“ Shantel” her mother called from the bedroom
15 years ago…
“Shantel” her mother called from the bedroom. Shantel ran and within a few seconds, she was facing her mother with a very tense silence. Her father laid straight on their marital bed, a kind smile lingering on his lips.
“Shan, im leaving, as I told you. Wanted to give you these rules before your father…” her mother started. She was a properly well-built woman with sharp eyes that had a glitter deep inside her round eye balls.
Shantel knew at the back of her head that her mother was leaving for a business trip in Switzerland. She would be away for two whole weeks. She was the only child born to the couple and just at a tender age of twelve, she had developed a striking kind of beauty and her breasts had started developing. She had beautiful curves and a slightly big behind that most people mistook her to be older than her age.
“Always keep this house tidy, and make sure your father doesn’t miss any meals…” her mother said. She was facing the mirror, applying some copper girl and pink permanent lipstick on her face and lips. She never faced at her as she talked.
“Don dare bring here any friends….and whenever you from school, keep indoors until your father returns. I’ll be back soon okay?”
“ Okay mama…” her mother stood, and turned towards her husband with a mischievous smile.
“ Time…” she said, and started walking out. Her husband jumped up from the bed, and getting hold of the suitcase, followed his wife into the garage, where they both got into their black Pajero and drove off to the airport.
Shantel watched them from a small hole in the curtain and as soon as the car joined onto the main road, and disappeared, she gave out a sigh of relief. She knew she had to be part of this family. She knew that she was also meant to sit at the back of that car, and watch her mother off…engulf each other in their arms and with kisses bid themselves farewell. But she wasn’t there. And she was glad she wasn’t there.
This was a place; she would never call home according to her. Her mother was a very wealthy woman, and she knew her father had fell in love with her just for the wealth. There was nothing like love between the two. Her mother was in position to control her father, and make her do all that she wanted. And he always respected it.
The only thing Shantel failed to understand was who the wife among the two was…and this wasn’t even a problem. The problem was the fact that she was not loved. She never really knew what a mother and father’s love felt like, yet she had both her parents around. Both of them were always too busy for her, and most nights, she could fall asleep before seeing her mother back.
For all the twelve years she had lived, she had never got to know the meaning of a happy family. She always loved it being alone…even when she used to hear her parents fighting, she wouldn’t dare intervene. She always knew who would win the fights. Her mother.
She walked out of the house, ensuring that all doors were locked. She knew she would be late for school but that wouldn’t matter so much. She couldn’t stop figuring out how life would be without her mother in that house. Perhaps, things would be different.
However much she feared both her parents, she greatly admired her father. He was just a simple man, slightly short with a large stomach that almost protruded out whenever he dressed up in shirts. At least, once in a while, he smiled toward her.
Maybe this would be a better way for her to develop her relationship with her father. She needed someone to mind about her grades….she k new she wasn’t a bad performer. She was very good, but just that her efforts were never appreciated.
At school, she was just a loner who excluded herself from her classmates. Silence was her friend. She rarely talked, but was always active in class. The day went on as usual, until she got home in the evening.
“ MAKE SURE YOUR FATHER NEVER MISSES ANY MEAL…” she remembered her mother’s commanding voice. It was around six when she got into the kitchen and started preparing dinner. Her father returned at around 7:30pm and she served him.
“How was school today? You know you’re about to do your PLE. How is it?”
This was a good beginning to her. She responded to her father with a smile that everything was going on well, and she was prepared for the exams. She later bid him a good night, for the very first time, and walked to her bedroom.
She never realized how she fell asleep, but as if in a dream, she heard her bedroom door humming open. Paralyzed by fear, she got up and tried staring widely at the approaching figure. Her room was full of darkness. She never slept with lights on…she guessed the figure was that of her father. She breathed out a shaky breath, as her father made his entrance, and stomped toward s her bed.
“Father!” she exclaimed, with goose bumps taking over on her skin.
“ Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Yeah it’s me…..” her father replied, with a voice deep and smooth. Without any other word, he moved his hands onto her hips, and gave them a warm caress that that drove a sudden shudder to travel in her chest. Something started boiling within her, something strange…something she had never experienced in her life.
His hands started moving slowly onto her honey spot, and suddenly, his breathing rate changed. Shantel knew she was in danger now. She, with great struggle tried prying off his fingers but to no avail. He cupped her face and possessed her lips.
His breath and her struggles were the only thing resonating around her room and before she could flee, he captured both her hands with his right hand and used his left to pull off her nighty, which he did with much success. She wasn’t sure on how to react towards this…she was now greatly shackled by his strong arms and another struggle earned her a punch and a slap that made her lapse into some kind of unconsciousness.
He hoisted her body onto his left arm, and there moved in-between her legs. She felt him push deep inside her with a tearing heart. Her vision started dilating. She breathed in uneven puffs. Sobs ransacked, and flooded her vision as he continued writhing under her. She didn’t know how long it took him to finally finish up with his business.
He sat on her bed and smirked devilishly toward her. “You shouldn’t cry…your mama told you to make sure I never miss any meals. This was a greater meal you know…” he said in a cold but happy tone and walked out of her room.
For the rest of the night, she was filled with multiple daggers that continuously stabbed her heart, thus rendering into a venge of tears. She opened her eyes after a few hours…the sun outside shone perfectly into her room. She was still routed at the same spot where all the events of the previous night had taken place.
She got a chance to stare at herself. His thighs were all stained in blood, her bed sheets inclusive. Her body was just a mesh of aches and sores. She tried getting up but the pain in her loin sent her drowning in pain. Her door slummed open, and there, her father’s figure walked in just once again, with a cup of coffee in his left hand.
Shantel’s eyes came into harsh contact with his beastly face that stayed prey at her.
“Oh dear…you have to cool your eyes and lubricate them. Seems like you cried a lot last night.” He said in an irritating tone. Every word that spilled out of his mouth attacked Shantel like a sudden earthquake. She felt a lump develop in her throat and she quickly swallowed it up. She wanted to jump over him like an angry lion and devour him alive. But she was only a girl…energy-less, and vulnerable.
“No one should know of this…if so, your life is in my hands. I will get rid of you without haste. “With those words he walked out. Shantel welled up in her own world. This world seemed as dark as a cold night.
She pondered over her current situation and what was she going to do about? Last night was still young in her sight….it even hadn’t yet learnt to crawl, neither to walk. She still viewed everything…the way it had all started….but what if she told her mother…did he really mean it that he would kill her? Or it was just a mere threat. Or she would rush to the nearest police station and make a statement…but she didn’t want to die…she was still young to die….she decided to swallow the pain…this had just happened once…she just prayed it never happened to her ever again.
But it still happened…for all the two weeks, her father could walk in to her room, harshly undress her and push into her…and after he could walk out like nothing ever happened. Shantel had got used now.
The news of her mother’s return drove a new ray of hope in her. She at least knew, she would be saved indirectly by her mother’s presence back home. She did her exams with a bruised and battered soul. She just thanked God she was still young to conceive. She remembered once, when she had came into contact with her mother in the house. She had just joined primary seven.
“ Are you a woman now?” her mother had asked.
“ What do you mean mama?” Shantel had asked in confusion.
“ I found some blood stained in the main washrooms. Have you experienced your periods yet?”
“ No mama…im sorry I just made a cut on my finger accidently. I forgot to wash away the blood.” And until now, she had never seen her periods…how she wished her secondary life would find her in boarding for all the rest of her life!
