The soft purring sound of a ceiling fan woke me up and I slowly opened my eyelids. I felt tired and lazy.
Jesus Christ! Where am I?
I saw myself lying on a king-sized bed in a big room with glass sliding windows. A silver coloured curtain with flowery patterns covered the windows. The walls were tall and painted with light blue colour. I sat up on the bed and found out that I was still wearing the red gown that I wore to the outing.
Where are my shoes! Where is Femi!
I started panicking as I began contemplating on what I had gotten myself into. The door in the room suddenly swung open and I turned around and saw Femi walk in bare chested. He was completely nude save for a brown boxer short. He was startled and appeared to be surprised to see me sitting up on the bed. I watched his face and saw as his features quickly harden.
“Femi, what the hell is the meaning of this and why am I here?” I screamed at him, “did you drug my drink?”
“Yes, I did, and it seems you have slept it off rather quickly. You have always been a strange Calabar girl, maybe that’s why the effect of the drug has not lasted long on you.”
“Wtf!!” I shouted, “You spiked my drink with Rohypnol and brought me here to rape me? Is this what you do to every young unsuspecting girl that comes your way? You slip date rape drugs into their drinks? I should have listened to myself and never gone out with you! Get me out of here now!” I ordered.
“You’d better keep your voice down to save your strength, no one can hear you even if you scream, this room is soundproof. For your information, the door is locked from the outside and can only be opened by my orders. This is my private guest house, so no one knows where you are. You are my guest now and I am going to take good care of you. Remove your clothes!”
I suddenly regretted my unwise decision of not informing Chinasa that i had gone out with this brute. I suddenly regretted ever agreeing to hang out with him.
I caught a whiff of beer and stale cigarette in the room and the nauseating smell almost choked me. He is drunk!
Femi was advancing close to me and speaking at the same time, “You better give me what i want or I will take it by force. You have been carrying yourself as “miss too good for me’ for weeks now. No girl says “No” to my advances and you won’t be the first!”
“I’ll rather die first than let you get close to me, and I will have you arrested asap!” I retorted.
He gave a dry laugh, “That depends on if you’ll be able to get out of here in one complete piece. We will see if you will be able to bear the stigma that comes with being raped. We will see if you would be able to stand and testify in court before people. You know how rape victims are treated and perceived don’t you? Do you know me? I belong to Axe men where skulls are used for drinking. Astoria kumben…the gods are wise” he was sounding incoherent.
“A cultist too? Jesus Christ, please create a way of escape for me!” I anxiously prayed in my mind.
“Please let me go, I promise I won’t say a word to….”
Vroom!
Femi threw himself on me and pinned me down to the bed. I fought back vigorously and wrestled with him. He was aiming at pinning my arms behind my back. He landed a quick blow to my head in frustration. I gritted my teeth and gave him a hard blow on his stomach, and for some brief seconds he recoiled in pain relaxing his grip on me. I glanced around the room searching for anything I could use as a weapon to defend myself. There was only a flimsy plastic stool, it was useless...I was a desperate woman fighting for my life and dignity. Femi came after me again and he pressed me down and made a motion to tear my gown.
“I should have handcuffed you or gagged you when you were sleeping” he mumbled.
In a quick flash, I suddenly remembered something i read two years ago about the Carotid artery also known jugular veins on the sides of the neck that can cause unconsciousness when pressed down. I relaxed my hold on his arm, and he came down on me bringing his neck close.
He yanked my head by the hair and hit it several times on the bed. My gown was torn exposing my chest. I suddenly pulled him to myself and gripped him in a tight embrace.
“You want it, don’t you?” he muttered.
“Yes baby…I want all of you to myself” I replied in a soft submissive tone.
He gave a grunt of relief and began pulling down his boxer short.
My hands clasped round his neck and my fingers found the two veins. I pressed down with all the strength I could muster.
Urrgh!
He suddenly went limp.
I jumped out of the bed and rushed to the door, hammering on it. It opened; it wasn’t locked! I ran out of the room and realized that the whole apartment was empty. He probably said the door was locked to breakdown my resistance and drive fear into me.
I ran along the hallway and got to the main entrance door. I spied the Hyundai Elantra that was parked outside. My shoes and handbag would probably be inside there. I rushed and pulled at the car’s doorknob. It opened! This guy was so anxious to accomplish his agenda that he forgot to lock his car door. I retrieved my bag from the car seat, luckily my phone was inside but unfortunately i couldn’t find my shoes...to hell with the shoes...I ran out barefooted out of the building and dialed Chinasa's number. I also dialed Eno’s number. I got no response from them.
The road was a deserted and lonely road, I didn’t know this part of Lagos. This wasn’t Surulere! Where the hell was I? Cuts and blisters were developing on my feet but i didn’t feel the pain as my goal was to get away as far as possible from the area.
I didn’t know how long I ran, but I ran for several minutes until I tripped and fell down on the ground from sheer exhaustion.
***************
It is now two weeks after the attempted rape incidence. There has been no sign of Femi in the neighbourhood. I have narrated everything to Chinasa and Eno. Chinasa revealed that a local boy had found me lying by the side of the road with my phone ringing intermittently. Chinasa was calling to find out where I was. The boy had answered her call and revealed my location. She immediately rushed in with Ola to rescue me. I had passed out and they took me to a private clinic for treatment.
We have gone to the Surulere division B police station and narrated everything to the DPO. The DPO revealed to us that Femi has had two criminal records of rape in the past but on both occasions the matter was hushed up because of his father’s influence. Due to the discreet nature of the case, the DPO came with his boys to our estate to quietly pick up Femi. But he was not nowhere to be found. They went to the secret apartment where the incidence took place, he still wasn’t there. The house was sealed off on the directive on the DPO. The DPO then placed his estate apartment under surveillance. Eno gave me some tongue lashing; she berated me for agreeing to hang out with a guy like Femi.
I wanted to resign from my job and leave the city of Lagos and head back to Calabar, but Eno, Chinasa and Ola dissuaded me from doing so.
Last week we had information from the house caretaker that Femi had informed him that an important business matter necessitated his relocation outside the country, and he didn’t know when he was coming back. He had therefore mandated him to rent out his apartment.
Three days ago, I got an email message from an unfamiliar address. On opening it, it read…
“Uduakobong it’s me Femi, i am very sorry about what transpired between us. I am ashamed of myself and my actions, please find a place in your heart to forgive me. I can’t face you that is why i have left the country to begin a new life and won’t return in a long while. Shortly you will receive a cash deposit in your bank account, it is my little way of saying sorry. Goodbye”.
I am not going to reply to his email.
There is a rumour among our neighbours that Femi has gone abroad to manage his dad’s company and also to study for his Master’s degree. I smile whenever i hear this rumour because i knew that apart from Chinasa and Ola, the residents will never know that Femi’s relocation had nothing to do with business but everything to do with me Uduakobong the Calabar girl.
Life has gone back to normal.
I am enjoying my job. I have taught Chinasa how to cook Edikang ikong and Afang soups, Ola is seriously pestering me to hook him with a Calabar girl as wife. I have promised him that i will make enquiries for him. Eno is trying to hook me up with George, a handsome banker in Victoria Island. I think I am finding love once again.
This evening I received an account balance alert of N500,000 from an anonymous person. I know that is from Femi. The money will lie dormant in my account until I can find something useful to do with it. Should I send the money to you?
THE END.
By Iniobong Umoh