Lucky
Two hours later, after talking about nothing and everything and a few episodes of The Vampire Diaries whilst drooling over Damon Salvatore, I was finally on my way home. I really had fun with Linda, I had really missed her, I hated the fact that we couldn't hang out like we used to, but I knew I couldn't do anything to rectify the situation.
I got down from the bus I had taken to Linda's, I began walking down to my house. As I walked down the pavement, I noticed the sky had dimmed, night was fast approaching. Most of the stores were closed, some Hausa men had already set their stands and were now preparing their suya. I crossed my arms and scanned the area for any suspicious looking figure.
I hope I don't get raped ...
Okay, I admit it. I'm being paranoid.
I made a turn, and continued walking faster, my long braids swayed as I walked. A tall hooded figure emerged from a barber's shop, he had one hand against his ear and the other clutching his phone against his other ear. His lips were moving but I couldn't hear him. The song – no kissing baby by Patoranking and Sarkodie blared through the speakers, I looked away and continued walking. Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name, I recognised the voice so I stopped walking, I turned and realised it was him, the hooded figure was now approaching me, he was wearing cargo shorts and a black jumper, the sleeves were pushed up, revealing his tattoos, a cigarette sat between his lips, he was constantly huffing out smoke. I rolled my eyes, turned around and waited for him to come closer.
"Damn, girl..." Fabian uttered.
"How did you -"
"that ass, It's really, really..."
"Fabian." I warned.
"sorry." He muttered as he took a drag, I stared up at him and he looked down, huffing out smoke, his demeanour had now changed. "I called you..."
"I didn't see it." I replied truthfully, he fixed his gaze on mine. "my phone's switched off."
"I know..." He said, then looked away, chuckling humourlessly . "you probably turned it off the minute you read my text."
"no, no, I swear, I didn't." I said, he nodded looking at his shoes, shoving one hand in the pocket of his shorts.
Silence.
"Let's go, I'll walk you home." He said, jerking his head in the direction I'd be going.
"Thanks." I said, we turned and started walking side by side.
At this point, It was already dark but the streetlights were on though. We sauntered in silence, I mildly flinched when Fabian's calloused hand found mine, I looked up at him but he wasn't looking at me. He gripped it tightly when I tried to pull away.
"Fab-"
"Lucky, please." He pleaded, I didn't say anything again because he had called me by my name and not 'kiki', plus I sensed something in his voice, so I let him hold me while leading me home. "I need this..."
About ten minutes later, we were standing at the front of my house, staring at each other, Fabian still hadn't let my hand go, he was acting really weird that night, like something had been bothering him but he couldn't voice it out.
"On saturday..." I started, he took a drag of his cigarette and waited for me to finish. "where do you want to meet?"
"are you serious?" I nodded, his eyes lit up. "Ma-my house."
"Okay, I'll call you before I leave." I promised, smiling at him. Before I knew it, he enveloped me in a tight hug, lifting me off the ground, I giggled but then his huge hands slide down to my bums. "Fabian!" I warned.
"What's the meaning of this!?" A deep voice yelled, my eyes widened when I recognised the voice as my father's.
Fabian loosened his grip, releasing me on the ground and we both turned to see my father glaring daggers at us, he was about to erupt. My father eyed Fabian, scanning his features from head to toe with a nasty sneer on his lips, I gulped and started fidgeting on the spot, Fabian on the other hand took a drag of his cigarette and stuck his hand out for a handshake.
"Nice to meet you sir, I'm-" He was cut short by my father.
"Get off my property, punk!" He roared.
"Daddy, I'm sorry..."
"shut your bloody mouth, I'll deal with you inside." my father growled, Fabian's eyes widened. "as for you, stay away from my daughter."
Fabian clenched his jaw, he huffed out smoke and threw the cigarette on the floor, very close to my father's foot, aggravating him even more.
"I'll see you later, kiki." He muttered even though his eyes were on my father, then he turned and walked away.
Oh lord...
My father and I locked gazes.
"Inside." He said through gritted teeth, I walked through the gate and saw a nervous looking Caesar, I ignored him and walked through the front door and into the house, mother immediately jolted up from her position on the sofa with a worried look on her face.
"oh, sweet lord. Lucky I-I tried to call you but your phone was switched off. Your father came back early, I-" She suddenly froze, her face went pale, her eyes were fixed behind me. I turned but met a sharp blow as it landed on my cheek.
"you're nothing but a worthless tramp!" My father backhanded me on my other cheek this time. "I'm going to teach you a lesson child, a lesson on moral behaviour."
"Daddy, please I'm sorry -" He grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me against the hard wall, the collision was so hard that a family portrait hanging on the wall came crashing on my back as I fell down, my body shuddered in pain as tears poured down my cheeks. I cried, I didn't just cry because I was in pain but because my mother watched all this in silence.
Please, don't let it get out of hand this time...
My father grabbed the head of his belt and unbuckled it, he pulled it from his waistline. Wrapping one side of the belt around his right hand he threw his hand back and lashed me hard, he did it again, and again and again. He scourged me any and everywhere, except my face. My cheek was on the floor, both palms by the sides of my head, shielding my face.
"Daddy, stop! please!" I pleaded but he kept lashing me, leaving me feeling like a thousand pieces of needles were being sent into my body. "please, stop..."
I was weak, I'd never deny it. I prayed for strength every single night. I wished there was some sort of way I could defend myself from the man I called my father.
"Philip, stop!" My mother yelled, her voice broke, she had finally decided it was time to intervene even though she hadn't moved from where she was since I walked in.
"He smoke, Lucky. He bloody smokes!" Father yelled, ignoring my mother's weak plea, he grunted as he gave me another sickening scourge. "And that hair, he looks like a godforsaken gangster! You couldn't have picked a better one! You're nothing but a shameless whore!"
Lash, Lash, Lash, Lash, Lash.
I bawled as pain ricocheted through my body, I was in excruciating pain; the whips were scorching. But then finally, It stopped. The belt clattered as it fell from his hand very close to my face.
"I hope you understood and learned your lesson, child." He said calmly, then added. "I don't want to see you for the next forty eight hours, avoid me at all cost. Now get out of my sight."
Whimpering like the weakling I was, I managed to lift myself up even though my limbs screamed at me. Trembling, I wiped my tears away with my forearm as I clambered upstairs to my room. When I got in, I locked the door with the key. I took my phone from my pocket, surprised it survived the beating, I charged it. I walked into the bathroom, and slowly discarded my clothes. I turned on the shower, living it warm. Then I peered into the huge mirror above the sink, my eyes were red and puffy. A few bruises adorned my torso and my hips. I turned around, and craned my neck over my shoulder wanting to get a view of my back, It was much worse; I ran my hand over one which the skin actually broke with a trace of blood on it. I winced when I pressed it too hard and tears threatened to spill.
~*~*~*~
That night, I tried, I really did try to get some sleep but I kept tossing and wincing because of the bruises on my body. When I finally fell asleep, I jolted up because I ended up reliving the beating I got, I could still feel the hot lashes on my skin. I stayed up listening to the most sappy songs on my playlist just to wallow in self-pity. I really did hate my life, I thought about my father and realised something – resentment was growing in my heart.
A few hours later, It was morning, I painfully took my bath and got dressed. Sitting rigidly on my dresser, my eyes fixed on the huge painting on the wall, a few inches above the head of my bed. It was a silhouetted painting of a girl falling down a cliff, one of her hands reaching out to a hooded figure at the edge of the cliff, watching her fall.
Claiming to want what's best for you, some people would push you, without even realising they pushed too hard; they'd watch you miss your footing, they'd watch you fall without even realising the fate waiting for you at the bottom.
There was a knock on the door, I didn't move or say a thing. I just waited for the culprit to identify themselves.
"sweetie, It's me. Open up." Came my mother's voice.
Doing the zombie walk, I approached the door, unlocked it and left it half open so she couldn't enter. I peered at the woman standing before me with a look of worry and a tray of my food. "I -"
"Thanks for the food." I grabbed it from her hands and closed the door with my foot before she could say anything.
I was really hungry, after the beating I received yesterday, I hadn't eaten anything. I slept on an empty stomach, I couldn't leave my room because of my father's words – 'I don't want to see you for the next forty eight hours...' My father probably prohibited my mother and Bukky from seeing or bringing me food. I was certain he locked Bukky in her room last night. He had done these things before, It's what he did.
I dove in, and in a matter of minutes I had finished eating and was now downing the bottled water. After that, I just sat back on my bed, resting on the headboard, I grabbed the novel from my bedside table and started reading. I read for a really long time until I started to feel my eyes droop. I dosed off with the book on my chest. The shrill sound of my cellphone jolted me up. Regaining consciousness, I sat up and grabbed my cellphone from the bedside table, I answered it without checking the caller ID.
"hello...?" I said still a bit drowsy.
"kiki, aren't -"
Beep.
I'm sorry Fabian, I really don't feel like talking to you right now...
I quickly hung up, checking the time I noticed it was 03:22 PM. I knew I had promised him we would hang out today but I couldn't leave the house for obvious reasons. I felt bad about It because I knew I couldn't tell him why, I didn't want to tell him. I could, but I didn't know how.
Fabian was quick to call again, he kept calling and calling and calling, I just left my phone untouched. After what felt like an hour, he gave up. I checked my phone and found out I had seventeen missed calls, two voice messages and eight text messages — all from Fabian.
I'm sorry...
I'd make it up to you, I promise...
Later that day, after I had taken my bath and worn my pajamas, Bukky stopped by. I immediately let her in. She gave me a hug and started sniffling, she cried a little. I ushered her to my bed, she sat down and told me how Daddy had locked her in her room and how she heard my pathetic screams (she never said pathetic) and cried along with me.
Sweet Bukky...
"today, after mum let me out, I went to him. I couldn't take it, I felt today was the day I could finally call him out. I know I'm just ten but I do have a right to call him out. He's out of control." Bukky said, then she sniffled and started fidgeting. "But when I got there, I tried talking to him, he yelled at me and told me to leave. I didn't though, and then he got up and he-he,... he almost hit me, Lucky."
I wrapped my arms around her head and pulled her to me, she returned the hug. I resisted the urge to wince because her arms were wrapped around me too tight. I ignored it, and caressed her head softly as she sobbed into my shirt. I was ashamed, I didn't say anything. I was ashamed because I couldn't assure her he wouldn't hit her someday, because I knew I couldn't take her fear away, because I knew I couldn't protect her or defend her, I couldn't even defend myself. So I silently let my own tears fall down my cheeks.
~*~*~*~
The next day was a Sunday, and I still hadn't left my room. I didn't want to run into my father, he had warned me. I didn't go with them to church either. Instead, I stayed home and nursed my bruises, I watched movies on my laptop and stuffed myself with junk food. When I realised it was time for them to return, I quickly ran back to my room and locked the door. Then I studied, took a nap but I ended up sleeping till the next day. I woke up to my alarm, It was a monday morning, I groggily got up and made my way to the bathroom, doing my morning routine.
A few minutes later, I was all dressed in my khaki flared knee length skirt, red plaid shirt and my brown blazer, my long braids were up in a ponytail. My bruises were nowhere to be seen even though I still felt them. I mentally prepared myself for what was to come when I walked out the door. I would get on my knees and apologise, and I would humble myself before him.
Yeah, that's it...
Sighing, I grabbed my bag, opened the door only come face-to-face with my father. I stared into his dark soulless eyes, his face was so calm but I knew there was a monster underneath. I slowly let go of the strap and let my bag fall to the ground before bowing my head and dropping to my knees.
~*~*~*~
My eyes were fixed on my ugly black shoe clad feet as they moved, taking light steps to the lavatories. I looked up as I continued making my way there, pushing the door, I walked in, my eyes widened at the sight before me. Two bodies were pressed together, she had her legs wrapped around his waist, her skirt billowed around her waist, her laps were practically exposed, her hands were trying to undo his belt. He had a hand under her untucked plaid shirt, constantly roaming as they devoured each other's mouth.
What do I do...?
Walk into a stall, pee and leave?
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[EDITED]
Thanks for reading...