Aisha had been in a very cruel world with emptiness. She had been sexually abused by her aunt's husband. She had been molested, frustrated and denied love , care , support , and security. The writer had highlighted rape as one of the trending sexual assault trending in Africa

  A'ISHA (EPISODE THREE)




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A'ISHA (EPISODE THREE) 

Begins......

Maxwell migrated to Eastern part of Nigeria due to the job opportunity he got there. It was very difficult to secure a good and presentable job here in Africa. Every citizens especially , the youths , struggled and hustled everyday of their life for a good job. Lack of job opportunities had resulted the citizens to partake more in crime and many had died of poverty.
The economic system of Nigeria was too poor and not presentable at all because the currency of the country looses it value at no cost which that had been one of the challenges the country had. The weak and poor citizens did not work and struggle to have money but rather they struggled to eat and ensured that they are able to send atleast one of their son to school for the hope of a better future.
Education had been one of the most salient thing a Nigerian parent must carter for his children. No matter your work status in the society , every parents were entitled to carter for their children's education though those with the poorest work status were considered too but it was adviseable to send atleast their eldest son to one of the public school in their locality established by the government.
I began to clear up the dinning table when my aunt went into a conversation with her husband. That was the habit they developed every day immediately after their evening meals. Nobody had the interest of paying attention to whatever they were discussing because it was a sort of boring discussion to us.
I'm travelling this weekend with Dr. Adekunle for a seminar at Delta". I heard my aunt informing her husband. The discussion became interesting though I was a bit anxious. I was filling the fridge in the dinning room with the remaining bottled water which was just kept beside it. I wasted extra two minutes there just to pay attention to their conversation.
"How long will that be?". Chief asked.
'Two weeks according to my boss". My aunt replied. I hissed shaking my head anxiously before I joined Matilda in the kitchen. I leaned by the wall feeling very worried as I watched her do the dishes . She observed my mood and demanded to know what the matter was.
'Really? That means I would go to Cecilia's place till whenever mum returns'. She said as I informed her about Aunty Alice's trip. I became more anxious and restless because I knew I would be left all alone with Chief and his son and that was what I never wanted in my entire life. I thought for a moment where I could go during my aunt's absence as silence engulfed the room. I knew it was time to face more than a lot of challenges from both Chief and his son.
I was retless couple of days before my aunt left to Delta state but I became relieved when I recalled the job interview I had. Though , the job interview was not enough to keep me absent from home but I was okay with it because I knew with time I would be over everything that had bothered me and eventually I would get the job.

Chief and his son , Benson , were at the balcony when he sent me to clean his study and bedroom as usual. I was really careful while carrying out those chores especially during the absence of my aunt and Maxwell. I layed his bed and brushed the floor thoroughly. Beads of sweat went round my face while my braided hair dangled round my neck , making me uncomfortable. I was really exhausted and unkept. The entrance door opened few minutes after I was through mopping the floor , I dashed out from the rest room with a long broom which I used to dust the ceiling of the bathroom. I stood by the door staring at him as he walked into the room. There was silence in the room which made it a graveyard. Weird thoughts ran through my mind as he kept staring at me with a smirk on his face. I quickly trashed the dust in the waste bin and left the room without saying a word to him. I ran into my room breathing heavily. I slammed the door when my eyes caught with the wall clock , it was 9:45 PM. I removed a pair of trouser and a shirt and ironed it thoroughly as I swam in thoughts and memories. I took a bathe and went on my night gown , I prayed shortly and went to bed. Though ,I was not drowsy at all but I was really tired and restless too. I had an interview the next day , I was excited but was still feeling discouraged.
I fell half asleep when the door to my room opened slowly. I forcefully opened my sleepy eyes and turned to the directon of my wall clock , it was 2:20 AM in the morning. I raised with a jerk the moment he came into my room. He placed his index finger in between his two lips.
"Not again". I whispered to myself. He crawled into my bed and threw himself on me. The grisly moves on my body irritated me so much , I struggled and jumped out of the bed when he threw his hands round my abdomen. I ran to the door with no waste of time and struggled to open the door , only to realized that he locked the door the moment he came into my room. It was so unfortunate and quite frustrating. That had been his daily routine since my aunty and my cousins left home. I was threatened and raped severally. I know he would have raped me that evening in his room if I didn't leave his room that moment he came in.
At first chief envied and accused me alot of things I never did because I blatantly refused to sleep with him. He kept harrassing me any day and anytime he had slight opportunities to do so. Reporting the case to my aunt didn't do any good for me except it gets to Maxwell's ears , that was when I would be relaxed and secured because he had always fought hard for my security at home. He reataliated every single time I got harrassed and gave his mother no reasons to save her marriage when her niece got into such troubles. Maxwell was more than my backbone , I could rest my head on his chest whenever I needed comfort and peaceof mind. Life was really unfair with me since the departure of Maxwell to the Eatern part of Nigeria. My aunt's cold attitude towards her husband's selfish and wayward life made me feel that she was greedy and self centered. She secured and protected her new marriage than her own children's happiness.
Two months after the death of her first husband , her husband's people and their traditions made life so unbearable for her , especially , when she declined the marriage proposal of her late husband's brother , Chief Silas Mmadukananya. After declining the marriage proposal several times , she was accused of killing her husband for money rituals and some selfish reasons
because the late Chief Donatus Eze was seen as a man whom was not buoyant enough to raise his family to the society expectations due to his work status. Aunty Alice was the breadwinner of her family and that was not a problem to her because she had always loved and cherished her husband and family so much. She was humiliated ,frustrated and threatened by her husband's people that even the traditions and their beliefs could not save her from the wrath and agony. All these had happened a year after the death of my late father and she had no home or family to defend her or fight for her right and freedom. Her people including her father , rejected her and her late brother , my father. My father had told me little secrets about his family and how he lost his mother earlier before he died.
Many years ago , a God-fearing woman lost her marriage because she devoted herself to God Almighty instead of following the beliefs and traditions of the Islamic religion. She was highly recognised and expected to lead other people , especially , the women to be a zealous and devoted Muslims. She was also expected to join the people in practising some customs and traditions , mostly , during their festive seasons and ceremonies. She was said to be the wife to Muhammedu Rashidi , the oldest son of sarkin Tanimu , the emir of Katsina. Muhammedu Rashidi was given the title of sullubawa clan as the first son of the Emir. He was an influential top member of the clan , especially , during the Holy War which was known as "Jihad" in Hausa land.
As a member of the sullubawa clan and a title holder , both him and his household were expected to protect the norms and traditions of the people including their religious beliefs. He was to show good morals to the society as a prove that he would lead the people when he inherit the the traditional power from his father.
According to my late father , being a Christian at that time was something aborminal because the people were threatened that their norms , beliefs , customs and traditions would be buried if they dared to practise Christianity. Muhamedu Rashidi whom had loved his wife so passionately became so infuriated and envious to his wife commitment in the worship of "Foreign God".
A'Isha Rashidi was rejected and despised in the society. She lost her marriage as a result of being a Christian and she knew that her life could be endangered to so many forces since she failed to be a devoted mother to the beliefs , customs , and traditional practises of her people. She didn't hesitate to teach her children the ways of being a good Christians and that brought alot of hatred from so many people in the society. She ran away with her two kids which was my late father and Aunty Alice and settled in Calabar , the capital of Cross River state before she died. My father had always praised her mostly when one of his favourite native delicacy was prepared by my mother back then when they were still alive. He told me how virtuous and God-fearing his mother was and never failed to give a remarkable honour to her each times he visited her grave. He had loved his mother so much that he named both me and baby Ashlyn after her. A'Isha was given to her by her father during her naming ceremony but when she finally grew up to become a wife and mother , her husband changed her name to Habibah because she was such a lovely soul no man would want to let go. Though , changing her name to Habibah
didn't stop any one from refering her as A'Isha because Habibah was seen as a pet name given to her by her husband. My father told me that he named me A'Isha instead of Habibah because the moment I was born alot of promises and good dreams were fulfilled in his life , especially , that of establishing one of the biggest oil company in the country. He was a nobody in the society and all he did for survival was to export palm oil to other states , sometimes if he was lucky enough to find connections , he would be asked to deliver them at the sea port. Life was really terrible for him that he never wanted to give up. He had promised to educate Aunty Alice with whatever he generated as income and giving up was something he never wanted because he was always a man of his words. My father cherished me so much that he always refer me to his mother on a daily basis and didn't bother giving me an English name or baptismal name just the way he did during Baby Ashlyn's naming ceremony and baptism. When baby Ashlyn was born my father felt the love of his mother throw his wife even when she was not able to give him a make child like his mother did. He saw his mother in both me and Habibah and always pray for the grace to train us according to the way of the Lord. Though , he did but death didn't let him eat the fruit of his labour neither did Baby Ashlyn enjoyed that father's care like I did. He told me about many girls whom are deprived the right of choice and hapiness.
" A'Isha be happy with the little you have and never misuse an opportunity given to you to become a better person because alot of girls even smaller than you are , craving for quarter of what you have as little". He advised one cold Saturday evening during one of our deep conversations. Many are molested , abadoned , and abused in the society because an impression was given that women are all "Weak Souls". So many girl's future had been buried in their early grave as a result of child trafficking/abuse and early marriage which was practised in the society. Most of those girls , mostly those who resided in the Northern part of Nigeria , had been killed by some dreadful diseases like; Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) , Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) , Internal bleeding ,and other numerous dreadful diseases. Those girls who were victims of early marriage , were exposed to those dreadful diseases as a result of being forced to make love with their husband. They were never handled with care and their sex steroids and hormones were not strong enough to satisfy a man's sexual pleasure. Many who were not strong enough , died during the process of child bearing and some got infected by any of those dreadful diseases which could lead them to their early grave. In Africa as a whole , women were used as sexual dolls and men had that ideology that a man can't benefit much from a woman except breeding children , satisfying their sexual pleasure and making the family meals. They felt sponsoring a woman in her academics was a waste of time and resources because all they were expected to do was to stay at home and become a home device for family planning and child grooming.

BRAIN TWISTER:
* What do you think is the best thing A'Isha could do to avoid being raped by Chief Mmadukananya at that time? Remember the door was locked.
* Would you pull down the door without considering if he was with a gun or any harmful substances?.
* Due to the sexual abuse our teenage girls and women face in the society , what do you think is more adviseable to do to kill the impression that women are the "Weak Souls" in the society?.
  
Axact

Yire Fwesh

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