Two Pink Lines|| A Short Story✔

Chapter 2

It is hard.

Really hard.

I am trying my best to hold on to this blissful ignorance and live my life normally but it is suffocating me. I am always scared of looking at my reflection in the mirror because I always see a pile of dirt on me and I end up in the bathroom trying to wash it all away. Flashbacks of the sinful event haunt me anytime I perceive his signature mild woody cologne and I end up wallowing in self-pity, wondering what I did that is so wrong.

I stare at the lady serving my food at the school cafeteria, she stares back, handing me the plate of rice and salad in a red tray. I drop the tray on the counter and point to a tall fridge with a transparent door which is stocked with varieties of soft drinks.

“Please, give me a bottle of Fanta.” She nods and collects the one thousand naira note from my hand and turns her back to me to get the bottle of Fanta.

Someone taps me on my shoulder, my body tenses and my body turns with the speed of light to see who the person is. My eyes become blurry at the sight of the monster who took my virginity. He gives me his signature smirk and moves closer to me one step at a time. My head spins, I try to keep my composure but it fails when he looks at me with that same look in his eyes. Fear grips me and I fall to the ground, hugging my knees. He doesn’t stop and keeps coming closer.

“Leave me alone,” I mutter, my eyes darting everywhere but his face. I still see his legs moving towards me. “Leave me alone!” I scream at the top of my voice, “Please, leave me alone.”

I become more agitated seeing a lot of legs moving towards me. I start screaming, trying to get them away from me but they won’t stop. Tears stream down my cheek as I hug my knees again in fear.

“Emmanuella!” I hear a familiar voice call out to me. I relax a bit and look around for the owner of the voice. It is my best friend, Halima. She wraps her hands around mine and drags me out of the cafeteria.
.
.
.

“Ella, what is going on?” Halima cries out in frustration, “Talk to me.”

We are sitting on my bed in my hostel room. Turns out she is the one who asked a random guy to tap me because she had been calling me and I wasn’t answering.

And he wasn’t Ayo.

I am still trying to wrap my head around that little fact because I'm sure it was Ayo I saw.

She moves towards the wardrobe which is at the far end of the large room and back, her hands displacing her well tied hijab. I pick one of the sweets I bought earlier that day and grimace when she looks at me with a scowl.

“So you rather swallow your problem with sweets than tell me,” she looks tired. She is giving up on me. She fixes her hijab and picks up her bag, “Alright. No problem.”

She turns to leave, my eyes widen in realization. I run to her and wrap my hands around her waist from behind. She can’t leave me like this.

A lone tear escapes my eye and I shut them, “Hali, please don’t leave. I want you to stay,” I breathe out.

Halima turns and looks at me, her eyes soften. “Ella, you know you can trust me. For the past one month plus now, you’ve not been yourself. I am not finding this whole thing funny. I am tired. I want the ever talkative and funny Ella back. Talk to me, let us find a solution together,” she wipes the beads of tears that are falling out of my eyes, “Kin ji ko?”

I nod in understanding, a partial smile playing on my lips. I genuinely love the way the Hausa language rolls off her lips. Like it is made for her.

We sit back on my bed and Halima remains quiet, waiting to hear me speak. Our hands entwine with each other and her eyes never leave mine. I take in a deep breath with my eyes closed, trying to muster the courage to talk about my worst nightmare.

“A…Ayo raped me.”

Halima’s hands gently caressing mine freezes. I can see the shock and disbelief in her eyes. Ayo is her cousin and this is one of the reasons I never said anything to her.

“Which Ayo?” She asks

“My… my boyfriend,” I whisper, tears escaping from my eyes as the memory floods back. She peers at my face looking for any sign that shows I am pulling her legs.

“Wait. You are serious?” I nod. “Why? What happened?”

My voice dampens as I explain everything that happened that day at Ayo’s house and the unpleasant changes and events I have been going through since then. To my surprise, she listens attentively devoid of any judgemental look on her face.

"Hali, I begged him. I pleaded with him not to do it. But he still did it. After everything I sacrificed for him, he ruined my life without batting his eyes." I say bitterly amidst tears, "Hali, tell me, do I deserve all that?"

She engulfs me in a bear hug, rubbing my middle back in a circular motion, "You don't Ella, you don't. I'm so sorry for not being there for you. It must have been very difficult keeping it all to yourself."

She pulls me away from her embrace and cups my face, "I'm here now Ella. I'm here to help, you just have to trust me. Do you trust me?"

I nod in reply. She gives me a light tip smile. "I want you to listen to what I have to say. You are going through a lot, Ella and you need help. You need to talk to a professional. You know my mum is a therapist. I have seen a lot of girls with similar issues and it seems you've developed this thing…" she pauses for a while, trying to recall the name, "RTS, yes, Rape Trauma Syndrome and it's taking a toll on you."

I shake my head severally getting up from the bed, "I am perfectly fine, nothing is wrong with me. I'm managing it well."

Halima stands up and reaches out for my hand but I pull away from her, "Ella please listen to me, I'm not saying you are not fine. I'm just saying you, no, we should talk to someone who will understand." I take more steps away from her, allowing the bulk of tears in my eyes flow like drops of water down my cheek.

She doesn't know what she's talking about.

I am perfectly fine. I don't need anyone's help!

"Ella," she continues, "Just like in the story of the Goose Girl who was betrayed by her servant, I am the prince who wants the king to see you and put you back in your rightful frame of mind as the princess you are supposed to be. But we can't do that without the king, can't you see?"

I should have known. There's no way I'll tell anyone my ordeal without them making me look abnormal. I point at the wooden door and take a deep breath, "Please, leave," I say when I find my voice

"Ella please...."

"Get out!" My loud voice reverberates through the room like a gong.

She lets out a sigh of frustration and picks up her bag, looking at me with pleading eyes, telling me she means no harm. She turns to leave, a knock comes in. She looks back at me with curious eyes and opens the door.

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