Jennifer sat still at a corner in
the sitting room. Her younger ones played around while her mother came from
time to time to urge them to lower their voice. Jennifer was just 8 years old.
“Jeni come
and fold this thing for me,” Michael, the smallest child said to her.
Jennifer
did not answer him. She seemed to be lost in thought. She just stared aloof.
Michael came and touched her. She looked at him and looked away.
“Every time
you will not help somebody,” Michael said and went back to play.
After
a while, there was a knock on the door. The children kept quiet. Their mother
came out from the kitchen where she was and asked who was knocking.
“Nke m open
the door,” they heard their father say.
“Daddy oyoyo, daddy oyoyo” filled
the air as the children waited anxiously for their mother to open the door for
her husband to come in. when he came in, the children jumped on him, asking him
what he brought for them. He gave then the biscuits he bought for them and they
thanked him. Jennifer was the last to drag herself and hug her father.
“Are you
okay?” he asked her when he noticed she was behaving abnormally.
Jennifer
nodded her head without saying a word.
“Nke m what
is wrong with Jeni?” he asked his wife.
“I have not
noticed anything wrong with her.” She replied. “She has been with Michael and
the twins since, watching TV and playing.”
She
touched Jennifer’s body to check if she was running temperature but she
appeared normal.
“Did you
wound yourself?”
Jennifer shook her head
“Then why
are you quiet?” her father asked worried.
“Nothing,”
she said.
Her mother turned her around and examined
whether she had any injury anywhere but there was none she could see.
“Is it
because of the shoe you asked me to buy for you?”
“No.”
“Are you
hungry?”
She
shook her head.
The
other children stood for a while watching. When they could not make out what
was going on, they went, sat on the floor and started eating their biscuits.
“Honey let
me handle this.” Mama Jennifer said to her husband. “Drop your bag in the
room.”
“This is
strange o. Why will Jeni not tell us what is wrong?”
He
looked at his daughter for a while and went into his room. Mama Jennifer sat on
the couch and brought Jennifer and sat her on her lap. When Jennifer sat, she
turned her face and writhed her face in pain but her mother did not notice it.
“Jeni m,
tell me what the problem is.”
Jennifer
kept quiet.
“Did anyone
beat you?”
She
shook her head.
“Then what
is wrong?”
Jennifer
kept quiet. Her mother tried for a while to get her to say something but she
did not.
“Nkem the
food on the fire is burning,” she heard her husband say from the room.
Jennifer’s
mother quickly lifted her and sat her on the couch and rushed to the kitchen.
Jennifer writhed in pain again but her mother did not see. Her parents met in
the kitchen and discussed what the problem could be.
“Where you
able to find out what the problem is with Jennifer?” her father asked her
mother.
“No. she
refused to tell me.”
“She has
not done like this before.”
“I am
worried about her.”
“Do you
have drugs in your first aid kit?”
“Let me
check.”
She
went to the room and checked while her husband turned the soup in the pot. She
came back and told him that everything was intact.
“Just
incase she develops symptoms in the night.”
He
went to the palour and sat down.
“Come sit
with me,” he told Jennifer.
She
got up, went closer to him and sat down. She rested her head on his laps as he
flipped through the channels in the TV. He put a football station.
“Daddy we
want cartoon,” the twins told him.
“Not now,” he said.
“See
people’s daddy running round and round,” Michael said. “What are they pursuing
inside the TV?”
“Football.”
“Then why
are they pushing each other?”
“When you
grow up you will know.”
They
kept quiet and ate their biscuits.
“Food is
ready,” their mother announced as she entered the parlour.
“Have the
children had their bath?” her husband asked her.
“Not yet.”
“Mummy we
want to eat first,” one of the twins said.
“You will
bath first,” she replied. “Remove your clothes and come.”
They
all got up and started removing their cloths but Jennifer still lay on her
father’s laps.
“Ada, you
don’t want to bath?” her mother asked her.
She
shook her head.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
“Bath the
others first,” her husband told her. “You can bath Jeni later.”
“OK.”
She
took the twins and Michael to the bathroom and began bathing them one after the
other. When she was done with bathing and dressing them, she brought them out
to the parlour.
“Jennifer
oya come,” she said.
“No.”
“Do you
want me to bath you?” her father asked her.
She
shook her head.
“Let mummy
bath you.”
“No.”
“Should I
bath you myself?”
“No.”
Her
mother came to her and lifted her. She struggled a bit.
“What is
the meaning of this one?”
“Jeni go
and bath,” her father told her. “Then you come.”
Her
mother dragged her to bathroom and undressed her. Jennifer cried as she was
being dragged. In the bathroom her mother removed her pant and she shouted. Her
mother was shocked at what she noticed on her pant. She saw dark spots. On a
close look, she noticed it was blood. By then she was breathing fast. She
touched Jennifer’s private part and Jennifer shouted.
“Ukpabi
eee,” she shouted and carried both hands on her head.
Jennifer’s
father rushed into the bathroom.
“What is
it?” he asked.
His
wife gave him Jennifer’s pant.
“What is
the meaning of this?”
She
pointed at Jennifer’s private part.
“Nke m what
are you trying to say?” he asked impatiently. “Stop using sign language.”
“Someone
abused Ada.”
He
dropped the pant and his eyes bulged in anger.
“How sure
are you?” he asked.
“I am a
mother. I know when such things happen.”
“Clean her
up and bring her out quickly. She will tell us who did it.”
He
fumed and went into his room. Jennifer’s mother bathed her as quickly as she
could. Anytime she touched Jennifer’s private part, she would writhe in pain.
“Who
touched you?” she asked Jennifer as she cleaned her body.
Jennifer
just whimpered and didn’t say a word. Her mother carried her to the children’s
room to dress her up. Her father stormed in, dressed in a jean trouser and a
tight fitted t-shirt.
“Who did
this to you?” he roared.
Jennifer
kept quiet. He advanced menacingly and Jennifer hid behind her mother who stood
in the way.
“Take it
easy,” she begged her husband.
“How will I
take it easy? Someone had the guts to abuse my daughter.”
He
turned to Jennifer and asked her again. She did not talk. He stormed out.
“You better
start talking now.” Her mother told her.
She
just continued whimpering. Her father stormed in again with a cane in his hand.
“Will you
talk now or should I flog you on top?”
Her
mother wanted to stand in between and he shoved her aside and went closer to
Jennifer. Jennifer shouted in fear.
“Tell me
now,” he said as he reached out to hold her.
“It is
uncle Bassey,” Jennifer blurted out and burst into tears.
There
was momentary silence.
“Which
bassey?” he asked her.
“Your
teacher?” her mother asked.
“Yes,”
Jennifer replied.
“The one
that lives down the road?”
“Yes.”
“When did
this happen?”
“After
school today. He told me he wanted to show me something and took me to a room
when all the others had left the class. Then he…then he…”
“then he
what?”
“He put his
ntanta inside my pant.”
“Kai!” her
father shouted. “Bassey Bassey. You will meet your ancestors today.”
He
rushed into the kitchen and got a machete and rushed out of the house.
Jennifer’s mother hugged her and told her all will be well. Michael and the
twins came into the room.
“Jeni who
beat you?” one of the twins asked.
“Is it
daddy?” the other twin asked.
No
one replied them. After a while, they heard heavy knock on the door. They were
quiet. Then they heard the banging.
“Stay here
let me see who it is,” their mother said to them and left.
She
saw the door was ajar and met a neighbor almost inside the parlour.
“What is
happening? Where is your husband going with a machete?”
“What!”
Mama Jennifer shouted. “Which side did he go?”
“He just
ran out of the compound.”
“Bassey o.”
“Who is Bassey?
What did he do?”
“He is
Jenifer’s school teacher. He abused her.”
“Ewooo!
That means your husband is going to kill him now.”
“I need to
run after him.”
“Who will
take care of the kids?”
She
went in and brought the children out and left them in the care of a woman,
their neighbor. By then the whole yard had gotten wind that something was going
on.
When
Jennifer’s father rushed out of the compound with a machete, his male friends
and neighbours rushed after him asking him what happened. Soon, it was a group of
men rushing down the street. Everyone took notice. Some looked out of their
windows at the drama that was unfolding.
When
Jennifer’s dad got to Bassey’s compound, he saw Bassey chatting and laughing
with some friends. Immediately he saw Bassey, he charged with the machete
raised. Bassey saw him and took to his heels. His friends ran with him.
“You
Idiot,” Jennifer’s father shouted as he pursued Bassey. “You raped my
daughter.”
All
the people there shouted in shock. Many of the men who were holding Jennifer’s
father let go of him when they heard what he said. Few held him begging him not
to kill anybody, that they would resolve the matter amicably.
Bassey
ran into his house and locked the door. His friends jumped the fence into the
next compound. Jennifer’s father hit the door with the machete but just left
marks on it.
“If I don’t
kill you today, know it is not me.”
He
was red with anger.
“Just alert
the police,” Mr Martin, one of Jennifer’s father’s friends and neighbours said
to him.
“I left my
phone in the house.”
Another
man brought out his phone and called the police commissioner in the state who
promised to dispatch force men to the scene.
“When and
how did this happen?” another man asked him.
“This
afternoon after school.”
“How is she?”
“She is
traumatized.”
“When will
people stop abusing innocent children?” a woman said, clicked her fingers and
shrug her shoulder.
The
men stood in groups discussing what had happened while the women stood in
another group. Jennifer’s mother soon joined them and emotionally told them
what had happened.
“You need
to take her to a clinic,” someone suggested.
“That is
after the idiot is in jail,” Jennifer’s father said. “If I don’t kill him
myself.”
"No. Immediately. Do you know if he left any rubbish deposit inside her?"
"No. Immediately. Do you know if he left any rubbish deposit inside her?"
They
heard police siren and two hilux jeeps landed. Police men alighted and came
into the compound. The man in charge asked to know what was going on. They
pointed him to Jennifer’s father, who told them what had happened.
“Where is
the criminal?” the police man asked.
“He locked
himself inside.”
He
gave signs to two of his men who broke the door open and went inside. They soon
came out with Bassey. Jennifer’s father lifted the machete again but a police
man collected it from him.
“If you
kill him, it is you we will arrest,” the police man in charge told him.
The
people booed Bassey as he was taken to the hilux. Those whose hand could reach
Bassey donated beating.
“Who is
going with us?” the police man in charge said as they handcuffed Bassey to the
back of the hilux.
“I am going
to make a statement,” Jennifer’s father said.
Some
other men also agreed to follow him.
“Let me
bring my car,” Jennifer’s father said.
“No.” Mr
Martin said. “You are not in the right frame of mind to drive now. Let us go
with mine. It is parked very close.”
Jennifer’s
father went to his wife and told her to take Jennifer to the clinic close to
them so they will check her medically and treat her.
“When will
you come back?” she asked him.
“When I get
to the root of this.”
Mr
Martin drove his car close, Jennifer’s father entered with some of his friends
who volunteered to go with him. They drove off after the hilux. Then Mama
Jennifer went back to the house with some close friends and they took Jennifer
to a clinic. The rest of the people dispersed with a dramatic story to tell the
rest of the week…….
-Chinedu Isaac
No part of this publication should be used in any form without the permission of the writer or the WTI team.
The uncle next door. ©2015. Chinedu Isaac. WritingsThatInspire
photo credit: google images
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These things happen everyday under our noses. Things parents and guardians should learn from this story are:
These things happen everyday under our noses. Things parents and guardians should learn from this story are:
- · Be careful who you leave your children/wards with.
- · Be careful who they call ‘uncle’ and ‘aunty’.
- · Try and know all the people they relate with
- · Make sure you are observant to pick up early warning signs.
- · Just in case it has happened, handle the situation with care. It is a fragile matter, especially as regards the victim of the abuse.
Things children should learn:
- · Be careful who you call uncle and aunty.
- · Don’t stay in secret places
- · When an 'uncle' or 'aunty' touches you in a way you don’t like, stop him or her.
- · Always tell your parents whatever is going on.
- · If it has happened to you already, talk to someone about it and then let it go. [The best person you can tell your problem is JESUS. He has the power to heal you of the pain and wipe away the hurt of the memory.]
SAY NO TO ABUSE!
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