Chapter 10

My country people only knew to speak up when something tragic happens or when they realize you're 'dead'. Even the cops don't do anything about child abuse. They only believe a child is always wrong while elders are always right. That is the problem people face in some African countries and I hate it so much.

What's the point in speaking up when you're not going to get any help whatsoever. Child abuse is overlooked when everyone pretends to mind their own business while they only talk behind closed doors.

Some children are always abused but the girl child is always looked down upon because they believe in disciplining the girl child but they are taking it too far.

**

I refused to make my voice heard about this situation anymore Cause the more I talk the less I'm heard, it was time to take care of my own problems. I was not going to die silently. I was going to fight it, I was tired of all the abuse.

**

My uncle eventually gave up on asking me questions about that night, because he realized that I wasn't willing to talk anytime soon and partially because he didn't want to remind me of whatever I went through that night and I didn't want to relive it either so I was thankful for that. He didn't allow me to go home at that moment. He wanted me to stay and heal which I was thankful for.

***

I spoke less because I felt so weak and I rested most of the time. Apart from the weakness I didn't feel any pain. Everything felt numb even the wounds I had on my body didn't hurt. Even if they did, I didn't feel it.

I stayed the following day too.

On the third day, there was a furious knock on the door. When I opened it I saw my monster of a father right before me with two elderly men.

I just stared at them.

"I knew it! I knew he was sleeping with my daughter!" My dad spoke with disgust.

I just continued to stare at him.

Then what he said dawned on me causing my eyes to widen.

Say what?

'Eww that is the most disgusting thing I ever heard apart from people thinking the same disgusting thought about himself and I'

I didn't talk. I didn't care. He was disgusting like that so it didn't surprise me.

My dad glared at me and I just stared into space.

It was silent until one of the elders decided to break it.

"Pamela where is your uncle?" One of them asked.

"He went to work, he's not yet back" I answered quietly.

"I'm only going to ask you this once Pamela." One of them said again.

"Are you in any type of relationship with your uncle? You know sexual relationship?" He asked with shame.

I looked at them with a face of disgust.

I was only 15 and they accuse me of the most disgusting act ever. And an abominable one at that.

The two elders seem to be ashamed of their own question too. They couldn't hold eye contact with me.

I scoffed.

What shameful schemes.

"No!" I answered emotionlessly.

My dad scoffed this time. I didn't even spare him a glance.

"She's clearly lying. She's just protecting that bastard." He spoke up again. Even his voice was irritating me at that point.

"Tell us the truth Pamela. Or else when tradition catches up with you and finds you guilty, we can't save you. Tell us now so we can help you" elder Appiah spoke up.

I couldn't believe my ears. They thought they could trap me into 'trapping' someone, my own uncle at that just because I was a kid and scared.

Well they thought so wrong.

I had enough. Enough of being accused wrongly. Enough of being treated cruelly. Enough of everyone's bullshît. Enough of everything and everyone.

But what they were accusing me of this time around was the most disgusting thing ever heard and I was not having that anymore.

"And I'm only going to say this once. NO! And God forbid such an abominable act in my life!"

"She's lying can't you see?" My nightmare spoke again.

"Emmanuel please, we'll handle this" Elder Edu shushed him.

"So why are you here? Your father said you went missing for a week without a trace. And people are talking, that they see you galavanting with your uncle and behaving inappropriately" elder Appiah said.

I laughed out loud in their faces. They looked at me worriedly with curiosity.

"What do you want from me? To frame an innocent man of the the most profanity act ever? Or do you want me to tell you why and when I really left home? Didn't you already knew that? Or the fact that my life was on the line by the same person  am supposed to trust in this cruel world? Or the fact that I woke up everyday miserable in my own fathers house?"

I bombarded them questions. I was loosing it at that time. I wanted to know what they intended on doing. Why they left their homes to follow the monster to come and ask stupid questions they already know answers to.

I was tired of living like that.

They couldn't look at me anymore.

They looked so skeptical.

"What are you going to do about it, judge the real culprit or frame the innocent?" They couldn't talk anymore so I continued.

"No. I'm not having any type of disgusting affair with my own blood relation. The disgusting ones are you people, pretending not to know what happened and then come here to talk the unnecessary."

They looked at me with shameful pitiful looks. I'd had enough of all of it.

At that point I'd made up my mind to rather be homeless and suffer on the streets, instead of being in a home and have those I called family maltreat me. At least on the streets the bad things that happens are caused by strangers.

"You see what I was talking about? She's so disrespectful. See what I kept talking about?" I realized that, that man had no shame or whatsoever at all.

I rolled my eyes cause it was ridiculous.

"Oh dear father! What were you talking about? Apart from having a gross mentality or the fact that you are the most wicked man and an undeserving father who wasn't supposed to be granted the gift of a girl child ever?" I asked him with a straight emotionless face.

His nose flared in anger, he made a move to hit me but was held back by the two left legged elders he came with and I just watched in amusement how his temper rocked up.

God I hated that man so much. I wished at that point that I could murder him.

He was causing a commotion and an unnecessary drama. They were handling the situation amongst themselves.

Just then my uncle arrived from work.

"What is going on here?" My uncle asked. "Emmanuel what are you doing in my house, haven't you done enough already? Haven't you caused this little girl enough pain?" He asked with a deep scowl and arms crossed on the chest.

He challenged Emmanuel and I just watched on in amusement and straight face. All I wanted to do was sleep. Have enough rest cause I had exams to write and study for. All that drama was just draining the little energy I had.

"I caused her pain? She's my daughter so what's it to you? You are the one spoiling her and sleeping with her. I've always suspected you o, how you look at her inappropriately." Emmanuel spat with venom and disgust.

My uncle was fuming with furious anger.

With jaw pressed together tightly and fist clenched. He looked like he was going to snap at any moment.

"You call disciplining my own daughter, in other not to turn out like her mother 'causing her pain'? You pedophile-" before he could finish spewing nonsense a hard punch landed on his face.

That shut him right the fuck up but didn't stop him from fighting back. He threw a punch but my uncle dodged. My eyes fill with excitement as I watch them battle each other. My uncle was on the lead and he hit him good.

The elders managed to break the fight.

Emmanuel's face was blooded by that time.

"Osei! If you don't settle down we'll have you arrested" elder Appiah yelled.

"You'll have me arrested? For what? For defending myself or protecting my niece from this child abuser?" Uncle Osei yelled back.

It was a bloody commotion! And a noisy one at that.

"She's his daughter so he has the rights. Let that child go home with her father or we'll be forced to report you to the chief".

"No she's not going anywhere! Do whatever you want but my niece stays here, far away from that beast!" He bit back.

I didn't want him to be dragged into my problems. It wasn't fair. I wanted to deal with my own problems and not have others being dragged into it. Not have innocent people framed for a disgusting act.

"It's okay uncle, I'll go with him. Don't worry about me I can take care of myself" I spoke softly and he looked at me with worried eyes and I gave him a small weak smile.

I was willing to face my demons now and tackle them one by one. I was going to handle them and not have them ruin the rest of me.

The rest of me that was being held together for the sake of Gideon.

"Are you sure? You can stay with me here Pam and there's nothing ANYBODY can do about it" he snarled at Emmanuel.

"I'm sure uncle. Thanks for taking care of me. And being there when I needed you" I gave him a soft smile.

I hugged my uncle and started walking.

Soon Emmanuel and the other two left legged elders followed in suite and off we went...