𝑴𝑨𝑺𝑲𝑺

2

..."Some scars don't hurt,some scars are numb,some scars rid you of the capacity to feel anything ever again"—Joyce Rachelle

Iretiola's POV

I'm expecting warmth from home. I want my mummy to hug me tightly and tell me I'll be fine and I'm wondering why none of them came for me. Did Moji even tell anyone I was attacked?? Are they looking for me??. Different thoughts are running through my mind till I open the gate and close it back after stepped into the compound and my strong confident limps turned to me fully limping. I got to the front of the house door and as I lifted my hand to knock, I heard it, I heard the sound of a Yoruba movie playing from our Television which means that while I was struggling and being assaulted,my mummy was comfortably watching a movie.

My heart fell, but I think again what if they don't know?? What if Moji didn't tell anyone I was attacked.

I knock and I tried opening the door and it opened which means it wasn't locked, mummy looked at my cry ruined face and was like "what happened?? Where is Moji??" Of course she wouldn't care, I expected her to care but no it's Moji all the time.

Within me, I decided to not say anything,what would I say?? Couldn't they see that I was hurt? Didn't they see me limping?? I usually don't show hurt but a stray tear betrays me and travels down my cheek which makes mum get up and ask again "where is she?? Ireti,what happened to my daughter and Ade called from outside "Mummy she's sleeping in the car" and mummy rolls her eyes and hisses at me rushing out to check on her daughter and I retire to my bathroom to scrub the feeling of him on my skin.

I scrub, scrub and scrub with hot tears mixing with the cold water I'm showering with. When I finish,I go out and put on a gown and I sit in a corner on my bed, bringing my knees up to my chest and bury my face in my knees not thinking,not remembering,not replaying the moment, just feeling nothing and doing nothing till mummy barges in to ask what happened to Moji. I watch her rant but not a single sound registers to my brain, I can only see her lips move and I ask myself why Moji didn't tell anyone I was attacked.
I practically sacrificed myself for her and while I was suffering she was sleeping. If they thought I hated her before, then I don't know how I feel towards her now.

I stared at my mummy not saying anything even when she grabbed my arm and pulled me off the bed. "Heh, I have been through worse", I thought as she dragged my practically lifeless body to the kitchen. I lay on the floor waiting for her to hit me and I saw him,ADE looking at me with pity in his eyes and my chest heaves with anger remembering what happened to me because he refused to help me and I replay it in my mind and all the pain hits me at once and I start crying and shaking "don't touch me ,leave me alone, don't look at me, go away" I screamed as I took my earlier position, sitting and burying my face in my knees and sobbing hysterically.

My mum's eyes soften as she drops the omorogun( turning stick) back and she tries to touch me and I flinch and move away from her and she whispers " what happened?" Cause she spots the bruise on my cheek and I laugh internally cause wow,now she cares,I don't say anything and bury my face back in my knees and she turns to Moji

"Mojisola,what happened? Why were you in the car??" And that foolish girl finally says " mummy,when we were coming back from the market,one man wanted to take me,but Sister Ireti dragged me away and she said I should run away but I fell down and when she carried me up, I continued running but when I stopped I did not see her again, I didn't know where she went so I came back home and I was waiting for her in the car when i slept off" and after she finishes tears well up in my mum's eyes and she barely says "what did he do to you Ireti?" but I catch it, I hear it and I keep crying as my mum throws her arms around me and cries as well.