Late Eighteen

11| Chapter eleven

I found myself slipping away, the pain was just too much. Would I even have the chance to birth a child again? They might have destroyed my womb!

I couldn't take this, I just have to close my eyes.

"Ruth!" I heard someone's voice.

Justin's voice. The cute bartender I had talked to earlier today.

Someone grabbed my hand. "Ruth!"

I closed my eyes and suddenly, everything went blank.

"Ruth, wake up!" Someone shook me awake, but I was still so lost in my dream. Or nightmare sef.

Those eyes, I would never forget them. They were so lethal, so strong, no pity in them.

"Ruth!" Another person shook my shoulder.

And their hands. They were so rough I could feel myself split into two.

"Ruth!" The last person called and I jerked awake.

I looked around, scared that I was in their hands again.

"Thank God!" I heard Zoe's voice sigh in relief.

My family, they were all there; my mum, my dad, Zoe and Zion. They twins must have gone to call them because I knew their bedroom was at the other and they couldn't have heard my scream in their sleep.

"You were screaming in your sleep." Mum pointed out, pulling me into her arms.

Did I really scream that loud?

"And you were thrashing about too," Zoe paused, tears running down her eyes. "I was so scared. We were so scared."

I couldn't help but to look down. I hate feeling this this, like I'm some charity case or a fragile glass that needs extra care.

"I'm sorry." I muttered softly, my head still bent downwards.

Mum sighed.

Then all of a sudden, she broke down, an heavy sob escaping her. Zion and Zoe too broke down in tears. The only person not crying was Dad, I guess he was just trying to be strong for his family as a man.

"I have been a bad mother to you," She paused, sniffling loudly. "To all of you."

"Rachel!" Dad scolded.

"What? Leave me let me voice my pain." Mum shouted.

I kept quiet, I wasn't even in the best of mind to say anything. I was surprised at what she said, but sad that she was feeling unhappy because of that also, but a part of me didn't care.

The devil part of me felt like she should suffer and go through what she had made me pass through in her hands.

"We maltreated you Ruth. You're our daughter but we still maltreated you." Her eyes were swollen because of her tears, but still I kept quiet. "I'm so sorry."

Dad stood up on his feet. "Stop this nonsense right now before I lose my patience Rachel. What rubbish are you spilling from your mouth? You know damn well that we were just trying to protect her."

Mum got up too. "And you know damn well that our protection was going to the extreme. We were pushing her too hard Wale!"

This was already going too far. I was already expecting the drama to be by tomorrow but it seems like our parents were impatient.

I rolled my eyes. Abeg, I cannot kill myself.

"But we were doing our responsibility as parents!" Dad argued. By now, they were already up on each other's throats. Mum was bouncing on her heels as if she wanted to fight like Roman reigns in the ring.

It was so funny, I wanted to laugh my future away. What you see if you have theatric parents, drama everywhere.

"Mum, calm down." Zion begged from behind her.

Mum turned to him, her eyes narrowed.

Another wahala.

"Don't tell me to calm down, tell that to your father." She said angrily. "He's letting his pride take over him, that's very disheartening—"

"Rachel, mind your words." Dad warned, pointing his forefinger like he was cautioning her.

"Don't point your finger at me, do what you're supposed to do instead." Mum lashed out.

I sighed. The person with the nightmare is different, yet they're behaving like they're the one who were raped.

Nawa oo.

"Stop talking to me like that in front of our children!"

"It's you that should—" Mum began to talk again.

"The both of you should stop this instant!" Zoe stood up at them. "We should be looking for ways to stop Ruth's nightmare as a family, but here we are, arguing about mindless things."

Mum and Dad kept quiet at once.

I swear, if I loved this girl before, guess what? The love just increased. She knows how to out anyone in their place—big or small, tall or fat—virtually anyone!

"You're right. We should be talking as a family, not adding more problems." Mum apologized, looking remorseful.

Dad just stood there, looking at everywhere but my face.

"Thank God. Now everyone should sit down and talk this out."

Mum turned to me, holding my hands gently.

"Speak to us Ruth, what really happens in your nightmares?"

My throat ran dry. I wasn't ready to talk about it. Every time I thought about it sef, it usually led to an emotional breakdown.

I wasn't ready to talk.

"Mum, don't you think it's too early for that? I don't think she's ready yet." Zion persuaded.

Mum nodded and turned to address him. "But it has been two years already. If she's not ready now, when will she be?"

"Just give her some time, she's going through a lot right now."

Mum nodded again and looked into my eyes. "But at least tell us something, anything, so we know where to begin."

I cleared my throat. "I— I—" I stuttered, tears falling down my face.

"It's okay, we are here with you, no one would hurt you." Mum persuaded.

You were also here when I was raped, what did you do?

"They come in my nightmares—those disgusting men. They try to do things with me against my will, like it happened on that day. I would try to resist but they wouldn't leave me be. They're monsters mum, real monsters."

I broke down again.

"But this time, it was different. Their faces were different, all of them. I knew the face, it was—" I took a deep breathe.

"It was who?"

Ezekiel's face. Instead of the men, ezekiel's face was appearing to me in my dreams.

"No one."

Mum sighed, turning to face my dad. "Only one thing can help, I'm sure of that."

"What is it mum? Tell us." Zoe asked, hopeful.

"Therapy."