I walked down the streets i did’nt want to go home, tears flowed gently from my eyes down to my cheeks. an SUV Jeep passed by my right hand side and reversed back to me, when i looked i saw a young man, he must be in his late 20s .
‘Hey young girl hop in let me give you a ride’ the young man offered. I starred at him for a few seconds and focused on my journey to no where without accepting the offer, he drove off and i continued my journey, another car passed me also almost hitting me, out of fear i jumped into the gutter and my knee got injured by a big stone that was in the gutter i attended to my injured knee.
‘Please give me a recharge card’ i heared the voice from a nearby shop, the voice gained my attention so i quickly gazed at who it was, it was my mom, i crawled gently out of the gutter and i stood up about to take off with full speed, i mistakenly hitted an orange seller and we fell on the floor.
‘Shey you no see road ni?’ the orange hawker shouted and crowed was formed round us every one gazed at us until my mom appeared in front of me, i quickly stood up and i started running and the crowed made a way for me to pass.
‘Abeg make una help me catch that girl na my pikin she run comot from school’ my mom anounced and countless boys chased me. i followed a near by bush and continued running until i came across an uncompleted building and hid there and the boys chasing me entered the builiding, i was hideing in a small room supposed to be a toilet, i covered my mouth to reduce the intesity of my breathing.
‘Abeg make we dey go we no go kill ourself on top another person pikin’ some one said from a very close range and all the boys agreed and they all dimissed the uncompleted builing, i brought out my rosary and did the trinity sign
Night was fast aproaching i searched around the builing and i found three empty sacks of cement i took them and arranged it on the floor and i lied down and slept off. the sun was hot and it waked me, the first person i saw was the young man that offered me a ride the other day i jumped on to my feet.
‘Good mor-mor morning sir’ i stammered
‘Young lady dont tell me you slept here?’ the young man asked but i didnt answered, my vision became blurred and the light went blanked, my eyes forced it self to open and i found my self in a hospital room.
‘What am i doing here’ i asked.
‘Doctor she’s awake’ a nurse anounced happily and a doctor walked in and examined me
‘Sir what am i doing here and who brought me here’ i asked, the doctor and was about to start explaining to me when the young man started explaining but i listend with a deaf ear.
‘Pls whats your name?’ i cutted him short.
‘i’m sam’ the young man answered.
‘pls take me out of here’ i pleaded with mr.sam, he turned to the doctor and the doctor said i’m suitable to leave, the doctor prescribed drugs for me and we vacated the hospital in his SUV Jeep.
‘Where do you live? let me take you home’ Mr.sam asked.
‘Sir please take me to your house, i dont want to go home’ i pleaded with him.
‘oh sorry i forgot whats your name?’ Mr.sam asked.
‘My name is Ann’ i replied. and the ride continued, He didn’t hesitate, he took me to his house and when we knocked a fair lady attended to us and she offered Mr.sam a hug and turned to me.
‘Honey who is this girl?’ The lady asked
‘Oh she’s Ann, she’s going through alot i found her in our new site and she needs to rest, Ann meet my wife jane’ mr.sam concluded.
We entered the house and i was given a homely treat. we sat down on the couch watching a movie until nepa seized power. Mrs. jane quickly brought a topic about me, i discussed with them about my present adversity, what i’m facing they showed sympathy
‘I’m a lawyer and i promise i’ll stand by you. i will sue your step father to court and i’ll make sure he spends his miserable life in jail’ jane assured and i was a little bit releived .
Few days later Mrs jane took me to the hospital and the doctor conducted another test on me and confirmed i didnt have HUN, there after the inspector general of police ordered the arrest of my step father and he was detained in the police cell while the case was in court.
10th of may 2013 the day he was called to court and he was sentenced to ten years in prison for child abuse and rape.
Ever since then my mom loved me the more and she helped me with exercises meant for pregnant women, 6 months later i delivered a baby boy he was a replica of his father. one chill evening when my mom was asleep i took the baby, placed him in a basket and headed for the main road and dumped him there and i returned to the house, on reaching the house was my mom.
“where is your baby?” my mom asked and i began to shiver, she pushed me away and went outside with a torch light and she used a cane and forced me to show her where i kept the baby, i reluctantly took her to the junction where i kept the baby.
“Thats the baby” i stopped and pointed to the basket from a distance. my mom moved closer to the basket and it was empty.
“Where is the baby…?” my mom asked while she was crying helplessly and hitting me with the basket. for once i felt unhappy with my actions but i never liked the baby, a neighbour helped my mom and she blamed me for my actions.
I waked up around 2 am and i went to my mom’s room to find my mom awake.
“Mommy the time is 2:15 am and you’re not asleep whats it?” i asked my mom while moving to her bed and sat down. #
“Why will i sleep when your baby is no where to be found” my mom said with a disapointing face.
Early in the morning when the drizzle rain has calm down i heard a crash that waked me from my dreamless sleep, i hurriedly left for the sitting room and met my mom lifeless lying on the table i grabbed my mom and tears streamed from my eyes.
i looked up to the television and the breaking news stated “Lifeless Baby Found With A Motorist” i left my mom and went close to the television and the camera was on the baby definately the baby was my baby, that was the news my mom saw and died of heart attack, for the first time i felt sorry for all my deeds, a single mistake took the life of my mom and my baby.
Few years later my Step father was released from the prison because there was change in government. I prepared well for his arrival, he was the only family i had and all the hatred i had for him died.
“Knock…. knock.. knock.”
A knock banging at my door i hurriedly left the food i was stiring cause i was anxious of meeting my only relative, i opened the door and my first sight was my step father he had grown beareds.
“Ann Please forgive me, i’m sorry” My step father pleaded while he fell to his knees holding the lower part of my skirt.
“I’ve forgiven you already” i said to him with a smile and helping him get up to his feet.
“Where is your mom and my baby?” My step father questioned.
“Ooops my food is burning” I said wearing a sad face. I went to the kitchen and continued my cooking as the memories of my mom kept on reflecting to me.
“What happened to them?” My step father asked standing at the door linking the kitchen and the sitting room .
I left the kitchen and pushed him away and took a seat in the sitting room
“Please talk to me what happened to them” my step father said and sat behind me. I Narrated the whole tragedy to him and tears fell from his eyes and streaming from my own eyes too, He grabbed my arms and we cried together. Ever since then my step father was caring and loving, he acted the role of not just a father but a mother to me and my life after then was lively.
***THE END***
