MARRED

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - THROUGH A DARK ALCOVE

Amanah

March, 2008

"Do you think this is okay? Remember what Alfa said." I said, panicking.

"You are always too scared. Alfa is not here right now." Hanan bravened. "Besides, if you don't sell everything today, Mom will not let you go."

"But this place looks dangerous..."

"What is our own with the danger of the place? Ella says they buy everything from you once you go in there. See, you want this tray to return with you home? Go. But me, I must sell everything today." Hanan began to walk into the building, defiantly.

I was sure it was too dangerous. Aunty will not say anything if I didn't sell everything, right? Even if she got mad, it would only be temporary.

But Hannan kept walking into the building. It smelled of cigarettes and Indian hemp.

"Hanan, this is not safe..."

"Who goes there?" A rugged voice came from the main building.
I began to tug on Hanan's shirt in fear.

"Na... Na we o, Oga Giwa. Ella said we should bring these to you."

A dark sturdy, shirtless man appeared at the main entrance and motioned for us to come in.

"Thank you Oga Giwa." Hanan said and started pulling me along. I pulled away from her, but followed silently. Everything in my guts told me this was wrong, so I slowed my steps and took in my environment. This was wrong. The place was too quiet.

Hanan was about to step into the main entrance when four other men appeared by the entrance. Hannan paused and turned to me. Clearly hesitant. She was finally beginning to understand my fears.

Eh... Which of you is Oga Giwa, please?" She asked the five men.

"He dey inside." The first to step out answered.

I was not fooled, neither was Hanan. There was either no Oga Giwa or one of them was Oga Giwa.

She turned to me and without anymore words, we both threw our trays away and ran towards the exit.

I had been way behind her, so I exited before her. I didn't stop running, then I heard Hanan scream. "Ramatu! Help me!"

But I didn't stop. Her scream for help echoed louder until it faded away. Me, running father away from them and she being dragged in by the five men.

Clearly, Ella had set us up.

I didn't stop running until I arrived home.

I was out of breath as I narrated what had happened to Aunt Juwayriyyah. She ran out immediately with Salim, her older son and two of his friends to the scene.

By the time we arrived, Hanan laid on the floor without a stitch of clothing, uncontious. She had been grossly violated. There were no sign of the men anywhere.

Salim carried his sister while Auntie Juwayriyyah wept all the way. The street was filled with the pitying eyes of passerbys. They knew what had happened. They knew Hanan had been ruined.

***

"Auntie, I swear I didn't know them. I had never been there before." I cried in my defence as Aunt Juwayriyyah pushed me to the floor.

"Shut up! You devilish child! All I did was take you from the village so that your father's family would not kill you. Did I do anything wrong? Why my daughter? Why my Hanan?" She stood up from her seat and and I begged again.

"Anty, I don't know who Ella is. I don't know who this Giwa is. It was Hannan that suggested we go to that place. I swear, I didn't know them."

"You still defend yourself? Olorun maje. You are an evil child. That name is best fitting for a devil like yourself. Since you came to this house, you have only brought bad lucks. Is this the first time Hanan will be hawking? She has hawked for over three years now. But the very first day you hawk together, this happens to her?"