OPHELIA

Chapter 6: Love lies!

Sometimes, it was hard to believe that I was 18—even more unbelievably, I was alive. I guess life hadn’t played all its cards so it made me hang around longer.

The cold breeze brushed my skin—my jacket was no match for it. Where was I going to go? The good thing was I was far away from Prince; not the next town as I expected but it was far enough. The only thing I could do was what I had been doing for as long as I could remember—I knew the hotspots for hookups. 

The street lights casted shades of medieval yellow on the surrounding and sex workers lined the street. Compared to them, I was no match in my hospital gown, cleaner’s jacket, messy cornrows, shoulder sling and flip-flops. I pulled the gown into the jacket until my thighs were revealed and tossed the shoulder sling in a trash can.

I smiled when a black Lexus halted before me. I was in luck; the punk was in my target group but what a waste! I didn’t have my instruments.

“Pretty girl, I suppose you need a ride.”
“Yeah, if where we are going is your house or lodge then I’m all yours.” I winked at him.
“Get in.”
“So big guy, I’m pretty expensive” I leaned into him.
“I know!” A man answered from the back. Chills ran down my spine—PRINCE! “Missed me darling?” I froze as my eyes made contact with his—his eyes shined in the dark like a wolf awaiting it's prey. There was no way I was coming out alive. Sweat trickled down my face. If I had known, I wouldn’t have left the hospital.

“Why are you breathing so hard?” He asked and the others laughed. I bit my lip, reached for the door knob and jumped out of the moving car scraping my skin on the tar as I rolled over. The car screeched to a halt and feet scrambled towards me. I bolted propping my injured hand against the other. They pulled the collar of my jacket and I crashed to the floor. My cries for help were concealed by the loud music of the bars. The few who saw me dared not meddle. I was forced into the back seat.

The warm bodies of my predators had the feel of harmattan winds—I was swept away by fear and the smell of drugs tickled my mind—they lost their humanity and I was a puppet in their game. The car halted at a secluded area. They dragged me into the bushes. Dry twigs scrub my skin. I told you life hadn’t played its cruelest card. They surrounded and pushed me to the ground.

Prince lighted a cigarette and the smoke from his nostrils reminded me of hell.
“Let me tell you how this night will work. First we will each have turns into that body of yours that has been ridden like a horse by numerous men then I will return the favor.” He stooped down and took out my pocket knife “This is yours remember? I’ll drive it down there too, just like you wanted to do to me. But unlike you, I won’t miss the right spot.”
“Please…please…”
“Please? You ungrateful brat!” He slapped me so hard I felt my jaw bone move. “After I took you from the streets, and gave you a life, this is how you repay me? If my ancestors were not smiling at me, I would be impotent.” He paused. “You sowed a seed now reap the harvest. Boys…”

I screamed at the top of my voice but there was no one, nothing could help me. Everything occurred as Prince said it would.

They dropped my semi lifeless body by the roadside. “Next time, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” He said and drove away. Life crawled out of me—this must be its cruelest card; it was definitely letting me go now. It was the best punishment for all the evil I had done.

The crescent moon looked like a dubious smile from the heavens; I smiled a stream of tears. I was taught that God loved men. I hoped the havoc I wrecked amongst  his precious men broke his heart. It seemed to me that God loved the men more than he did the women or perhaps I was the one he didn’t love—Men always got away with their sins but I never got away with mine.

“There she is…” I heard a voice. It surely was from the other side. Gentle hands held my face. The cologne smelled familiar. It smelled like that Pastor Man… “Hurry, bring her to the car.” A woman said. My last conscious breath escaped my nostrils.

Once on the other side, I knew there was no pain. But there was a pounding in my head—I was still in this shithole world. If NASA and the scientists found a way to sustain life on Mars, I would volunteer to be a lab rat.

My eyes flickered open to the ceiling. Did it mean life still had a crueler card to play? The recount of that night with Prince flooded my memory. My chest tightened. The most horrific events in my life played back and forth. My body trembled and my eyelids were out of control. I wanted to cry out for help but I couldn’t open my mouth, I gasped for air but my muscles were stiff.
“What’s wrong? Doctor, doctor….” It was that Pastor Man shouting for help—that Pastor Man whom I drugged, that Pastor Man whom I infected with my blood. That Pastor Man was the one helping me now.

They steadied and injected me with a chemical that made me calm. I took deep breaths trying to get the right view of the room that now was spinning in my eyes.
“What’s wrong with her?” The Pastor Man asked. Sadly, I couldn’t stay awake long enough to hear the answer.