Broken | ✓

CHAPTER FORTY SIX: FACING THE TRUTH

                               Ireti

I saw him leave the room but he wasn’t the one who raped me. Was it possible that I was mistaken? If I was, it only meant one thing; I had denied Tife his father for four years and I was a terrible mother. Guilt took hold of me as I laid on Ifeoma’s shoulder, she was patting my head.

“What happened to you Omo mi?” my mother asked as I stepped out of the car. The tears had messed with my mascara and my face.

I kept mute.

“Good evening ma” Ifeoma and her husband greeted.

“Evening o” my mother responded.

“Ifeoma, what happened?”

“uhmm”

“Nothing mummy. I am just tired” I cut Ifeoma.

“Let me take you inside” Ifeoma offered.

We walked past my mother and into my room with Ifeoma’s husband tailing us but he stopped in the living room.

I collapsed on the bed. I tried to wriggle the memory of that night out of my brain but all I could get was the sight of Jide leaving the room.

“There is a high chance that Jide didn’t rape me” I spoke staring at the ceiling.

“What do you mean?” there was shock in Ifeoma’s voice.

“His friend might have been the one who did it”

“I thought you said you remember him leaving the room that night”

“Yes, but that’s all I remember, which means there is a high chance that somebody else was in the room” I massaged my forehead.

“Babe, are you okay?” Calvin knocked.

“Yes, just girl talk” I answered.

“Are you sure? Mum said you looked distorted when you came in” “mum” it was amazing how quickly he found footing in my family.

“Yes” I replied.

“Okay, call me if you need anything”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks”

Ifeoma made sure she heard Calvin walk away before asking “Where is the friend now?”

“In prison. He was jailed for raping and murdering a woman”

“I think you should see him” Ifeoma suggested.

“What?”

“It might help you remember and get you out of this situation”

There were two answers to the problem. One being Jide didn’t rape me and I took his son away from him and two, he did rape me. Both answers were not in my favor.
The next day, I gave into Ifeoma’s suggestion and called Jide.

“Hello”

“Ireti. Thank goodness you called. Are you okay? I wanted to call you yesterday but I wasn’t sure if you would like that” worry punctuated his sentence.

“I am fine. I have a request”

“What’s that?” he was curious.

“I want to see your friend. The one you say is responsible”

“Are you sure?” I imagined his brows raised up slightly showing concern.

“I need to be sure”

“Okay, I will text you the address and meet you there”

“Thanks” I hung up.

My hands shook as I dressed up, they shook even when I gripped the steering wheel. My heart’s pace increased as I got closer to the prison. I was still somewhere in between I wanted it to be a lie and I wanted it to be true.