TO LURE 30 WARDENS
The Judge had a thing for me I could see it in his eyes, he looked at me as if I were the murderer. Even if I were "na Im son I kill"? I hear other prisoners talk in whispers they say today is the final day of my hearing, I believe it's judgement day.
As usual my legal representative sat at the front row, elegantly dressed,her emotional attachment to my case was evident from the way she kept tapping her fingers on the huge mahogany table_ she would cast glances at me and then at her notes, there were visible tears in her eyes.
The Judge sauntered into the court room some minutes before the huge black wretched clock struck nine. My case was called. I knew the numbers HC/2014/D506, The State V. Atainim Mkpo-Ayafun. I was led to the dock unfettered by the prison warden who accompanied me to court. My lawyer gave a long speech which I did not pay attention to, even the Judge was not paying attention he kept his eyes fixed on me, he ate me up with his eyes, he undressed me and began to lick me, his tongue and body seemed to be in some kind of rhythm. I consciously held my blouse as if trying to stop him from tearing them away with his gaze. He had committed a crime, he just had carnal knowledge of me without my permission, maybe I cannot prove it but he had sure harassed me with his eyes. I stuck my hand up to say something.
I began to speak of how uncomfortable the Judge made me feel, before I could finish I was hushed they muttered one grammar "contempt of court" and another "committal" aye I did not understand. My counsel was begging the Judge she said a magic word that seemed to calm the judge "purged of all contempt" wetin concern me?
The court session continued normally without any interference of any sort. At the end the Judge read out his judgement, some lengthy stuff meaningless to me. I seemed to be somewhere else, time spent behind bars had changed me. I think it was about me becoming insane rather than being corrected like they claimed abi no be "correctional facility " una dey call am; I was damaged beyond repairs.
"The sentence of this court upon you the convict is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may the Lord have mercy on your soul"
Just then my mind became open, alert, alas cure had come. The realisation suddenly hit me. My elder brother had been killed earlier that is what brought me here.
They say I had motive for killing him. I came home to share the goodnews, my boyfriend had popped the huge question and I said "Yes", I was getting married. I saw him sitting on the bed but his back was turned to me, I called and he did not answer the door was open. I walked up to envelope him in my embrace but I met his corpse in a pool of his own blood. I screamed out of fear, and pain_ I could not leave him like that, I called this "Udo obot" shey na police una dey call am. On arrival they tied ribbons all over the house claiming they were marking the crime scene.
They took me away in handcuffs, I was not even allowed to say anything in my defence. The rest of the story_ I do not know, I only remember being taken to a dark cell where my entire life ended.
That dark cell was a prostitution ring, we were taken out on Friday nights fed and washed and given pieces of cloth to wear. "Dance for your freedom we were told"; Nobody knows you exist, you will be killed and no one will question us".
I had been at this for sometime, an amazing customer asked for my company that night. I had danced with lust,fear and hatred that night. The emotion within me was intense and soon bore expression, the dance floor got cleared everyone watched me_ just at the nick of time disaster came calling.
I bathed with my mind made up I was going to runaway tonight, I would beg for mercy later but I needed to do something urgently. Yes! "Money for hand back for ground" a man was going to devour me as usual I thought, my mind had tricked me. My scheduled lover for the night began by asking me to stroke his back, we talked we laughed and drank. Then my foolish brain starting sending signals to my gutter of a mouth, "help me escape this place and I will do anything you ask.
Silence fell_ a tap on the door two hefty dogs were brought in, and he said to me show my dogs your loyalty first. I became drowsy, oh good Lord I wish I slept off, my hand were tied while these animals licked me all over and scratched my skin, they devoured my entire body for hours. I thought the nightmare was over, my body was sent into fits with whips from a horse whip, so did blinding slaps, the bastard was on top of me. I had cried and wept till my body was weak. If this was the price of freedom I would readily pay it.
I do not remember sleeping off, I woke up in a darker cell, I was being punished for last night. My freedom was no where nigh. I was terribly hurt at that realisation, the thoughts of the previous night flooded my brain and I passed out.
I looked over to the gallery where my fiance sat, he was struggling to hide his tears, I saw my friends and I could not bear anymore. I broke down not in tears, but the will to live was gone, I could not fight.
I was already too damaged, there was nothing left for me, I would carry the scar for years, would any man want me knowing my past even though it was not my fault? These questions tormented me as I was led out of the dock and taken to the van, it was not a black maria like that of the "road to bar beach".
My lawyer came up to my cell the next day, she said the Law would not see me killed if I got pregnant before the day of the execution. Weeks passed and I was still searching for a man who will get me pregnant.
The government was fast responding to the public out cry of overcrowded prisons, a list was made of every inmate awaiting execution. Approval was given to have the sentence carried out in less than two weeks.
Every warden I managed to pay and lure would spill their seed outside my body and threaten to beat me up whenever I complained. There were thirty wardens I had slept with twenty five. I was due for the last five and I had barely one week to go.
I was being laid by the thirtieth prison warden who equally spilled on the floor, In my confusion and desperation, admist tears I sat with my legs stretched apart and I took every single drop of his fluid and put them into my body. I resisted the urge to pee for fear that It may all come out in my urine.
I had five days to go, the prison was being de-congested, I had been scheduled_ my turn had come. I woke up that morning and told myself I must not shed any tear, the locks on my cells were taken away and replaced on my legs and wrists.
I was led to sunlight after so many weeks of utter darkness. They put a black cloth over my face and the pastor began to say some words, my stomach churned and next I vomited. I woke up in the hospital, my results were due to be out soon.
The Doctor neatly clad in a white Lab coat said to me, "congratulations, madam you are going to be a mother". The Doctor immediately turned away after asking every official in the room to step out side so I could rest.
Few weeks later am still in prison but a much better facility, am being given medical attention, my friends visit and and am told I can go after my baby turns Six. Far better than to hang from a noose I thought to myself.
Truth is I was not pregnant, the Doctor gave them a fake result, and kept injecting me with hormones to make me appear pregnant, am wondering where the baby will come from.....
A cock crows, you know that kind of cock that has not found food to eat in days? I wake up from my nightmare still sweating.
#girlfromthesouth
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