Dear Maju; Zoe story

      "Not again, why should NEPA take light whenever rain wants to fall?". It was 10pm that Friday night and I was coming home due to the heavy Lagos traffic, my boss had me working till 7pm and there was I trekking down my muddy Estate road since there was no bike to take me to my house.
   I decided to take a short route my younger brother showed me which happens to be a busy path but what can a tired girl do?.
         Let me introduce myself, My name is Zoe. I am an eighteen year old undergraduate of Electrical engineering and am presently undergoing my industrial training. I live with my mother and two younger ones who happens to be twins , my dad left us when mom gave birth to the twins,  It's still a nightmare. I am a first class 400level student.
      Back to the story, I felt relieved that I was nearly home as walking through that path was scary as hell. Everything was normal until I heard "shh fine girl, omo re bi custard, sexy!" as usual from the touts who were always smoking in that uncompleted building near my street. Knowing anything could happen at that time, I started walking fast as running could cause unwanted attention from them. I was still walking fast when I saw five men running after me and I began to run, my legs couldn't take me fast and one of them dragged me to his alcohol smelling body. I started defending myself but they overpowered me and one by one they began raping me. The last man was on me when darkness began to overshadow my senses and I heard the faint ringing of my phone.
    I woke up on a hospital bed, my mom said I was found the next morning by some children going for WASSCE tutorials. The men who did it were not found but the police were working on it . After two weeks, I was discharged from the hospital.
    Now am healing though I am visiting a psychologist who is helping me overcome the tragedy yet am still scared to go out of my house as I receive stares of pity, scorn and other emotions I can't figure out. Last week, I heard a woman warning her daughter to abstain from having boyfriend except if she wants her case to be like mine.
  Now, I feel like am in another world, walking through a busy path as if it were lonely. I still get episodes of nightmares and I just can't seem to see my old self anymore. All I wanted was to be my mother's joy and pride but now I feel like her disappointment and sadness. I feel dirty and nothing can be done to wash me.
Please stop rape!!!!!

Zoe

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