Zakia - Episode 15

For a whole week, I lived a comfortable life at the Relief Camp, despite the fact that I chose to seclude myself from everyone else. Of course, there were girls of my age there, nonetheless, all they did was simply stare weirdly at me, they never ventured any further than that, and thus, I'd also kept my distance.

Everyday, my routine was centred upon waking up, switching clothes, eating, whilst just gawking at the unfamiliar world around me, and the library that would've definitely been more helpful was really not functioning either. 

Frankly, it was exhausting; the fact that I had absolutely nothing to keep me pre-occupied. I wanted activities, I wanted my life to be infinitely more interesting, I wanted my mind to be busier than just ploughing through my past, horrifying experiences.

And I guess it was safe to say that I got just what I wanted, but not necessarily in a positive way.

It happened sometime around my second to third week at the so-called Relief Camp, when the Registrar, Mojeedu Rufai,- who was basically in charge of both the admission of people like myself into the camp, as well as the overall welfare of everyone,- had summoned me to his office after that day's lunch. Initially, I'd thought I'd done something wrong, and at the time, I really didn't want to risk having to leave the Relief Camp due to any non-chalant attitude on my own part. 

"Mr Mojeedu, I really don't know what I could've possibly done wrong, but just forgive me anyway," I'd begged in my own sheer ignorance. 

The man had seemed baffled by my unnecessary apologies, and he'd just laughed softly in return

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/zakia

. "You haven't done anything wrong Zakia, okay," He'd assured. "I just want to have a few words with you," he said simply. 

And I'd been patient after all, expecting him to say whatever it was that was on his mind.. yet, he chose to stay quiet, and instead he just kept approaching me, slowly bridging the woody desk that decently demarcated us. "Has any one ever told you how beautiful you really are Zakia.." He'd coaxed irritatingly. 

And there it was again.. There was something about the way he suddenly sounded that told me his motives were far from pure, there was something about the way his hands wouldn't stop touching my cheeks that told me he was up to no good. Instinctively, I stood up from the chair that I was occupying, away from his irritating touch on me, and the disgust that was written on my face was as apparent as I wanted it to look. 

"Sir, can you please just go straight to the point," I mumbled as politely as I could possibly afford; I wanted to be as civil as I possibly could.. but on that note, Mr Mojeedu and I were definitely not on the same page, because despite the gap that'd I'd already created between us, he refused to yield, bridging the safe distance all over again, until he was a little too close for me to actually remain calm. He went too far by dragging me by the waist, and almost subconsciously, I slapped him hard on the face. 

"What do you think you are doing?" I barked. At that point, I could feel my tears threatening to spill, and for some reason, my mind wouldn't stop wandering back to the rape incident that would've almost being, in the hands of the cruel Amir (leader). 

"I should be asking the questions around here Zakia.. How dare you raise your hands at me!" He fired back shamelessly. "Look, listen and listen good. I'm not the one without a family, I'm not the one without a home, Zakia. And if you're sure you really want to survive around here, you'll have to play my games, or else.." He'd said vaguely to me, but I hadn't stayed in his office for too long.

Read " Instinct: The Sequel " by the same author ( Ishola Ubaydah )

. Angrily, I'd stormed out of his office, and with tears all over my face. 

Nonetheless, all through that very day, I wondered what 'Or else..' meant. I wondered what could be the punishment for trying to save myself from being harassed. 

And I got my answers..  Because from the next day onward, my life at the Relief Camp suddenly changed. My room was taken away from me, my clothes were reduced to only a few, and I was also not offered any food anymore, just water.. And it didn't matter how many times I went to Mr. Mojeedu's office to beg him, he refused to pay me any mind. 

"This thing is simple Zakia," He'd said to me with a devilish smirk plastered on his stupid face. "Just be with me, and you'll have everything you want; everything you need.."

For days, his words echoed painfully in my head, and I'd been crying over my predicaments one night, when a dark-skinned girl had approached me. She hadn't said anything at first, she merely offered me an embrace which I'd allowed at the time; the comfort was something I really needed. "It's okay," she'd said to me. "I've also been in your shoes too, and so, I understand what you must be feeling.."

"And what exactly do you think I'm feeling?" I'd thrown the question at her out of sheer curiosity. 

But all she did was laugh weakly. "This camp is only a relief for boys, because for us girls, we have to get dirty, and sell our purities to survive; there's just no other way.."