Zakia - Episode 16

 

Back at the court, the reaction from the audience was just like I'd expected. 

Suddenly, no one seemed to be pointing the accusing fingers at me anymore; Suddenly, everyone kept gazing at me with nothing but pity. 

The Judge seemed emotional as well, even though I felt she was trying to hide that fact beneath her polished demeanor..  

"Order!" The Clerk yelled again, trying to get rid of the pitiful murmurs I was engulfed in, and it did stop, but only for a little bit. 

"So apparently, this case has taken a new turn due to the accused's confession . . hence, I'm adjourning this case to the 26th of this same month, which is only two weeks from now," The Judge announced hurriedly, before leaving the courtroom altogether. 

"Court!" The Clerk said conclusively in an high-pitched voice. 

And that automatically marked the end of that day's session regarding my case. 

I was escorted out of the courtroom with my hands cuffed, back into the dinky prison cell I'd been occupying for the past few weeks already, and I'd barely settled in, I'd barely calmed my nerves, when my attorney suddenly showed up. "All that you said out there Zakia, that was really brave of you," he commended

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/zakia

. But if only that would relieve me from the burden I still felt deep down. "I promise to follow your case through till the very end," He assured me. 

And he actually did fulfill his promise, because it didn't take long for the twenty-sixth to come knocking at the door, as the second session of my case slowly, but surely began. 

I watched the Prosecutor rant on and on about why I should be duly punished; after all, that was his job. Still, I felt he was being unfair, I felt he was being insensitive to all the things I'd had to experience in my life. Notwithstanding, my attorney was a professional as well, who laid down realistic points; who defended me despite the prosecutor's pessimism. 

"Zakia," The Judge had faced me sometime later. "Anything else you'll like to tell this court..?" She inquired tentatively. 

And I'd nodded slowly, sparing my lawyer a side glance for a go-ahead, before responding verbally. "Yes your Honour," I said.

Read " Preordained " by the same author ( Ishola Ubaydah )

. "My story hasn't ended yet.." 

*    *   * 

I gave up eventually. 

The hunger became too much for me to handle, I was unhealthy, I wanted to survive, and so I gave in to Mojeedu Rufai's proposal. 

If I were asked: What's the day you can never forget? I would definitely say: The day I can never forget was the day I lost my purity to Mojeedu Rufai (at just seventeen years of age). It'd been so brief, yet so painful: both physically and mentally. 

Of course, I didn't want to do it, but how else was I supposed to survive when there was no true person to report to? Not even the so-called Therapists. The other girls and even the older women had also had to go through the same thing at certain points in the Relief Camp too, and really, there'd been no other alternative for me either. 

He did keep his promise though; After our intimacy, things fell back into place. I got my room back, I got my clothes back, I got food, lots of food. It was as normal as my first week at the Relief Camp. But unfortunately, it still didn't end there.. Because Mojeedu Rufai selfishly wanted more, as my own refusal was always accompanied by the usual punishment: hunger, lack of clothes, lack of proper accommodation.. And each time it got too much for me to handle, I'd have no choice but to give in eventually: In this immoral game we were playing, Mojeedu Rufai was always coming out victorious, whilst I ended up as the loser. 

All these continued for months, longer than I could actually recall. I spent many sleepless nights in tears, praying and begging my Creator to deliver me from my predicaments. 

But let's just say my prayers didn't get answered as hurriedly as I wanted them to. Things weren't going my way.. And apparently, I got tired, I got fed up, I got extremely mad, I felt like either way, my life was already ruined..

Hence, the moment I found out I was pregnant, I decided to take action.

I decided to seek revenge,- not just for me, but for every other victim of Mojeedu Rufai's molestation.