The strength from within

It was already 8 pm before Bassy got home that evening; she sat down on her bed as the scenario of what had happened earlier flooded her brain. It felt like a knife piercing her chest as she thought of it as another failed attempt. This was the third Sunday she'd left her house in an effort to either see or get rid of Edu. Chaotic tears streamed down her face as the thought sank her into darker emotions and worst-case scenarios. "What if I end up like this for the rest of my life? What if I die in the process of attempting to bring Edu to justice? What if Gabriel grows up and starts blaming me, like others, for not being responsible enough?" The thought of failing one more time weighed heavily on her, causing her to cry out loud, calling Edu's name as she was engulfed in her emotions.

Gabriel, who was seated beside her, observed how his mother had been crying ceaselessly. He held her in a comforting gesture, telling her to stop crying in a soft and babyish tone. Bassy glanced at him with her blurry eyes sympathetically. "I'm sorry too, Gabriel. I hope you'll understand me more than anyone else as you get older," she spoke in a teary tone, her palm on Gabriel's face, stroking it softly. Gabriel nodded nervously, glancing back at her with his innocent brown eyes. Bassy carried him in her arms, attempting to put him to sleep, but it was as hard as it was for Bassy to stop the tears from running down her face for Gabriel to go to sleep.

A few weeks had passed since the scenario. Bassy couldn't keep up with the way Nsisong had been harassing her anymore, as Nsisong no longer hid how much he despised Bassy. Bassy offered to pay him back the money he used to pay for the gate pass to attend Edu's show, thinking that could add to the reasons why he hated her so much after Edu turned his back on her at the show. Nsisong was extremely mad at her for mentioning that she wants to refund him the money, causing him to hate on Bassy even more as his despair grew even bigger. He had deeply regretted everything bringing Bassy to Abuja and his vow to see Bassy going back to the village kept getting stronger and stronger with each passing day. He hated Bassy to the point that he no longer saw anything good in her actions nor did he consider her as a human being. He saw her as something he could easily step on, just like a piece of rag.

At some point, Bassy got fed up with the way Nsisong was always yelling at her, even more than the actual boss who was paying her salary. She got fed up with being scared of him and what he might do to her. She called him out one faithful afternoon while they were in the car on their way to pick up their boss's children from school, in an effort to pour out her mind sincerely. Her shoulders tensed with the weight of Nsisong's hostility, she took a deep breath, summoning the courage to speak up. "Nsisong, please, let's talk about this calmly. I don't want things to escalate any further. I know you've done well for me by bringing me to Abuja, and from the depth of my heart, I'll forever be grateful."

Nsisong's face contorted with rage, his voice a venomous hiss cutting through Bassy's unfinished speech. "Talk? What's there to talk about? You've made it clear where you stand. You're nothing but a liar, so there's nothing you'll say that can enter my ears. You've manipulated me enough by luring me to bring you over here to Abuja, so just shut your sticky mouth up before I drop you off here!"

Tears welled up in Bassy's eyes, but she refused to let them flow, her voice quivering with emotion. "I'm trying, Nsisong. I'm trying so hard to make things right. Can't you see that?"

Nsisong's laughter was bitter and cold, echoing in Bassy's ears like the sound of stainless steel hitting the floor heavily. "Make things right? You've done nothing but cause problems since the day you arrived. You're a liability, Bassy. And I won't rest until you're gone."

The air crackled with tension as Bassy glanced at Nsisong, startled. "So, truly, you've been doing all this to make our madam send me out of the house?" The tears she had been trying so hard to hold back fell from her eyes as she peeked at Nsisong bewildered. "I can't believe you said that to me. What is it going to profit you to see me leaving the house, when you know deep down that I have nowhere to go?"

"I've told you to keep quiet earlier, Bassy. Can't you see I'm driving? Keep quiet and stop playing emotional blackmail, you cheap prostitute, before I drop you at the center of the road. Don't try my patience, Bassy, don't you dare get on my nerves," Nathan yelled, his tone furious.

Bassy made a decision within herself after Nsisong had finished yelling. She would not allow Nsisong to dictate her fate any longer, not after he had said it with his own mouth that he won't rest until he sends her out of the house.

Bassy spoke out as the words kept boiling in her thoughts. "You are not my God. You might have been the one who brought me to Abuja, but you aren't in the position to decide whether I go back to the village or not." She couldn't believe she aired that out to Nsisong with such a firm tone. "Where did I gather such courage from?" she asked herself inwardly.

Even Nsisong was bewildered to hear that coming from Bassy. It was the first time in the last six months she had been working with them that she faced her fear. "Oh, I see, you've grown so much wings to talk back at me," Nsisong replied in a lower tone, still startled at Bassy's guts. "Let's see how long you can keep up with that."

As the confrontation reached its climax, Bassy vowed in her inner turmoil never to let Nsisong torment her anymore, while Nsisong vowed in his inner turmoil to do everything within his power to get Bassy out of that house before the next weekend.