EPISODE 2:
UNSEEN TRAPS
I was living with my aunty and her husband in their luxurious mansion, a grand duplex with no tenants, just the three of us.
The house was stunning, its vibrant colors complementing the white gate that swung open with a remote control.
We had a few workers, including Adamu, the gateman from Adamawa. He was so deeply Hausa that he didn’t understand a single word of English.
Then there was Naomi, a girl from Cotonou, fluent in French but unable to speak English.
Lastly, we had an elderly Igbo woman who spoke impeccable Igbo with only a little Pidgin English.
I started in JSS3 at a private school, where I met Toyin. From the very first day, we clicked, it was an instant connection. She approached me first, introducing herself, and I responded, “I’m Fola.”
Our conversation flowed effortlessly since we were both Yoruba girls. Toyin was cool, calm, and funny. She had a moderate height, a slim frame, and a fair complexion, not too dark, not too light.
Academically, she was bright, though not the best in class. She often helped me with challenging subjects like Mathematics and English.
From JSS3 to SS2, we were inseparable. We sat together during tests, and honestly, I copied from her sometimes. We roamed the school, laughed, played, and shared countless inside jokes.
Life at home was just as smooth. My aunty and her husband took great care of me, I ate whatever I wanted, wore whatever I liked, and lived in absolute comfort. But little did I know, I was like a nursing chicken, oblivious to the storm about to hatch.
Time flew, and I found myself in SS2, studying Arts. Toyin was also in the same department, now one of our best students. Everything seemed normal until one morning in third term.
We had just resumed from the second-term holiday when I woke up feeling an unusual itch down there. I brushed it off, thinking it was nothing serious. But three weeks later, my world turned upside down, I found out I was pregnant.
Pregnant?! How?! I was just a 16-year-old virgin! How on earth could this even be possible?!
To be continued
When I was under ten, two brothers; our family friends kept sexually abusing me. I tried to tell someone, but instead of being protected, I was blamed for “playing with boys.” I was just a small, innocent girl that they took advantage of. One was older, the other was younger, but both cruel. They would hold me down, cover my mouth, and take turns with me. I felt helpless, dirty, and ashamed. Things only changed when my family relocated. I thought I was finally safe but little did I know that I was wrong. Another so-called family friend, a man over twenty years older than me, began calling me to “help his wife.” What I didn’t know was that his wife was never home. And just like that, one day he locked the door, dragged me, and violated me. I begged him to stop, told him I was a virgin, but he only laughed and tore my clothes. Afterward, he threatened to kill me if I ever tell my parents about it. I ran home, broken, and cried until I could cry no more. I cursed him with every bre...
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