Anonymous Story: I Was Raped Twice

I was raped twice. The first time, I was 7 or 8 years old. My maa had to work for our family so she never really had time to come pick me up from school, my siblings were all in boarding house so it was just me most of the time. My neighbour was the one that picked me up, on that faithful day she sent another of our neighbour and I reluctantly went with him. I got home and had to wait at his place until my maa got home. I slept off while waiting and woke up to manly hands around my thighs. I tried to scream but he muzzled my mouth with his hands, I remember feeling him penetrating me with his fingers, then proceeded with his penis. I cried the whole time and somewhere along the line his brother’s kids walked in and alerted the neighbours.

They all gathered and were all raining abuse on the guy and I can’t remember much. My mum got to know about it when she got home. She didn’t say much about it, she only scolded me and said it was my fault, or only I had stayed at home.(mind you, I was always alone at home) I remember feeling everything was my fault. I stopped going out to play for a while because of shame. I swear I was ashamed. “It’s your fault” I always told myself. I got over it alone, it was hard but I did. The guy was arrested after a while for stealing his brother’s properties, so I heard.

The second time was a guy who was dating my friend back in school. She asked me to go with her to Lagos to get goods she could sell in school. I was reluctant, but she pleaded saying I had good taste when it comes to shopping. I obliged her and went. We were supposed to stay at her aunt’s place but the lady travelled the day we got to Lagos. She then called the guy and he said we could crash at his place and he feigned annoyance saying she could have considered his place first. We got to his place and he kept on giving me side eye and perverted glances. Night came I begged my friend to please sleep with me in the guest bedroom, but you already know the answer to that request.

The room door couldn’t be locked from inside, so I said I was gonna stay awake until they both fell asleep because I didn’t trust him. I remember trying to stay awake the whole night, I finally fell asleep. I woke up to the door creaking (I sleep very lightly). I opened my eyes, praying silently I saw him come in. I begged him quietly, knelt down, asking home to please don’t. He then proceeded to tell me that begging wouldn’t make it easier, and that my friend wouldn’t even hear me(which was true cos she snores deeply). He grabbed me, I tried screaming for my friend but he closed my mouth. I struggled and struggled, then finally I got tired. He pinned me to the floor, raped me within few mins and left.

I didn’t have any emotions left, I stayed awake till morning. I didn’t even shower, I took my bag and left immediately at dawn. I think he woke my friend up because she caught up with me on the street. I couldn’t even tell her because I didn’t want to be the reason she broke up with the guy, but she somehow knew what was wrong and asked me to wait near an aboki shop on the street. She returned few mins later panting. I didn’t want to know what she did to him but I knew she did something to him and she never told me up to today. She took me to her uncle’s clinic to have me checked out, paid for my treatment. I kinda kept on telling her I’m sorry and that it was my fault. But she always scolded me and got angry that I was being stupid.

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