If a man destroy the eye of another man, they shall destroy his eye
– Hammurabi
Dear Di,
My mind began to run in circles and I wondered at what bad luck Dera has had. Of all people to come across in your moment of need and despair, it was John. I’d rather face Abike’s aunt, Aunty Sheri, any day. Well, that is gist for another day.
“I hadn’t had time to think about what I was going to do and I just needed a place to lay my head and he gave me that. I guessed he took advantage of the fact that I was still in shock and handled everything,” Dera continued.
“Is that why you married him?” Abike asked.
He says we are married, but I have no recollection of that. I’d managed to stop him from sleeping with me for the past one month, but he….” She began to cry. I had a bad feeling about this.
“What did he do?” I asked quietly.
“He almost succeeded in raping me last night,” I could barely make out the words, but I got the gist.
“I went to the hospital early this morning and they called the police, because he beat me up, but managed to avoid my face. They said they couldn’t do anything since I was married to him, but I told them I wasn’t. It was as if my senses returned to me. I could remember everything that happened. That night I saw John, he asked what happened to me and I told him everything down to the wealth my mother left me. Then a few days later he comes in with a document and says he’s trying to help me fight for what’s rightfully mine and that I would need to sign some documents. I didn’t read them; I just signed. Later that evening he brings home take out and wine and says it’s our wedding night. I didn’t care anymore, I felt I’d lost everything, so I told him he would need to give me some time to get myself so I could be a proper wife.
Then two weeks after, I started feeling pains and did some tests and was told I had PID. It was from sharing the same toilet. He didn’t come near me at all, because he once had an infection that made urinating so painful and the doctor warned him that if he continued this way he would end up impotent. He left the house for almost two weeks and when he returned three days ago he noticed that the shock was wearing off, so he began to make advances but I refused. He let me be without saying anything. Meanwhile, I’d seen Dapo on one of the days I went out and I thought he could help me. Last night, I discussed going to look for a job or possibly getting in touch with Jasmine and he asked why. He said not to bother, got up to go get a bottle of wine and downed it. I quickly retreated into the room. By 12pm, I heard him snoring deeply and thought the danger was past so I went to have my bath and when I came into the room, he shut the door behind me. He was hiding behind the door. I fought him off; I tried. When he couldn’t force my legs open, he began to beat me.”
“Hush now,” I put my arms around her as she began to cry again. “Everything will be fine, I promise.” Abike looked at me, probably wondering what I had in mind.