when strength meets love

chapter 7: ikoka village

The sun had barely begun to set, casting a reddish glow over Ikoka village when Eki heard the news. Her stomach turned as the whispers of the villagers reached her ears. A man from the village, one who was supposed to be respected, had committed a crime so terrible that it shook the entire community.

The man—whom she had once considered as a responsible man—had taken advantage of a young woman in the village, a twelve years old girl someone Eki knew personally. The news spread like wildfire, and the anger and outrage from the women were palpable. The whole village was in shock, but for Eki, the news hit deeper than it did for anyone else.

"This is just like all of them," she thought bitterly. "Men are nothing but trouble, always taking advantage of the women, always causing pain."

Her hands clenched into fists, and she stormed off to her home, unable to hold back the rage brewing in her heart. "How can they still think so highly of these men?" she thought. "All they do is hurt us. They never change."

Eki locked herself in her room that night, replaying the awful incident in her mind, her hatred growing with every passing moment. The village healer had tried to console the girl, but it was no use. The anger and disappointment Eki felt toward men, especially the men in her village, deepened to a level she didn’t know was possible.

But as she sat there, consumed by her feelings, she heard a soft knock at the door. Her heart skipped when she realized who it was.

"Eki?" It was Oduwa.

She didn’t want to see him. After everything that had happened, after everything she  had said to him earlier, she couldn’t bear to face him. But Oduwa wasn’t one to back down so easily.

"Eki, please, let me in. We need to talk."

With a sigh, she opened the door, half-reluctantly. Oduwa stood there, his face softer than she had ever seen it, his brow furrowed with concern.

"I heard about what happened with that girl," Oduwa said quietly, stepping inside. "And I know you’re angry. I can feel it, Eki."

She crossed her arms, her posture stiff. "What do you want, Oduwa? To lecture me about men? How all men aren’t the same? Save it. I’ve heard it all before."

Oduwa stood there for a moment, silently watching her, as if searching for the right words. Then, in a soft, gentle tone, he spoke.

"I understand your anger. I understand your pain. But not all men are like that… I’m not like that. You’ve been hurt, Eki, and I see it every time I look at you. But not every man is out to hurt you." His voice was sincere, and there was a tenderness in his eyes that Eki couldn’t ignore.

She looked away, her heart still heavy with bitterness. "You don’t know what it’s like," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "You don’t know how much we suffer. How much we give and never get anything back. All these years of working and trying, and then this happens. Another man hurting another woman."

Oduwa’s eyes softened. He stepped closer to her, his voice quieter. "I know. I know it’s hard, and I know the pain you carry. But I’m telling you, not all of us are the same. Not all of us want to see you hurt. Not all men will use you or betray you."

Eki’s breath caught in her throat. His words weren’t just kind—they were sincere. There was no arrogance in his voice, no pride. It was as though he was speaking straight from the heart.

"But why?" she asked suddenly, her voice trembling slightly. "Why did you leave me without saying anything? You were my friend, Oduwa. Why didn’t you say goodbye? Why didn’t you even try to explain yourself to me?"

Oduwa hesitated, his gaze lowering. He had been waiting for this moment—the moment when he could finally explain himself. But the words were harder to say than he had anticipated.

"I… I didn’t leave because I wanted to hurt you, Eki," he said quietly. "I left because I thought it would be better for both of us. I thought that by keeping my distance, I would spare you from the pain of my feelings, from the pain of me being… of me being something that would only hurt you in the end."

Eki felt her breath catch again. The words hung in the air between them, thick with the weight of years and unresolved emotions.

"But why not tell me?" she asked, her voice softer now. "Why not give me the chance to understand? To choose for myself?"

Oduwa stepped closer, almost reaching out to her, but stopping just short of touching her. "Because I was scared. Scared of how you might feel about me. I saw the way you looked at me, and I thought you hated me. I never wanted to be a burden to you, Eki. But I see now… I was wrong."

For a long moment, Eki stood there, silent, her emotions swirling inside her. She had wanted to push him away, to keep him at arm's length, but his words were starting to break down the walls she had built around her heart. Slowly, she allowed herself to feel something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in years.

Hope.

Maybe Oduwa was different. Maybe not all men were the same.