Because, It's you.

CHAPTER NINE

It is for freedom,

I have been freed…

But with wisdom,

I have lived.

Oluwatoyosi

Flashback....

"Dara, iron this cloth now" My boss, Mrs. Akpan, said putting an Ankara gown on the ironing table on top of the pile of dresses I still needed to iron.

"Yes, ma'am" I answered in a tired voice and looked at the pile of dresses on the table and immediately felt like crying. I was going to leave the shop so late again today.

"Well, it's not that bad, it's not like I'm dying to go home. Just get this done Dara and you'll be so tired to notice how your life is" I muttered under my breath before picking up that was set down.

I started working as an apprentice in this fashion house a year ago and I was seriously hoping I don't faint. I was so glad the pastor and his wife agreed to take care of Grace while I work. I don't have any friends as most of them here are males and about three females, and even they don't like to interact with me because I don't have anything to say and all they do is gossip. I have been living my life barely but the church had sponsored my training in this place.

"Hey, can you help me put buttons on this shirt" Hannah, another apprentice like me, places a shirt dress on the table and left without waiting for my response?

I sighed and looked at her, I didn't like confrontations and I liked doing things invisibly but I don't like it when people think they can walk all over me, I had learned when I was working as an assistant teacher that being silent doesn't mean you can't fight for yourself, it just means, you have enough compassion to not let the fight turn into hatred besides the bible said to do all things with wisdom.

"Lord, fight for me right now, I'm so exhausted" I muttered before taking the shirt dress and placing it in front of her.

"I will do it when I'm done with all my work and that can be tomorrow, is that okay?" I asked with a genuine tired smile knowing that she didn't have any work to do anymore and just wanted to get me angry but that won't work.

"Oh, you are busy. Don't worry, I'll do it" She replied seeing that our boss passed by. I smiled inwardly at that and went back to ironing.

I finally finished up with my work at past 9 pm and quickly arranged everything before locking up the shop since everyone had left since 6 pm. I called the pastor and asked him if it was okay for Grace to stay the night with them and he agreed. Sighing, I started walking to the church where I lived. The pastor and his family had decided that since I had nowhere to go, I could stay in the attic room upstairs where everyone thinks it was bad. I kept thanking them and repaying them by always cleaning the church. I would leave Grace with them during the day and take her when I'm done with work.

I walked carefully on the almost deserted road, it was so late and in this part of Lagos, people don't stay out late as there are no shops near here. Getting home, I removed my shoes and went to the corner where I always used to cook to make noodles. After eating I collapsed on the bed and dozed off only to be awakened by the sound of my door opening. I panicked and moved backward careful not to make a sound but it didn't work as the person busted in.

"It was..aasn't easy to fo..ollow yo..u ho..me." The voice of the man, who constantly tried to touch me met my ears and I could feel the panic in me rise. He sounded drunk.

"If only you had given to my advances, none of this would have happened" I whimpered as he walked so fast in a slurry movement to grab my hand. I squirmed and tried to shout only for my mouth to be covered with a large hand.

"Now, let me enjoy what I have patiently been waiting for" he placed his hand on my back and jerked me forward to himself.

I tried to scream and wiggle out of his hold but he placed me firmly on the wall. I trashed and trashed, fighting him with my legs but he just tied a cloth over my mouth and held my hands above my head. My tears were pouring, as I constantly shook my head so he won't place his filthy lips on me.

My body fought his touch, it was disgusting, but he just placed his legs on mine and his lips on my neck. I deeply regret changing to my singlet and shorts. He wasted no time unbuttoning my shorts and placed his dirty mouth on my stomach tracing his tongue down my abdomen.

I fought so hard but got slapped in return. He tore my singlets and harassed my breast using one hand to put my hands in place and the other to unzip his trouser. I continue to trash, not caring about the pain in my head as I felt his dirty thing at my entrance, I jerked so violently that his hands loosened a bit and I took the opportunity to take the first thing my hand could touch which was my pot and I hit his head as he almost penetrated fully into me.

I continued to hit his head with the pot until he stopped moving. I removed his huge body from mine, crying my eyes out as I slid away from under him and I ran.

End of Flashback

My eyes watered as my they fluttered open from the horrible nightmare that showed my memories. I never ran or fought as hard as I did that day. He was my Madam's brother; he had always tried to touch me inappropriately but I made sure to be around my madam every time he came by.

Apparently, it wasn't enough. I had run to the house of the pastor that helped me and told him everything. He helped me call the police that night and Emeka was arrested. It caused a huge ruckus at work as his sister couldn't believe it until she was told that he was found in my room unconscious and his zip opened. I never saw him again after that but it still didn't relieve me because I had become the talk of the shop and my madam became a bit extra.

My past never bothered me because it was my past. I have worked so hard to get to where I am now. I lay there for forty minutes praying silently. My mouth didn't move but my tears and heart communicated my pain to God. Thank God it's Saturday.

"Mummy, what's wrong?" Grace asked looking at me with her small eyes. I smiled as I cleaned my tears and hugged her. The first time I was molested was when I was thirteen but I don't know if molest is the right word since he was my husband.

"Will you follow me to shop today?" I asked her with a smile and she nodded getting off me to enter the bathroom.

"Wait, wa gba le ko to wo baluwe" I said in Yoruba and she immediately came out to sweep first. (Wait, come and sweep the floor before you enter the bathroom).

Grace and I finished everything we needed to do before I woke Praise up.

"Babe, we are leaving o. I warmed the remaining rice in the pot so you can eat" I told her but she just nodded and gestured with her hands for us to leave.

Getting to my shop, I immediately start cleaning and setting up. I tried to cheer myself up by talking with Grace because I didn't have a lot of work to do and I was going to work on my departmental dresses for Anjola, Praise, Adeola, and me. Honestly, it would be till the second semester before we get to wear it but I knew that next semester will be so busy that we decided to just sow it now.

"I see that you're busy" I jumped at the sudden voice. I had gotten immersed in my work that I didn't notice someone walk in. Looking up, I see the only man I'm not irritated by, smiling at me.

"Hey, good afternoon. How are you?" I asked, out of habit while being a little cautious since Grace was here. I didn't want to get so relaxed with him around, he still confuses me but not to the extent to which I should be rude, and, he did say we should be friends.

"I'm fine, what about you?" Adeyemi replied, still with a smile on his face, and placed a black polybag on my working table. I stopped the work I was doing and looked at him. Grace was sleeping since she had finished her assignments and helped me out a little.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here? And what is this?" I asked pointing at the polybag. He draws a stool nearer to me and sits down before pulling out a container that looked like a food flask out of the polybag.

"I'm here because you told me that you get to shop very early on Saturdays and only eat a little before leaving your hostel, so as the kind human being I am, I brought you lunch," he said while setting the food flask in front of us. I was speechless. Why is he doing this? Especially when I'm hungry, maybe he's Godsent.

"How did you know, I'd be hungry?" I asked, not knowing what else to say. Could I even trust him to eat this? Aah, Dara, why are you such an overthinker? it's not like he poisoned the food. But what if he did? This is Nigeria, anything can happen.

"I knew you'd give that reaction on your face, so, I'll eat the food first, and then you can decide to join me. I haven't eaten either and I have an evening lecture" he said, while my hands flew to touch my face.

Did he notice my skeptical look? He smiled at my actions and opened the lid of the flask and my stomach immediately growled. It was fried rice with turkey; it looked so good. He dished his part onto the small plate inside the flask and ate at least five spoonsful of the food before looking at me.

"See? Nothing is wrong with it. I bought it at the canteen by your shop" he pointed at the food and motioned for me to eat. I turned my head to the side and took a good look at the food, I was really hungry and I didn't want the food to go to waste. Let's just think about the effort he put into buying the food.

"Thank you for the food and sorry for being a skeptic," I said, before picking up the spoon to start eating.

Oh my God. Heaven exploded in my mouth. The food was delicious.

"You are welcome and no problem. If you don't mind me asking; why do you act like that?" he asked with a look that said 'I'm genuinely just curious' I didn't know whether to tell him anything about myself but what could a little opening up do?

"I wasn't always like this, there were times when I was very little that I had no care in the world but growing up in the kind of place I did, taught me life never happens the way you want it," I answered with a shrug and take another spoon full of food.

"What kind of place did you grow up in? It must have taken a lot out of you to not experience the kind of life you want" he looked at me with a curious concerned face.

"I grew up in the north, my parents were Hausa-Fulani so I had strict rules to follow seeing as I was born a girl child. My childhood wasn't all that great and I didn't have any friends but as I grew, I understood the kind of place I was" I said while thinking about how I grew up. When I found out that my parents had intentions of selling me, I became mature overnight.

"Hausa-Fulani? But why is your name Oluwadarasimi, shouldn't you have a Hausa name?" I was taken aback, by his concerned face and questions because I have never had to deal with telling someone of how or where I grew up, so finding it odd, I just shrugged and smiled. I didn't think it was okay or the time to tell a guy about my charmed life. He must have noticed that I wasn't going to say anything so he sighed and ate.

"You don't have to tell me. I'm sorry for asking, I just really want to get to know you because I feel like you keep carrying a weight that is long overdue to drop but I will respect your wishes and wait for you to tell me on your own" he smiled genuinely at me and tapped my hand. I felt a prick in my heart at his words. He was right, I was carrying baggage that I just buried and never really let go of because I don't know how. I guess the bible was right saying 'my people perish for lack of knowledge.

"Thanks," I said flatly because I didn't know what else to say. He just smiled and looked around before his eyes focused on Grace who was still sleeping on the couch. I could feel myself panicking as I tried to keep a relaxed face.

"She's beautiful just like her mother" okay, those were not the words I expected to leave his mouth but it made me relax and smile a little. I was still cautious.

"Yes, she is. She's the only thing I have" I said and looked at my sleeping daughter.

"As I said, you don't have to explain anything to me. I was caught off-guard that day and thought you were married. I'm sorry" he looked at me with compassion and not pity.

"It's okay. I'm not married, I mean I was, her dad died when she was very young and it wasn't exactly easy for me where I grew up, it's not like I wanted to get married at such a young age but it produced her and I'm grateful" I said with a smile not wanting to let myself feel down than I already am. His face held surprise at my mention of being married. He shook his head and smiled.

"Okay let's get rid of the dark atmosphere. How about you tell me if there is anything you need help with on your project." I was grateful for the change of topic and smiled a little.

"Yes, I have a presentation next week Wednesday and I'm not prepared., I guess I'll take a day off to work on it" I eat the last fried rice on my plate and drink water.

"Cool, just tell me the day and we'll do it together" I just nodded in response.

"Alright. What time is your class?" I asked, because, since he was here, he could do the heavy lifting.

"Aah, by 4 pm, why?" he asked looking at his watch. It was past 2 pm now. I smiled mischievously, let's find out how strong Mr. Adeyemi is.

"Can you help me lift that box of fabric? I have no idea how my apprentice got that up there" I pointed at the box on the top shelf that I have tried to get down but refuses to be lifted by me. I wasn't tall, on the contrary, I was short. I was at elbow level with Adeyemi and I found it weird whenever he stands near me.

"o fe lo mi abi?" I suddenly burst out laughing at his attempt to speak Yoruba fluently with a British accent as he smiled back. I didn't know it but this guy was starting to break the first layer of walls I had built around my life. (So, you want to use me, right?)

Author’s note

Curious right?

What exactly happened in her past? Why is her name Oluwadarasimi?

I feel bad for her. How much she must have worked right?

Will Adeyemi be strong enough to bring down her walls? And how will he do it?

Anywho, how was the chapter?

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I’m counting on you guys. Thank you for following this story thus far.

Creation is hard, cheer me up!