4 Chapter Four

It has been a week and three days since Farida left the comfort of her home and now became accustomed to sleeping on the hard forest floor littered with leaves and broken branches. Always shivering from the bitter cold weather at night with hardly any sheet to prevent the cold from seeping to her bone but her mother's old wrapper whenever the stop to rest.

Sitting in the wooden box during the journey with little food given by one of the men called Katum and the salted meat and groundnuts she had with her was all she had to ease her hunger. Nevertheless, she was happy that she was not walking all the way to Odinya.  

Today, they made camp in this particular dark forest, nothing could be seen through the canopy of the trees around, not even the moon and coupled with the evil aura to it, the hair on Farida's neck stood on end but she tried to get some rest.

In the middle of the night Farida woke up to someone lifting up the hem of her wrapper, she opened her eyes slowly not to alert the person. Looking through her eyelashes, she could not make out the person's facial features but all she knew was that the person was a man as his rough hand made contact with her skin.

Feeling his hand move to her knees, she knew things were getting out of hand. Pretending to be asleep, she turned her body to the right to see if it was one of the men and when her eyes adjusted to the darkness, what she saw made her heart miss a beat. The heartless of the two men was missing from where he laid down earlier, leaving Katum and the coachman sleeping soundly and snoring to the heaven above.

She kicked out instinctively as she felt his hands on her bare thigh, she tried screaming but it was muffle with his hand. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest as he leaned closer and yanked the neckline of her blouse, baring her breast to the cold night air. Farida shivered with repulsion. She searched the forest floor frantically, for anything to hit him with but came up with only dried leaves not even a twig.

Reaching up towards what she imagined to be his face, she scratched with all her might dragging her nails along his face only to be rewarded with a hiss from his lips and a hard slap to her face, leaving her dazed from the pain.

'Don't dare do that again, you bloody wench,' he said in a harsh whisper, twisting one of her nipples until she screamed with pain into the palm covering her mouth.

'Think fast and be smart, if not he will defile you.' A small voice shouted in her head as he kicked her thigh apart with his kneels. Farida bit down hard on his palm making him flinch.

'I warned you,' he said in a tone that made her shiver with fear, before biting her other nipple so hard she almost fainted.

She remembered her mother's words to her, 'Distraction does a lot my dear. Every single thing around you is a weapon, you just have to think fast and act swiftly,' it was one of the advice she gave her when she started growing from her slim boyish figure to a beautiful maiden.

Shifting the dried leaves on the ground, she fetched a handful of sand and threw it at his face. She stood up very fast and gave him a kick between his legs. This time around, a scream and series of curses followed, waking his other companions.

The last she saw and heard was the coachman cursing while Katum hit the disgusting man hard across the face before she fainted.

******

Since that incident, Wahush have been quiet, keeping much to himself and Katum together with the coachman have been keeping an eye on the maiden during the night.

Farida felt very ill, she had been sweating like never before but she dared not say a word about it for fear of slowing their journey and staying in the company of the debt collectors longer than required. However, it was a relief to hear the coachman announce their soon arrival at Odinya.

'May the gods have mercy on me, I'm feeling faint,' she prayed silently, clutching at her neck to keep from throwing up.

Katum looked at her concern, 'are you alright?' he asked.

'I'm fine,' she answered weakly, feeling the bale rising up her throat. Katum narrowed his eyes at her silently demanding her to say the truth.

'I'm just thirsty.'

Although he was not convinced with her answer, he decided to let it be, 'we are almost home, you should not worry you will get cool and clean water to drink.'

'It's no problem, I can wait a little longer," she assured him, turning her head away from his concerned eyes.

Katum looked at the maiden with concern; he noticed she kept to herself since the incident with Wahush, never asking any question as she always does. She hardly sleeps, staying vigil almost all night only sleeping an hour or two during the day and recently she seems sick to him because she has thrown up twice the day before, confirmed his suspicion.

Katum's thought shifted from the maiden to his cousin, the chieftain. He knew the chieftain would not be happy seeing the blacksmith's daughter and realizing it was nobody's fault but his, would make him furious. Knowing his cousin will never ask a maiden to do any of those things he asked of men who were unfortunate to find themselves in the same position, as the maiden sleeping opposite him was laughable.

Wondering what punishment Wahush will receive when the Chief come to know of his vile action was another thing to worry about entirely. He pity the man already because the Chieftain will be very angry and he will surely be ruthless in passing his judgment. He prays Bauma keep his mouth shut and not utter a word when they arrive home. If not, may the gods help Wahush because no one can help him from the fate that awaits him.

Nevertheless, he was ecstatic to know in a few hours he will not worry about the maiden any longer. 'What was her name again? Farida! What a strange name,' He thought to himself.

'I'm sick of this journey, the forest floor, the hard bread and the palm wine that has turned sour. Aren't you tired of all these Wahush?' He tried to make conversation.

'Uh? Oh! Yes,' Wahush replied, not sure what Katum's question was.

Katum smiled at him and waved dismissively, knowing the man's attention was miles away. Turning his head away, he looked out of the carriage at the familiar green scenery coming into view.

After what seems like forever, parts of the village farmlands with different crops growing began to creep into view. 

They rode farther into the village before pulling up in front of a very big hut. Katum stepped out of the carriage and rushed to his pregnant wife standing by the side of the chieftain's meeting hut.

While Wahush waited by the carriage for the maiden to follow suit but unknown to him, she was very weak and unable to move her feet. He reached in to pull her out but she moved her upper body away from his hand, 'what! Even in my weak state I won't allow you to touch me,' she hissed at him.

'I don't have your time young woman.' He said impatiently.

'Of course you won't have my time now but I'm sure you've time to molest…' he didn't allow her to finish what she was saying because he got a tight grip on her wrist and yanked her out of the carriage.

She screamed due to the sudden movement and when she felt her feet on the ground, she immediately smacked him hard across the face before everything turned dark.