MULATTO (Iyila) (Editing)

chapter twenty ~

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Iyila tried to sleep but she found it very difficult to close her eyes. More difficult than swallowing stale oatmeal because whenever she did, she saw the female negro been repeatedly raped by Zachary and his men before being whipped to death. All she could do was roll from one end to another until morning came, but the tears refused to come.

When she saw Dede she did not bother to look at him, it was useless fantasising about an abstract and she remained silent while she did her chores. The event had rendered her speechless and weak. All she yearned for was a sweet death, but she was too cowardly to take her own life. She did not bother to hold a long talk with Dede when he came to call on her. She did not bother to notice the cheerful smile on his face or the concern on his face, or when he asked her if she alright or sick? He had also been shocked to see her walk away. And at dinner, she slowly ate her meal while ignoring Deila's advances. She made sure to avoid an eye contact with Deila, she was not prepared to talk and she did not finish her meal before retiring to her shelter.

She did not break down until the night she ran to the stream when she got tired of finding sleep. By the time she got to the stream all her legs were torn by grass. She was crying bitterly, sobbing and pounding the ground with all her might.

"I am tired!" she screamed and gripped her gown; and in a minute ripped it into two. Nakedly, she rushed into the water, suicide was the only thing on her mind, but she could no longer endure the torture, she rushed out gulping for air.

"I detest you God, I loathe you with everything in me," she yelled pointing up. "What have we done to you? How have my ancestors wronged you that you cannot forgive us? Why did you create us? To serve your preferred? Answer me!" she yelled.

"I once asked that question," she heard a manly voice say, frightened she looked up. She almost screamed when she recognised the man...

"Dede!" she fearfully screamed.

"No, no Iyila do not scream, someone might hear you, please," he quickly begged, looking sideways in case anybody heard.

"What are you doing here?" she angrily questioned. "Why in heavens name are you here? Did you come alone? are you with someone?"

"Which do you prefer I answer?" he asked.

"Answer me!"

"Ok, I came alone and I am here only by coincidence," he lied. Dede had seen her run off and thought she was trying to run away so he decided to follow her; hoping to persuade her to discontinue her journey. He had been bewildered when he saw her run to the stream.

"Do not lie I beg you, how long have you been there?" she desperately asked.
What if he had been there all the while? Had he seen her break down? had he seen her nakedness? she felt irritated and wanted to get out of the water and break his neck. "Answer me!"

A sly smile appeared on his face; he was thankful for the darkness that surrounded them, else he knew she would have thrown him to the ground and fed him sand.

"Oh! you have been here all the time."

"No," he answered and cleared his throat.

"I find it hard to believe you. Still I want you to leave, now!"

She could not help but think otherwise, perhaps he worked for the master and intended to return her to him as a runaway. After all, he did not like her.

"Iyila it is dangerous to be out here alone, an overseer might see you and assume that you are runaway or an intending runaway, you will be punished for it and worse of all raped," he said.