A VIRGIN'S ORDEAL

A VIRGIN'S ORDEAL CHAPTER 1 Mena strolled into the compound with a bag of sachet water in her right hand which her father had sent her to buy. He never drank the water from the kitchen tap because he felt it was not good for his health. She entered into the house and met her father sitting on one of the chairs in the parlour, she quickly walked past him and went straight to his room to drop the bag, as soon as she came out, he called her and she went to meet him. "Daddy, you called me!" "Where is my change?" "Ehn?" She said confused as he stood up. "What do you mean by ehn? Where is my change?" He said leaning towards her. "But daddy, you gave me #100" "And so.... You are supposed to bring back #10 right?" "Daddy, the woman said its #100 she sells her own o" Mena said as he decended on her. "You're mad and stupid! Very useless child?" He said as he pounded her like he was pounding yam, she began to yell and beg, but all to no avail, he quickly removed his belt and raised it to flog her. Mena quickly raised her hand in defense and shut her eyes, she waited for the stinging pain to come but instead, no pain came, she slowly opened her eyes and saw her elder brother suspending their father's hand up in the air. "Efe! How dare you?" He turned to look at Efe who had thrown the belt on the chair close to him. "Why won't I? Tell me, you keep beating this girl everytime, See... If you don't stop this, I will just have to best you myself okay?" He said as he walked up to Mena who was still crying and already bleeding from her lower lip, he stretched his hand to her. "Come!" He said as she quickly obliged and held his hand. "Have you eaten since morning?" He asked her. "No" She replied still sobbing. "Why?" He asked her as she raised her face to look at her father who was looking back at her with great anger, she looked away almost immediately. "Daddy said mummy should not give me food" She said more of a whisper. Efe was shocked as he starred at his father. "You're not a father but a beast!" He said as he walked out of the parlour into the room pulling Mena along. Mr Umukoro only stood there shocked at his son's boldness, though Efe was just 22 but he was already having a muscular body like that of a wrestler and this made his father to be scared of him, that was why he couldn't say anything even when Efe had called him a beast, he made to sit but he just couldn't, he was so angry that he stormed into his room and shut the door. ✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️ It was another Sunday and the family of umukoro were already dressed for church. They were about to enter into their new car when Mr Umukoro Drew their attention with the slap he gave to Mena. "You useless child! Where do you think you're going to? Ooh... You want to spread your bad luck around the car abi?". "But daddy, I did not do anything o" Mena said amidst tears. "Are you mad? Infact, if you say more words, I'll slice your neck into two" He said as he entered into the car. The whole family inside the car chatting and laughing but just two people were left out of the laughter, Mrs Umukoro and Efe. Mrs Umukoro felt pity for Mena but she just couldn't say anything, for the feast of being beaten and thrown out of the house by her husband. Efe on his part quickly wanted to alight from the car. "Efe, where are you going? Did you forget something?" Mr Umukoro asked. "Yes! We all forgot something here?" Efe replied. "We?" "Yes Dad! Mena is part of the family Dad" He said as a grin showed on his face. "And so?" "She should be in the car with us Dad!" Efe said angrily. "Efe, She's a girl" "She's a girl doesn't mean she's a slave Dad, if you don't like females, then why did you marry Mom then?" Efe asked as he hit the front seat where his mother was sitting and she jerked. "Efe! Such arrogant!" His father shouted. "I don't care Dad! Of Mena isn't going with us in the car, then am going with her! But!" He finally said as he alighted and walked towards Mena. "Efe, will you come back here, I said come back here now" All honking of the car horn and shouting fell on deaf ears as the both of them walked away. "I must deal with that girl, let's come back first!" Mr Umukoro said as he drove past them and almost splash water on them. "Brother Efe, why does daddy hate me so much?" Mena asked "I don't know but according to him, he doesn't like females" "Really? Why wouldn't he? Is Grandma not a female or is she a man? She gave birth to him and he hates someone like her? Those are just excuses... He's just being selfish!" She said as she hissed. "Nice words.... Wish you can say them to him" "Ah! No o... You just want to get me killed!" She said as they both burst out laughing.