The Truth that wasn't there

Four

The gong hit the bell so loud that Owondiki cringed. As her eardrums vibrated, she waited outside the tall building with blue paint and a big gate.

Her clothes were taken. Everything, including her panties and bra. They removed her earrings, her watch, and her hair ruffles. They handed her a new pair of black trousers, a white shirt, and a pair of rubber shoes. Once she was dressed, they gave her a bar of soap and walked her down to the cell block.

As the bell rang, Owondiki could see the prisoners behind the second gate. One of the guards unlocked two padlocks and a key lock, opening a small part of the gate, at the bottom.

"Oya," another guard said, pushing Owondiki towards the small opening.

She crouched down and crawled. As soon as her whole body was through, they banged the gate behind her and locked it back.

The entire building was built in a square. At the center, there was a large field. Surrounding that field were rooms on every side of the building. Rooms, from which prisoners were currently emerging.

A girl in shredded, black shorts and a sleeveless shirt, came out of the door, closest to Owondiki. She was light–skinned, and she had long, unkempt locks in her hair. There was a bruise on her neck, as if someone had grabbed her too tight, and a cut on her lower lip. She was, also, barefoot.

"Orabo nibi nibi." Small girl, she said, smiling at Owondiki. "Wehcam," she said, exaggerating a local Izecha accent of the English word, "welcome".

"Thank you," Owondiki replied, stepping back as the girl advanced on her. She had to be younger than Owondiki. Twenty, twenty-one years old, at the most. And yet, here she was, talking down to Owondiki.

Owondiki tried to move away but the girl got in her path. When she moved the other way, the girl blocked her again.

"Please move."

"Orabo, behave."

When she tried to move again and the girl blocked her, Owondiki shoved her away. She stumbled back and fell to the ground. The prison erupted in angry shouts as three more women rushed to the girl while the two women who'd been coming closer pounced on Owondiki. They punched her to the ground and one of them kicked her in the back.

Owondiki howled in pain. They finally pulled her to her knees as two new women held her up.

"I'm... I'm sor...sorry," Owondiki said.

"I bin won give you choice, but choice don finish." She nodded at the women above Owondiki. While those two held her, another one came and unbuttoned her shirt.

"Please," Owondiki begged.

They pulled the shirt off her back. Then they removed her trousers and her shoes. Once she was completely naked, they tossed her on the grass. Groaning, she curled in on herself, trying to cover up.

"Wetin you dey cover? Free yourself," the girl said. "Man no dey here, oh."

As she left, Owondiki looked around at the other prisoners who'd stood by and let them take all her things. None of them were going to help her. It was only her first day, all her clothes were gone and she'd somehow managed to piss off the Don of the prison.

Stand up, Owondiki. Get up.

She needed to move away from their sight. To hide, somewhere. But where would she go? She was naked and alone, with no one to help.

"Wear this," someone said behind her as fabric landed on Owondiki's body.

She obeyed, quickly.

"Thank you," she said to the good Samaritan.