said numbly

“Yeah, afternoon Blessing” he replied weakly and watched her go upstairs, telling himself that he owed her no explanation.

Blessing had come back with a plan but it had crumbled within the first ten minutes of her arrival. Who was that girl? She couldn’t believe how condescendingly Deji had greeted her. Though her mother had told her she should concentrate her efforts towards getting Bode Coker, she had decided that she would rather be with Deji and when things got better she would prove to her mother that she was right after all. Now, she decided she had no choice but to turn on her charm towards Deji, she had wanted to love him genuinely but he had changed the rules of the game with this girl. What he didn’t know was that the difference between her and the other girl was life and the lessons one learnt from it. The other girl lacked the determination to succeed at all costs; it was a game of the survival of the fittest or in this case the smartest.

She lay on her bed contemplating what plans to execute when she heard her name being called. “Blessing, Blessing!”

The girl was calling her. Her hate for her would fuel her plans and she would show no mercy.

She went downstairs to the sitting room where Cynthia was now sitting in between Deji’s legs.

“Hello! Please make some rice, I’m sure they would soon be back from church and we are hungry” she said

“Yes ma” she responded coolly

“Oh! And please cut up the watermelon in the fridge. Baby do you need anything?” she asked Deji with a warm smile

“No” he said to Blessing, barely looking at her

“Okay, please make it quick. I’m staaaaarving!” Cynthia said putting her arms behind Deji’s neck, stretching her lithe body and turning her attention back to the TV. She didn’t see the look of betrayal that Blessing gave Deji who could only plead with his eyes.

She was eating her own rice in her room after cleaning up the whole house, Aunty had definitely missed her; the house was dirty. She relished the taste of the stew and bit into the juicy chicken greedily; she had taken a chicken thigh and breast and smuggled up a FiveAlive. Life was really good with the Cokers! She hadn’t even called her mother, that could wait. What was that? Was that moaning? The chicken suddenly had no taste in her mouth. Deji and his dumb girlfriend were having sex two rooms away and he couldn’t do her the courtesy of quieting his clueless girlfriend. Her moans filled the hallway so much that she had to go back downstairs to the kitchen to finish her meal; at least the chicken and the juice. This was a nightmare!

Deji held Cynthia in his arms, they were both sated. He had heard the door to Blessing’s room open and close. That was too bad. He could only enjoy this time with Cynthia when his brother and his wife were not home, they would never allow it because of the children. He had had to travel the next morning, the day after Blessing had asked him for some money for her grandmother because Cynthia his ex had called him to say her father was involved in a serious accident. He had been with her for three days and then brought her back (with his brother’s permission) upon her mother’s advice because she was extremely close to her father and a change of environment would keep her from being depressed.

The time away with Cynthia had helped him assess the situation between him and Blessing. She was a teenager and he had no business trying to start something with someone who had no idea where her life was headed, who was little more than a child. Besides she had been through a lot and she needed to refocus on building her life and he didn’t want to complicate that. Lastly, she was the maid. So, he decided on rebuilding his own relationship with Cynthia whom he hadn’t treated very well the last time. He didn’t owe Blessing anything, after all he hadn’t even asked her out or slept with her. He would be Blessing’s friend, her older brother. In fact, he had planned on encouraging her to further her studies. He could tell that she felt betrayed but he thought she’d get over him and probably thank him for doing the mature thing later. He kissed Cynthia on the forehead and fell asleep.

The next morning it was raining heavily and it was very windy. Cynthia and the rest of the family had gone to work or school, Deji was in his room preparing for an interview the next day and Blessing was in the kitchen cleaning up after the breakfast preparations. The windows and doors were slamming, terrifying Blessing who was reminded of the incident back at home. Each slam brought back the memory of Lasun’s friend creeping out of the door and their wicked laughter. She hurried up with the dishes, anxious to go up to her room and huddle under the covers. Deji came into the kitchen and put a cup in the sink.

“Here” he said

“Thank you” she replied

Suddenly the kitchen door which Deji had just opened slammed. Blessing jumped in terror and broke a plate in the process.

“What is it?” Deji asked concerned “Are you scared of the rain?”

“No,” she replied “Sorry” she said as she gathered the broken pieces of the plate with shaky hands.

“Blessing” Deji said softly touching her arms

“Leave me alone!” she screamed yanking out her arms from his grip. Deji stared at her in surprise. What was going on?

“Sorry sir, I’m so sorry” she pleaded anxiously

“What is wrong with you?” Deji asked now concerned that Blessing was traumatized. “I’ve never seen you like this before” he said

In a split second Blessing saw her chance and she broke down in tears. “Something happened” she said crying heavily, summoning the feelings of pain, fear and humiliation she had suppressed. She told Deji everything, at least her version of the truth.

Deji held her and comforted her. Rape was a horrible thing, it had happened to one of his friends and he had seen the way it affected her. “You’re alright now” he said stroking her back. Blessing melted into him, crying pitifully until Deji caught up in the emotion of the moment started to kiss her.

It was all the spark that Blessing needed to start the biggest fire she could.