VILE

Chapter 5: The Past

Tomike watched as the fluid in the drip emptied into her mother's body. Her eyes were red and swollen, evidence of hours of crying. She squeezed her mother's hand tightly, her way of telling her she was there, and wouldn't leave her side until she woke up.

Tomike hated her 'new daddy.' From the very first day she met him, she didn't like him. Not just because he had a scary look, he was very tall, muscular and wasn't very good looking, so much so he would pass as a villian in any movie, but also because he gave off bad vibes. He made her feel a certain kind of way whenever she was around him, and they were not good feelings.

Here was her mother, on a hospital bed, face bruised up, bandages all over, and unable to speak or move. He did this, that evil man. And this was proof she was right from the beginning.

He had used a stick on her this time, battering her with no mercy. Unfortunately, the stick had nails on it. They cut into her mother's skin, causing her to bleed out. It was a miracle they were able to get her to the hospital on time.

She couldn't get the image of her mother lying on the floor, blood all over, out of her mind. Thank God for good neighbors. She wished she hadn't gone to school that day, maybe she could have stopped it from happening. But then again, what was an eight year old to do to stop such a huge man from doing harm to someone else.

This wasn't the first time he beat her mother up and Tomike worried it wouldn't be the last. But so far this was the worst.

What was wrong with her mother, why did she always go back to him after he begged? Was he using a charm on her like the ones they showed in yoruba movies?

Her mother always told her she knew no one else in Lagos and didn't want them to face worse dangers living on the streets. But Tomike couldn't help but wonder what could be worse than being beaten almost everyday for the stupidest reasons.

She was tired, she just wanted to go back home, she just wanted to see her father again and live like they used to. She didn't want this life anymore, not for her or for her mother. She laid her head on her hands which were wrapped around her mother's and let the tears roll down.

"Your mum will be fine, don't worry" she didn't even notice the nurse walk in.

"Thank you ma" she said as she lifted her head.

With all the pain she was feeling, thinking she had hit rock bottom, little Tomike was yet to realize the worse was yet to come.