MY STEP FATHER

Episode 2

I was wide awake but the room was dark, obscuring my vision. As the person approached me, fear gripped me, and I trembled with apprehension. I felt hands on my body, and in a moment of panic, I shouted loudly, "Jesus!" and quickly sat up.

My stepfather was the first to burst into the room, closely followed by my mother. They swiftly switched on the light, revealing the tense atmosphere in the room."My stepfather was the first to rush in, closely followed by my mother. They switched on the light.

"Onome, what's wrong?" My mother inquired.

"Mama... I... I saw someone... I couldn't talk."

"Onome, calm down and tell us. What did you see?" prompted my stepfather.

"Someone entered... my room and touched my body," I stammered in response.

"Who was it?" my mother pressed.

"I didn't see the person's face."My mother's expression turned to one of surprise. "Someone in your room, Onome? Are you certain?"

"I am certain, ma'am," I affirmed.

"Or perhaps you were dreaming?" my stepfather suggested.

"No, sir, I was wide awake," I assured them.

Despite my earnestness, my mother remained skeptical. She dismissed my account, accusing me of disrupting the harmony in her household.One Saturday afternoon, my mother took the children out for shopping, and my stepfather left the house, only to return shortly after.

"Welcome, sir," I greeted him.

"Ah, Onome, where is your mother and the kids?" he inquired.

"They went out," I replied.

He nodded and asked me to fetch him a glass of water, which I promptly did. Just as I was about to leave, he stopped me.

"Wait," he said. "Do you want me to do something for you?"

"What is it, sir?" I asked.

"What class are you currently in?" he queried.

"I am about to write my senior WAEC," I responded.

"Ah, that's good. So, do you have a boyfriend?" he unexpectedly asked.Amazement swept across my face at his unexpected question.

"No, sir, I don't have a boyfriend," I replied.

He smiled warmly. "Wow, with such a wonderful body like yours, you are too beautiful to be single."

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Sir, I am comfortable being alone, so I don't need a boyfriend."

He then instructed me to return to my room, which I did. I couldn't help but ponder over the fact that my stepfather rarely left the house, yet he seemed to possess substantial wealth. The source of his money remained a puzzle to me.I made it a habit to pray both upon waking up and before going to bed.

One cool evening, after everyone had retired for the night, I found myself unable to sleep. Despite my efforts to drift off, my eyes refused to close. In an attempt to soothe my restlessness, I decided to fetch a glass of chilled water from the freezer. The house was eerily silent as I indulged in a refreshing drink.

As I ascended the stairs to return to my room, a cool and gentle voice suddenly called out, softly uttering my name, "Onome."I turned sharply, my heart racing, but there was no one behind me. Despite the empty hallway, I was certain I had heard my name being called. An overwhelming sense of fear consumed me as I stood frozen in place, straining to hear the voice once more.

Panicked, I dashed upstairs to my room, my pulse pounding in my ears. Upon reaching safety behind my closed door, I retreated to a corner, trembling uncontrollably as if I had narrowly escaped drowning in a river."Jesus... Jesus, help me," I cried out desperately.

"Onome, come..." a voice beckoned.

"Go away! I am covered by the blood of Jesus," I defiantly responded.

The next morning, I recounted the harrowing events to my mother and expressed my desire to leave their home. In response, my mother's hand struck my face with a hot slap.