VILE

Chapter 9: The Past

As Tomike walked out of the house that morning to resume her selling, she couldn't help but think about what had happened between her and her step father two nights before. She didn't really understand it and couldn't tell anyone about what happened either. It was way too heavy for her lips to utter.

The next morning, her step father didn't say a word about it, only looked at her a certain way, as though he had lost something on her body. He was her only guardian, and although he beat her up mercilessly occasionally, this was different. If she ever worried about her safety living with him in the past, she worried even more now.

Why did he do what he did to her? Why would he one day decide to defile her like that? Was it her fault? Did she have it coming? Did she deserve it? Thinking about this made Tomike weak from the inside out. Who would she tell? Who would believe her? Yes she had good neighbors who helped out once in a while, but nobody liked to get into anyone else's business. Just like nobody would interfere when her mother and step father had their fights.

Telling her step brothers was not an option. They weren't cruel to her, but they weren't that close to her either. They were much older than she was, and their conversations, when they did happen, was always short and very direct. She didn't also know how they'd react to what their father did. Would they believe her? Would they defend her? Or would they turn around to do the same thing to her?

More questions poured into Tomike's head. As young as she was, she already had so much to worry about.

As she walked to the bus stop, she noticed the traffic had began to build up. This was good for her sales.

The sun was bearly up but it seemed half of Lagos was. She rushed to the cluster of children who were also there to sell their goods. She dropped the plastic bowl that was placed on her head and began arranging her sausages properly.

As much as she was broken on the inside, as terrible and scared as she felt, she couldn't do anything about her life. She felt so helpless.

In that moment, she looked up to the clouded sky. It was gray and devoid of the sun. She felt like it reflcted her life, gloomy, with no sign of hope. A tear dropped from her eye. Then she saw a stroke of lightning. Is it going to rain?  Thunder followed, and soon the roads were filled with water.

As Tomike ran around looking for shelter, she tripped on another trader who was also running. Her plastic bowl dropped to the floor, and down went all her sausages. The man who had hit her had now disappeared. She looked down at the sausages, and bearly made an attempt to pick them up as there was no use.

As she stood there, under the rain which was now quite heavy, she watched as her sausages laid on the floor, soaked. And for the first time she felt numb, like she was out of her own body. This couldn't possibly be her. She now observed this little girl who's life had completely turned sour. She couldn't recognize the little girl, she couldn't recognize herself.

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This update took me a little while, but here we are nonetheless😊. I hope you enjoyed the Chapter. Don't forget to vote and  add my story to your reading lists and library.

Quick question, who else loves that smell when it rains for the first time in a while? I know I do🙋😅. Let me know in the comments.
Xoxo 💕💕
Val.