FROM BROKEN TO FREE

I was ten when I learned that smiles can hide monsters. Uncle K had the warmest smile in our village. Whenever he visited from the city, Mama would cook her best soup, and Papa would bring out the kola nuts reserved for important guests. I would sweep the compound, fetch water, and kneel properly to greet him. “Our intelligent daughter,” they would say proudly. “She will make us proud someday.” That evening, the house was filled with laughter and the rich aroma of Mama’s cooking. For a moment, I felt safe inside the happiness of my family. Then night came. Everyone slept peacefully while I stared into the darkness, unaware that childhood could disappear in a single moment. A hand covered my mouth. Fear wrapped itself around my small body before I even understood what was happening. I remember the smell of his perfume. I remember the sound of my heartbeat. And most painfully, I remember that his smile never faded. By morning, the world acted normal again. Before leaving, he placed his hand gently on my head and smiled at my father. “Take care of this clever girl,” he said. I said nothing. In our home, children respected elders without question. Good girls stayed quiet. Good girls never brought shame to the family. So I became the best girl I knew how to be. Silent. I learned how to divide myself into two people. At school, I joined the drama club. On stage, I became queens, warriors, and heroines. I could laugh loudly there. I could breathe there. For one brief hour, I was someone untouched by pain. But when the curtain closed and the applause faded, the silence returned to claim me again. I was ten when I learned that some wounds do not bleed. They settle quietly inside the soul, waiting patiently for the day their owner finally finds the courage to speak. This is the day I stopped hiding behind silence.